Issue link: http://cp.revolio.com/i/1178690
ALL IN | AD Today 2019 | 53 Ed Crawford President, Electrical Business Unit & Chief Marketing Officer AD SUPERCHARGE YOUR MARKETING THE CHANGING FACE OF MARKETING Given today's competitive digital landscape, where so much information is readily available to customers at the click of a button, innovative and consistent marketing is the only way to differentiate your products and brand and rise above the clutter. As such, "we've developed and improved our digital marketing to include an updated website, more mobile-friendly solutions, search optimization and rich content," said Sean O'Brien, Group Manager of Channel Marketing at Brookfield, WI-based Milwaukee Tool. "We're relying less on print media and more on digital as time goes on," agreed Bill Glockner, President & CEO of Hirsch Pipe & Supply Co., Inc. in Van Sean O'Brien Group Manager, Channel Marketing Milwaukee Tool Nuys, CA. "Print is still effective, but it's costly, so it has to be leveraged with a strong digital effort. We've also had a need for more marketing analytics to understand what's happening in the market. We run a lot of events and promotions that cross multiple channels (e.g., ads in the store, direct mail, etc.), so it's important for us to track ROI for all programs to determine if we moved the needle, secured new customers, increased sales, etc.," he said. Greg Kozniewski, Director of Channel Marketing for Electrical Wiring Systems at Legrand, shared a similar experience. "Over the last eight years, Legrand has shifted from a heavily print-based marketing program to a primarily digital one," he said. "With the growing proliferation of mobile devices and digital tools, new platforms and marketing tactics have evolved to help us get very specific about our target audiences and the methods to reach them. Today's marketing campaigns can include Facebook, LinkedIn, location-based marketing, voice search, AI and more. Just 10 years ago, we either didn't have these tools or else they were expensive, inaccurate, or underdeveloped." According to Kozniewski, the dramatic advances witnessed in the world of technology impact us every single day, "and for distributor marketing, we've had to adjust to reflect these changes," he said. "We combine in-branch marketing at distributor locations with smart digital tactics to drive business back through our continued on page 56 "In today's digital marketplace, you need to be faster and provide more. Attention spans are shorter, so it's harder to keep your message in front of everyone." – Ed Crawford, AD