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gmaIssue 6 - OCTOBER 2014

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OCTOBER 2014 Talkback

www.the-gma.com 03

GMA TalkbackThe Global Marketing Alliance’s Talkback

publication always contains words of

wisdom from industry sages. This one has some top

quality observations.

Such as: “Today’s customers fall in love with companies

that make them feel empowered” (Richard Rosen).

And: “The shortcomings of print are woefully exposed

by the ruthless efficiency of digital media” (Wayne Morris).

And even: “Sometimes, when one puts lipstick on a pig,

the pig looks reasonably attractive. Most times, it still looks

like a pig” (Doug Sacks).

Whether the words make you laugh out loud or simply

nod in agreement, hopefully you will want to read on,

because they have attracted your attention.

That is fundamentally what our industry does – engages

with an audience. At the USA DMA conference in San

Diego in a few weeks’ time, the GMA will stage another

global networking party. So come and engage with us over

a couple of margaritas! Find out more, here: the-gma.com

Sally HootonEditor of DMI Publications - Content Director the-GMA.com

GMA TALKBACK:Sarphatipark 44-I, 1073 CZAMSTERDAM,The NetherlandsEditorial tel: +44 (0)20 7193 5402Web: www.the-gma.comEmail: [email protected] News is published by InterpresMedia which incorporates TheGlobal Marketing Alliance, DMImagazine, DMI News, www.the-gma.com, DMI Events, iDi Marketers Forum, Talk Back and Talk Back Live!

WHO’S WHO:Editor Sally Hootondesign Jim CounsellPublisher Matt [email protected] Interpres MediaPrinting Newspaper Club, UK.Copyright Interpres Media.All rights are reserved.Reproduction in whole or partwithout the publisher’s permission is forbidden.Subscribe GMA Talkback is a productof The Global Marketing Alliance.Annual membership of GMA is£179.99 from: www.the-gma.comISSN: 2045-3663

gmaGlobal Marketing Alliance

The REAL 50 Shades of Grey! 04

The pathway to profits 07

China’s social media tiger 10

Print’s charming, mobile’s smarter! 13

Is your data any good? 17

Ecommerce growth in India 21

Growing, engaging and rewarding 24

Contents

Talkback OCTOBER 2014

04 www.the-gma.com

Part 1. Where do they get this stuff? Not everything is black or white in the globaldata business. In many countries, some ofthe key data attributes that marketers andstatisticians require may come from sourcesthat fall within a vast grey area in-between.Is this legally, publicly accessible data?Sometimes yes, sometimes no. It depends.That’s the reality. If others tell youdifferently, they are speaking in one of those50 Shades themselves.

Much global data really is squeaky clean,double-opt in, dry-cleaned, ‘sanitised foryour protection’, EU privacy legislation

acceptable. And that’s good. That’s the waythings should be in a perfect world. Oftenthese counts are small and the data isexpensive – at least by American standardswhere data has been highly commoditised.

What if a company wants to enhance itsexisting database by adding key data fields?All’s well, good and legal on the B2B sidewhere this is all publicly accessibleinformation. Although, sometimes, the datais seriously inaccurate and we will look atthis problem in Part 2. On the B2C side, it ismore up to the interpretation of eachcountry’s data privacy commission (DPC),

The REAL50 Shadesof Grey!

doug Sacks unravels the intimate secrets of international data


assuming they have one. Some places youcan get this and others you can’t. Let me re-phrase that. Most places you CAN get it. Itjust isn’t always strictly legal.

What about a person’s age or gender?That sounds harmless enough and often itis. Just depends upon the source of theinformation. What about unique identifiernumbers – like a social security number inthe US or a national ID number in mostother countries? That’s a stickier issue. Butthe need for all three iscrucial. Age/identityverification as both arisk assessment tooland an online qualifierfor certain web-basedapplications isbecoming a modernday necessity.

Identifying anindividual in countrieslike China and India,where tens of millionshave the same name,can become anexercise in futility. Takethe combined population of the US, theEuropean Union and South America. Thenassume 80% of those people share one offive surnames. That’s China. Is India anyeasier? A little, but not much. However, LatinAmerica can be easier as people use both amaternal and paternal surname, which helpsnarrow and verify an identity search.

