In an increasingly hyper competitive environment, marketers continue to explore multiple channels for efficacious offering advertisement and consumer engagement. Traditional advertisement avenues albeit still important have diminished in their relevance in today's technology driven digital age. At a time when consumer attention spans are reducing exponentially under the omnipresent barrage of disconnected and disparate marketing initiatives; there is a pressing need to extend awareness, augment purchase decisions and create brand resonance; simultaneously. Set in this backdrop, Sequential Messaging could just be the emerging innovative antidote to many a company's advertising woes.
What is this latest trend that has hit the shores of digital advertising and why does it have companies uber-excited? Sample this. A remote suspect may click on an intriguing banner ad of a company promoting its latest smartphone on a sports news website. This singular action of initial engagement to an advertising stimulus would then identify the suspect as a potential buyer through sophisticated software mechanisms and consequently generate a compelling series of messages pertaining to the features/benefits of the smartphone in question. These messages maybe in the form of further banner ads, video ads, emails or associated ads on search engine utilisation. The objective is to magnify the suspect's initial interest through subliminal and persuasive messaging in the attempt to secure micro-conversion of high quality leads. The messaging assumes even greater relevance and effectiveness as it is communicated across multiple digital and electronic platforms; ranging from the users' desktops and laptops to tablets and cell phones. So, in the above example; one banner ad espousing the qualities of the smartphone's camera viewed on his desktop; may be followed by another one that talks about its touch screen capabilities accessed on his tablet. This messaging remains contingent on the degree of consumer engagement and the company's ability to build a multi-level marketing story.
On prima facie evidence, the concept appears simplistic enough. However, forging a relevant and effective chain of messages that build on the previous one is a challenge in itself. Furthermore; it requires all major creative stakeholders inclusive of companies, tech firms and advertisers alike to collaborate at a micro level fuelled by powerful back end systems. The key is to present the right message to the right individual at the right time on the right digital platform; given how effortlessly consumers switch devices these days. The biggest challenge on this front is the development of a reliable identification software that would accurately capture the degree of consumer engagement and response to an initial messaging undertaking. Consequently, marketers are now making the transition from cookie-based profiling on traditional web browsers to adopting an ID based tracking mechanism as consumers log onto multiple devices such as laptops, tablets and smartphones. In fact, Microsoft has already developed a tracking ID system installed on its Surface tablets. This would ensure that companies would be better positioned to leverage subsequent customer interaction and enhance the chances of a favourable purchase decision. Another significant challenge is measuring the effectiveness and eventual results of Sequential Messaging. Integrating the elements of seamless coordination and customisation in messaging also ought to be taken cognisance of. Additionally, companies need to guard against the risk of "hammering" consumers with multiple messages. This would only create a sense of dissonance and unwanted intrusion, undermining the entire engagement project.
Despite the many challenges that marketers are posed with, Sequential Messaging presents many a promising opportunity to effectively target an increasingly tech-savvy consumer base. The sheer dynamic nature of the format offers companies with the chance to stimulate consumer psyche, drive interaction and incept product/service communication at a deeper level. It can also breathe new life into the stagnant television advertisement avenue given the fact that television can now be accessed via Internet enabled devices on the go. This would further increase consumer engagement across yet another platform and encourage concerned stakeholders to innovate with regards to content creation and delivery. As long as companies can effectively bridge the gap between customer expectations and actual value delivery on the back of relevant marketing communication, Sequential Messaging ought to become a critical digital advertising tool and not merely a seasonal fad.
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