Digital Differentiation: Using Interactivity to Separate Your Brand From the Pack

© i-on interactive, inc. All rights reserved • www.ioninteractive.com

Digital DifferentiationUsing interactivity to separate your brand from the pack

http://www.ioninteractive.com


What’s Inside

• What is differentiation

• Why it matters

• The digital differentiation problem

• Creating differentiation with interactivity

• Examples & inspiration!





differentiation?

what is



Differentiation The result of efforts to make a product or brand stand out as a provider of unique value to customers in comparison with its competitors.


WHY does differentiation matter


“Brands that are perceived as being different have a much higher potential for growth than do other brands.”

- Millward Brown research firm



So, differentiation is important, especially digital differentiation as more and more of our customer touchpoints start online.



But there’s one major problem.



Online marketers are heavily investing in content to differentiate their brand.



Content Marketing Is The Top Marketing Investment For The Next 12 MonthsDemand Metric Lead Generation Benchmark Report

30% Of Budgets Are Allocated To Content MarketingCMI, 2014 B2B Content Marketing Survey

30%

93% Surveyed UseContent MarketingCMI, 2014 B2B Content Marketing Survey

93% 73% Of Marketers Are Producing More Content Than They Did A Year Ago



We’re all racing to churn out content. But when everyone is doing the same thing, nothing stands out.



As marketers, it is not our job to join the stampede. It is our job to stand out. To be remarkable. To differentiate.



Let’s Be Honest…Even when your content is amazing—is it differentiated? !Is it a competitive advantage? !Is a whitepaper going to differentiate your brand? !A webinar?

An infographic? !A video?



Probably not…



Only 42% Of Marketers Say Their Content Marketing Is Effective

42%CMI, 2014 B2B Content Marketing Survey

85% of marketing leaders say their content activity isn’t linked to business value. - 2014 Forrester Research, Compare Your B2B Content Marketing Maturity

!

Only 14% of marketers surveyed say their content delivered value back to the business. - 2014 Forrester Research, Compare Your B2B Content Marketing Maturity



Is your online content truly differentiated and delivering business value?



How To Differentiate Your Content Online



Do what others aren’t doing !How: Turn your static content into modern digital experiences

1.



Typical white paper offer, just like every other white paper offer out there



Transform the white paper offer into an interactive experience.



This interactive assessment uniquely engages visitors through a series of highly visual questions & personalized results. !http://apps.ioninteractive.com/site/assessment/demand-metric-content-


http://apps.ioninteractive.com/site/assessment/demand-metric-content-marketing


Create opportunity for effortless exchange of value !How: Provide insights, gather insights

2.



Interactive marketing assessments like this one can allow you to make the registration optional, while still collecting behavioral data from visitors.



Give visitors control over their experience !How: Simple, clear choices

3.





FrontPoint provides an excellent example of giving simple, clear choices that attend to the visitor’s needs.



Make your experience incredibly useful !How: Youtility. Create digital experiences that are helpful.

4.



Letting visitors configure their car & search inventory is helpful.



A self-service assessment experience, with personalized recommendations, helps the visitor solve their problems.

!http://paths.ioninteractive.com/apps/site/score-your-landing-pages


http://paths.ioninteractive.com/apps/site/score-your-landing-pages


Tell a unique story !How: Create storyteller experiences that immerse your visitor.

5.



IDEO created a digital experience called “A Cafeteria Designed For Me” that offers an incredible interactive journey, illustrating their story in a modern and graceful way.



With interactive facts, animations, social sharing icons…



…embedded videos, continuous scrolling, and educational links, IDEO differentiated their story through interactivity and engagement.

http://www.ideo.com/stories/a-cafeteria-designed-for-me/


http://www.ideo.com/stories/a-cafeteria-designed-for-me/


Is your content a competitive advantage? Is it differentiated? If not, try these 5 tips…

1. Do what others aren’t doing

2. Create opportunity for effortless exchange of value

3. Give visitors control over their experience

4. Make your experience incredibly useful

5. Tell a unique story



Helpful Resources

• Purple Cow by Seth Godin • Create Distinction by Scott Mckain • BrandStrategyInsider.com • IonInteractive.com/blog • @scottmckain • ioninteractive.com/examples


http://BrandStrategyInsider.com

http://IonInteractive.com/blog

http://ioninteractive.com/examples


ion can help! !We help customers concept, create and launch differentiated digital experiences.

www.ioninteractive.com

@ioninteractive

[email protected]



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