Multichannel as seen by .....

Kathy Hecht, Vice President, Transformative Content, Acxiom

"Interacting and communicating with customers across multiple, siloed channels isn't multichannel. 'Multichannel' is channels working in tandem, seamlessly. It puts the customer at the center and provides one view. [So,] the trend that will make the biggest impact [in multichannel marketing] will be to integrate and link data that currently resides in various, single channels in order to create a 'logical' view of existing multichannel interactions. Since customers seek information and buy from several channels, companies should harness and coordinate the customer insights from all those channels in order to treat each customer as an individual across all channels, instead of having the fragmented, inconsistent view they have now. Once companies achieve this view, they will be able to deliver a better experience when they know who their customers are and can act accordingly. – Kathy Hecht, Vice President, Transformative Content, Acxiom

Richard Burdge, Chief Marketing Officer, Thunderhead

"First, we need to be clear what we mean by multichannel marketing. Many marketers don't fully appreciate what that means to the customer.
You may have multiple channels to serve customer, and you may send messages by direct mail, mobile, social, and email, but that doesn't make you multichannel. Interacting through multiple channels is not enough. True multichannel is using all channels seamlessly in one platform to create a multithreaded dialog that maps to customers' movement across channels…. It's easy to find technology today that integrates applications and closes communication gaps. Even if companies have silos – CRM is separate from email, for example – they can layer technology over the top that closes the gaps. These open standards are allowing companies to hand control to business users. This will move responsibility closer to the front line and empower customer-facing staff to become customer heroes." – Richard Burdge, Chief Marketing Officer, Thunderhead

Katy Keim, Chief Marketing Officer, Lithium

"Social has provoked an urgency of, 'How can we synchronize the relationship across channels?' I don't see functional gaps being bridged unless there is one person in charge of it.
Someone in the organization needs to be deputized to do it. Some companies have dabbled in having that role, [be it] chief customer officer or chief marketing officer or someone heading customer experience. And some existing CMOs or CCOs will seize that opportunity. The current disjointed approach to the customer will not scale and is not strategic. Customers have no patience for silos. Companies need to respond. In 2011 leading companies will respond, and in a big way." – Katy Keim, Chief Marketing Officer, Lithium

Rhonda Wunderlin, Director of Marketing Best Practices and Education, Eloqua

"A cutting edge trend for the more sophisticated marketer is to create one view of the customer. Organizations need to integrate social as part of that one view…. Social needs to become an integral part of a company's overall communications strategy versus a separate initiative.
Today, with marketing automation technology, companies are using digital body language to build customer profiles based on responses to outbound marketing, website activity, and sales interaction. As social channels become integrated into the overall marketing strategy, marketers need to map users' identities, along with those users' interactions on social sites, to the profiles created through more traditional marketing in order to get 'one view' of customer. This complete view will allow marketing and sales to connect in more relevant ways, increasing engagement and, ultimately, conversion. Prospects or customers who interact with brands socially, whether positive or negative, are engaged with those brands and you want to know that along with their previous interaction and purchase history. Having one view of the customer allows you to leverage and take advantage of that insight." – Rhonda Wunderlin, Director of Marketing Best Practices and Education, Eloqua

Lisa Arthur, CMO, Aprimo

"The first impetus for [marketing] integration is its sheer complexity. Twenty years ago marketers focused on just a few channels, but today there are dozens, with more likely to emerge.
Managing a dozen or so channels can be daunting for even the most seasoned marketer. And all too often the inability to manage complexity can lead to fewer leads and lost opportunity. The second, and perhaps most important, impetus for integration is the customer. Simply put, brands may segment their marketing activities and develop strategies by channel, but their customers must never see this. The enlightened approach puts customers at the center of marketing, thinking strategically about how each offer, message, or creative execution is perceived in context and timed effectively." – Lisa Arthur, CMO, Aprimo

( quotes gleaned from 1to1Media )