ZenithOptimedia 2010 ROI Seminar Publishes Breakthrough Research Report.
(Nov 2010, Shanghai) The 3rd annual ZenithOptimedia ROI Seminar, a significant event for the media industry, was held in Shanghai on November 25. With the theme of Breaking ROI Code across China: Brand Experience Revealed, the seminar aimed to explore the vast potential of marketing communications across mainland China. It investigated how to effectively communicate brand experiences from Tier 1 to Tier 5 cities in China in order to improve marketing investment returns. Given the fast growth of markets throughout China, the timing of the seminar couldn’t have been more perfect.
The seminar brought together various representatives from experienced advertisers, the mainstream media, and ZenithOptimedia management, who discussed in detail how to utilize brand experiences to meet goals for marketing. Main topics included the future of the media industry, the most effective contact points and how brand experiences can empower consumers. Particular focus was placed on how brand experiences can be utilized to maximize returns on investment and how brands can be used to establish loyalty among consumers.
The highlight of the seminar was the first ever release of the main points of ZenithOptimedia’s research report titled Touchpoints across China: Consumer Relationships Built on Brand Experience. Our research, which incorporated interviews with 18,000 consumers and covered 10 fast growing product categories and 64 contact points, has helped us to outline unique and differentiated marketing strategies for China’s Tier 1 to Tier 5 cities. The report also looked into the consumption habits of China’s mainstream consumer groups, such as young people, consumers in key life-stages and high income groups. This research will without a doubt assist marketers in obtaining quick and accurate access into target consumer groups.
Steven Chang, CEO ZenithOptimedia Greater China
The research was conducted using ZenithOptimedia’s Touchpoints ROI Tracker methodology. The technique measures the effectiveness of contact points using a common currency – Brand Experience – to compare the effectiveness of different contact points. This provides invaluable assistance to marketers as they further optimize their market strategies for different tiers, demographics and products.
Point-of-sale (POS) is a very effective contact point for educating and entertaining consumers living in Tier 3-5 cities. Mass media is not as developed in these areas compared to larger cities, and as a result consumers are more likely to learn about brand identity and brand experience directly from salespeople. Furthermore, shopping with relatives and friends is quite popular in Tier 3-5 cities. This provides salespeople with excellent opportunities to influence consumers’ purchases by providing an educational and entertaining brand experience.
Brand advocacy has a major impact on the consumer purchase process. With the rapid growth of social media, social networking and other related websites have become important platforms for establishing word of mouth throughout Tier 1 to Tier 5 cities. Users of social media love to share product information and experiences with others in order to be influential within their social communities. Therefore, marketers should aim to provide rich brand knowledge and new product experiences to heavy social media users so that they will have topics to discuss and actively spread their ideas on the web.
How are promotional events and sponsorships most effectively utilized in cities of different levels? What are the differences between how young consumers and older consumers acquire brand experiences? Touchpoints across China: Consumer Relationships Built on Brand Experience is a rare report that pools together a breadth of market research coverage and in-depth insights into consumers’ purchasing habits. It is our belief that this comprehensive report answers the questions that have perplexed marketers for a long time.
The ZenithOptimedia 2010 ROI Seminar delved deeply into the influence and importance that various contact points have on consumers. It also looked at the differences between various media in regard to delivering brand experiences to consumers. With rich data and insightful analysis, ZenithOptimedia aims to provide clients with a comprehensive communication plan that more effectively targets Chinese consumers based on the size of the city they reside in. ZenithOptimedia will increase brand recognition and awareness throughout the Chinese market, promote sales, and increase returns on marketing investment.
