I recently attended the joint IDM and DMA event - ‘Marketing to the Multi-Channel Consumer’ at Salford Quays. The speakers were of extremely high calibre and offered the opportunity to get a all-encompassing perspective on the vast array of channels available for us all as marketeers to use.

Chris Wright from JCB detailed an approach which focused on sophisticated customer relationship management, whilst Shaun Williams of the PDSA echoed JCB’s strategy by explaining how their investment in segmentation is set to yield greater returns.

Nick Bowyer from Swinton Insurance then explained how their marketing strategy was embracing digital media and how a multi-brand strategy was reclaiming an innovative position for the company.

Much of the day’s learning centred around new digital developments. Daniel Rowles from A1 Digital inspired the audience by presenting a range of online engagement tools to reach the multi-channel consumer, whilst Nick Fuller from Jaywing explained how to maximise new mobile technologies. There was a whistle-stop tour of Google Analytics which left everyone clamouring for more information, and an insight from Sony DADC into how direct marketing and digital can work cleverly together.

Overall, it was a fantastic experience to immerse yourself in new thinking and new channels to engage with an increasingly complex customer landscape. Not only that, but the food was excellent!

Amanda McDonald

Pic shows Daniel Rowse from AI Digital

Ironically, according to a blog by Paul Boutin, blogs are rapidly going out of fashion. Can the ‘freshwater oasis of folksy self expression’ really have become ‘flooded by a tsunami of paid bilge’? Boutin’s main cause for complaint is the fact that many blogs have become professionalised to the point of complete de-personalisation. Let us know your views. If we don’t hear anything, I guess we’ll have our answer!