Customer First Thinking

The best way for brands to stand out today is to offer a distinctive experience that earns them an everyday role in people's lives. But that means knowing where the brand can make the greatest difference in the lives of customers, according to brand expert Allen Adamson.

If businesses hope to survive the potentially lethal disruption ahead due to massive technological change, they need to accelerate their digital transformation. The first decision they must make, according to digital transformation expert Howard Tiersky, is to embrace the need for continuous transformative change.

The top priority of CMOs is to grow top-line revenue. But the best way to achieve that growth is a matter of debate. Do you go after as many buyers as possible, or focus on winning the loyalty of existing customers? Wharton Professor Peter Fader says the answer lies in examining the behavioural patterns of current customers.

Marketers have an opportunity to play a lead role in helping their organizations adapt to the massive wave of change expected in the years ahead. But first marketers will have to "future-proof" themselves, according to Alison Simpson, the new leader of the Canadian Marketing Association.

The mainstream banks are facing massive disruption due to the rise of fintechs, forcing them to speed up digital transformation. Leading those efforts at BMO Financial Group is Greg Brown, whose mandate is to change how the bank does business.

Brand positioning has been part of marketing orthodoxy for over half a century now. Yet marketers often fail to get it right, due mainly to formulaic thinking. To come up with truly novel positioning statements, according to global branding expert Ulli Appelbaum, marketers must treat it as more of a creative exercise, coming up with as many potential ideas as possible.

To turn customers into lifelong fans, brands will need to put community development at the heart of their marketing plans. It is the "last great marketing strategy", according to the acclaimed marketing consultant Mark Schaefer. People "long to belong", he says, and that presents an opportunity to connect with them on a more meaningful level.

In a bid to earn front-of-the-wallet status, the Scene loyalty program has been transformed into a full-fledged coalition program with the addition of new partners in the grocery, e-commerce and travel sectors. But its greatest strength, claims Scene's Senior Vice President Matthew Seagrim, is its strategic emphasis on creating membership value.

Many corporate leaders now accept the need to define a brand purpose beyond making a profit. Yet most purpose statements fail to resonate with people. The only way to excite all stakeholders, argues Scott Goodson, is to activate it through a grassroots social movement.

Marketers have relied on lifestyle segmentation for half a century now, targeting people based on their shared values, interests, and attitudes. And it remains a highly effective tool even in a digital age due to the increasing segregation of society into like-minded communities, according to Jan Kestle, head of Canada's largest marketing analytics company.