Where do much of these types ofpersonal identifier data come from? Well . . .from government records. Census, voterregistration, tax records, motor vehicleregistrations. Or banking/financial records.Access to some of this is legal but limited.Other access may fall into a ‘grey area’.

Name/address/telephone numberverification is fairly cut and dry, thanks todigital white pages and business registries.Mobile phone records are sometimesavailable, but one needs to check theprovenance as most mobile phonecompanies don’t want their subscribers’ datagiven public access.

In some countries and in very specific

instances, a government or private entitywith a large data universe may outsourcecertain data for cleansing/updating/warehousing to private firms that havegreater capabilities and even better securityprocedures in place to protect it.Sometimes, by agreement, some of thesedata can be accessed legally. It just dependson the place and application.

One can find data companies that spiderthrough the internet to find the type of

information thathas voluntarilybeen placed thereby individuals andis publiclyaccessible –whether theindividual is awareof it or not. Thanksto the popularityof Facebook andother social mediasites, bothpersonal andprofessional, thereis a great deal of

this.

Part 2. The many shades of data quality High quality, clean and properly formatteddata reflecting American and Europeanstandards can be found in many countries.But issues still exist, such as transcriptionerrors at the point of first contact. Poorlypaid, poorly educated and ambivalenttranscribers don’t produce an idealenvironment for data accuracy. Much timeand effort has to be spent by the dataprovider or the end-user in cleaning thedata, correcting obvious errors andformatting properly. Sometimes, when oneputs lipstick on a pig, the pig looksreasonably attractive. Most times, it stilllooks like a pig. Occasionally, databases are‘slapped together’ for the sake of creating alarge and therefore very appetising resourcefor marketers. Occasionally, albeit rarely, adatabase is pure fiction, with lifestyle selectsassigned with no basis in fact. My advice

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here when looking to rent, licence orpurchase large databases, is to require thesupplier to deliver an nth sample in advanceof any payment. And thesample size must besignificant enough so that thesupplier cannot simply ‘creamoff’ the best records claimingthese as a representativesample. Trust has to be thereon both sides as the supplierhas to trust the buyer thatpayment will be forthcomingwhen the data proves itself.And real trust takes time todevelop.

B2B data, compiled from avariety of publicly accessiblesources, both governmentaland private, is legal. Butsometimes it is useless.Business registry data isdependent on the accuracyof the information provided by the reportingcompanies. What happens when thesecompanies create works of fiction or are justplain careless about ‘details’ like URLs,phone numbers, corporate earnings? Itdepends on how deep one needs to minethe data. But when companies write morefiction than fact, it can be a rude awakeningwhen advanced statistical research needs tobe done and generalisations about acountry’s business environment have to bemade. Best bet is to know which countrieshave the highest per capita of born liars andthen assume that things have to be takenwith more than a few grains of salt.

Through experience, one learns the insand outs of data hunting and gathering. Agood motto is the same as a museumcurator’s SHOULD be – always check theprovenance. Sometimes, this results inlosing a deal. But in the long run, there isless chance of nasty blowback and clients

appreciate that. But each country isdifferent. The suppliers in each country runthe gamut as far as how and where they

gather their data, so thesemust be vetted carefully.

Best place to start is toread a target country’sdata privacy legislation.Then, keep current asprivacy laws do change –usually, but not always,skewing toward makingaccess more difficult. Talkto data suppliers you trustand know what they aretalking about from first-hand experience. Hearsaywon’t help. Fullyunderstand all end-useapplications for the data asthese can open or shutmany data acquisitiondoors.

Happy hunting!

douglas Sacks directs InternationalBusiness development at Focus USA. Hehas worked on-site on five continentsassisting companies, non-profitorganisations and government agencieswith strategic research, databaseidentification and analysis, establishingoperations and developing andimplementing new market-entry strategies.He can be reached at: [email protected] or on Skype: douglas Sacks. Read hisblog, ‘InsightScoop’, here www.focus-usa-1.com/blog/

“Take the combinedpopulation of the US,the European Unionand South America.

Then assume 80% ofthose people share one

of five surnames. That’s China. Is Indiaany easier? A little,

but not much.”

