Coca-Cola prove that sounds - or a lack thereof - can produce powerful results in advertising

“Try not to hear this” is the tempting message behind this campaign, and you’d be hard pressed to find many consumers capable of doing so. Coca-Cola’s latest campaign reminds us all of the position this brand occupies not just in the market, but in our own subconscious. All that’s required to hear the satisfying sound that precedes the experience of drinking Coca-Cola is catching sight of one of the three print ads that make up this series: The popping of a bottle cap from a glass bottle of Coca-Cola The fizzle of a freshly poured glass of the drink …

Sales teams need tools, resources, and knowledge if they are to perform well – and that’s what sales enablement is, in effect

How do you create a sales strategy that works? How do you build a sales team that closes deals on autopilot? There are a lot of factors that contribute to a great sales strategy, but it all starts with the team you build. Sales teams need tools, resources, and knowledge if they are to perform well – and that’s what sales enablement is, in effect. In this blog post, I’m going to talk about why you need sales enablement to improve your sales and show you how to implement sales enablement in your own business.

What exactly is sales enablement?

Simply put, sales enablement is the process of providing your sales team with everything they need in order to perform and reach their maximum potential: Knowledge and content: all the information they need about…

Campaign of the Week: Spotify use their data analytics in a risky but elegant marketing campaign

When it comes to data analytics and marketing campaigns, you don't often find common ground within the B2C arena. I myself have what could be described as an unhealthy fascination with data analytics. We won't go into that now though, instead let's talk about how Spotify made it cool with not just millennials, but everyone. Their "2018 Goals" campaign was the perfect way to sign off an impressive 2017. [si_guide_block id="84595" title="Download Free resource –Integrated marketing megatrends" description="Learn about the 10 megatrends that have already helped leading companies future-proof their strategies by ensuring all aspects of marketing are integrated."/]

The play

Spotify experienced an impressive 2017 with the brand starting to hit a sharper growth curve than any years prior. This meant that they saw 40% growth in revenues and clawed back…

The steps you need to take to make sure you get the most out of your marketing campaign

A digital marketing campaign is a complex undertaking, one that will require your dedication and attention, from the moment you first conceive of the campaign, right up until it is being presented to an audience. Digital marketing campaigns are much more dynamic and sustained than traditional, analog marketing methods. A digital marketing campaign involves a lot more than simply placing adverts for your business or brand around social media and other websites. With digital marketing, there is a constant or near-constant exchange of data between the business and the various online platforms on which they market. For example, an integral part of most digital marketing campaigns is SEO. But SEO is not something you can simply buy or implement with a single transaction. SEO is an…

Deciding on analogue vs digital is a crucial step in the ABM process

Although it’s a key phrase on the lips of many a Martech professional in Silicon Valley these days, account-based marketing (ABM) hasn’t always been about technology. In its purest form, ABM is a strategy at the business marketing level - it’s about identifying the big white whales you want to snare, and investing time, money and effort into doing that, rather than casting a wider net for the minnows. In the past, it’s been largely thinking about selling to companies as a market of one. However, the innovations of the last decade or so around IP-to-company matching, automation and retargeting, led by the likes of Kickfire, Demandbase and Terminus, have made the conversation about ABM very much one about technology. As we know, technology is often about making things easier to do at scale. Enter “ABM at scale”. Now that ABM is…

How successful were brands in their 2017 Black Friday campaigns?

Each year, online retailers make new records during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping period. 2017 is no exception. ContactPigeon, a marketing automation platform for 200+ eCommerce brands, recently analyzed over millions of emails and eCommerce transactions for a sneak peek into how Black Friday 2017 has shaped up. The most interesting insights were summed up in an infographic. Key findings include: Online sales are record high: +14% revenue increase, compared to same 24-hour period on Black Friday 2016. More retailers are using email for Black Friday: +11% overall increase in total volume of emails sent on Black Friday 2017, compared with Black Friday 2016. Email marketing is still strong: Email alone as a channel makes up 23% of sales attribution on Black Friday 2017. Desktop is (still) the Black Friday king: Despite the growing mobile usage, the majority of…

Cohesive customer journeys rely on brand and growth marketers working together

Many modern-day marketing departments are now split into two distinct groups: brand marketers who are tasked with building consumer awareness and growth or channel marketers who are tasked with transforming that awareness into action. Although both parties play for the same team, they often possess different internal priorities. It is easy for silos to emerge that make collaboration an uphill battle. There is overlap between what brand marketers and growth marketers provide. They each play pivotal roles in fueling department-wide success — but only if they work in tandem to create cohesive customer journeys. [si_guide_block id="95323" title="Download FREE Resource – Understanding different types of marketing plan" description="When, why and how to use different types of marketing plans. It will also be useful for any manager involved in setting future marketing direction for…

Inspiration for your Black Friday marketing campaign, to help you stand out from the crowd

With everyone shouting about the same thing, its hard to get your voice heard. Black Friday is no exception. Nearly every major retailer will promote Black Friday. Black Friday has become increasingly popular in the UK over the last few years, after originating in the US. Although it's a day hated by many, it has become a great way for retailers to increase profits. [si_guide_block id="5676" title="Download FREE Resource – Digital marketing plan template" description="Our popular marketing planning template built on the Smart Insights RACE planning system."/] Last year 154 million consumers made purchases, that’s about 3 million more than the previous year. Last year Black Friday surpassed the $3 billion mark for the first time, setting a new sales record. It was found that 76% of retailers will be taking part in Black Friday this year. …

Tracking tools are tricky and require a lot of attention, in spite of analytical thinking. To avoid gray hair, follow these step-by-step instructions to success.

Collecting and analyzing data is one of the many important keys to setting up a beneficial promotional campaign. No one wants to leave money on the table in the form of online platforms. It is crucial for every business to know what they are paying. Since many purchasers decide on a product over days, weeks or even months during the customer buying cycle , it's important to understand attribution of media which influence purchase (or leads). Google defines conversion windows as follows: A conversion window is the period of time after a customer clicks your ad during which a conversion, such as a purchase, is recorded in AdWords. In AdWords, you can edit the conversion window setting for any of the webpage, import, in-app action, or phone call conversions you're tracking.

Synchronization of Facebook and…

Create a successful funnel to encourage your audience to buy

Product tours aren’t for everyone. No, you see, they’re for your ideal buyer — the customer you’ve identified through your marketing data is most likely to convert and make a purchase. A great product tour will keep your sales team in productive conversations with quality prospects that are more likely to convert, shorten the sales cycle by providing relevant information upfront, and increase conversions through a main call to action. Focus your energy on building a compelling product tour rather than wasting resources funneling the wrong folks through the marketing and sales pipeline. It begins with a relevant and engaging demonstration of how your product benefits users.

Funneling to Success

Consumers move fast on the internet, scouring pages of content and looking for even quicker solutions to their problems. With 96 percent of your website visitors seeking valuable content to lead them through the buyer’s…