Hello, and welcome to the Theory of Marketing Relativity Podcast. I'm Jess Burton, a marketing specialist here at Epic Marketing Consultants Corporation. Let's talk all things marketing and merchandising with our Epic team. Today, we're here with Dara, our Epic blog writer. I should call you our master blog writer. Because everything you write is like marketing gold.
Dara:That's nice. I like to hear that.
Jess:I always have so much fun. I feel like I, I feel like I know stuff. And then I read one of your blogs. And I'm like, Wow, I didn't know that.
Dara:I've definitely, as I've been doing it a little bit longer. Now. I think I've gotten a little sassier in some of my posts. I love to do little asides. I know I had a professor in college ones who warned me not to use too many parentheticals. So maybe at least one blog post a once in every blog post, there's a little sassy aside for me.
Jess:I think it gives it like flavor. It's like the extra spices you put on when you're like, let me try something new. And you just like reach your spice cabinet and sprinkle some stuff on whatever you're making.
Dara:I like that.
Jess:Some spice. So today we're talking about, um, multi channel marketing. Um, which I know a lot of people are like, what, what does that mean? Since we handle Oh, my gosh, we handle everything. I don't know, what part of marketing we don't handle. So here at Epic we do. Social media is a big one PR, um, billboards and print media and radio. Am I missing anything?
Dara:Probably. I think this was a blog idea that I got from our creative director, Amy, she wanted something on the importance of different touchpoints. And I think multi channel marketing, when you hear it, it sounds like it's something new or complicated. But, you know, as you mentioned, all those different channels just now. You know, it's really just about making sure you already are on all these platforms. Are your campaigns synced up? Are they talking to each other? Are they being effective on each of the different platforms?
Jess:Yes, I know, I'm, it's always crazy to think about, like, how all encompassing like we can be with some of our clients. I know, we just had one of our clients do some radio ads, she's doing some where we've been doing social media ads for her. Um, we've been talking about in, you know, your physical inboxes or the mailers you get in the mail, um, is very, to use your words that I believe you put in your blog, it's both overwhelming and exciting.
Dara:Yes. And that I'm talking about, you know, when you have those examples of being on radio, in a billboard in a magazine, you know, thinking about your own experience as a consumer. You know, maybe you're driving down the highway and you see something, and then you're online, and you're like, Oh, yeah, these words are familiar to me, this business is familiar to me. So it's just like all of this touchpoints adding up so that they get the information they need, in the place where they are.
Jess:Yes, absolutely. I think about, I'm, like, at least here in Delaware. Like when you drive down to the beach, and you see all of those billboards. Um, I always think the people that are like that are probably I don't wanna say the most creative, but the ones that make the most sense, like, for a while, there was one, right as you got on my God, I think it's 41. I don't know, for Appleton catering. There was like the billboard right above where their location was, there was a literal little more that said, Appleton catering here. And there was this arrow that pointed like down to the building and said, Take exit, whatever it was. And it's one of those things where like, that is so genius, like people know where you are, like, you're literally giving them like a like, Oh, I have to take exit five and then I can get there. Um, so it's like, it is like you said, like meeting people like where they are. You're on the road. And maybe sometime you're thinking about like, Oh, I need someone to cater a party. And you remember that Appleton catering is five miles from your house because you pass it on your commute?
Dara:Yeah. And so talking about catering. One of the things I wrote about in the blog, whichI'm always trying to come up with, like, funny or cool ways to rethink about different marketing terms and put them kind of in some sort of frame of reference that might make more sense. And so one of the things I was thinking about is, you want to meet people where they are. But that requires you to be in different two different places at once. So, you know, with advertising and marketing, maybe you have an exciting opportunity to be in one place, but then you also have an exciting opportunity to be in this other place. So with multi channel marketing, it's like, you get an invitation to a fancy dinner party, and you get an invitation to hang out with your friends at this casual game night. And they're happening at the same time. But in this world, you can be at both places. You can wear different outfits, you can say different things, but it's still you at both places. And, yeah, you're just you're meeting people, where they are, and you're kind of working, you're working twice as hard. But you're going further for it.
