Which Message? Which Channel? Which Customer? - Exploring Response Rates in Multi-Channel Marketing Using Short-Form Advertising

Formulating short-form advertising messages with little ad content that work and choosing high-performing channels to disseminate them are persistent challenges in multichannel marketing. Drawing on the persuasive systems design (PSD) model, we experimented with 33,848 actual customers of an international telecom company. In a real-life setting, we compared the effectiveness of three persuasion strategies (rational, emotional, and social) tested in three marketing channels (short message service (SMS), social media advertising, and mobile application), evaluating their effect on influencing customers to purchase international mobile phone credits. Results suggest that companies should send rational messages when using short-form advertising messages regardless of the channel to achieve higher response rates. Findings further show that certain customer characteristics are predictive of positive responses and differ by channel but not by message type. Findings from crowdsourced evaluations also indicate that people noticeably disagree on what persuasive strategy was applied to these short messages, indicating that consumers are not well-equipped to identify persuasive strategies or that what advertisers see as a “pure” strategy actually involves elements from multiple strategies as interpreted by consumers. The results have implications for the theoretical understanding of persuasive short-form commercial messaging in multichannel marketing and practical insights for advertising within a limited amount of space and attention afforded by many digital channels.

Digital Destination Matching: Practices, Priorities and Predictions

Over the past three years, travel agents, enterprises and destinations have switched almost entirely from traditional to digital marketing methods, relying strongly on search engines and social media. They consider these methods as faster, more flexible, financially more efficient, and with wider reach. Most importantly, they provide customer data and feedback, with precise targeting of different messages to different market sectors, with rapid measures of success. This, however, leads to fragmentation of information reaching tourists, which itself affects destination image. This seems unavoidable with continuing competition between platforms; hence, the agents, enterprises and destinations need multichannel marketing. In addition, since most search engines and social media are international, cultural context is a critical component of communications, in style and content as well as language. This may now include multiple sensory detectors and sources, including visual, sound, and haptic. As tourists increasingly garner information independently, travel agents have greater incentives to seek exclusive control over sales of specific products.

The Air War vs. the Ground Game: An Analysis of Multichannel Marketing in U.S. Presidential Elections

This study jointly examines the heterogeneous effects of television advertising and field operations in U.S. presidential elections.

Who are the multichannel shoppers and how can retailers use them? Evidence from the French apparel industry

PurposeThis study aims to identify, within the context of the French fashion industry, the characteristics of multichannel shoppers, that is, consumers who use more than one channel in a single shopping trip. We especially investigate whether consumers' focus on quality versus price affects their multichannel shopping tendency and their flexibilities in their shopping lists (basket flexibility).Design/methodology/approachWe surveyed a representative sample of 400 French shoppers regarding fashion apparel purchasing. We use a logistic regression framework to measure the probability of a shopper becoming a multichannel shopper based on the key constructs and a battery of control variables.FindingsThe analysis shows that, in fashion buying, shoppers focused on quality and those with high basket flexibility have a higher probability of becoming multichannel shoppers. The probability becomes even greater when a shopper is both quality oriented and has basket flexibility.Research limitations/implicationsWe focus on the fashion apparel market for a deeper understanding of multichannel usage of products with both experience and search features. Future research can investigate other industries for higher generalizability.Practical implicationsOur research provides insights into multichannel fashion companies whose managements aim to effectively manage high-value customers who tend to use more channels when shopping. Specifically, an omnichannel marketing strategy should focus on capturing the quality-oriented and highly basket-flexible segment of consumers.Originality/valueOur study provides evidence that for products having high experiential as well as search features, quality-oriented and highly flexible shoppers engage more in multichannel shopping. Because these characteristics are related to the long-term value of customers, we provide the link between multichannel marketing and firm profitability in the context of the fashion industry.

Planning and implementing an effective omnichannel marketing program

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze differences between multichannel and omnichannel marketing, describe the advantages of omnichannel marketing and explain how retailers can best transition from multichannel marketing to omnichannel marketing. Design/methodology/approach The paper’s findings are based on a systemic review of the literature of academic studies, research-based studies by major consulting firms and case study reports of effective omnichannel retailers. The approach used is managerial and strategic. Findings Four stages are identified between a pure multichannel and a pure omnichannel marketing strategy. This multistage approach enables a firm to determine its current position, to view the gaps in its strategy in moving to the next level and to develop appropriate actions to move to the next higher level. This paper also identifies barriers to a firm implementing an omnichannel marketing strategy and describes how these barriers can be overcome. Practical implications This paper describes the advantages associated with omnichannel marketing and discusses a strategy to transition to omnichannel marketing. Barriers to adopting omnichannel marketing and how they can be overcome are analyzed. Originality/value This study makes a number of contributions to the literature on omnichannel marketing. It sets forth specific criteria for firms to determine their present stage on the multichannel marketing to omnichannel marketing hierarchy. This strategic approach provides firms with a roadmap to planning and implementing an omnichannel marketing orientation. The paper concludes with directions for future research and managerial implications and conclusions.