Ibelieve most of you will agree, we live in anew era of unprecedented customer

empowerment. Any one person’s opinion—good or bad—can be shared with millionsinstantly. And, according to Forbes, 90% of uswill boycott a firm if we learned of acompany’s irresponsible business practices,and more than 55% have done so in the past12 months (Mainwaring, 2013).

In short, today’s customers are more vocalthan ever about how their purchasingdecisions affect their well-being and theplanet.

Let’s face it, the threats and opportunities ofcustomer engagement have never beengreater.

When 61% of Millienials are worried aboutour planet and feel personally responsible to

make a difference (Mainwaring, 2013), it’s clearthat companies that will have sustainablesuccess are the ones that blend into thebusiness model the quest for profits withsocial purpose. Simply put, your brand is morefavourable in today’s business environment ifit’s good for society and the planet.

So what does this mean for us asmarketers?It’s safe to say this adds a whole other layer toour brands’ messaging platforms. We nowneed to deliver an improved level of meaningbehind the brand that includes authenticity,transparency and vision. Incorporatinggenuine values into the fibre of your brand willwin the hearts and minds of the consumer.This strategy is proven to increase interaction

Winningcustomers’ heartsand minds – thepathway to profits

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Richard Rosen (pictured) links customerengagement to a brand’s genuine values.

rates leading to greater sales. It’s a far betterstrategy than merely appealing to their basicneeds by delivering a product or service at paror better.

How exciting. The ultimate competitiveadvantage is right at our fingertips!

I am thoroughly convinced that gettingcustomers’ attentions at this higher level andfulfilling a deeper meaning in their lives willspark an even greater connection with ourbrands. After all, our goal as marketers is tocontinue to drive a meaningful dialogue andultimately garner long-lasting customerrelationships.

Coca-Cola is an example of a brandstruggling in this new landscape. For years, itsucceeded by creating larger and larger sodasizes despite growing sentiment that sugarysoft drinks were contributing to the obesityepidemic. Now they’re paying the price. Softdrink sales are falling and the company hasbecome a corporate bogeyman akin toWalmart or McDonalds in the 2000s. Type‘Coke’ into YouTube. The first video that popsup isn’t a Coke ad. It’s a video called, “What WillHappen If You Boil Coke?” Spoiler alert: itdoesn’t turn into rainbows.

What would have happened if Coke hadstood for higher values? For one thing, thedecision to sell 128oz big gulps at 7-Elevennever would have been approved. Perhapsinstead they would have gone smaller andemphasised Coke as a premium treat to beenjoyed occasionally, a strategy they are onlynow experimenting with (Bloomberg, 2014). Inthe world of new media, genuine values serveas a hedge against negative PR storms, a wayto ensure your brand doesn’t become a pariah.

But if that’s the downside potential offorgoing genuine values, the upside potentialfor employing them is even greater. Ben &Jerry’s is a prime example. Since its founding,

the company has allowed its values to guide itsevery decision. This has lead the company tovocally support everything from the local foodmovement to GMO labelling, to limits oncampaign financing, to the Occupy Wallstreetmovement. The company has taken a boldstand for genuine values, and as a result won avibrant social media following and manyengaged and trusting customers. On thesurface, Coke and Ben & Jerry’s sell sugarytreats, but the difference in their values hasthrown them worlds apart. One is pointed toas a poster child of the health crisis, the otheris a loved brand making a difference.

I am convinced that the better way tosucceed in this new era is not only to spin theonline and offline tools essential to marketing,but to take a stand for genuine values that tapinto the higher purpose and potential ofpeople, as Ben & Jerry’s did. Ultimately, today’scustomer pays attention and falls in love withthose companies that make them feelempowered.

This is one of the most dramatic andoverarching shifts in marketing and advertisingwe will see in our lifetimes. I trust you to lookforward to this new challenge.

Richard G Rosen is president and CEO ofROSEn Convergence Marketing, a certified BCorporation. As the originator and chiefarchitect of Convergence Marketing, heconsults with leading brands to improve theirmarketing campaigns through empatheticdialogue. His book, Convergence Marketing:Combining Brand and direct forUnprecedented Profits, (Wiley & Sons), is a‘how-to’ tool for marketing professionals.Rosen will be presenting a keynote at theannual dMA conference in San diego with RobMichalak, global director of social mission,Ben & Jerry’s, on Sunday October 26 at 2pm.


