Providing a seamless brand journey…
Julia Hutchison, COO, APA, says whether it is a branded social game, app, video or e-zine, providing content when and where a customer wants it is key…
With a number of new titles making their debut in the most recent ABC CCR report, including Virgin Media’s electric!, BM by Bonmarché and Harrods Magazine, it’s evident that demand for customer magazines remains high.
Looking at the figures nearly two-thirds (64%) of customer titles in the Top 100 are new entries or have increased year on year circulation, demonstrating the ongoing growth in the sector.
Despite the well documented squeeze on marketing budgets, brands are still continuing to see the value of branded content, and clearly the ongoing dominance of customer magazines in the report will not be abating anytime soon. In fact this dominance is being complemented, rather than cannibalised, by the new platforms available to brands.
Device convergence gives brands innovative new ways to engage with consumers and new channels are being embraced across difference sectors by brands from Nikon and Aviva, to beauty product Crème de la Mer and car brand Alfa Romeo.
Providing a seamless brand journey is therefore becoming increasingly crucial in today’s content landscape. Customers want a clever and consistent experience across all platforms. Therefore, as magazines continue to reach millions of Brits with nearly half (46%) of the adult population reading one or more (National Readership Survey) for an average of 25 minutes, converging channels offer the opportunity to further engage and enhance relationships with customers.
The flexible and interactive nature of media has opened up a whole new world of possibilities to brands and there are many innovative new ways to reach and engage with consumers. Whether it is a branded social game, app, video or e-zine, providing content when and where a customer wants it is the key.
By doing this, brands give something back to customers for their loyalty and instead of one-way branded messages, consumers are offered useful and entertaining content.
Underlining its impact not only on engagement but also the bottom line, recent research by YouGov stated that 60% of consumers who interact online are more likely to buy if the company offers additional branded content. Powerful stuff in today’s new media landscape.