How to harness marketing effectiveness amidst the chaos

Yet, if you mention the phrase ‘marketing effectiveness’ in boardrooms today, the understanding played back is likely to be a short-term perspective, one focused on stimulating demand and reducing the cost of acquiring customers.  

But it’s important to recognise that true marketing efficacy goes beyond short-term gains. It involves holistically managing brand and marketing operations to meet ever-evolving customer needs, and creating real value as these needs change. 

“We know that in this chaotic world, the pressure to show return on marketing investment is high. It’s precisely because of this uncertainty that a marketing plan geared towards the short term is risky,” Naidoo says. 

“Customer behaviour is becoming harder to predict, as consumers no longer follow linear pathways to purchase. Instead, they have circular and interconnected routes to choice, and are influenced by multiple data sources along the way. They’ve also adjusted to uncertainty and are more cautious, risk averse, and focused on practical needs.” 

Build value over both the short and long term 

She believes this has placed greater pressure on companies to demonstrate value, with the key being to build that value over both the short and long term.  

“Capturing attention and driving sales will always have a place, but with a purely short-term focus, there is a risk of underinvestment in activities that foster brand salience, long-term memory and emotional connections with consumers. These are things that a customer can fall back on, even subconsciously, when making a choice.” Naidoo states. 

“Therefore, companies need to do the hard work of convincing consumers of who they (the brand) are, changing their minds about the brand if necessary, and guiding their affinity towards the brand. Only then will the potential customer consider them as part of the purchase decision-making process. 

“In any pre-purchase situation, people are likely only choosing from a shortlist of brands within their consideration set. In short, you have to earn the right to sell.” 

Find out more about marketing effectiveness, and much more, in the latest Strategic Marketing for Africa – the voice of African marketing and the official publication of the African Marketing Confederation (AMC). Read it online or download it here.  

A Print Edition of the magazine is also available.