DMi Partners Names the Five Trends that Changed Marketing in 2011
Philadelphia, PA (PRWEB) November 29, 2011
2011 has been a monumental year in the progression of digital marketing tactics, especially when it comes to digitization and the switch to mobile media. Leading, Philadelphia-based performance marketing agency, DMi Partners, today announced the top five trends driving digital commerce over the last 12 months. These trends continue to alter the marketing methods necessary to reach target audiences and bring the development of streamlined, all-device communications closer to reality.
DMi Partners pointed to the following five trends as the most significant developments in 2011:
Social media takes customer engagement to the next level.
In 2011, the marketing industry placed an increased importance upon engaging consumers in the digital world. The use of social media for client-company interaction now accompanies, and at times replaces, auto-respond emails, generic phone calls, and other established tactics. Facebook’s ‘like’ and share capabilities, Twitter’s ‘retweeting’ and hashtag trending, the Google+ +1 option, and Foursquare’s location tags create additional avenues for brand awareness and loyalty, as well as allowing for organic, consumer-promoted, viral marketing. This kind of engagement is not only beneficial for companies promoting themselves, but is practically necessary to meet consumers’ new expectations.
The rise of mobile marketing through SMS and QR Codes
Mobile devices continue to evolve and become ‘smarter’, and with those changes, the methods we use to reach and interact with consumers are advancing. Text messages are now more widely used than ever to communicate branding and marketing messages, as well as deliver mobile coupons and promotions. QR codes, physical barcodes that call up promotions when photographed with readers on mobile devices, have become an increasingly popular method of advertisement and promotion, tethering brick-and-mortar promotions to the digital world.
Green initiatives continue to drive sales
As manufacturing, chemicals, and waste continue to threaten the environment, consumers are becoming more and more conscious of their impact on the planet. Companies that promote a more eco-friendly way of doing business have had success marketing to those environmentally concerned customers. The success of green marketing has also created the practice of ‘greenwashing’, bringing into question the legitimacy of many companies that are reaping benefits from marketing green practices. ‘Greenwashing’ is the deceptive promotion of a company’s eco-friendly policies in order to distract consumers from the larger impact caused by the company’s environmentally detrimental products and processes.
Applications on mobile devices garner advertising revenue
The popularization of eReaders, iPads, and tablets has marketers using creative new methods of to promote products and services via applications. Companies are developing and selling applications for additional revenue, designed to simplify the use of their services on mobile devices. Conversely, ad-supported, free, downloadable “apps” are driving huge profit through consumer click-throughs.
Rise of daily deals
The ubiquity of mobile devices has made receiving and redeeming promotions nearly instantaneous, leading to a proliferation of deals released daily. Independent daily deal distributors and web properties of established marketing companies have entered the scene to increase traffic and brand awareness for clients, while opening a new avenue for lead generation.
“Though 2011 may not have produced any ‘big bang’ moments, we have seen the acceleration of a number of ongoing trends, especially in the area of mobile marketing,” said Patrick McKenna, CEO, DMi Partners. “The ability of companies to reach customers at any time, on any device, has really changed the game, across almost every industry. Marketers who are able to stay on their toes, think creatively and respond quickly to new methods of communication will thrive, while the rest will risk being left behind.”
About DMi Partners
Founded in 2003, DMi Partners is a Performance Marketing Agency that delivers real, tangible results for clients through the development and implementation of digital marketing programs. Whether you are an educational institution looking to maximize your recruitment strategy, a financial services firm seeking a stronger link with customers and prospects, or any other business that thrives on qualified leads, DMi Partners can help you increase the productivity of your digital marketing program, drive growth and build your bottom line.
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