Category: Marketing Strategy

Building a Winning Strategy for Multi-Location Revenue Growth

Posted on by Elise Stieferman

For multi-location brands, the pressure to deliver immediate results often drives a laser focus on short-term tactics. Marketers are tempted to over-invest in performance media, tightly targeting geofences in hopes of generating a quick influx of foot traffic. While this might temporarily boost numbers, over-reliance on these methods can hinder a multi-location marketing strategy that fosters long-term revenue growth. This “race to the bottom” often results in over-saturating existing customers, creating inefficiencies that stifle expansion and fail to lay the groundwork for sustainable revenue.

The Short-Term Mindset: A Double-Edged Sword

While short-term campaigns can deliver immediate wins, they often sacrifice the broader goals of brand growth and loyalty. Hyper-local geofencing and retargeting strategies may yield quick conversions, particularly for industries like quick-service restaurants, but they aren’t universally effective. For many brands, today’s consumers expect more than convenience—they’re looking for meaningful connections with brands they trust. By focusing solely on transactions, brands risk alienating potential long-term customers who value authenticity and shared values over fleeting discounts or promotions.

Over time, this short-term focus can erode brand equity. As conversion rates decrease and customer fatigue sets in, marketers often find themselves trapped in a cycle of declining efficiency. To escape this, multi-location brands must take a step back and reassess their approach, moving beyond hyper-local tactics to adopt a more balanced, growth-focused strategy.

Building Long-Term Success: It Starts at the Top

To establish a foundation for sustainable growth, multi-location marketing strategies must prioritize brand strength at ideally the national, but at least the regional, level. This begins with reinforcing a compelling brand identity that resonates across all markets. By clearly defining your brand’s core values and unique selling proposition, you create a cohesive narrative that builds trust and loyalty among diverse audiences.

This top-down approach doesn’t mean sacrificing local relevance. Instead, it provides a strong framework that allows individual locations to customize their outreach while remaining aligned with overarching brand goals. A unified brand story ensures customers have a seamless experience no matter where they interact with your business, whether online or in person.

Overcoming Common Challenges with Alignment

Consistency is a frequent stumbling block for multi-location brands. Disjointed messaging or fragmented marketing efforts can confuse customers and weaken trust. To address this, brands need to create a centralized strategy—a “single source of truth” that aligns every touchpoint with the overall brand vision.

This doesn’t mean stripping local managers of their autonomy. Instead, it empowers them with the tools, training, and resources they need to effectively implement marketing strategies. By breaking down silos and fostering collaboration across locations, you can ensure that every aspect of your marketing—content, creative, and media—reinforces a unified, customer-centric story.

Data-Driven Accountability: The Key to Measurable Growth

Establishing a culture of accountability is essential for long-term success. By setting measurable KPIs that tie directly to business goals, you create a clear roadmap for evaluating performance. A well-defined learning agenda—centered on testing, optimizing, and iterating—enables continuous improvement and keeps your strategy adaptable to changing market dynamics.

This data-driven approach eliminates guesswork, replacing outdated assumptions with actionable insights. By measuring both short- and long-term impacts, you can refine your media mix, allocate budgets more effectively, and unlock greater ROI.

Innovate Strategically, Not Recklessly

Innovation is vital, but it must be approached with purpose. Multi-location brands should embrace new ideas and channels that align with their overarching strategy while avoiding shiny-object distractions. For example, experimenting with emerging platforms or technologies can yield valuable insights—if it’s done thoughtfully and with a clear measurement plan in place.

By balancing creativity with scalability, brands can foster innovation without losing sight of their core mission. 

Strengthen Local Connections

While brand-level strategies provide the foundation, localized marketing brings the vision to life. Engaging directly with the community—through accurate business listings, active review management, and participation in local events—fosters meaningful relationships that build loyalty and trust.

Customers value brands that feel personal and accessible. By combining high-level strategy with genuine local outreach, multi-location businesses can enhance their relevance and deepen connections with their target audience.

Partner for Success: The Value of Expert Guidance

Navigating the complexities of multi-location marketing requires a partner who understands both the big picture and the local nuances. An experienced agency can provide invaluable guidance, helping you set clear objectives, develop a data-driven strategy, and align media efforts across regions.

