Interactive Marketing: Keep your focus on dialogue

Interactive Marketing was recently defined by Forrester Research as the use of addressable channels like email, search, displays, social media, mobile and online video to sense and respond to customer needs.

Those engaged in interactive marketing face a number of challenges including "how do we really engage in dialogue ... in dynamic customer conversation?"

In other words, it's not all about broadcasting information ... interactive marketers have to engage customers, listen and respond in real time to their concerns. 

The Whole Foods Customer Comment Board (illustrated below) provides a unique insight into the concept of a "customer pioneer" as they're using an interactive touchscreen to actively solicit customer input and provide responses in real-time.

Forrester suggests a pioneer is the rare interactive marketer who obsesses about the customer and uses interactive channels as a means to foster an improved relationship with the customer.

In the tension between a channel vs. customer focus and push vs. dialogue interaction, the pioneer's focus is on impactful customer experience -- and technology is a key component in the solution.  We'll be talking more about the role of an interactive touchscreen in this focus on dialogue.