Finding the Fit

An effective, coordinated multichannel marketing campaign can be tailored to help achieve success for any marketing objective you may have. Here are two examples:

Example 1: Patient Education

A small magazine with information on the patient's disease as well as drug information is then sent along with a calendar that identifies the date that the patient indicated they began treatment, dates for refills, as well as reminders to see their physician for followup on their treatment. Additionally, the patient is given access to a symptom tracker app for their mobile device or a download for their home computer. Of course, with each touch it is essential to offer op-out options for the customers.

Example 2: Invitations to a Program for Physicians

A printed invitation is either directly mailed or delivered personally by a sales representative, inviting the physician to register for the program using either a 2-D barcode linked to a mobile registration page, a phone number provided on the invite, or by visiting a standard URL that takes the physician to a personalized registration page. After the physician registers, direct mail and e-mail blast reminders of the upcoming program are sent, and the physician is given the option to download meeting content and pertinent information to a mobile device. Once the program is completed, thank-you e-mails or cards can go out to attendees, as well as any followup surveys, questionnaires, or requests for additional information.

Experience and Variability

There are additional considerations that should be kept in mind in order to assure the overall success of multichannel campaign programs. One is vendor selection if you are choosing to outsource production. Managing multiple vendors has the potential to be a nightmare when it comes to coordination. The solution is to find one partner that specializes in these specific campaigns and has invested in the technology to run the entire campaign under one roof from start to finish. Single vendor selection also simplifies overall reporting and measurement from the campaign and enables quick in-line changes that can enhance the efficacy of your campaign as well.

Variability in the campaign is also important to ensure overall success. Recently, a marketing campaign was launched for a drug that treats a condition mainly affecting women. The ads and Web page had images of women and were clearly directed solely to them. However, the information on the drug and disease said that a small percentage of men get the disease as well. This is a perfect example of a situation that could benefit from personalization, so that when a man indicates he wants further information he gets brochures that incorporate images of men. The ability to lay out a full campaign with the capacity to automatically fill in the applicable variables will only further the effectiveness of your cross-media campaign.

Getting the right mix for today's customers and meeting the marketing goals for your products means incorporating cross-media, multichannels, and personalization into every marketing campaign. Having the ability to employ a robust approach when it comes to delivering your marketing messages will increase your flexibility and success, allowing your company to touch customers where they are, no matter where that may be.

Eric Boothe is Director of Business Development—Life Sciences Division for EarthColor. He can be reached at eboothe@earthcolor.com