Jess:Yeah, that's like a great analogy. I love that one. I feel like a lot of people nowadays have this FOMO the fear of missing out. And with this kind of marketing, it's actually I feel like it's very hard to miss people, especially if you have like a specific target audience. I know, when I explained to our clients about, you know, Facebook and Twitter and LinkedIn ads and ad targeting, they're like, wait a minute, you can do that. We're like yea. The same as you know, 10-15 years ago, when you would want to target a specific, you know, zip code, with a, you know, a postcard mailer. Um, and then just like on deeper levels, just making sure that all of your imagery and copy matches all of the people that you're targeting, I know, I saw a one of my friends, her landscaper asked to use their house in one of their, um, you know, direct mailers that goes out and like all the mailboxes in her whatever area. And I remember she said that, like people in her neighborhood were like, wait a minute, you're on my on this four by six postcard, but it was in my mailbox. So we'd like helps build that brand recognition that you're there in the community with them.
Dara:I love that. I'm always trying to figure out, like, where, and of course, I mean, now, working with Epic, I know what happens behind the scenes. But I just think it's neat to know that you know, there are real photos being used real people. I think I have there was one time I was watching TV, and I saw a local supermarket commercial. And I think I saw like I know the actor who was in it. But I couldn't get confirmation anywhere. But yes, it's exciting to see that there are real people.
Jess:Yes, absolutely. I think I always laugh. Um, you know, Joe Biden lives here in Delaware. And he does a lot of presentations and stuff in the school, the high school that I went to. So it's always funny when he will do something and he'll be in the gym, or he'll be voting in the band room. And all of a sudden, my entire Facebook feed is I went there, I went to that school, I went to that school, it's people like to be able to like relate to stuff. Um, we just suggested that one of our clients, she want to do a radio ad and we were like, why don't you record it? Like, you don't need to hire someone to record it. When people come into your store? They're going to hear your voice. So why don't you do the ad? And she kind of was like, wait a minute, what we're like, Hey, you just go into the recording studio. You read the script, however you want to read it. And your voice is what's going to be on the radio so that people can connect your business to your voice and you as a person.
Dara:Mm hmm.
Jess:She was like, I didn't know you could do that were like, yes.
Dara:You can. Yeah think that's a really nice personal touch. And, and also brings up a, like, an important thing to talk about with multi channel marketing is that even though you kind of have these points coordinate with one another, at the same time, you want to make them a little different. And to make some tweaks and adjustments, depending on the channel that you're on. You know, so for example, if you do have a radio ad, you can make that that personal and you can make it come from a person, but then it should have some, you know, some of the language should be the same. It should still sound like the business and sound like the tone or not necessarily tone, but the there should be some overlap in that message. And what someone might see if they saw a Facebook ad for the company pop up. So it's just making that making a cohesive package. But making sure the different pieces, you know, have their chance to shine. But their chance to link up and, and present as part of a one cohesive package?
Jess:Absolutely, I think we have a client who does a lot of like billboards. Um, and our amazing graphic designer will make whatever the billboard images into social images for me. So like if you're driving along Kirkwood highway and you see their billboard, but then we're running a Facebook ad this week, it's going to be a very, very, very similar image so that your brain is already familiar with. I've seen this before. Why does this feel familiar? And because you maybe subconsciously saw it while you were driving to, you know, WaWa, , or Royal Farms to pick up your coffee?
Dara:Yes, or, or SheetZ? Do we dare even mention that?
Jess:I don't know. I feel like we're like to. I feel like we're in like deep in WaWa country.
Dara:I would agree with that.
Jess:I went to college up in like, up near the Lancaster area. And like I remember being like, I'm sorry WaWa, is far more superior. And everyone's like, no, how dare you say that about Turkey Hill. And then they built like a Sheetz like maybe a mile up the road from our school. And I'm really like, what is this Sheetz? I'm like, oh my god. I'm like battle of the, like, really old convenience stores.
Dara:I'm thinking about I guess I saw someone recently breaking out that their confession as to which one they thought was the best, but maybe wasn't. wasn't the one that we agreed on?
Jess:I wonder Yeah, I think it all just depends on geographically where you are in the US. And then I always like to trump people with the, um, I'm always like, well, honestly, like, when you go to London, Pret is better. And they're all like, what is that? And I'm just like, it's basically their version of like, WaWa. It's just, everything's nicer and fresh and way easier to get in and out of.
Dara:I think that sounds like what it should be if we're talking about being in London.
Jess:Yes. I Yeah, I remember, like trying to explain, we went with a group of high school students. Um, a couple years ago, I remember trying to explain to them like what it was, and I was like, you just in out I was like, way faster than WaWa , way faster than ever. I was like, also, because everyone walks there. So there's no like pulling up and parking and get out of your car.