In today’s fast-paced market, agility is non-negotiable. From shifting consumer preferences to unexpected competitive pressures, the ability to pivot quickly ensures your brand remains relevant and resilient. An agile marketing partner allows you to respond effectively to challenges while capitalizing on emerging opportunities.

The right agency doesn’t just execute campaigns—they become an extension of your team, bringing expertise in everything from data analytics to creative storytelling. By fostering collaboration between corporate teams and local managers, you ensure everyone is aligned, invested, and equipped to drive impactful results.

 

Moderna’s Influencer Strategy: Redefining Healthcare Marketing Success

Posted on by Coegi

Overcoming Challenges in Healthcare Marketing: Moderna’s Pandemic Response

In 2023, as the world continued to navigate the lingering challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, widespread COVID fatigue set in, with many people growing weary of and resistant to pandemic-related discussions. This shift, compounded by intense competition in the healthcare and pharmaceutical space from a well-funded rival, presented a significant challenge for Moderna as it sought to promote its groundbreaking vaccine, Spikevax, and boost vaccination rates – especially among high-risk individuals.

To navigate these challenges and outpace the competition, Moderna partnered with Coegi, combining their cutting-edge healthcare solutions with our innovative, influencer-driven marketing strategies, tailored for the healthcare industry.

Crafting a Community-Centric Strategy for Healthcare Engagement

Recognizing the critical importance of authenticity and relevance in the healthcare and pharma space, we crafted a strategy that went beyond traditional, promotional messaging. Our approach was centered on connecting with communities to build trust and empower our audience to make Spikevax a routine choice in preventive healthcare. We did this by engaging with influencers who were not just voices, but vital members of the communities we wished to reach.

Leveraging Influencers to Transform Healthcare Marketing Campaigns

Our agency team worked closely with the client to identify the right mix of 150 creators, each representing one of our purposeful persona communities. These collaborations helped us establish the #SpikevaxPartner Community, a groundbreaking healthcare influencer marketing campaign that effectively utilized nano and micro-influencers, setting a new standard in pharma marketing. By leveraging unique personas that resonated with Moderna’s distinct micro-communities, we delivered messages that were more than just heard – they were deeply felt, creating meaningful connections with our audience. We also amplified the strongest content on paid media channels to extend the impact of the authentic Spikevax messaging.

Data-Driven Optimizations: Measuring Success in Healthcare Campaigns

We implemented a comprehensive measurement strategy to assess the quality and impact of our media beyond standard platform metrics, enabling real-time optimizations. We utilized Attention Unit Scoring to gauge the lift in audience attention our content drove and script lift analysis to correlate vaccinations with exposure to influencer media. Additionally, we paired this with audience analysis of emotional response to and intensity perception of the content to predict long-term brand growth and short-term sales effects.

Setting New Benchmarks in Healthcare Marketing Results

The #SpikexaxPartner community led to significant increases in brand awareness, market share, and public engagement, including:

  • Helping drive nearly 24% of all US vaccine conversions
  • Delivering over 503 million impressions across organic and paid channels that surpassed the attention score benchmark by 9%
  • Surpassing engagement rate goals by 484% while also driving nearly 72,000 Spikevax page visits
  • And most notably, driving strong business impact with Spikevax’s market share increasing 23% YoY

Leading the Future of Healthcare Communication Through Innovation

Our innovative approach and strategic partnerships paved the path for new standards in health and community-based communication. Visit coegipartners.com or follow us on our social channels to learn how our breakthrough solutions can benefit your brand. 

Navigating Q4 Advertising Challenges in an Election Year: A Strategic Guide for Marketing Decision Makers

Posted on by Coegi

Navigating Q4 Advertising Challenges in an Election Year: A Strategic Guide for Marketing Decision Makers

As Q4 approaches, marketing teams must act swiftly to prepare for one of the most challenging periods of the year. This quarter, already notorious for increased competition and rising advertising costs, is further complicated by the pressures of an election year. Early preparation and proactive conversations with clients and partners are essential to secure the necessary resources and ensure your campaigns stand out in a cluttered marketplace. Without taking these steps, you risk being outpaced by competitors and missing key opportunities. To help you navigate these complexities and execute a successful Q4 advertising strategy, we’ve compiled expert insights across our departments at Coegi.

