by Randy Mitchell, Creative Director

Did you ever have superhero aspirations when you were younger?

I certainly did. I always wanted to be the Flash. There were two reasons for this longing. First, I thought his lightning bolt logo was pretty cool. Second, I was a chubby kid who invariably finished last in any race.

So far, I have not made it into the superhero pantheon. But I am happy to say that I do work with some true marketing superheroes on a daily basis. I call this brave assembly the Omnichannel Marketing Avengers and they have the power to save any campaign.

Just like the vaunted Avengers of Marvel comic book and movie fame, their marketing counterparts bring together disparate powers that work remarkably well together. So let’s meet the Omnichannel Marketing Avengers and see what makes them so dynamic.

Omnichannel superhero: Direct mail

Reminds us of: Thor

Why: Been around forever, but still delivers in the clutch

Special powers: Thor has his hammer; direct mail has a hard-hitting offer

Backstory: Direct mail is a mainstay of the Omnichannel Marketing Avengers. For years, marketers have tried to phase this brawny tactic out of their campaigns. But direct mail brings a level of personalization, targeting and response-driven messaging that other outbound channels can’t compete with. You can think of direct mail as the legend of the Omnichannel Marketing Avengers. It’s hard-hitting, never subtle, and capable of carrying some heavy response figures with the right offer

Omnichannel superhero: Content marketing

Reminds us of: Iron Man

Why: Keeps experimenting, evolving and growing more effective

Special powers: Iron Man accomplishes amazing things with technology, content marketing does too

Backstory: Content marketing is the rising star of the Omnichannel Marketing Avengers. But this superhero isn’t about muscle. Content marketing makes things happen with brains and technology. It gets the right message in front of an audience that is searching and actually wants to engage. In this way, content marketing leverages all of the powers of technology to be there when the action is hottest—and it delivers highly valuable information that can literally save the day for a brand. It’s also engaging, topical and it can adapt as the market changes.

Omnichannel superhero: Websites

Reminds us of: Hulk

Why: Undeniable presence; incredible strength

Special powers: Hulk does the heavy lifting; so does an optimized website

Backstory: The Hulk can’t hide. And when you locate him, there’s usually a lot of impact. Websites that use the power of SEO have that strength as well. They come up huge in search results, right near the top of page one. And they can move mountains in shaping the perceptions that prospects and customers have about your brand. Another Hulk-like strength of websites is their power to be lead conversion tools. Websites can engage, inform and then generate action. Using a gated data-capture form helps qualify prospects and provides you with vital contact information for follow-up communications. Which means, like the Hulk, websites have some deep intelligence behind the impressive exterior.

Omnichannel superhero: Email

Reminds us of: Captain America

Why: Was cool, became expected, now is cool again

Special powers: Captain America is responsive, adaptable and has many fans; so does email

Backstory: Captain America has been around for decades. But just when we think we’ve seen it all, he manages to impress us with a new wrinkle or two. Email has followed a very similar storyline. When marketers first discovered its power, they were excited by the seemingly limitless potential. But as inboxes became jammed with marketing emails, this tactic lost some of its urgency and impact. But now, email is back in a big way. Today’s effective email campaigns are more personalized, responsive and dynamic. And smart marketers are testing everything, from subject lines and preheaders to template designs and embedded videos. One more important consideration is that email is one of the most cost effective tactics for marketers.

Omnichannel superhero: Web videos

Reminds us of: Black Widow

Why: Draws you in; then captures you

Special powers: Black Widow is smart, fluent and impossible to resist, web videos have that same dramatic allure

Backstory: You took one look and suddenly you were captivated. That’s how Black Widow works and it describes the impressive style of web videos as well. They offer marketers the most visually compelling way of bringing their message to life. And like Black Widow, videos can work their magic without a word. That’s because many viewers watch with the audio off, so impactful text graphics and visuals combine to tell your story and capture your audience.

Omnichannel superhero: Social media and public relations

Reminds us of: Hawkeye

Why: Finds the mark, hones in and hits the target

Special powers: Hawkeye always seems to have another arrow in his quiver; social media and PR give marketers additional ways to hit home with their target

Backstory: So far, the Omnichannel Marketing Avengers have shown off their strength, speed, responsiveness and adaptability. But that’s not the end of the arsenal. Social media creates communities, not just customers. It opens a dialogue about your brand and allows you to create vocal online advocates. It also gives you a popular forum to share information, gain favorable reviews and interact with your customers. Another important “arrow” is public relations. It keeps your brand in the public eye and helps create positive perceptions about your brand and your management. PR can help establish your firm as thought leaders, promote industry awards and highlight company charitable efforts or business milestones. This positive press can go a long way to position you as a trusted resource and industry leader in a crowded category.

As you can see, the Omnichannel Marketing Avengers are a diverse group.
And that’s their greatest strength. On their own, they are powerful tactics.
But when they work together on a campaign, marketers can accomplish some pretty amazing feats.

Omnichannel marketing resources

Want to learn more about the powers of omnichannel marketing? Check out these resources.

Getting Your B-to-B Website to the Top of Google

B2B Email Marketing: Creating Emails with Killer Clickthrough Rates

25 Greatest B-to-B Marketing Tips and Tricks for Lead Generation