• by Michael McLaren , Op-Ed Contributor, February 24, 2022

Marketers have been looking to level up their efforts as of late, as evidenced by topics like “modern marketing” and “advertising solutions” being among the most-consumed topics last week across brands and agencies, respectively, according to Bombora Company Surge.

Modern marketing is about customer experience (CX) at every touchpoint, building relationships with customers, adapting continuously the new digital landscapes, and marketing across multiple channels to reach different customers. Advertising solutions is defined as solutions to a means of communication with the users of a product or service. What we can conclude from this, then, is that advertisers feel a gap in their ability to meet the needs of customers through their marketing efforts. 

Regardless of what they’re buying, customer expectations are only increasing, and rarely, if ever, will advertisers admit to meeting those expectations. It’s an endless pursuit. With the reliance on digital and technology showing no signs of slowing, advertisers must be willing to match customer readiness to test, explore, and innovate with new products, services, and experiences. Anticipating customer and market dynamics may feel particularly daunting in a world marked by uncertainty. However, marketers and agencies can keep pace by meeting customers where they are, leading with value and carrying out seamless experiences. 

Customers also now expect to be able to buy from brands directly, wherever they are, which is why intent data show “Direct-to-Consumer Advertising” to be the top-ranked topic among brand marketers. While embracing a customer-centric mindset and ensuring you have a specialized set of DTC capabilities across the business are both clear signs of CX readiness, it’s important to focus and align your business strategies.

Given the rate of ecommerce growth, investing time to evaluate and improve your DTC strategy is a smart move for most companies. Whether you are a pure-play DTC brand or an established brand looking to implement DTC capabilities, a deliberate DTC strategy enables businesses to collect valuable consumer data, personalize the experience, quickly launch, and test new products, and grow the business.