Challenge 1: Increased Ad Costs and Cluttered Marketplace

In Q4, advertising costs typically soar, driven by heightened demand from brands eager to capture consumer attention during the holiday season. The upcoming election amplifies this pressure, as political campaigns flood ad spaces, making it even more challenging for brands to make an impact.

Our Advice:

  • Use Historical Data Wisely: While it’s essential to look at past performance to set benchmarks, data from previous years might not fully capture the dynamics of an election year. Instead, refer to 2020 data where possible, and adjust for inflation to set more accurate expectations. This approach will help you budget effectively without underestimating the cost surges.
  • Tailored Creativity: The marketplace will be cluttered with ads, both commercial and political. To cut through the noise, it’s crucial to tailor your creative assets to resonate with your target audience. Personalization and relevance are key—ensure that your messaging is sharp and speaks directly to the consumer’s needs and desires at this time of year.
  • Fraud Prevention: The political season is often associated with increased ad fraud. To protect your budget and ensure that your ads reach genuine audiences, implementing robust fraud prevention measures is essential. Without these precautions, your ad spend could be wasted on fraudulent traffic, reducing the overall effectiveness of your campaigns.

Challenge 2: Inventory Shortages and Early Sell-Outs

One of the most pressing issues during Q4, especially in an election year, is the early sell-out of premium ad inventory. With brands and political campaigns vying for the same spaces, securing inventory becomes increasingly difficult.

Our Advice:

  • Secure Inventory Early: To avoid missing out on critical ad placements, start negotiating direct partnerships and Private Marketplace (PMP) or Programmatic Guaranteed (PG) deals as early as possible. These agreements can provide you with the premium inventory you need while reducing the risk of being edged out by competitors. Early action is your best defense against the last-minute scrambles that can lead to missed opportunities.

Challenge 3: Managing Increased Workload and Risk of Errors

The fast-paced nature of Q4 often leads to increased workloads for marketing teams. With so much at stake, the risk of human errors—whether in campaign execution, budgeting, or creative adjustments—can escalate.

Our Advice:

  • Leverage Project Management: Effective project management is critical during this hectic period. Our operations team emphasizes the importance of identifying potential bottlenecks and managing individual workloads to prevent burnout and mistakes. Project managers should keep a close eye on timelines and ensure that tasks are distributed evenly across the team. By maintaining a clear view of everyone’s workload, you can mitigate risks and keep campaigns running smoothly.
  • Implement Automation: Automation tools are indispensable for managing time-sensitive tasks efficiently. Whether it’s setting up automated creative swaps or using platform rules to schedule out rapid changes, these technologies can save precious time and reduce the stress of manual updates. By automating repetitive tasks, your team can focus on strategic decision-making, ensuring that your campaigns remain agile and responsive throughout the quarter.
  • Focus on Value: When the pressure is on and you’re unsure where to begin, always start with the task that will deliver the most value. It’s easy to get caught up in trying to complete everything to perfection, but this mindset can lead to paralysis. Remember, progress is more important than perfection. By prioritizing high-impact tasks, you can keep your team moving forward without getting bogged down in the details.

Conclusion

Q4 presents a unique set of challenges, especially during an election year. However, by understanding these obstacles and preparing accordingly, marketing decision-makers can turn potential pitfalls into opportunities for success. From anticipating higher ad costs and inventory shortages to managing workloads, preventing ad fraud, and leveraging automation, the strategies outlined above will help your brand navigate the complexities of Q4 with confidence. By adopting these insights, you’ll not only survive but thrive during this critical period, ensuring that your marketing strategy is both effective and resilient.

For personalized advice tailored to your brand’s specific needs, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team for a consultation. Let’s work together to make this Q4 your most successful yet.