Dara:I can't I so I, I live in in Philadelphia now. So all of the WaWas, are walkable. Which is a big, big change. I'm living in Delaware,
Jess:I'm sure. Yeah, I feel like everything you have to drive to get here. Which is like, ironically, another thing that like I forget, we had a client who, at the beginning of the pandemic wanted to do billboard ads, and we were like, um nobody is driving anywhere. Maybe we should table that for later.
Dara:That's Yeah, that's a good point. And like, it speaks to how you have to think about how and where people are going to see things and what's going to link up. And you know, that you don't want to put all your eggs in one basket. Like, you might have different channels. But they can still be the same in some ways. Like, you wouldn't, you wouldn't listen to you wouldn't watch TV and listen to the radio at the same time. So even though those are different channels, that's not quite the pairing that you would be looking for. If you're talking about being being in two different places at once. Those are two different places that you're not necessarily in at once.
Jess:Yes. I know. We I have this conversation all the time. Like I was I forget what brought this conversation up. We were watching like the Eagles game or something watching football one like Sunday. Um, and we're like, talking about it from like, a marketing standpoint. And I was like, it's always interesting to see like, who like these sports channels think their audiences are, based on the commercials. Like we, I mean, we're in our like, late 20s or in like, late 20s, early 30s. Like, everything can become a drinking game. So like at one point, we started making the outline of like a commercials drinking game. It was like, because there were so many ads for men's razors. And oh, god, what were the other ones? Like, sports betting, because they're all in Pennsylvania. So you can bet on sports. Or what is it called like DraftKings or whatever. And um a lot of ads for oh my gosh, not Cabela's the other one Field Stream. I mean, I don't hunt I don't know this stuff. But I did think it was super ironic because like, I've also seen that like, a lot, they're way more women who pay attention to the NFL than I think even the NFL things. Like you're missing a great target audience here.
Dara:Yeah, I don't think any of those ads necessarily speak to me. But it sounds like you might be watching a little bit more NFL than I am. I am a emerging fan. Not all the way there yet.
Jess:Well, even even like, I will watch like I my, I have just decided that I will say I like watching Hallmark movies, there's something nice about knowing there's going to be a happy ending. But yeah, but even those commercials are pretty predictable. There's usually one for like, some kind of feminine hygiene product. One for some kind of like fitness program. I did just see that like Nordic, I saw a NordicTrack commercial like five times yesterday and like an hour. Um, but yeah, it is kind of crazy to see how well like or how not well, people know their target audience, especially on TV, because I feel like it can be very broad.
Dara:But then I am guilty of watching TV and being on my phone at the same time, or TV and computer. And soI don't know if that's a that's a good thing or a bad thing. It's probably a bit of both. But just in terms of stretching out your, your span of attention. Well, it speaks to why you need to have clear messaging. That's, that's quick and to the point and can grab attention. But it also says that it's okay to to reach your audience on both computer and TV at the same time.
Jess:Absolutely. I think, um, that is like the key to a good marketing marketing plan is that you cover all your bases, you think about who your ideal consumer is, and you say, Okay, what is this person doing? And I know, at least for like, my, our age demographic, like, we're on Facebook, we're on Instagram, we're watching TV, we're checking Twitter, we might be watching some YouTube. We all have, I have like, way more email addresses than I care to admit. But like, I have an email inbox, I also have a physical inbox. Um, and, like, you know, you can text people stuff now, which I still think is very creepy. And I don't know how I feel about that yet. Um, but yeah, like I picked up a magazine this weekend, I was like thumbing through it, because I was like, I can't remember the last time I looked at a magazine.
Dara:I think that print, I'm glad that you mentioned print, because I think we are seeing that there. I mean, I know at Epic, we've always said there's still a place for print. I think we're even seeing with younger generations. people younger than our generation even that they they like getting print, especially because there's been so much digital for them their whole lives. So it's important to be savvy and be thinking about those new platforms that are emerging. You know, like TikTok, but then it's really exciting to get something in your physical inbox to get a postcard or a nice letter. I know I'm, I have a Halloween card list, a Thanksgiving card list, Valentine's Day card list. Because I just I love sending my friends something physical. Because we really don't get those touch points anymore.
