In my opinion, the integration of traditional and digital marketing should be analyzed from the perspective of the evolution of marketing management.
In 1967, Philip Kotler, professor at the Kellogg School of Management, launches the first edition of his book “Marketing Administration”, where he gathered, reviewed, tested and consolidated the foundations of marketing management, still considered today as the “marketing bible”.
The evolution of marketing management
I recently gave a lecture on the topic of “the evolution of marketing management”, for entrepreneurs, managers, marketeers and business leaders. This article reflects some of the main inputs.
Marketing Management 1.0 – the era of the marketing department
With the post-war economic boom, from the late 1940s, with the growth of the middle class, mainly in the United States of America, there was a focus on mass production and product, with the first signs of importance on differentiation and customer satisfaction in marketing practices.
In the management level, the practice was centered on controlling productivity, based on a top-down philosophy.
- Example of a reference brand at the time: Ford
Marketing Management 2.0 – the brand era
With the excess of supply, from the 1960s onwards, there was a need to practice the fundamentals of marketing, segmentation, targeting, positioning, as well as the theme of developing brand awareness and relevance, with rational and emotional attributes.
Regarding management practices, there was a greater concern for people and cultures of leadership.
- Example of a reference brand at the time: Coca-Cola
Marketing Management 3.0 – the social era
At the end of the 90s, the beginning of the new millennium, there was a widespread use of the internet and smartphones, and marketing started to be centered on people and their professional social networks.
Brands started to orient their marketing activities towards involvement with the customer and a greater concern with purpose – contributing to society. In the world of management at this time, there was a boom in electronic commerce and a growing concern with social responsibility.
- Example of a reference brand at the time: Facebook
Marketing Management 4.0 – the era of mobility and technology
From 2010, marketing is centered on the integration of traditional and digital, brands seek empathy, ensuring a positive customer experience.
This era will be remembered by the growing use of products with embedded technology and the new 5G network will have a relevant impact on the speed of the internet, creating a new paradigm for the innovation of products and services.
In the management area, the focus is on capturing and retaining talent and on digital transformation of businesses, seeking to ensure their sustainability.
- Example of a reference brand at the time: Apple
Integrating traditional and digital marketing
Now, what concerns senior marketing managers is how to better integrate traditional and digital marketing.
With the growing importance of digital channels, marketers should consider a marketing approach between companies and customers that combines online and offline interaction.
Digital marketing must not replace traditional marketing, but rather coexist with interchangeable roles throughout the customer’s journey.
The function of traditional marketing is to create a value proposition with a competitive positioning and initiate an interaction with the customer. In the first phase of interaction, traditional marketing plays an important role in creating recognition and interest. When interaction evolves and customers demand closer relationships with companies or brands, the importance of digital increases.
The 5As of the customer’s journey
There are “5As” that define the customer’s new journey, in a connected world:
- Attention (I know): customers are exposed to a long list of options, past experiences, marketing, communication;
- Attraction (I like): memorable brands are more likely to enter the short list of brands to consider;
- Advice (I’m convinced): the customer’s path changes from individual to social, from the moment he asks for advice;
- Action (I buy): after evaluating the different options with the complementary information of the advice, the customer will decide;
- Advocacy (I recommend): brands have to make sure that the purchase process and total experience of use is positive and memorable.
The customer’s new route is not necessarily a fixed funnel, it may be the case that it does not necessarily go through all phases or even be a spiral, in which the customer moves forward and backwards when accessing new information.
In conclusion, successful marketers and business leaders in the future will be the ones who best master the intersection of skills in strategy, brand, communication, sales, and technology, always focused on business development and customer satisfaction.
This is precisely the genesis of marketing management!
