6 requirements for multichannel marketing

Modern-day journalism programs teach students that the reader rules. No longer does the news provider dictate the terms of communication.

There might be some quibbling over the word “reader”, but as Ernan Roman points out in his book “Voice-Of-The-Customer marketing,” today’s empowered consumers are demanding dramatic changes in their relationships with marketers.

Roman says there are six multichannel requirements for marketers of the new millennium, and he urges them to do a self-check for them.

• The optimal deployment of media should be driven by voice of the customer (VOC) learning to ensure both relevance and effectiveness.
• Key elements of the multichannel mix must be deployed according to the individual opt-in preferences of customers and prospects.
• The multichannel mix must provide customers and prospects with choices so they can communicate with the marketer via the media mix of their choice.
• The channel mix must meet requirements 1 through 3 in accordance with the timing and frequency determined by that individual’s opt-in preference.
• The channel mix must offer a completely integrated experience. All the elements must complement each other, support each other, and send coordinated messages to customers and prospects.
• The channel mix must be responsive. If the organization alienates or abuses a consumer, we can expect to hear about it in a public forum if we do not resolve it privately.