Jess:Yes, I, um, I do the same thing with like, all of my friends like they all have like toddlers and like small children. And like my, like, holiday card list for all the holidays, not just like Christmas or whatever. But like Halloween and Thanksgiving and the for them like you know, Valentine's Day like, it's just a bunch of that and I'll head out I'll go grab some cards. And I'll write out some cards. And it is funny because like, one of my friends said my kids don't get mail. Like they don't understand how mail works. So I'm like, Well, good. I'm teaching was working on it. We got I think there is something to be said about like the physical marketing component. So like catalogs, and I think about like brochures another thing like I coach like high school kids, and every year they like football games and soccer games and all that stuff they have like the programs and I think about like the advertisements that people put in those programs. Like if you know that that football team is going to have 200 parents at that game. Well not right now. But like 200 parents at that game, and they're going to be thumbing through looking for you know, players names, players BIOS, that's a captive audience. Have 200 right there.
Dara:Oh, yes, back in the day and see, I think you're talking a lot of football. I think I would be more of the theter camp here. Yes, I remember. I love to spend some time from us thumbing through my playbills looking at the ads and the interviews and the shout outs and seeing who got what.
Jess:Yeah, and the key is that it's like, mixed in with like, the stuff you want to look for and the stuff you're gonna see just because it's there. The other thing that I always think is like, I don't really see it that much around like our area, and I don't know about like Philadelphia, but I'm, like all of it. So I don't even know I think the one diner around here that did it closed. But like the diners that have the like the disposable placemats and the placemat is all of the ads for like local businesses. Yes. I, yes. I don't know what I just remember. Like, I was always the kid that like would bring a book to a restaurant. But if we were going to a diner and they had one of those things, I'd be reading all of the ads on the placemat.
Dara:Um, you were talking about catalogs earlier and want to tell you about this cute catalog I got over the weekend, and almost got thrown out. And I said, No, I'm going to enjoy some time reading that. Because it's for Christmas. And so I just get to escape and imagine myself inside this catalog for a while, sort of it's for a clothing company, and I follow them on Instagram on Facebook, they're emailing me, I'm looking at their website, we're very linked up. And they know it because they keep mailing me things too. But they sent me this nice thick Christmas catalog. And about midway through there's a sticker page, and you can remove the stickers, they're like those little post it marks and they have all these little phrases on them like gift idea content. So I could I could mark up my catalogue and leave it for my loved ones to get some Christmas ideas. But for the time being I just I just enjoyed looking through it myself and I thought that was a cute idea that I haven't seen
Jess:that is I feel like I haven't seen that since we were um you know kids I'm with two I don't think the company was called it was like Toys R Us like they used to send out that big catalog with all the stickers in it and like now we've like adopted it like in my house and this is kind of I don't know how morbid This is. But like my grandmother like one year at Thanksgiving gave us all those like circle sticky dots and was like anything in this house you want when I pass put a dot on it and it's yours.
Dara:I'm pretty sure that was an episode of Gilmore Girls
Jess:Yeah, I don't know if it came from that or what but yeah, she was like just I don't want you to fight over it just put put these underneath the furniture underneath the lamps like anything and just leave it there and that way we know I love a good I love a good catalog. I love a good I'm like that's a really good way to market things like oh let me just casually leave this catalog on the table with all of these sticky notes and see if my significant other picks up on it Oh, I know between the catalog I feel like catalogs are starting to die off although we did just get a bunch of them and I'm like how did they know our address? Um, but I also feel like they're making a comeback because like kids like the younger generation nowadays like they didn't grow up with that and now they see it and they're like, Oh, what is this?
Dara:I'm really enjoying them lately. And I mean magazines to break especially right now when I find so much of my life is online. It's it's a way that I can force myself to not look at a screen. I still think like one of my best days this summer was when I had a buildup of like just food and drink magazines. And you know I had I not going out to eat not going to get like the full restaurant experience. Not gathering lots of people for dinner so it was so nice to just one relax outside not looking at a screen and then two like vicariously live through you know the experience of going to a restaurant or making a meal and sharing it with friends and just kind of imagine this different world looking through a print product.
Jess:Yes, I um well makes me think that do saying like a food catalog makes you think about the last time we had you on and you were we were talking about. Um like
Dara:Just show me the recipe.
Jess:Yes catalogs are perfect for that. Because I What did I go we went apple picking and I picked a bunch of like, we picked a bunch of apples, and I was like, oh my god, like, I just want the recipe for this applesauce. And there was one part where I was like, I found the button that was like, skipped a recipe. And I was like, thank goodness.
