Marketers called on to push data-driven strategies

BULAWAYO marketing professionals have been called on to adopt data-driven strategies for their organisations and institutions to enhance competitiveness, optimise operations and increase revenue.

Globally, marketing is rapidly shifting towards digitalisation and the exploitation of technology, with data-driven marketing now extending beyond being just a marketing discipline.

Speaking at the recent Marketers Association of Zimbabwe (MAZ) Bulawayo Marketing Means Business Symposium, Lloyd Corporate Capital (Private) Limited Chairman and Business Advisor, Mr Bekithemba Nkomo, said data-driven marketing was critical in today’s digital landscape.

“Ideas whether marketing strategies or what must be supported by data. Data is the new currency and new gold. In the various board meetings that I sit at, if you come to me or to us with an idea and you are not supporting it with data, we will not listen,” he said.

“So we need data-driven businesses and customer-obsessed businesses, strategically focused and appropriately marketed businesses. Marketing only means business when it directly drives revenue, customer retention, pricing power and long-term growth.”

He called on marketing professionals to develop strategies that increase revenue, improve customer retention, strengthen brand equity and grow competitive advantage.

Mr Nkomo said data-driven marketing enhances strategy through audience insights, enabling marketers to better understand demographics, behaviours and preferences, and create highly relevant content.

On predictive analytics, he said analysing past customer behaviour allows marketers to anticipate future trends and refine their strategies to stay ahead.
Regarding campaign optimisation, he said data-driven insights help marketers adjust campaigns for better performance by testing elements such as messaging, targeting and creative assets.

InnBucks Matabeleland Regional Sales Manager, Ms Thamary Munuwa, said data-driven marketing helps solve customers’ everyday problems.

“Data-driven marketing has evolved from a tool for increasing return on investment (ROI) into a crucial mechanism for solving customers’ daily, practical problems by replacing generic advertising with relevant, timely and personalised solutions,” she said.

She said there was a need to digitise payments and ensure a clear digital trail to track how payments are made, their frequency and sources.

Ms Munuwa said organisations should also find ways to gather information on repeat customers and develop strategies to continuously engage them.

“Slowly but surely refine your service delivery to them according to their individual needs, if everything that you do for them is attainable, then you are more likely to retain that customer.

“We also need to measure the cost of acquiring one customer. We need to check, is it that we spend more on search engines or we need to hire a consultant for us that will do more of our customer engagement,” she added.

She urged marketing professionals to be deliberate and precise in crafting messages that lead to sales inquiries, invoices and ultimately revenue generation.

Ms Munuwa said building strong partnerships was critical in the marketing space, noting that a marketer’s network plays a significant role.

“Even though business should be ideally you going to whichever organisation, depending on whatever kind of service or product you need, who you are partnering with does matter.

“Some people will actually give you business by virtue of you being in association with a certain entity, so it is necessary for us as corporates and organisations to build the circles that we have, business-wise even at a social level,” she said.

Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) specialist based in Gweru, Ms Farirayi Nandipa, said events have become a key strategic component for organisations.

“Events have become a foundational, strategic concept for modern organisations, transitioning from a mere logistical task to a central pillar of business operations, marketing and technology,” she said.

She also called on marketing professionals to adequately prepare for trade fairs such as the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair, as well as other regional and global exhibitions.

Ms Nandipa said trade fairs are critical for business growth as they provide a platform to generate new sales leads, build lasting industry relationships and showcase products directly to targeted buyers.

“They also offer high-value, in-person opportunities for market research, competitive analysis and brand positioning, often resulting in immediate sales and in many cases, international expansion,” she said.

She further called for inclusive marketing strategies that cater for persons with disabilities by removing both digital and physical barriers, while ensuring authentic representation in advertising.