Marketing claims are bombarding consumers all the time. Experts differ on the exact number, but reports have concluded that individuals can see over 5000 ads a day–a whirlwind of ads bombarding consumer’s viewing screens. If the goal of any business is to stand out in the cluttered landscape, the ad’s creative has to be exceptional or the claim of what the company will deliver must stand out.
There are many ways to accomplish connecting to consumers with great creative, but there is a delicate balance. If the focus is so driven on standing out, there may be a lack of connection to the actual experience the company delivers once the consumer reaches out.
How do businesses connect employees to their marketing? How do they build out internal processes to support marketing claims?
For example: the marketing message states this dealership is the fastest or the easiest to buy a vehicle in their market. Great message. Great intent. The first checkpoint for delivering a fast and easy consumer experience is ensuring the employee team has been informed of this new goal.
Have you asked your employees for their input on how to improve the customer experience? I shared a recent article about how to map this out, but let’s walk through it again.
I would get the team into a room and explain the desired plan. Next step is to review what actions are executed when a customer:
- Comes into the dealership
- Connects through the Phone
- Connects through Email or Chat
Is there a written process for each of these scenarios for the team to review? If so, great. If not, create one while they are there, keeping in mind that it’s important to align your marketing claims with the actions your employees are taking.
Consider the touch points online where the consumers will see the marketing messages. Take time to review where the customer is taken once they interact. For instance, if they are taken to a website, what is their experience once they get there? Were they taken to a page that supports the ad? Can they locate what they are looking for easily?
Marketers may tell you their responsibility is only to get consumers to the website, but in reality, they should be helping to figure out how to streamline the user experience once consumers get to the site.
A good strategy would be to ask the employees what they think could be potential obstacles for consumers once they interact with the website. The employees hear feedback from consumers when they come into the dealership or interact online. Remember, the employees are consumers themselves, so they have valuable insight.
How does the buying process work in-store or online? Is it smooth? Does the website remember information? If you pass a customer from one department to another does information transfer with them? If not, how can this be adjusted to deliver the experience the marketing claims advertise?
Finishing the feedback loop means setting up a structure to hear from both your employees and customers on a regular basis. What works in the boardroom may not work on the showroom floor or in daily practice. There must be a process to refine and adapt on an ongoing basis.
2020 is the year to connect the message to what you can deliver. With consumer’s access to social media and ability to offer their opinion, your company will be found out soon enough if your execution and delivery does not match you marketing claim, no matter how it stands out.
Standing out in the whirlwind of marketing ads is only the beginning. Being ready to deliver on the promises you made is the key to grabbing market share.