Vigorous sales spur more outlet growth - Value Retail News

WiTH THiS iN MiND
bring brands alive through
strategic digital marketing
by Deborah Owen-Ellis Clark
AS A STRATEGIC marketer, I
find that keeping up with digital
progress is a challenge, albeit a
stimulating one. Invariably a number of
questions spring to my mind:
How do virtual conversations affect
physical conversations?
How do we effectively
use digital technology?
How do we measure it?
How do we manage it?
Or do we even need
to measure, use and
manage it?
These questions still
remain largely unknown
because of a lack of
robust data.
The world has grown
smaller with the dawn of
the internet, yet it also
seems more disparate when it comes to
technology. For example, while entire
nations are waiting to see the newest mobile
device or e-reader, a village in India
is marking 25 years without electricity
(The national grid was laid, but the village
has no finances to pay for service).
Nevertheless, a lack of electricity is
not hampering progress. The advent of
mobile technology is enabling people
to connect globally and many emerging
economies are leapfrogging various
Owen-Ellis Clark
22 INteRNatIONaL OutLet JOuRNaL WiNTER 2010
stages on the path to technological
enlightenment. There are no landlines
or computers for them – PDAs are the
device of choice because they function
as computers, with mobility and access
to the virtual world.
In marketing there has been a
paradigm shift in how we communicate
with our customers from
“push” to “pull” marketing.
Incredibly, in the
space of a few of years
there has been a shift in
locus of control – now
consumers are in charge.
Customers are choosing
whether or not to engage
with a brand. Via the
internet they freely voice
opinions, giving both endorsements
and critiques.
This viral communication
is speedy and it’s global.
This progress is exciting, daunting and
dynamic. We need to embrace digital
technology. We ignore it at our peril. As
marketers and business development
experts, we have a duty to our retailers, investors
and our customers, to keep abreast
of the latest mode of conversation. Thus,
we must integrate digital and virtual activity
into our marketing strategies.
As always, a balanced approach is
essential. Yes, we need to keep the
traditional media, too. But we can also
enliven our brands by initiating internet
dialogue for special offers and product
endorsements. I know this works. An
initiative for an outlet center in the UK
on Facebook recently generated a 10-fold
response above other similar initiatives.
But that is just anecdotal evidence.
One challenge we face is the ability to
measure the effectiveness of our strategies
and campaigns. I suggest that we
all start by being willing to experiment,
explore, ask questions, record results
and share each other’s findings.
We in the outlet sector are perfectly
poised to become leaders – leaders who
use digital marketing in the most effective
and integrated way. c
Contact Deborah Owen-Ellis Clark at
Deborah@thebeegroup.co.uk .
Deborah Owen-Ellis Clark, M.A.,
M.C.I.M., F.R.S.A., is the director of
Bee Group Strategic Marketing and
Business Development Consultancy.
Her previous experience includes
stints as marketing director for Land
Securities’ Gunwharf Quays and UK
franchise manager for Levi Strauss
UK Ltd.
2010 IOJ Calendar
ICSC european Conference
April 28-29, Clarion Congress
Hotel, Prague, Czech Republic
ICSC ReCon
May 23-25, Las Vegas
VRN Fall Outlet Deal Making
September 27-28, Secaucus,
N.J.
ICSC european Factory Outlet
Conference
October 13-14, Milan