What’s the competition up to? 4 real-life examples of effective marketing strategies

What’s the competition up to? 4 real-life examples of effective marketing strategies

We conducted a quick audit of supply chain company pages  and found these examples of effective marketing strategies.  

The country is step by step trying to return to a new normal, but uncertainty continues to throw a wrench into full supply chain recovery. What are some examples of effective marketing strategies during such a disruptive time? When Zappos order takes two weeks to arrive rather than the usual overnight, even end customers cannot help but notice the impact of the global pandemic is far from over.  

Group News Editor Jeff Berman reflects on the challenges in Logistics Management: 

We have emerged from the abyss, in the past, but things felt different, in the sense that perhaps there was more of a tangible or definitive endgame or objective that would bring some type of closure to these issues. But, unfortunately, as things relate to COVID-19 and the ongoing civil unrest, things remain far more loosely defined, or simply undefined or uncertain. 

Despite the disruption, organizations that can emerge as beacons of knowledge and stability can have a distinct advantage over the competitionWhile some supply chain companies have chosen — deliberately or not — to leave out references to the disruption in their external communication and on their websites, others have created elaborate resources directed at current customers and prospects.  

So, what marketing strategies are others pursuingWe conducted a quick audit of leading industry publications and company pages to see who have decided to actively engage their audience and how they have gone about doing it. As you will see, returning features of these examples of effective marketing strategies during Covid-19 is the: 

  • Reframing of the sales language to suit the current environment 
  • Focus on being a source of help 
  • Effort to initiate meaningful conversations with prospects 

4 examples of effective marketing strategies to take your company through Covid-19 uncertainty 

Descartes — comprehensive resource page instills confidence 

effective marketing strategies

Descartes has created a text-book resource page. The multinational technology company leaves no question unanswered, skillfully weaving thought leadership resources and customer testimonials with gratitude to “logistics and supply chain heroes” and a running log of press mentions 

The product pitch has been reframed to answer the needs of the target audienceDescartes’ cloud-based logistics and supply chain solutions are not just good for any challenge but specifically brings the “flexibility needed to efficiently respond to challenges related to the global pandemic.”  

The rest of the page is built to reinforce that point. Three calls-to-action urge readers to: 

  • Join an upcoming webinar on finding alternative supply sources in a disruptive time 
  • Speak to a Descartes expert on how to mitigate operational challenges 
  • Connect with a Domain expert

In addition, readers find as many as 11 whitepapers or Covid-19 Action GuidesTopics cover a range of challenges, from pivoting to no-contact deliveries and assessing the impact on supply sources with global trade data to dealing with import and export compliance issuesDescartes has also, in a short amount of time, compiled a list of case studies that serve as real-life examples of how the company has helped customers mitigate the impact of Covid-19.  

Takeaway: The page instills confidence and enforces the impression this company is ready to lead customers through volatile times.  

Quinyx — timely study starts relevant conversations 

effective marketing strategies

Quinyx, a global cloud-based, workforce management SaaS provider, astutely made the company part of relevant conversations by producing a study, The State of the Deskless Workforce, at just the right timeThe study surveyed 12,000 deskless workers in a range of industries, including logistics and transportation, in March and, again, in April to understand the impact of the global pandemic 

Among the findings that generated a stir30% of logistics workers think it is a fireable offense to take more than one consecutive sick day; and nearly 20% of logistics professionals came into work sick during the Covid-19 outbreak.  

The timely release of the study managed to both subtly promote the Quinyx solutions and highlight the newsworthy issue of workplace flexibilityA related blog post on the study concludes: If 2020 has a silver lining, it comes in how it’s forcing businesses to react, respond and embrace technology to safeguard their futures.”  

Takeaway: The study helps position Quinyx as a hands-on partner tuned into the needs of customers in a rapidly evolving work environment.  

Kinaxis — virtual events fill trade show void 

effective marketing strategies

On May 29, Kinaxis issued a press release: The company was launching Kinaxis Live, a series of virtual conferences on the theme, “Planning for the New Normal.” In the release, Kinaxissteered clear of the Wikipedia description of the company (“a supply chain management and sales and operation planning software company”), opting instead for action-driven language that captures the aim of its target audience (“the authority in driving agility for fast, confident decision-making in an unpredictable world”). 

The events bring together Kinaxis experts as well as supply chain practitioners from other companies, including Merck, Flex, ON Semiconductor, Lippert Components, and Konica Minolta, and promise to discuss:  

  • Lessons learned on managing through COVID-19 and the future of supply chain planning 
  • Insights on how to prepare for the rebound and long-term impacts across industries 
  • Tips on how to build resiliency and agility into your integrated business and supply chain planning by leveraging AI, human intelligence, and concurrent planning 

Takeaway: By bringing the conversation online, Kinaxis can reach prospects who missed out on the opportunity to connect during one of the now canceled or postponed trade shows. The events also help establish Kinaxis as a trusted and knowledgeable resource with a large ecosystem of high-profile partners 

Kibo — approachable resource center builds competitive edge 

effective marketing strategies

The rise of online shopping since the arrival of Covid-19 has — naturally — triggered interest in cloud-based technology. And Kibo has aptly seized the opportunity to raise the profile of its ecommerce platform with a clean-cut Covid-19 resource page 

Aiming to provide “tactical and empowering content to lean on, Kibo has created a range of resources tightly focused on showcasing industry expertise and answering customer questions. Visitors can access webinars, a whitepaper, and blog posts on everything from personalizing your order management strategy in the Covid-19 era to setting up touchless pickup.  

Takeaway: The conversational tone of the page strikes a balance between promoting the company product and sounding genuinely interested in helping clients navigate the Covid-19 crisis. In the intensely competitive market for ecommerce platforms, the page can set Kibo apart.  

Many companies are still learning how to best conduct marketing in the midst of a global crisis. Examining examples of effective marketing strategies can generate ideas and inspire adjustments that help youorganization rise above the pack

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Read more: 

The case for outsourcing content marketing at a time of disruption

 Supply chain marketing during Covid-19, the risk of cutting back 

Covid-19 messaging strategy for supply chain companies: Getting the basics right 

 

 

Why conversion rates matter and why they don’t

Why conversion rates matter and why they don’t

Metrics matter.  Metrics allow you to measure success, drive strategy, and demonstrate the ROI of your marketing efforts.  Conversions are one of the most important metrics to monitor.

Why conversion rates matter

What is a conversion?  A conversion means action.  It means that someone took some action that entered them into your funnel or moved them further down your funnel.  Examples of conversions are: downloading a white paper, filling out a form, requesting information, opening an email, and becoming a customer.

By monitoring and tracking conversions you can determine what marketing efforts are paying off. Additionally, by monitoring and tracking conversions you can identify which efforts need to be re-evaluated or even discontinued.  In short, conversion rates can help you measure your ROI.

Why conversion rates don’t matter

Conversion rates are not the Holy Grail of metrics.  Your website should be a magnet.  It should attract and engage prospective customers and current customers.  Your website should serve to educate and to establish your business as an industry leader.  Eighty to 90 percent of prospects are not ready to make a purchase when they first engage with your company.   Conversion rates don’t capture the amount of time people spend on your website, learning, exploring, and getting to know your business.   Conversion rates also do not capture the amount of time current customers spend on your website – valuing your company as a resource.

While conversion rates are an important metric to measure, remember that they are not the end all be all.

Tracking conversion rates

We created a template that you can download and use to track conversion rates and other critical metrics.  While the template captures visitor-to-lead and lead-to-customer conversion rates, you can easily modify the template to include additional conversion rates that are useful to your business.

Fronetics Marketing Metrics Template