Calix : Time To Become a World-Class Marketer

When Marshall Field opened up his new store in 1893, he noticed something interesting.

The people of Chicago were beginning to use his building at the corner of State and Washington as a meeting place. Most of those meetings appeared to be romantic rendezvous. People would even tuck tiny notes into the caulking of Field's display windows.

That's when Marshall Field spotted a marketing opportunity.

He commissioned a huge clock to be anchored to the corner of the building. His hunch was that a grand clock could become a landmark and that people would reference that landmark when making plans. If people were congregating under the clock, they just might do a little shopping.

His instincts turned out to be right. 'Meet me under the Marshall Field's clock' became a familiar phrase in Chicago. It still is to this day-even though the store is now owned by Macy's.

It proved two things. First, the clock nudged more customers to shop at the store. And second, not all marketing involves an ad.

The Shish-Kebab Rule

In the digital era, your marketing has to be an all-terrain vehicle, capable of traversing traditional mediums like print and broadcast as well as websites, social media, emails, apps and video content. Smart marketers know that while every message should be tailored to the specific channel, it's crucial that all your messages have connective tissue. I call this the 'shish kebab' rule. Shish kebabs contain a variety of tasty goodies, like beef, chicken, mushrooms, peppers and onions-but it's all held together by the skewer. It's the same with your marketing. It will live in a variety of channels, but all those tasty elements should feel like it's coming from the same place. That's why the skewer is so important.

The most effective marketing all feels connected. It might be the tone of voice, typeface or colors. Smart marketers help customers-and potential customers-connect the dots.

Your Brand Is the Sum of All These Things

You want to craft emails that nudge customers to upgrade their equipment. Your social media should be interesting without resorting to heavy sell. Your website should feel personalized and welcoming. Your content marketing should be engaging and insightful. You want to utilize a mobile app to send direct notifications to your customers. Each communication smart and connected.

You also want to harvest data to get a better understanding of your customers. Data is always revealing. You may think an edgy magazine like Maxim is the best place to reach whisky drinkers, but data actually shows the magazine most read by whiskey fans is Better Homes & Gardens. Who knew? Well, data does. As your customer's needs grow and change, data will be the lighthouse in the fog, helping you spot hidden opportunities and identify profitable micro segments. Then data will help you measure performance.

Calix Marketing Academy Will Help You Evolve and Grow Your Value

Becoming a world-class marketer takes time, and you can get there by tapping into the new Calix Marketing Academy. This free program helps you with every aspect of your marketing, giving you insights, best practices and streamlines years of experience into easily digestible nuggets.

As Marshall Field understood nearly 130 years ago, smart marketing is all about leveraging opportunities.

Meet you under the clock.

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