This ITAC Marketing and Sales Executive Think Tank was hosted at Avaya Canada by Ms. Aisha Umar, Director, Central Region, Avaya Canada. 

1. Achieving optimum results through online and traditional marketing
2. Keeping costs in line and maximizing your marketing budget

What we learned

• To be most effective, combine online and traditional marketing tools
• To stay connected, use personalized communication – hand-written notes and voice
• Consider evening events, including families
• Develop scripts with voicemail
• Limit podcasts/videos to 60 seconds
• Investigate mobile devices as a way to reach your targeted audience

Achieving optimum results through online and traditional marketing

Emails
– Customized emails and highly relevant messages are an important communication vehicle.
– Unique messages by geography, company size and job function can increase website traffic
– Email blasts and newsletters need call-to-action and click-throughs
Blogging
– Although some companies feel hesitant to use it (due to liability where personnel can disclose inappropriate information), many companies feel blogging is the only way to communicate
– Twitter is still questionable
Podcasts
– Podcasts need to be targeted to the right audience (senior decision makers may not be connected). Podcast distribution has decreased due to length; need to consider time and make them concise
Websites
– Websites need clear and up-to-date content with consistent images
– Include video clips
Other
– Consider on-line advertisements instead of traditional tradeshows and printed advertisements
– Test the market using online methods; interested parties will respond
– Properly assess target market to determine best method; if market is not engaged with online tools then traditional methods may be appropriate
– Need to be part of an integrated campaign

Traditional Marketing: Can be effective on its own and/or in conjunction with online marketing methods

• Customized mailer can increase traffic to website. A small incentive helps in collecting additional respondent information and agreement for email delivery
• From a sales perspective, face-to-face events may be useful, i.e. Olympics
• Consider family events – Air Canada Centre family skate; rent a movie theatre, High School Musical; Incorporate a 15-minute corporate presentation at the start of the event
• Vertically targeted tradeshows • Consider tradeshows to increase awareness, not sales-focused
• For event boosting, use telephone and incorporate voicemail with script
• Telephone communication is decreasing. Communication by email is most effective
• Traditional marketing tools such as face-to-face meetings and hand-written notes are becoming more effective

Budgets are tight. We’re operating in an environment of tight and/or reduced budgets.  How to market effectively while keeping costs inline:

• Newsletters decreasing due to high expense and unmeasurable ROI
• Look for online customization to drive segment; better ROI
• Focus on 1-2 objectives per campaign; easier to sell, track, and report to management
• Obtain sales quota acceptance and strive to achieve targets
• Sales team need to know their customers and target them accordingly
• Sales and marketing integration is critical

Attendees:

• Donna Teggart, Image Media
• Milvi Ester, Ingram Micro
• Douglas Long, TATA Consulting