Digital is changing the game on traditional marketing – Akingbala
By Ibidunni Banjoko
Omobolanle Akingbala, Head of Brands &Strategic Partnerships, Zedi Africa has described it as massive and dynamic, the pace at which digital is changing the industry game on traditional marketing. This submission formed the crux of her presentation during the 2023 MARKETING EDGE Fireside Conversation, an annual in-house programme by the management, designed to fire up the entire workforce of the organisation.
Akingbala, who spoke on the theme, “Staying Ahead of the Curve: Combining Technology and Creativity to Leapfrog with Superior Value Offerings”, said: “Many of us in the fields of marketing and communications discipline grew up in agencies with beautiful, creative offices, collaborative spaces, nice views, fancy conference rooms, professional development sessions and robust work timelines. A couple of factors have come in and, given what we know, has given traditional marketing a beating, and changed the game on us.”
Speaking on how digital has leveraged agile marketing to disrupt a chunk of marketing planning, the marketing expert noted that the industry no longer thinks of marketing planning in terms of the quarters of the year, but think of it as milestones.
“The impact of agile has seeped into marketing such that it is expedient to check customer behaviour, feedback, and adoption culture to know if what we held as valid is still relevant or obsolete. It’s not that this didn’t happen before, it’s that the timelines in between are far shorter.
“According to the 2022 State of Agile Marketing Report, 55% of Agile marketing teams release things faster, and 48% can change gears quickly when feedback demands it.
“Since the rise of technology, the focus of marketing has shifted from competitive advertising to the collection and distribution of data for the purpose of understanding the consumers, and finding even more ways to reach them. Technology has impacted the growth of a lot of businesses, as it has availed brands the opportunities to create relationships with their customers and strengthen the effectiveness of the company.
“Thanks to COVID-19 pandemic & the lockdown; digital transformations accelerated everything, including innovation, and switching the boards on customer expectations as well as how they want to be served.
Akingbala emphasized on the move from big data to smart data, noting that the conversation has become less about size and more about effectiveness.
“Now, contextualizing what you know about your customer, what will happen if certain variables are switched is important from the outset because it reduces the period of hypothesizing and testing. Smart Data clearly defines what you want to capture and how you intend to use it, before beginning this shifting process.
“We will achieve sustained customer attention and loyalty if attention has become the most prized commodity of the marketer. The global economy is experiencing a transition from an industrial economy to an attention economy. In this era of the endless flow of information available at your fingertips, information-based careers are emerging,” she explained.
Akingbala, therefore, advised brands and businesses to optimize listening, cancel silo working and optimize omnichannel communication. “We get feedback that facilitates more innovation done creatively. The more your customers feel that you are listening, the more they want to tell you what they like and how they want to be served.
“Proactive engagement prompts your customers for feedback before they desire to talk to you. Open the channels for genuine feedback and inspire your team to think up ways to delight your customers.”
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