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Online Marketing Management Systems Can Help

Multi-channel media has opened up many new paths to reach potential customers. Marketers everywhere and at any size company must be concerned about maintaining brand integrity across a variety of media and output devices. Because of this, common questions asked by marketers include: will the colors and brand consistency be the same in all printed material? Will the messaging be exactly what I ordered? Will all materials reflect customized text or graphics that meet corporate and/or local compliance requirements? How quickly can the various pieces of a campaign be produced? When was it shipped? And how much does it all cost?

An advanced Online Marketing Management (OMM) system can provide the answers to all of these questions because it involves putting an infrastructure in place that provides an end-to-end solution for ordering, production, and fulfillment, all accessible from a single platform. An effective system also incorporates meticulous brand management procedures with inventory tracking and 24/7 reporting capabilities.

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With a dedicated system, businesses can develop a core of consistent, relevant, targeted materials with variable text, image or graphics personalization, all pre-approved to meet corporate and/or other regulatory standards. These core materials can then be repurposed to create a variety of on-demand materials via a Web-based portal so that the company --including its remote owners, distributors, franchises, or sales team -- can execute their own localized communications campaigns.

Brand colors, logos, creative, and even the wording of graphics or promotional offers, remain unchanged and cohesive no matter if they're part of a nationwide campaign, or daily sets of menus and table tents for a local restaurant chain. Or, they can be customized specifically for a certain geographic region.

Once they understand the front-end and middle wear (or actual production of materials) capabilities of a system, the next question many marketers ask is "What sets an OMM system apart from a sophisticated out-of-the-box front-end software system?" The answer is simple: its complete capabilities.

A sophisticated OMM system tracks and reports all orders, production, and shipping, and also calculates costs. Marketers can access the system 24/7 to find out who has ordered how many of which items, receive up-to-the-minute order status, and see a report of the dollars spent for a particular item or order. Marketers gain improved visibility and control, as well as an effective means of determining a campaign's success.

While it may be possible to piece together a complete OMM solution from out-of-the-box applications with multiple suppliers producing the projects, such an approach may only add layers of complexity as few existing applications cover all aspects of the design, order, production, and fulfillment procedures and can assure the integrity of your brand in a multimedia communications environment. The most beneficial solution is to work with an all inclusive partner to develop an OMM system built specifically for your needs.

As multi-channel marketing becomes the industry standard rather than the exception, finding convenient and affordable ways to manage these complex operations effectively is increasingly critical to the success of your marketing efforts and your company's bottom line. An OMM system provides the tools to ensure consistent quality of your communication materials and help you keep the budget under control.

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