08 www.the-gma.com

“According to Forbes, 90% of us will boycott a firm if welearned of a company’s irresponsible business practices,and more than 55% have done so in the past 12 months”(Mainwaring, 2013).

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Social media usage continues to growacross the world and China is no

exception.With an Internet user population of 591

million (nearly ten times the UK population)and censorship laws that prohibit thoseconsumers from participating in the socialnetworks that dominate the rest of the world,China did the inevitable and created their ownplatforms and networks – with some, likeTencent Weibo, boasting user basesexceeding half a billion accounts (for

comparison, consider that Facebook hasaround 1.23 billion users).

The importance of tapping this massiveuser base for data can’t be overstated. Asinternational brands have focusedincreasingly large shares of their digitalmarketing spend on ads, content andpromotions across the ‘major’ social networkslike Facebook, Google and Twitter, there isarguably an increasingly significant imperativeto connect with Chinese consumers throughtheir own platforms.

The sleeping socialmedia tiger wakes up

Russell Loarridge (pictured) discusses the importance oftapping into the database of Chinese social medianetworks, such as Tencent Weibo.

Ignore China’s national social networkidentities at your peril

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Seventy per cent of the country’s socialmedia users are under the age of 35 (30% arebetween 26 and 30); consumers are 1.8 timesmore likely to use a mobile or smartphone toaccess the internet (according to latestfigures published in The Guardian); spend anaverage of 46 minutes per day on socialnetworks; and 38% of consumers makeproduct purchase decisions based onrecommendations they read on socialnetworks.

Any brand marketing to this populationwith extraordinary buying power and apropensity for brand-hopping, must thereforedevelop a China-specific social strategy.Brands that are not investing where Chineseusers are spending their time are missing a

critical opportunity to connect and influencepurchase decisions. And while somemultinational brands like Coca-Cola haveestablished a presence on these networks,with limited time, social media marketingbudgets, and proficiency in the nativelanguage (only Tencent Weibo offers a fullEnglish interface, State of Digital researchshows) it can be a challenge even for largeorganisations to manage active andmeaningful conversations across China’sentirely separate social platforms. That’s whyit’s critical to engage these users whereverpossible – including on brand’s own webproperty.

Social login is key to getting thatpersonalised insight; using Chinese socialnetwork identities such as Renren, SinaWeibo, Tencent Weibo and Tencent QQoffers non-Chinese brands and organisationsthe opportunity to access rich customerprofile data from those networks withpermission, enabling their marketingorganisations to develop deeperunderstanding and insight into this marketand customer base, while offering thecustomer a more relevant and personalisedonline experience.

Brands that are targeting a Chinesecustomer base, but don’t have huge budgetsdedicated to establishing a presence inChina’s social media platforms, can leverageChinese platforms to create experiencestailored to this audience. These experiencescan make their interactions with the brandeasier and arm the organisation to betterengage with its Chinese audience in thefuture.

Russell Loarridge is managing directorEurope at Janrainwww.janrain.com


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It may be 2014 and the developed world isgoing mobile crazy, but some industries

are still clutching stubbornly onto the quaintdelights of good, old-fashioned print. Thereis a well-worn mantra that ‘there’s nothingquite like holding a book in your hands’, orthe ‘visceral act of physically turning a page’is both a nostalgic and, in some cases, apractical viewpoint. But sometimes, theshortcomings of print are woefully exposedby the ruthless efficiency of digital media.

A prime example of this can be seen atevents all over the world, where eventorganisers manfully persevere with print to

convey crucial communications – and are,as a result, often betrayed by its lack ofagility in responding to unforeseen butpredictable change. The approachcommonly manifests itself in the countlessprinted Events Guides that documentincomplete, inaccurate or outdated eventinformation. And, with a cruel domino-likeeffect, the static limitations of paper cascadeinto many other key aspects of eventmanagement.

