Helping Consumers Find their Way via Surround Sound

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Viewpoints Part II

RISMEDIA, Nov. 22, 2008-Offering her perspective on real estate marketing this week, Lesley Corydon, SVP, Retail Mortgage Marketing for Chase’s Home Lending Division, says to cut through the real estate marketing clutter people are bombarded with regularly, it takes an effective online and print strategy:

Consumers are increasingly being bombarded by marketing messages. Everywhere they look, there is a logo or a message trying to buy a few seconds of mindshare. What used to be a simple trip to a baseball game now comes with product and brand pitches at every juncture:

-”Will you be paying with our preferred credit card today?”

-”Would you like to be upgraded to our VIP status with two tickets to a dinner reception sponsored by ?”

-”Would you like to sign up for special offers from our preferred partners?”

Marketers are trying to cut through all the clutter. One of the increasingly popular ways to do this is via integrated campaigns that cut across several types of media. Some marketers refer to this as “surround sound.” It is the strategy of using consistency around one brand to place it firmly into the consumer’s mindset. It’s not about spending more across all forms of media. It’s planning a marketing campaign that is carefully constructed to ensure it can be measured for effectiveness and that consumers see a consistent message wherever they see that brand.

In today’s crowded and noisy marketplace, print and online are often used in tandem to break through the noise and amplify a company’s message. Both enable a specific call to action and can be measured. Both provide the advertiser with the ability to reach a large number of consumers. And research shows that both are necessary to reach all consumers. Often consumers start shopping online, but incorporate information that they have gleaned from other places, including newspapers and magazines. Even if customers ultimately make their purchase online, they’ll most likely start by considering a set of companies with which they are familiar.

Therefore, it’s important for companies-especially larger companies-to advertise in local print publications to show they have a local presence and are contributing to the community.

Developing that top-of-mind awareness is every advertiser’s goal.

Ultimately, the hope is for the consumer to instantly recognize an ad, correctly associate it with a specific company, and understand the brand meaning. One standard I heard years ago, which I think is exactly what advertisers should strive for, is this: “In the perfect ad, you should be able to cover up the company logo and still have the consumer recognize who the advertiser is based on tone, typeface, color and imagery.”

If you’re accomplishing that across media channels with surround sound, you have created the best chance of getting that consumer’s business.

For more information, visit www.chase.com/partnerships.

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