Building Brand Advocacy through Digital Consumer Engagement

More than ever, today’s consumers shop across channels, including retail stores, web sites and catalogs. Social media and loyalty programs are increasingly affecting the brand experience. With the advent of personalized digital marketing, social and mobile engagement, and rich consumer insights, brands now have an unprecedented ability to engage directly with consumers, shifting the balance of power between manufacturers and retailers. This month, we asked Cassandra Moren, senior director, CG & Retail Solutions Industry Marketing for Oracle, to weigh in on this unstoppable trend.

Last year, Oracle conducted research on the topic of consumer engagement in consumer goods. Can you share key findings?

Moren: Oracle’s research on the state of direct-to-consumer initiatives in consumer goods (CG) was conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU): New Directions: Consumer Goods Companies Hone a Cross-Channel Approach to Consumer Marketing, it found that CG companies are increasingly experimenting with new ways to establish and enhance their direct, two-way relationships with target consumers.

The research showed that over the next year, CG companies plan to leverage social media for a broad range of marketing activities, including product promotion (74 percent), capturing consumer feedback (63 percent) and customer service (62 percent).  Respondents believe social media is growing in importance as a tool to increase consumer loyalty, with 33 percent of respondents saying that social media participation will become a top priority in the year.


What are the key areas that consumer goods companies are focusing on to better engage with consumers today?

Moren: To attract and engage the consumer, CG manufacturers are increasingly exploring ways to integrate new channels such as mobile and social media into their marketing mix. Many CG companies are increasingly using the web to connect more directly with end consumers by offering coupons, recipes, lifestyle tips and product information online. Consumer insights power personalized digital interactions. The case for CG companies stepping up their efforts to have a relationship directly with the consumer is big. It allows them to:

• Learn about the social and e-commerce space
• Gather valuable insights into consumer preferences to better target consumers and to share with retailers to jointly  provide a better experience for consumers
• Extend the brand experience in social communities
• Increase sales across multiple channels (store, web, social, mobile)
• Test promotion and pricing decisions
• Influence consumer purchase and support the full product lifecycle
• Connect every engagement their consumers have with their brands
• Most importantly, be wherever the consumer is — not just in the store.