For the beleaguered event planner, thearrival of the Guide at least authenticates theDisney fairytale: “Someday your prints will

Print’s charming… but mobile’s smarterWayne Morris (pictured) examines how event organisers’ continuedreliance on paper-based methodology could take them from printsto paupers. For a more regal ROI, the digital medium is King.

come.” They will. Normally about a monthbefore you actually need them, and thesame day your keynote speaker pulls out. It’sfar from a fairytale ending.

In the real world of 2014, print’s charming,but surely mobile is the smartest approach?

Paper? Scissors? Stone-age!The paper-based Event Guide is at odds withalmost every strategic objective an eventplanner faces; it’s expensive, it’s inflexible, itundermines attendee engagement and, froma sustainability point of view, it puts a carbonfoot right into organisers’ environmentalresponsibilities. Worse still, from a delegateperspective, it’s often heavy, unhelpful andout of date.

So perhaps it’s time to cut it? With ROItheir most important metric, eventorganisers who persevere with familiar butoutdated methods are flagrantlyhaemorrhaging the value and opportunitythat disruptive technologies can provide. Itstarts with the printed guide, but it goes farbeyond a simple brochure.

Scrap paperSurprisingly, when it comes to eventorganisers’ use of mobile technologies, itseems the jury is still out. A recent survey ofevent planning and management executivesreveals that 63% of global events still don’tleverage a mobile application. But, withglobal smartphone penetration continuing torise, and predicted to exceed 1.2 billion usersin 2014, the pressure on the eventmanagement sector to exploit the medium isintensifying. Undeniably, whether managingconsumer expos, corporate/B2B events andmeetings or freshers’ fayres in highereducation, the benefits of optimisingattendees’ communication channel ofchoice are significant.

Mobile applications can deliver ROI to allevent stakeholder groups; event organisers,exhibitors/sponsors and attendees. Fororganisers, the reduction in print costs aloneshould provide sufficient incentive – and, forcompanies that host numerous events, theannual savings a mobile platform cangenerate are potentially significant. That the

approach also ticks a box for companies’sustainability obligations is a welcomeethical by-product.

In addition, digital tools bring an agilitythat print can never provide; in the dynamicevent environment, mobile gives organisersthe opportunity to respond to changes andmake schedule amendments in real-time.Too often, brochures are out of date longbefore the courier has delivered 2,000 ofthem to the warehouse. The real-timeaccuracy of digital content has obviousknock-on benefits for attendees, whothemselves are under pressure to ensurethey maximise their time at the event;delegates can navigate events and plan theirdays effectively and, with the additionalconnectivity that digital communicationsprovide, they can also engage and interactwith fellow attendees.

In fact, engagement is a critical objectivefor all modern events. Mobile technologiesnot only present a platform for networking,matchmaking and lead retrieval, they also

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allow traditionally passive attendees toevolve into active event participants; socialchannels, crowdsourcing and interactivepolls are among many collaborative activitiesthat can be built into mobile applications.These can only enhance the attendeeexperience and build long-term brandloyalty. From a commercial perspective, suchconnectivity supports exhibitors’ primaryobjective – lead generation.

Mobile applications have a utility and valueright across the event life-cycle – enablingattendees to be wise before, during and afterthe event. This intelligence begins from themoment an individual signs up for an event,and keeps them informed throughout thewhole experience. Mobile provides userswith real-time information on delegates,speakers and exhibitors – and presents achannel for promotion, education andinteraction at every stage.

The powerful combination of mobile toolsto support registration, itinerarymanagement, appointment booking andinteractive communications means thatorganisers are able to capture real-time datato monitor activity, evaluate trends andmeasure ROI. This data can help informproduct development and strengthen abrand’s value proposition. Moreover,organisers can use real-world data toenhance commercial negotiations withpotential exhibitors and sponsor for futureevents; with stats to support optimal standlocation, likely footfall and delegateanalytics. Getting customers to re-sign forthe following year is a perennial challenge.Real-world data can help both you – andthem – prove ROI.

