Being able to effectively capitalize on moments quickly is one of the main rapid response marketing benefits. By being able to react to unexpected changes in innovative ways, this approach can help illustrate to your audience that you are genuine, authentic and able to respond to events that are taking place in the world in real time, which means you will always stay relevant.
By capitalizing on moments in an original and unique way, you can take advantage of the current internet trend of the day, most of which would have been impossible to predict ahead of time.
By creating marketing solutions in real time, it displays that, as a company, you have your finger on the pulse of the current zeitgeist and can engage with a much broader audience than would be the case with a more traditional form of marketing.
This can also be effective as it pertains to specific products you may have. By having the ability to seamlessly switch to a rapid response product strategy, it is likely you will be able to generate more conversions.
If one of your specific products has generated a level of buzz that was previously unexpected, say a celebrity was pictured wearing a pair of shoes you sell, or a character on TV mentions your brand name, being able to capitalize on this heightened interest can help you sell more at the optimal time.
Rapid response marketing can also have wider benefits, that can help people when they need it most, as opposed to being a way to leverage more sales. This is something that has become blindingly apparent given the recent COVID-19 outbreak. Companies have needed to react to a constantly shifting situation, and in many cases, change their entire tone completely.
One of the most effective recent rapid response campaign examples came from Clorox. The company, who manufacture cleaning products, quickly built and made live a new landing page for their website that outlined important information relating to the virus and how certain practices can limit the spread.
They also linked users to their disinfectant products that can be used on surfaces against the virus, ensuring that their users had all the information they needed quickly and easily to ensure customer safety.
Read this article for tips to create a landing page that converts.
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The Potential Downside of Rapid Response Marketing
While it can be an incredibly effective way to create great marketing campaigns, there are some potential downsides to a rapid response marketing strategy that you’ll need to be aware of.
One of the main potential downsides is that if it’s not done right, it can seem like your company is taking advantage of a situation for profit. If a rapid response product strategy misses the mark, it can seem incredibly opportunistic to your audience, and lose trust with the very people you are trying to engage with.
Think very hard about your approach before you commit to it, if you get it wrong, you could present yourself as a heartless organization capitalizing on a situation for gain, something we have seen many companies fall victim to in the wake of COVID-19.
While many brands have seen great results with rapid response marketing, due to the very nature of the process, success cannot be guaranteed. A response could come too late, too soon or just not be as good as a competitor’s quick response.
The fluid nature of this approach means predicting success is nearly impossible. Understanding when and where to use this form of marketing is crucial, and that is something that can only come from experience.
This means your team needs to be fully empowered and trusted to take advantage of the opportunities as and when they present themselves. Not understanding how this strategy works, as well as the potential downsides, can lead to marketing mistakes.
Rapid Response Marketing Tips
So, now that you understand both the pros and cons associated with a rapid response marketing strategy, here are some tips to focus on before implementing one of your own:
Budget – Knowing how to decide advertising budgets is tricky for a lot of companies but having some budget allocated specifically towards supporting rapid response marketing can make all the difference.
Events – Being aware of upcoming events that are likely to see a lot of attention regardless, such as the Super Bowl or the Oscars, and having marketing ideas in mind that tie in with them will help increase brand visibility. However, with many companies now doing this as standard, you need to ensure you are incredibly specific with what you are doing. Take Oreo as an example, who responded quickly to an unprecedented incident at a Super Bowl when there was a power cut.
Power out? No problem. pic.twitter.com/dnQ7pOgC
— OREO Cookie (@Oreo) February 4, 2013
Dedicated Team – Having members of your marketing team that have experience utilizing an effective rapid response approach is important. Marketing is becoming increasingly specialized, getting experts with intricate knowledge will help make all the difference.
Be Original – These opportunities give you a chance to really get inventive with what you are doing and display some creative freedom. Be original, reflect your brand identity and do not force it, your audience will notice this. If you need an example to follow, Wendy’s social media platforms are a great place to take inspiration from.
When to Use Rapid Response Marketing
In today’s marketplace consumers want to see that you are aware of current trends, engaged with the wider world and want immediate responses from you in relation to current events.
Therefore, now more than ever given the current state of the world, restructuring campaigns to feature rapid response marketing is something all brands should be doing irrelevant of size or sector.
Through producing relevant, current and effective content in a timely manner, you will be able to engage with your consumers in ways that traditional marketing methods are simply unable to offer.
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- The Benefits of Rapid Response Marketing - July 9, 2020
Rapid response marketing sounds like a great approach to modern marketing.
I hadn’t considered using a rapid response strategy before but, having read this post, it definitely makes sense to. I’ll try and incorporate it more in the future.
Thanks for the comment! It’s so important to be ready to jump into a conversation when something starts trending. It can really help put you on the map if done properly.
These strategies are insightful and concise. We have to be aware of what’s happening around the world. Through that, we could able to leverage our profits in optimal time. For suppose, we can see how personal care and hand sanitizer companies took advantage in this unprecedented season.
Great read, thanks
Thanks for the kind words!
So true. Companies need to stay on top of current events, trends, etc. If you can afford to have a rapid response team on hand, that’s ideal. Most companies can’t do that, however, so finding ways to monitor trends and having a plan to respond is so important, no matter what level of resources you have.