Evaluating Digital Marketing Systems: Criteria to Consider

Evaluating Digital
Marketing Systems
Criteria to Consider
ClickSquared.com Atlanta Boston Scottsdale MiddlesbroughEvaluating Digital Marketing Systems
Contents
3 Introduction: A New Approach to Marketing
5 Customer and Marketing Intelligence
6 A 360-Degree Customer View, Marketing Automation and Campaign Management
9 Real-Time Results
10 Extensibility and Customization
11 A Solid IT Foundation
12 Conclusion
13 Appendix
© 2009 ClickSquared, Inc. All rights protected and reserved. 2Introduction:
A New Approach To Marketing
Advances in technology are changing the very nature of customer relationships. There are more communications channels and media types than ever before. Social influences are having a greater impact, and there's been a far greater shift in the control of the transactions and relationships. Today, consumers are calling the shots, dictating the timing and preferences for communications and engagement.
For marketers, this new customer-driven, fast-paced environment mandates a new approach to optimize engagement - the points of contact with the brand - and maximize the customer's lifetime value. Unfortunately, most traditional database-driven marketing solutions fall far short of these goals. They fail to deliver a comprehensive view of all of the customer's transaction history, interactions, preferences, media choices and other metrics. They can't deliver real-time data to drive instant decisions and responses. They lack efficient ways to share content across channels. And, they don't deliver the timeliness and relevance that buyers have come to expect and demand.
That's why savvy marketers are increasingly turning to a new discipline - interactive relationship marketing (IRM), which engages in the full spectrum of two-way communication - online, offline, telephone, and face-to-face. IRM draws on the power, fluidity and dynamism of online channels, from e-mail to Web 2.0, adds the rigor and science of structured database marketing disciplines, and backs it with the solid execution of sound, proven online and offline marketing communication competencies. Collectively, IRM unifies the capability to drive online and offline marketing - in real-time - with intelligent models and timely performance measures.
With interactive relationship marketing, businesses can build relationships that captivate and motivate prospects and customers across an entire buying lifecycle, while providing measurable results. In an era of increasing customer control, real-time purchase decisions and fractured media, this approach is the ideal way to address the realities of 21st century marketing.
But as companies approach IRM, it quickly becomes apparent that there are a variety of requirements to consider. An interactive relationship marketing platform should support a long-term vision for the role of IRM, encompassing a complete range of services and facilities in an integrated management and communication system including:
 Marketing Intelligence - Convert raw customer data into coherent marketing information and analysis that provides insights into outbound communication strategies, targeting and segmentation, and important (perhaps previously unnoticed) trends, allowing organizations to make better investment decisions.
3 © 2009 ClickSquared, Inc. All rights protected and reserved. A 360-Degree Customer View, Marketing Automation and Campaign Management - Relationship market-ing is predicated upon the ability to gain a holistic view of customers and their activities. This informa-tion enables multichannel marketing campaigns and sustained marketing automation with online and offline components, which are driven by that information and real-time customer interaction. A 360- degree campaign encompasses all communication channels in relevant, timely and cost-effective market-ing that seamlessly supports c... [download for more]