From prints to pauperThe benefits of mobile are therefore clear –so why is it that only 37% of the market areoptimising the opportunity? Perhaps popularmisconceptions over the cost and speed ofimplementation are holding the market back.But those fears are unfounded. The mosteffective white-label platforms allow eventorganisers to create a mobile guidebookwithin two hours. They deploy easy-to-usecontent management systems that allow

anyone in an organisation, irrespective oftheir IT prowess, to upload content usingsimple drag-and-drop methodology andAPIs into their own pre-existing event data,such as schedules. They’re quick, intuitiveand accessible – and, crucially, they’reaffordable. The smartest platforms offermodular pricing, ranging from free toenterprise, meaning that every business froman SME to a large multinational can benefitfrom their undoubted economies of scale.

Conversely, perhaps it’s just age-oldapathy for change – or a perception that thisis something that can be built in-housewithin an already overburdened ITinfrastructure – that prevents someorganisations from progressing and oftenleads to them being overtaken by morevisionary businesses.

In the competitive global events market,organisers will continue to face significantchallenges as the pressure on margins – aswell as the battle to attract attendees –intensifies. The most proactive organisationsare those that have realised that it’s nolonger enough to compete on the calibre ofa speakers’ programme or the prestige of alocation, it’s time to compete on innovation.

Mobile technology is a disruptiveinnovation that is helping event organisersdrive operational productivity and efficiency,enhance the attendee experience andmeasure ROI. Progressive organisers acrossall sectors are moving away from restrictivepaper-based methodology, and areleveraging mobile to transform events andincrease engagement. For those who aren’t,the journey from prints to pauper may beslow but inevitable. But, in 2014, it doesn’tneed to be that way.

Disruptive mobile technology is offering businesses the chance torevolutionise processes and positivelyredesign customer experience – simply,easily and effectively. The winners will bethose that embrace the opportunity andpartner with organisations that can helpthem deliver the fairytale ending.

Wayne Morris is GM EMEA, Guidebook. www.guidebook.com


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Moreover, isn’t focusing on ‘quite Big Data’,identifying the sources that matter and usingthin marketing budgets wisely, much moreimportant?

Organisations are in the process ofidentifying which sources of data, mainlydigital, are most useful to them in providingthe insight required to drive ROI. There arethree main groups that are separated by theirability to handle the complexity of dataavailable to them.

Very few companies are true integrators ofsystems, processes, content and message. Themajority are struggling with the complexity ofthe systems and skills required to use digitalmarketing.

Some companies are still uncommitted tothis investment and at the experimentationstage, in which true benefit will not be deriveddue to lack of general integration and effort.

Some organisations have undergone large-scale multi-year data management initiativesto improve integration, only to find that thediversity, incompleteness and rate of change inmarketing data sources greatly diminishedmany intended benefits.

However, not all data integrations arebeneficial. Some are not worth the investmentrequired. So, the question for us as databaseexperts is this: Which sources are worth havingand can that be proven?

Is your data anygood? Six questionsto help score yourdata resourcesSimon Oliver (pictured) wonders, in trying to cope withthe challenges of Big data, are we missing the fact thatsome data feeds just aren’t worth integrating?

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What to askThe same criteria for assessing a digital orsocial data feed applies in bringing moretraditional data elements into a marketingdatabase. Those can be scored on a largelyobjective scale, giving us the ability to comparedata sources fairly and to set a benchmark forthose worthy of inclusion in the centralmarketing database (CMD).

A typical data scorecard might include thefollowing questions.

1. Is there a unique identifier (such as anemail address or phone number) that canbe used to match the new data sourcewith the main marketing database?Score on a range from 0 (exact matchpossible where that field is populated) to 5(exact no unique identifier available).

2. Can a unique Id be created usingavailable information?Score from 0 (yes, easily and with existingresource) to 5 (no).

3. Can a unique Id be created usinginformation not currently available?Score from 0 (yes, easily and with existingresource) to 5 (only at great cost).

4. How many of the customers andprospects in the CMd (central marketingdatabase) are likely to be found withinthis feed?Score from 0 (100% match) to 5 (0% match).

5. do you have the ability to communicateback to the individuals within the newfeed?

Score from 0 (yes, easily and with existingresource) to 5 (only at great cost or no).

6. Assess internally the financial benefitlikely to result from integrating the datasource.Score from 0 (10% or greater increase inrevenue) to 5 (no measurable increase inrevenue).

