In the early days of online advertising, all digital advertising was, by definition, multi-channel since there was no real way of using specific channels to inform strategy and create a unified brand experience. But as more consumers began to use digital channels for every stage of the buyer’s journey, from discovery to purchase and beyond, those channels became more sophisticated, and so did the data they provided to advertisers.
Hence, cross-channel marketing allows brands to reach customers across channels, such as social media, e-mail, website, etc., and use those channels to move customers down the funnel. So, channels that used to be siloed are now part of a cohesive strategy. For example, a customer who provides an email address via a website is instantly sent a promo code, a connection that would have been impossible 20 years ago.
So what’s next? The omnichannel experience moves beyond channel-by-channel marketing strategy and instead creates a cohesive portrait of consumer behavior, allowing better personalized messaging than ever before. But an omnichannel approach is not without its challenges.
What Is Omnichannel Marketing?
An omnichannel marketing strategy means not only being available to customers wherever they might reach out–whether in-store, on a website, mobile app, social media, or even via third-party retailers–but using those touchpoints to provide a completely seamless, personalized experience at every touchpoint.
However, recent concerns around data privacy have altered the ways that marketers approach the execution of an omnichannel marketing strategy. As third-party cookies become increasingly obsolete and major corporations, like Apple, become more focused on privacy, marketers must find new ways to approach personalization, such as relying on first-party data and increasing spend on walled garden advertising.
Why should marketers adopt an omnichannel strategy?
When executed correctly, an omnichannel approach feels like a conversation between the brand and the customer. It offers the same easy experience as walking into a store where the salesperson knows a customer by name, is familiar with their preferences, and can offer useful, relevant recommendations as new inventory arrives.
Greater Personalization
The endgame of any successful omnichannel marketing strategy is creating as close to a one-to-one connection with customers as possible, no matter where they choose to reach out to a brand. An omnichannel approach goes beyond creating strategy channel by channel and is focused on the overall brand experience.
Future-proofing your brand
Adapting to new platforms and ad formats on a channel-to-channel basis can feel like a game of whack-a-mole and involves basically starting from the ground up every time a new opportunity arises. By taking an omnichannel approach, you’ll be thinking about how each channel fits into an ongoing conversation with customers, adapting the channel to your brand and not the other way around.
Nearly four out of five U.S. digital advertising dollars are spent with walled garden
publishers such as Google, Meta, Amazon, and Apple.
To better understand how marketers consider and use walled garden advertising now and in the future, Skai surveyed 117 U.S. marketing professionals. Questions included current and future spending trends, perceived strengths and weaknesses, and considerations for strategic decision-making.
What are the challenges of omnichannel marketing?
In a cookie-less world where consumers and tech companies are increasingly focused on privacy, brands can no longer rely on third-party messaging. Other sources of data, such as first-party information and targeting tools provided by walled garden publishers like Amazon, Google, and Meta, are a brand’s best bet for providing personalization that doesn’t feel invasive.
Data Management
Collecting and managing data across multiple channels and publishers can be challenging. If the end goal of omnichannel marketing is a seamless customer experience, then data must create a holistic picture of the customer journey from discovery to purchase and beyond. Adopting the right tools for an omnichannel approach to digital advertising is critical for ensuring data paints a complete picture.
Walled Garden publishers are key to omnichannel success
Nearly four of every five digital advertising dollars is spent in walled gardens. And it’s not just planned media budgets. In a recent survey by Skai, 80% of marketers reported that if given a new, incremental budget in a quarter, much or some of that budget would likely go to performance media publishers.
As marketers continue to invest in walled gardens, they are also depending on the wellsprings of first-party data available to those walled garden publishers for targeting, personalization, and insights into consumer behavior.
Adopting omnichannel tools for interpreting feedback from walled garden publishers and using that feedback to inform strategy across advertising channels is one of the most important ways marketers can provide personalized messaging in an increasingly omnichannel world.
Skai’s omnichannel marketing platform ushers in a new era
Skai is the only omnichannel marketing platform for performance advertising. We’re helping marketers connect the walled gardens across retail media, paid search, paid social, and app marketing, making true omnichannel performance marketing a reality. We’ll keep you at the forefront of the digital evolution with data and insights, marketing execution, and measurement tools that work together to drive powerful brand growth.
Please schedule a quick demo for more information on Skai or to see our platform in action.
Even if you’re not ready just yet, staying on top of what’s available is always good. We look forward to working with you!
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