The way in which brands communicate with their customers has drastically changed over the past two decades. Communication used to be extremely limited to one-off instances, such as the point of sale. Advertisement and marketing were one-way channels — potential customers saw your ads on print or tv, but they could not respond to them directly.
Now in the digital era, communication channels with our clients are no longer confined to these singular and one-way interactions. Social media means that our clients can directly interact with our marketing channels, post comments and responses to our ads and message our marketing teams directly.
With this type of ongoing communication and connectivity, how can businesses protect their brands online and maintain a consistent message? One wrong tweet or miscommunication can become quickly amplified in the online world. As such, it’s essential for your brand’s marketing team to put in place a strategy that enables them to communicate effectively throughout all customer channels.
Connected Marketing Happens in Public
Connected marketing refers to the way that modern technology has transformed customer and business communication. Social media, online forums, and other digital channels have created a continuously connected relationship between brand and client.
Another facet of connected marketing is that this communication has become increasingly public. Customer complaints are no longer confined to a call centre —they’re played out in the public eye on places like Twitter and Facebook.
During the lockdown, when customers weren’t able to interact with brands face-to-face at an unprecedented scale, online communication increased. With their social lives hampered by stay-at-home orders, Saudis turned to the Internet to fulfil their need for social interaction. Social media use within Saudi Arabia jumped by 8% during this period, meaning that there are now more Saudis communicating with brands online than there were pre-pandemic.
The Importance of Consistent Brand Messaging
How do you ensure your employees maintain a consistent brand message when there are so many channels of communication on the go? The first step to safeguarding your brand presence online is to ensure you have a clear marketing strategy in place. Your plan should clearly state the goals you want to achieve and outline how you plan to reach them.
If you have a clear strategy, then you can develop your brand voice. Consider how you want your brand to communicate with customers and prospects. What brand image do you want to convey? Every communication you make online is the face of your company, so you need to ensure it’s in tune with your end-to-end marketing strategy.
Digital Marketing Must Be Local
Your brand voice should be tailored to your audience appropriately. Does it communicate in a way that is relatable for your target market? Marketing strategies in Gulf nations should reflect the cultural and social norms of the local region. If your marketing strategy lacks the perspective of a cultural insider, then customers will quickly sense the inauthenticity.
Using an authentic voice and tone that reflects the values of your audience is even more essential when your customers can’t hear or see whom they are communicating with. If you’re solely relying on the text on a screen to convey your brand message, it hinders trust when your words don’t ring true. Electronic communication is easily misinterpreted, so this concern should be at the forefront of every customer interaction your business has online.
To explore the notion of brand strategy and protection further, contact our Marketing & Client Services team on markets@sa.gt.com