The total score from 0 to 30 gives anindication of the value the data will bring to theCMD. The lower the score, the lower the costassociated with the data and the higher theROI likely to result from the integration. Ascore of 15 or above would indicate that thedata has marginal value and carefulconsideration should take place beforevaluable budget is spent in this area.

The growing focus on investing in allmarketing forms is slicing marketing budgetsever more thinly.

To assess the usefulness and ROI ofemerging marketing methods, data is requiredand it must be integrated into a traditionalmarketing and analysis platform. There’s therub: the investment required to do so can begreat and the benefits are thus farunmeasured.

Before undertaking any data integrationproject, each feed must be assessedobjectively with stringent criteria, adapted fromthose described here, to ensure that some ROIwill be gained. If you are interested inachieving the best outcome and highest ROIfrom using your data, get in touch with me atUncommon Knowledge.

Simon Oliver is the managing director ofdata insight and data services business,Uncommon Knowledgewww.uncommon-knowledge.net

Very few companies are true integrators of systems,processes, content and message. The majority arestruggling with the complexity of the systems and skillsrequired to use digital marketing.

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Using a debit card or other forms ofelectronic payment has become the norm

with today’s consumers and it is a trend thatdoesn’t seem to be slowing as more peopleacross the globe are becoming attracted tothis method of shopping.

India is a country where eCommerce hasseemed to explode. The Times of Indiareported that although less than 16 per cent ofthe people living in the country have access tothe internet, that number still eclipses the totalpopulation of Australia by as much as tentimes. Citing data compiled from researchconducted by IMRB International and theInternet and Mobile Association of India, byJune of this year it was predicted that 243

million people will use the internet in India,making the country the second largest nationwith online access, surpassing the US but stillbehind China.

People living in the country access theinternet for a number of reasons, buteCommerce is quickly growing in popularity.So much so that many companies are rampingup their efforts to position themselves tocapitalise on the rapidly growing onlineshopping market in India.

Indian eCommerce infrastructureinvestments growing quicklyThe Economic Times stated that within sixyears, the eCommerce market in India will

Infrastructureinvestments supportingeCommerce growth in IndiaRenée Frappier (pictured) says the speed, ease and convenience of purchasinggoods and services online without customers having to go into a physical locationto conduct these transactions has contributed greatly to the growth ofeCommerce all over the world. But here, she focuses on India.

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have a valuation of US$20billion. To supportthis rapid growth, the news publication, citingjoint research conducted by the AssociatedChambers of Commerce and Industry of Indiaand Pricewaterhouse Coopers, revealed thatnearly US$2billion will be spent oneCommerce-related infrastructure in thecountry.

‘The total spend on warehousing andsortation centers could be as high as three tosix per cent of top-line revenues,’ The Timesreported, quoting the PwC and ASSOCHAMstudy.

It is clear that people living in India arerapidly gravitating toward online shopping andcompanies are working hard to funnel theincreased revenue toward their bottom lines.

How to make eCommerce in IndiasustainableLike most other businesses, in order tosucceed in the marketplace, a plan needs to beput in place that will work to support thegrowth of the company. This also applies toeCommerce efforts being undertaken in India.

“The Indian eCommerce companies shouldestablish a business model that is profitable inthe short to long run. That is very important forsurvival,” Saurabh Srivastava, director ofoperations at Pricewaterhouse Coopers said in

an interview with the Indo-Asian News Service,according to a report from The New IndianExpress. “If the companies do not becomeprofitable, the private investors will run out ofpatience and unless the companies areprofitable, they cannot get listed.”

The newspaper stated that the eCommercemarket in India is growing at a staggering rateof 38 per cent, year over year. Establishedonline retailers like Amazon, the world’sbiggest eCommerce company, is making a$2billion investment to strengthen its footholdin the marketplace. Flipkart, India’s largesteCommerce brand, recently received $1billionin funding to strengthen its position in thecountry and now has an organisational valueof $7billion.

The efforts being undertaken in India are notunique to the country. They are alsohappening in many other locales across theglobe. Ecommerce is big business and manycompanies are well aware of this. Asconsumers become increasingly savvy withrespect to technology, the popularity of onlineshopping will continue to grow, as will therevenue generated from eCommercepayments.

