Getting Real About Real-Time Marketing #1: Defining Real-Time
The following is part of a series of blog posts related to 2013’s hottest point of social discussion—real-time marketing. This is the first post in the series.
Real-time marketing has been perhaps the biggest topic of discussion in 2013. It’s been everywhere (including this blog) with trade publications and pundits discussing the brands rocking it, the brands failing and everything in between.
Despite all of this conversation, there’s been little definition. It’s basically been a “we know it when we see it” kind of approach, but real-time marketing doesn’t just exist in the execution. It goes deeper than that.
Defining the Hype
Real-time marketing is the outcome of a deliberate process that allows brands to respond authentically, quickly and based on the context of conversations through content, experiences or service.
That’s a pretty hefty definition, but there are a few things to consider. As simple as real-time marketing can look, there’s a lot of process involved beforehand to get people bought in. It’s also about responding authentically, not just for the sake or responding. It should make sense for the brand to be part of the conversation, which leads to responding based on the context of conversations. Marketers aren’t defining the direction a brand takes with real-time marketing. People are. We’re just along for the ride.
Beyond process, real-time marketing is a mindset to approach marketing and customer responsiveness quickly no matter the time of day. The brands that have executed real-time marketing successfully didn’t do so solely because the creative was amazing. They did so because it was so fast.
Finally, it is not just social. Real-time marketing can be executed across media and is the responsibility of everyone within an organization from customer service to PR to teams like R&D. Everyone should be responding based on customer needs and cultural shifts.
We’re Not All Oreo, but We Can Be More Real-Time
What Oreo did during the Super Bowl was impressive, but that doesn’t mean every brand should try to copy what they did. Real-time marketing is going to mean something different to each organization. How can your brand be faster? What deliberate actions can you take today to be more real-time tomorrow?