Eluma's VP of marketing explains how a branded desktop application will get you the exposure you want.
News and information …. What you want …. When you want it …. Delivered right to your desktop. This is exactly the type of personalized experience WHDH-TV viewers have the opportunity to get. Last month, Boston's local NBC affiliate launched the 7News Desktop through which their viewers can access the information they want -- up-to-the-minute news, traffic reports, sports scores, weather, etc. -- when they want it, without having to browse the internet.
Like WHDH-TV, a growing number of companies are augmenting their current online marketing strategies and extending their brand to the desktop of their users. For the customer, branded desktop applications offer an extremely convenient and timely way to access and share information. For brands, building a branded desktop community provides a dedicated communication channel through which to serve content, deliver stronger brand experiences, drive customer engagement, and form long-term, loyal relationships.
The BUILD acronym explains why:
B: Branding
Desktops are no doubt one of the most valuable pieces of marketing real estate there is. With a desktop community, your brand is constantly displayed, whether it's a permanent home for your logo in the system tray, the toolbar, the start menu, etc. For every minute customers are using their computers, they're viewing your brand. There is no other online marketing strategy that rivals this level of brand exposure.
U: Urgency
In today's customer-centric world, delivering the right content at the right time in the right way is critical. Desktop communities help marketers deliver personalized content -- such as breaking news, weather, traffic reports, sports scores, etc. -- directly to their users' desktops as soon as it happens. The more relevant and timely the information, the more valuable the relationship.
I: Interaction
Desktop communities provide a rich environment for brands and users to interact with one another. According to the 2006 Edelman Trust Barometer, "a person like me" reached the top spot as the most credible source of information about a company or a product; increasing from 20 percent in 2003 to 68 percent today. By incorporating Web 2.0 tools and technologies into their desktop communities, brands fulfill this need by making it easy for users to participate in the discussion, and share and discover relevant content, thereby creating a more meaningful customer experience.
L: Loyalty
A just-released survey by Adobe Systems Inc. and the Economist Intelligence Unit identified customer engagement -- establishing a deep connection with the customer that endures over time -- as an increasingly important business mandate. According to the survey, more than eight in 10 executives believe their companies lose sales each year because of failure to create engaged customers. Nearly 90 percent of respondents say that customer relationships are either very or extremely important to the success of their business. More customer engagement, they believe, would translate into improved customer loyalty (80 percent), increased revenue (76 percent) and increased profits (75 percent). "Executives are increasingly finding that the winning differentiator is no longer product or price, but the level of customer engagement relative to the competition," said Rama Ramaswami, senior editor of the EIU. "Companies see there is a competitive advantage in going beyond traditional customer loyalty programs to create engaged customers."
A desktop community offers brands a unique and effective way to supplement their current loyalty programs and drive customer engagement by inviting loyal customers to join their desktop community and using this channel to provide special perks such as premium content, special discounts or promotions, access to private chats and forums, etc.
D: Direct, always-on connection
What's more, a desktop community provides you with a constant connection through which you can stream relevant information, messages, alerts, and offers. Many marketing messages are getting lost in the clutter, whether it's because of spam or phishing scams, users being inundated with irrelevant content, or consumers simply tuning out what marketers have to say. A direct, opt-in connection via a desktop community enables you to deliver spam free, timely, personalized information directly to your user.
Looking for a way to augment your current online initiatives? Look no further than the desktop.
Savvy marketers like WHDH-TV have realized that building a desktop community enables them to deliver stronger brand experiences, enhance customer engagement, and forge loyal customer relationships, all of which drive long-term results.
Joe Lichtenberg is vice president, marketing & business development for Eluma. Read full bio.