Your roadmap to results – meet the Pillars of Effective Marketing

How do you ensure the effectiveness of your marketing and determine the right metrics to use? Sanoma’s 10+1 Pillars of Effective Marketing outline the key aspects to consider and double as a promise to our customers. This is marketing, the Sanoma way. 

“In essence, effective marketing is marketing that reaches its goals. That requires clear objectives and metrics, whether your wish is to grow brand awareness, boost sales or strengthen your customer relationships,” says Reetta Thurman, Marketing Strategist at Sanoma. 

The 10+1 Pillars of Effective Marketing, compiled by Thurman and her colleagues, are backed up by decades of experience combined with Finnish and international marketing research. 

Pillars of Effective Marketing 

1. Goal setting – you get what you asked for 
2. Marketing is an investment 
3. Know your target group 
4. Maximise reach 
5. Content determines the efficiency of advertising 
6. Brand adds to short-term effectiveness, too 
   
7. Going multichannel seals effectiveness 
   
8. Media matters 
   
9. Aim for consistent visibility 
   
10. Take the wheel 

+ 1 It’s time to enter the era of mental health economy 

But what should you focus on as an international advertiser in Finland? Reetta Thurman picked three key pillars for closer inspection.

Goal setting – you get what you asked for

Effective marketing communications start with goal setting and finding the right ways to measure success. And it’s not just about the goals of an individual campaign – overall business goals are the foundation underneath.

“There are layers to it. You start with business goals and see what they could mean in terms of brand goals and, ultimately, the goals of a campaign. The different layers need to connect. If you’re looking to increase profitability, a discount campaign is not the logical next step,” Thurman explains.

When entering a new market, realistic goal setting requires research on the market itself as well as analysis of your starting position in it.

The challenge of setting goals and clocking success is the fact that measuring marketing is not an exact science. 

“What we do with marketing is affect emotions, and that doesn’t always translate neatly into numbers. You need to accept some level of uncertainty and trust that consistent work in the right direction will bear fruit,” Thurman says.

Brand adds to short-term effectiveness, too

The brand is the biggest driver of effective marketing and increases the productivity and cost-effectiveness of all campaigns.

“People tend to notice the advertising of brands they are familiar with, so a strong brand creates a better response to tactical marketing, too,” Thurman says.

We know most consumers are not looking to buy at this precise moment, but brand marketing can get you on their shopping list when the need arises. That’s not to say it doesn’t have a direct response in sales.

“Tactical advertising is not the only way to the consumers’ wallets. People are more complex than that,” Thurman points out. 

Focusing solely on the tactical side often fails to plant the seeds for future demand. This could lead to profits plateauing out and the risk of following the wrong metrics when making marketing investments.

A brand making a market entry often leads with the USPs (Unique Selling Points) of the product to get consumers to try it out – a valid and understandable strategy. Still, if the target group is at all familiar with the brand, it pays to focus on that, too.

“We often work with marketing executives to help them communicate the importance of brand marketing at this stage to financial or business executives within the company.” Read also: Three steps to successful market entry in Finland

Go multichannel for bigger impact 

The more channels you choose for your campaign, the better its reach.

“Using multiple channels has a direct impact on brand recall and behaviour change. Allowing consumers to meet your message on several contact points gets it across more effectively,” Thurman says.

According to Sanoma’s research, every added channel results in an image lift of 13 per cent and activation lift of 15 per cent. Testing and metrics will help you build a media mix that aligns with your objectives and resonates with your customers.

An international advertiser also needs to get familiar with the characteristics of Finnish media and ways to use it effectively. Reetta Thurman gives a couple of examples:

“In many markets, radio tends to be a short-term channel, but here, it’s widely used as a brand-building tool, too. Then there are the news media and the boost in brand credibility they can give you. The Finnish consumer will trust you to be a legitimate brand when they see your advertisement on a reliable news channel.”

Want to know more about the Pillars of Effective Marketing? Get in touch and we’ll talk you through it!