Chross-channel marketing

Digital communication thrives on content. Often there is much more content in the company than you think. But it is not always digitally available in all its forms. Or structured and networked. In order to optimally serve digital brand communication with content on different channels (chross-channel), this is exactly the starting point for us as a digital branding agency.

• First, the existing and the available must be analyzed. This level of knowledge is the basis for developing short-term, medium-term, and long-term concepts.
• This is followed by implementation, which is not just about the preparation and exploitation of the existing content in the sense of the brand. It is also about integrating and motivating the sceptics and deniers in the company. Digital change is not confined to one generation. It acts in all areas of the company — product development, procurement and purchasing, production processes, marketing and customer loyalty, sales, logistics, internal administration, human resources… across locations and languages.
• Finally, the content has to be made available for the various digital channels. Technically, content distribution is very simple. But the appropriate content must also be used in the appropriate places for action, reaction, and dialogue. Only then will it fit.

Analysis makes it clear which product information and media files in which quality, quantity and topicality are available in a B2B company. Based on this knowledge, it is possible to define what needs to be done, what needs to be available, and to what extent and by whom. The strategic orientation of the content for later use must be clarified. Then the key points and the details, which are divided into categories, can be described.

It is always the same questions starting with “w” that lead to answers. For integrated chross-channel marketing, as a branding agency, we focus on the brand. We use this core to analyze with which target groups the brand interacts and communicates at which times via which media channels. Clear target group definitions and personas, knowledge about the customer journey, and the important customer touchpoints are cornerstones and the basis for the conceptual and design work. In digital communication, of course, this belongs in an international context. The internationalization of B2B communication requires an overall view and global strategies, but must nevertheless give national strategies the freedom they need. The culture, mentality, and behavior of users also differ in the digital world…

Without a goal, any path is random. However, sustainable brand communication ought not to rely on coincidences, but must consciously turn the brand into an experience. Therefore, the goal of digital communication is has to be formulated. Chross-channel marketing; that is, content distribution via selected channels, which to us in the context of a brand focuses on communication, offers many possibilities. As a digitally oriented branding agency, we advise and support the selection of media channels and focus on meeting target audiences where needs, wishes, experiences, and actions take place. Interactivity, desired participation, and the mobility of potential users are further aspects to consider. The choice of meaningful media channels is more important than choosing many ineffective ones.

The availability and quality of content limit the possibilities, as does the integration into and use of content management systems. Similarly, in B2B companies, the issue of responsibility is always an open question. Who may enter into dialog with customers, interested parties, and opinion makers on behalf of the company in the context of digital communication and in what form? This is regulated for sales, service, support, call centers, and so on. For the interdepartmental digital team, organizational and legal issues (including those concerning labor and industrial law) must first be clarified. Media guidelines are needed to describe digital communication in the field of social media. After all, a coherent brand personality speaks a “same language”. This should not depend on the individuality of the actors in digital communication.

In addition to target groups, media channels, interaction points, responsibility, and processes, the media and editorial plans are a point on the concept agenda. These basic plans should be written with sufficient flexibility, as digital communication must be able to react easily and directly to experiences and changes.

The goals, the media channels, the media and editorial plans, and the type of content must be brought into a coherent composition — so that the target groups recognize the B2B brand in chross-channel marketing communication and perceive it as coherent, authentic, and credible. This is because in the end it is all about brand building, brand experience, brand trust, and brand loyalty. The visual tie-together is created via the digital corporate design. This must be adequately adapted to the individual media channels and developed. The user experience (UX), which results from the analysis of user behavior along the customer journey, shapes processes and leading design elements in the basic structure. The design (UI) expresses this visual guidance of the user. The use and presentation of the digital output (content), which is provided from one or different sources, is integrated into everything.

As a digital branding agency, we design the structure and the visual appearance. We accompany you through the first steps of the concept. However, it is important at an early stage to involve the top performers in the company, who will later be responsible for implementing the concept. A mutual test and learning phase is part of this, because no company, no content strategy, and no choice of media channels is identical and can be adapted from customer A to customer B. Appropriate training courses are also on the agenda. The course topics range from the content page (editing and action plan) through the maintenance and implementation of integrated actions to the dialog and evaluation of the various measures. In the end, figures are the best way to prove the success of actions and pave the way for the next steps.

Key figures are used to measure digital activities. Of course, as a digital branding agency, we have reach, KPIs, etc. in mind. But we define these values from the brand perspective and from what can be achieved through available digital output. That is why we not only describe what is published where and in what depth and with what content, but also link the success figures to the B2B brand. The starting point is always brand positioning, brand values, and brand messages. The channels along with the actions and contents in the media channels must fulfil their task here.