At Optimove Connect 2024, Optimove data experts, Tomer Aronheim and Lyrie Harel, explored the art of mastering multichannel communication strategies. They provided actionable insights, real-world marketing examples, and demonstrated how machine learning models can significantly enhance the success of multichannel campaigns, making a strong case for adopting these strategies to drive impactful customer engagement. 

The main pillars of a multichannel strategy 

A multichannel marketing strategy focuses on (1) targeting customers across multiple channels, such as text, mobile apps, email and more, and (2) ensuring that the brand is engaging with them on their preferred channel. 

Multichannel marketing strategy is more complex than the single-channel strategy, but this approach is worth the effort, maximizing content exposure and enhancing engagement.  

In fact, brands who launch multichannel marketing campaigns powered by a Customer-Led Marketing platform, consistently realize a ~40% increase in response rates and a total uplift of more than 25%. 

The different levels and strategies 

There are different levels of multichannel marketing. One entails sending a single offer through different channels as part of a seamless customer journey. The second involves connecting with customers exclusively on their channel of choice. The latter enhances relevance and personalization, improving overall customer satisfaction and response rates. 

There are also different levels of strategy. For example, there’s the multichannel blast campaign. This involves sending a single promotion across different channels at the same time. The advantage of this approach is greater reach for increased exposure, which is effective in customer reactivation. 

However, there is also a risk associated with this approach. When customers are inundated with many communications about the same promotion, they often experience marketing fatigue. And, ultimately, they may even opt out. 

Multichannel Journey – the more effective way to go 

This is why a multichannel journey (vs. blast) strategy is so much more effective.  

With this approach, the initial communication is sent out on just one channel. The most cost-efficient channel is selected, usually email. 

Marketers analyze the performance data from the initial communication to pinpoint the ideal frequency for follow-up emails to customers who haven’t responded. The follow-up is carried out with a more engaging channel such as text, even if it’s more cost intensive.  

For customers who have still not responded after this second round, a more engaging channel may be employed, such as push. 

With this kind of journey, marketers can maximize reach while minimizing costs. 

The impact of data on making the right decisions 

Essential to the success of a multichannel strategy is data. It is at the heart of making informed decisions about which channels are best for the target group and customer level. 

To gain essential insights into channel preferences, it is very effective to go directly to the source with customer surveys. Just ask them what their channel of choice is. Once responses are collected, AI-powered data analytics can unlock valuable information that would otherwise be inaccessible. 

Real-world results: Grove Collaborative and multichannel campaigns  

Grove Collaborative is an e-commerce retailer that serves as a one-stop-shop for over 200 household and personal care brands including its own.  

The Optimove team uncovered an opportunity for Grove to increase campaign success. This was achieved simply by increasing the number of multichannel campaigns from 10% to 23% of all campaigns. 

The result was an increased response rate of 61% and a net revenue increase of 67%. 

Real-world results: Staples and Machine learning 

Leading US-based office supplies and retailer, Staples, were seeking to streamline the marketing effort by understanding which customers would most likely respond to a direct mail campaign. 

The Optimove Customer-Led Marketing Platform utilized machine learning to analyze customer and transactional level data. It also reviewed web activity and campaign history. Based on this analysis, the predictive model scored each customer’s probability to respond.  

As a result, Staples could abandon its strategy of mailing 100% of its customers in the hopes of attaining a 100% response rate, which is not realistic.  

Instead, it took a targeted approach, sending direct email to 30% of the customer base and achieving an outstanding 80% response rate. 

In Summary:

When it comes to improving engagement, increasing response rates, reducing costs, and fueling outperforming campaigns, the multichannel marketing strategy pays off. 

As for insights to drive successful campaigns, data is a marketer’s best friend. Whatever data is available should be used – whether at the customer, group, campaign, or any other level.  

And finally, a customer-led marketing approach with machine learning is essential for making accurate predictions and for crafting impactful multichannel marketing campaigns that deliver superlative outcomes. 

For more insights on how can optimize Multichannel Journeys with Optimove schedule a demo https://www.optimove.com/request-web-demo.   

Published on August 22nd, 2024

Posted in

• Digital Personalization
• Multichannel Marketing
• Blog

Rony Vexelman

Rony Vexelman is Optimove’s VP of Marketing. Rony leads Optimove’s marketing strategy across regions and industries. Previously, Rony was Optimove's Director of Product Marketing leading product releases, customer marketing efforts and analyst relations. Rony holds a BA in Business Administration and Sociology from Tel Aviv University and an MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management.