Contact Renée Frappier at Pacnet. Visit:www.pacnetservices.com

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The digital age has changed the wayconsumers work, shop and play and, as a

result, marketing budgets are increasinglyfocused on internet and mobile marketing,SEO and social media.

But, as recent World Cup fever showed,consumers still love a freebie – the UK andindeed the world were awash with face paint,hand clappers, horns, squeezy footballs andthe like! Flags were attached to car windowsand bunting was strewn from trees andbalconies. World Cup excitement – andWorld Cup promotional merchandise – waseverywhere.

Today, social media plays a big part in theprofessional and personal lives of many, butthe daily influx of tweets, Facebook updatesand LinkedIn posts means the subtle

marketing messages they contain can oftenbe missed and the hoped-for increase inbrand awareness, ‘likes’ or sales fails tomaterialise. This is where the combination ofthe old and the new – promotionalmerchandise and social media – can paydividends.

Chosen well, a promotional gift will lastmuch longer than a tweet or status update,and can’t be closed with a click of a mouse orsimply ignored. Rather, it can complementand enhance social media activity by offeringa unique opportunity for businesses andbrands to not only get their name out there,but also to keep it there. In fact, recentresearch by the BPMA revealed that 94 percent of consumers remember the advertiserwho gave them a product, or the product

Old meets new:How to grow, engage andreward in the digital age

Gordon Glenister (pictured) says tangible products cancomplement and enhance marketing activity on socialmedia channels – a gift lasting longer than a tweet orstatus update. He has top tips on sourcing products.

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advertised, after they have had the item for sixmonths. In addition nearly two-fifths (39 percent) said they were more likely to use abusiness that has given them a promotionalproduct when the need for the advertisedproduct or service arises, rather than a similarbusiness that has not given anything.

The key is to choosing the right product forthe brand and its target audience, whetherthis means a branded novelty orcommemorative item to tie in with a highprofile event such as a major sportingtournament or royal wedding, a usefulproduct for the consumer that can be printedwith a hashtag, QR code or web address, or afunctional business item such as a brandeddesk accessory to reinforce a corporatemessage, contact details or campaign.

A high quality product that is useful to therecipient will be kept by them, in effectbecoming a silent marketing tool thatprovides ongoing brand awareness.It can helpto boost social media followers and onlineinteraction and give customers anopportunity to enthuse about a brand’sgenerosity and share the promotion acrosstheir social networks both personal andprofessional.

Here are a few examples of what can beachieved and how:

1. to grow a business – try giving away aproduct to the next 100 Facebook ‘likers’on a social media page

2. to engage consumers – offer a freeproduct to people who respond to aquestion or request a sample via anonline or social media channel

3. to reward customers – consider ahigher-end gift for specific groups ofcustomers to encourage loyalty to thebrand.

There is a wealth of promotional productsavailable for businesses or brands wanting touse them in their marketing campaigns. Sopicking the right one can be a bit of aminefield. Here are some of our top tips onsourcing merchandise.

n Define the audience, objectives andbudget. What is the campaign hoping toachieve – brand awareness, increase insales, a rise in followers, engagement withFacebook ‘likers’, a simple thank you tocustomers?

n Make sure the product is relevant, useful,or topical and ‘of the moment’ to ensure itis retained and not discarded

n Identify the information about the brandthat must be communicated – is there acall to action?

n Assess what information would be usefulto have from the recipients, if it waspossible to obtain it. Look at gatheringcustomer data in exchange for thegiveaway.

n Pinpoint what recipients should ideallythink about the company or brand afterthe event or promotion is finished. Willthe chosen product deliver this?

n Set out the branding and deliveryrequirements

n Ask for proof of the supplier’s ethical,environmental and compliance policiesand accreditation

n Establish whether the supplier is amember of an accredited association inyour region – such as the BritishPromotional Merchandise Association –for peace of mind.

Gordon Glenister is director general of theBritish Promotional MerchandiseAssociation.www.bpma.co.uk


“The key is to choosing the right product for the brand and itstarget audience, whether this means a branded novelty orcommemorative item to tie in with a high profile event such as amajor sporting tournament or royal wedding”

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