Dara:Yes. I think we were, you know, we're talking about multi channel marketing. But I think we're also talking about the power of print, which I don't hate that this conversation has gone in that direction. Especially because I'm guilty of this too. But you know, thinking about different platforms like okay, well, are you adjusting your message on Instagram, versus Facebook versus Twitter versus LinkedIn? And it's like, oh, yeah, but what about the postcard? What about the catalog? What about the mailer? So yeah,
Jess:I think that like, I, I love print, I am, I own a Kindle. And I feel like it was probably the dumbest purchase I've ever made because I still call up like our local bookshop and like, order books, because I'd rather read a physical book than on my iPad. But yeah, I think print definitely has a little more power than sometimes like social media or, like other forms of marketing. Especially because I feel like I my my, like personal theory is that like, everything is some kind of pendulum that like swings back and forth. Um, because like sometimes it goes out of style, then it comes back in style. I'm looking at all the millennials are another one is all the Gen Zers that are like, flared leggings. I'm like, yoga pants. Um, but yeah, like, I feel like, we're starting to see more people use print versus digital. But I also feel like everything is changing, especially with, aside from being in a pandemic, I feel like everything is changed everything changing the way people meet each other, especially like with the upsurge of like influencers and stuff in the last couple years.
Dara:Yeah, um, and I think you can be, you can partner with an influencer on different channels, it doesn't necessarily have to be like on Instagram, which I think is sort of the obvious choice. You can use them in your print advertisements. I remember, this is a campaign from a while ago, but I remember some of the advertisements for that I saw on local transportation for a local fashion center. They had the models looked vibrant, and fabulous and glamorous. But then in the corner, it would say like, you know, at local influencer, who does this blog and was like, Oh, that's cool. It's a real person. So, you know, if you are local and know the person, or if you're, if you're visiting and would recognize them, it's a it's a cool connection to make, that can link up the online world in the real world. And also just show that kind of you're savvy enough to think that way.
Jess:Definitely, I think that as we I always say I'm like it sometimes it takes like big things to make big changes. And like I feel like this pandemic has definitely made people reevaluate how their social platforms and their digital presence. Um, you know, more people were watching Netflix, more people are watching TV, more people are scrolling on their phones on various applications. I know. We started doing like video view ads for a client because, you know, Facebook, video views on Facebook was up like some crazy percentage. Um, so I think like tracking where people are, oh my god, it's like, I say everything's like a octopus, because there's always like a eight pronged approach to everything. Um, that like, you know, they know that they're on Facebook, but where are they on Facebook? are they watching videos? Are they scrolling their newsfeed? Like, you know, people are driving in their cars, but where are they driving? Are they driving? One? Are they driving on the back roads, which I don't know any billboards that are on back roads. Um, but even then, like think of marketing like I just thought about this because they took all the political signs down all the like yard signs that are like this company, fix this roof, like the yard posters or whatever that people put up when they have someone come in, you know, install new windows, or they have someone fix their roof or the company that just remodeled their bathroom. Like that's the type of marketing
Dara:I think I recently saw one of those drivable billboards, you know, the, like the truck that has,
Jess:Oh, my gosh,
Dara:I saw one recently and I'm trying to remember where I saw it, but it was in like a more suburban or back road area. So maybe that is how you have
Jess:Right? Well, look, I now that I knew I like the car w aps. I know around here, lik Like, I want to say it's Wilm ngton University. I know De Tech, I think DelTech and Wilm both have like several cars hat are wrapped with their color and like their logo and like promoting their educational fferings. That's even a for of marketing. Like if you oh my gosh, I'm trying to think of like someone else that would benefit from that. That's li e a whole other ballgame. Car wr p marketing.
Dara:Yeah, so talking about the pandemic and talking about there are these limitations or like forces to rethink things? Yeah, it can be a little scary at first, but then it it really drives creativity because you have to think of things in a different way. And, but that leads to new opportunities. So that is good.
Jess:Absolutely. I'm all for new opportunities. I'm all for people being creative. You can come up with something creative. I will give you kudos for it. Um, Dara, thank you so much for joining us today. It's always fun to talk to you about
Dara:Thanks for having me
Jess:everything. Hopefully we can have you back on sometime. Yeah. And we'll
Dara:Yeah. And we will keep looking for the the recipe buttons.
Jess:I know. I haven't right now our kitchen. We're not getting our kitchen replaced. So it's R.I.P our kitchen right now. We're like living out of like a microwave and it's depressing.
Dara:Jump to end of renovations.
Jess:Exactly right. Um, well, thank you for joining us, and hopefully we can have you back again. Thank you all for tuning in this week. We hope this berry is relative to your marketing needs. Make sure you subscribe to get notified of our latest episodes.