IT security
An important point in distributed marketing is the processing of data and internal company assets. As a result, the security of the IT systems used is also a very important point when deciding and using the software.
Mobile First
Mobile use of the Internet has been widespread in Germany for years. Distributed marketing is also adapting to this development and offers more and more opportunities to bring advertising and mobile content to the target group's smartphone.
Increasing personalization
Thanks to the large amount of user data and advancing artificial intelligence, companies can paint a very accurate picture of their customers. Personalization and individualization for the target group are therefore becoming increasingly important.
Digital before print
As in almost every area, there is a clear trend towards digital marketing materials in distributed marketing. Although print is still relevant, it is gradually being replaced by digital alternatives.
What is distributed marketing, what are the trends, what are the benefits and what are the challenges? These questions are answered in this Learning Center article.
What is distributed marketing?
In English, the term “distributed marketing” or “distributed marketing management” is already used very frequently, but sometimes still causes confusion or misunderstandings. Translated, “distributed marketing” means as much as “distributed marketing”What in German is usually equated with decentralized marketing. This is a “Business to Business to Consumer” (B2B2C) chain in marketing, in the case of Headquarters via individual local sales partners to the end user is advertised. In most cases, this means that There is a corporate headquarters that not only manages the products, but also provides guidelines for brand identity and general marketing. However, sales are (mostly) decentralized through individual local sales and sales partners. This Partners are separated from each other both spatially and organizationally and each take care of their own area.
Centralized or decentralized organizations?
Whether marketing in a company can be described as distributed marketing depends heavily on the company structure. The higher the degree of centralization, the more decision-making power lies with corporate management and corporate headquarters. They provide guidelines for responsibilities, products and work processes for the entire company. This results in Suggestions and inquiries from partners or local branches are always clarified through headquarters first and only partially implemented. For marketing, it means that the same marketing is carried out at all levels and in all local branches. This will Produced centrally and only distributed locally. Through the key decisions, However, the various target groups are addressed less precisely. This can lead to the central marketing department making decisions that are more out of touch with reality, as they less contact with end consumers has and the needs are sometimes identified more poorly.
One decentralized corporate structure On the other hand, consists of almost independent business units that are united under one brand. Here there is a central company management and many independent, local business partners (e.g. retailers), each of which is theirs serve your own local target group. Die Central office plays a coordinating role here and provides guidelines and fundamental decisions. Die However, details and the respective implementation are at local level. As a result, in particular, Faster decisions made locally without necessarily having to ask for approval from the head office. This leads to a greater sense of responsibility and more motivated, independent work among site managers. However, giving too much freedom and ignoring the central guidelines can sometimes lead to problems. In marketing, this would be a classic form of decentralized or distributed marketing. This is where she plays central marketing department plays a pioneering role that provides guidelines and represents principles such as corporate identity. The implementation and Implementation is on a decentralized, local level with individual sales and sales partners.
Corporate design compliance
In order to skilfully support sales partners in distributed marketing management and still create a uniform brand image, templates (templates) are passed on from headquarters to branches. These templates can be organized into entire campaigns that are relevant and can be used by all partners. To allow as many adjustments as possible, these templates are so-called “dynamic content.” This means that usually Not only content such as texts and images (digital assets), but also size and formats can be adjusted. This scalability gives partners great freedom in the use of individual marketing materials. In order to require as little coordination as possible and for each partner, even without previous knowledge of corporate design and design, only certain parts of the marketing campaign can be individualized. This ensures that all advertising material produced also corresponds to the brand's corporate identity. As a result, As few approval loops as possible are required and partners can be given as much freedom as possible. In order to be able to use these templates as directly as possible, they are usually collected in a cloud and made editable.
What are the benefits of distributed marketing?
- The ability to communicate campaigns and content to all branches at the same time
- Efficiency in the production of marketing materials (saving financial and time resources)
- Improved time-to-market, thanks to fewer approval loops
- Standardization and automation of marketing processes
- Innovative, digital processes in marketing
- Central access point to all templates, information and campaigns
- Controllable freedom and customization options for local partners
- Uniform brand management and corporate identity
Challenges in Distributed Marketing Management
Through the The local distribution of individual locations and partners poses some challenges in managing distributed marketing. On the one hand, communication between people as well as between partners and headquarters is a challenge that must be considered. However, this can be simplified by central software solutions on which marketing campaigns can be accessed. It must also be considered that the templates are used by different people with different skill sets, so should The handling should be as simple and self-explanatory as possible. The individual approach partners are also confronted with very different target groups, which each location should address individually. This individuality entails the risk of inconsistency and a neglected general brand image. In addition, it can happen that the individual partners place different amounts of value and budget on marketing, which can also result in differences and tensions.
Which current trends are relevant?
There are also trends in distributed marketing management that affect headquarters and partners equally and should be addressed.
software support
For the best possible implementation of distributed marketing, the use of various software solutions is suitable, which can significantly facilitate everyday work in a decentralized company. Depending on the needs of the brand, different systems can be used.