 

Social: 

Social Media Strategy for Q4: Creating Opportunities for High Engagement

Key Changes to Anticipate in Q4:

  • Rising Ad Costs: Expect significant increases in CPM, CPA, and CPC metrics due to heightened competition and end-of-year spending. Many businesses push to allocate remaining budgets, driving up costs across social platforms.
  • Increased Engagement Rates: The holiday season often sees a spike in social activity as consumers engage in online shopping, connect with loved ones, and participate in festive events.

Tips for Managing Q4 Social Media Strategy:

  1. Early Planning: Start your campaigns early to secure ad space before costs rise further. Early preparation can help you lock in more favorable rates and ensure your content is ready to go live when needed.
  2. Continuous Optimization: Regularly optimize your campaigns to maximize ROI. Keep a close eye on performance metrics and be ready to make adjustments as necessary.
  3. Budget Allocation: Allocate a larger portion of your advertising budget to Q4 to accommodate the expected cost increases. Proper budgeting is crucial for staying competitive.
  4. Content Strategy:
    • Seasonality & Relevant Messaging: Tailor your content to reflect the season and resonate with your audience. Utilize holidays or cultural events to create a personal connection with users, increasing the likelihood of engagement.
    • User Experience: Make your call-to-action (CTA) clear and prominent, ideally within the first few seconds of a video ad. Ensure the user experience is seamless and intuitive.
    • Leverage AI: Utilize platform algorithms and AI capabilities to precisely target your audience. Stay ahead by testing and adopting new features, such as Meta’s Advantage+ tools, to improve your KPIs.
    • Genuine Imagery: Incorporate user-generated content and influencer partnerships to create authentic connections with your audience. Genuine content is more likely to stand out and resonate.
    • Diverse Ad Types: Use a variety of ad formats to capture your audience’s attention. Offering multiple content types increases your chances of engagement.

Search: 

Q4 Search Strategy: Navigating Industry-Specific Trends

As we approach Q4, the search landscape becomes increasingly competitive, with trends varying significantly across different industries. Here’s what to consider when planning your search campaigns:

Anticipated CPC Trends:

  • Industry Variance: CPC trends differ widely depending on the industry. For retail, expect a surge in CPCs as competition intensifies around key dates like Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Retailers often increase their budgets to capture year-end spending, driving up auction prices. Conversely, industries like financial services may experience a drop in search activity during the same period, potentially leading to lower CPCs.
  • Demand-Based Channels: Search advertising is heavily influenced by consumer demand. As inflation rises and economic pressures increase, consumers may be less likely to search for high-cost or luxury items, leading to fluctuations in CPCs. The demand-based nature of search advertising means that CPCs can vary significantly depending on how willing consumers are to make purchases during this time.
  • Google’s Role: There’s ongoing concern among advertisers that Google might be artificially inflating auction prices, contributing to CPC increases. While it’s difficult to pinpoint the exact impact, this is a factor worth monitoring.

Best Practices for Q4 Search Campaigns:

  1. Ad Copy and Keyword Adjustments:
    • Seasonal Promotions: Adjust your ad copy to reflect seasonal deals and promotions, especially around key shopping events like Black Friday. Incorporating keywords related to sales and promotions can help capture more traffic.
    • Action-Oriented Messaging: As search terms become more intent-based towards the end of the year, ensure your ad copy includes strong calls to action that align with consumer purchasing behavior. Refresh your ad copy to reflect holiday themes and urgent calls to action. Highlight promotions, limited-time offers, and unique selling points to stand out in search results.
    • Ad Extensions: Utilize all relevant ad extensions, such as sitelinks, callouts, and structured snippets, to provide additional information and increase your ad’s visibility and click-through rate.
  2. Budget Allocation:
    • Flexible Budgeting: Expect higher CPCs, especially in industries where competition peaks in Q4. Allocate your budget accordingly, ensuring you can compete effectively during high-demand periods.
    • Industry-Specific Strategies: Tailor your budget and bidding strategies based on industry trends. For example, healthcare might see an uptick in competition as insurance companies ramp up their Q4 campaigns.
  3. Keyword Strategy:
    • Focus on High-Intent Keywords: Prioritize keywords that indicate strong purchase intent, particularly those related to holiday shopping and seasonal events. This will help capture consumers who are closer to making a purchase. Consider increasing your budget for branded keywords as competition rises.
    • Negative Keywords: Use negative keywords strategically to filter out irrelevant traffic and reduce wasted spend. This is especially important during high-competition periods to ensure your budget is used efficiently.

