Last week’s Harvard Business Review blog post by Dick Patton got me thinking about some of the challenges Matter has recently been tasked with. On more than one account, we’ve been asked to blur traditional PR boundaries to help our clients develop installed base marketing programs. It’s no secret that it takes less resources to market to existing customers, and yet, start-up firms and established companies alike can be so focused on customer acquisition that they lose sight of this fact. Tight economic conditions, a rapid shift in the competitive landscape and limited resources are all reasons companies take their eye off their installed base. But doing so comes at a cost. So our clients are increasingly turning to us for help.
It makes sense to tie installed base marketing programs to public relations programs. For one, customer testimonials have long been a staple of traditional PR programs, building a foundation for case studies, bylined articles, awards programs and press releases. But looking at today’s PR – traditional programs plus social networks – gives us an even greater opportunity to marry installed base marketing with PR programs.
As Patton points in the HBR blog post, a marketing program on ‘ROIDS must look beyond the four P’s of marketing to include:
(1) Responsibility marketing
(2) Organizational leadership
(3) Insights about customers
(4) Digital marketing
PR firms have long been responsible for driving awareness about (1), (2) and (4) – so adding customer insights – and ultimately – installed base marketing – under the auspices of communications makes a lot of sense.
If you’re not getting this kind of integrated value from your communications partner, call us.