If we have learned anything recently, it is certainly that life is unpredictable and that we are resilient human beings.
History teaches us many things, unfortunately we seldom learn or remember the past in enough detail, so we repeat it, because we forget it.
Take marketing today as an example.
You would think that all these digital trends are exciting and new. Artificial Intelligence began in the 1950’s*, and the core of what’s going on in measurable marketing today is rooted in measurable (direct) marketing/direct selling and dates to 1886. Avon was the company that began it all.
As I have stated since my involvement in digital marketing back in the mid-1990’s, digital IS a measurable (direct) marketing discipline. It is data-driven and test-centric.
When websites first gained prominence, I was so excited. I understood that they were measurable and testable. Then traditional branding agencies stole our thunder and took things over.
E-mail was originally done almost exclusively as a promotional push (and often still is) without regard to building long-term relationships on attributes other than price.
Banner ads begin with too broad or incorrect targeting of audiences.
Not anymore.
Yes, things do evolve, but the core of digital today, including Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, came from the past. Many professionals were involved long before they were called digital marketers.
Enhancing these digital practices to create effective campaigns are PR, direct mail, email, direct selling, e-commerce websites, print media, video, radio, TV, cable, out-of-home etc.
Testing your marketing is critical to its success. It is a true skill that is still done minimally and, too often, incorrectly. Copy platforms are overlooked. Offer/positioning testing needs to be done more frequently. And on and on…
So, there you have it, a measurable marketing history lesson.
At Responsory, we are blessed to be busy. Why? We have done measurable marketing since March 1, 1999. We get results for our clients.
*https://www.techslang.com/fathers-of-artificial-intelligence-influential-ai-leaders-and-innovators/