Programmatic: 

Programmatic Strategy for Q4: Optimizing for a High-Competition Landscape

Key Changes to Anticipate in Q4:

  • Increased Costs: The competition for ad inventory intensifies, leading to higher CPCs and CPAs due to increased demand. 
  • Shift in Consumer Behavior: Consumers are actively searching for holiday deals and making purchase decisions, which means higher intent traffic but also requires more sophisticated targeting and messaging.

Tips for Managing Q4 Search Strategy:

  1. Budget and Bidding Adjustments:
    • Flexible Bidding: Implement flexible bidding strategies to adapt to real-time changes in the competitive landscape. Utilize automated bidding tools to maximize efficiency and ensure your ads appear in high impact when it matters most.
    • Budget Allocation: Allocate more budget to high-performing, high-precision targeting segments and adjust your spend throughout the quarter based on performance data. Also consider exploring emerging channels and tactics where there may be a higher volume of whitespace.
  2. Planning for the Political Season:
    • Inventory Scarcity: Be prepared for potential inventory shortages and increased costs due to political campaigns. Adjust your bids and targeting to avoid overspending during peak political ad periods.
    • Geographic Targeting: Fine-tune your geo-targeting to focus on areas less impacted by political ad spend. This can help maintain efficiency and reduce competition for your target audience.
  3. Monitoring Market Dynamics:
    • Inflationary Pressures: Keep an eye on how economic factors like inflation are impacting consumer behavior. In markets where consumers are less willing to spend, you might see reduced competition and potentially lower CPCs, which could present an opportunity to adjust your strategy.
  4. Post-Holiday Analysis:
    • Data-Driven Insights: After Q4, conduct a thorough analysis of your programmatic campaigns to identify key trends and insights. Use this data to refine your strategy for the upcoming year, ensuring continuous improvement and optimization.

Ethical AI and Data Privacy: The Cornerstone of Modern Marketing

Posted on by Coegi

Tenured marketing leaders have witnessed firsthand the transformative power of AI in our industry. AI has revolutionized how brands understand and engage with their customers. From predictive analytics to personalized content creation, the possibilities are endless. However, with great power comes great responsibility. It’s critical to proactively integrate ethical AI practices and data privacy compliance into the core of your marketing operations to ensure you are maximizing the technology while minimizing the risk involved.

Our Three-Pillar Approach: Privacy, Security, and Transparency

At our agency, instituting ethical AI practices and compliance with data privacy regulations is integral to all our AI-driven initiatives. We recognize that as technology advances, so must our commitment to responsible use. Our approach is built on three key pillars: Privacy, Security, and Transparency.

Privacy: The Foundation of Trust

We begin by assessing and classifying all data and documents according to their sensitivity level. This allows us to implement the Principle of Least Privilege, ensuring that staff members only have access to the data necessary for their specific roles and responsibilities. By limiting access, we minimize the risk of unauthorized data exposure or misuse.

This granular approach to data management not only protects our customers but also streamlines our operations. It allows us to maintain the delicate balance between leveraging data for insights and respecting individual privacy.

Security: Extending Best Practices to AI

We’ve taken the robust IT principles and SOC 2 compliance standards typically applied to traditional data systems and extended them to our work with generative AI. This includes:

  • Authorized Access Requirements: We have stringent protocols in place to determine who can access AI systems and for what purposes, reducing the risk of misuse.
  • User Authentication: Multi-factor authentication and regular credential updates are mandatory to verify the identity of users interacting with our AI systems.
  • Data Loss Prevention & Encryption Standards: We employ robust encryption for data both at rest and in transit. Our data loss prevention strategies ensure that sensitive information cannot be accidentally or maliciously exported from our systems.

By applying these enterprise-grade security measures to our AI operations, we’re creating a secure environment that fosters innovation while protecting sensitive information.

Transparency: Building Trust Through Openness

We believe in being open about our use of AI. This means communicating to clients and stakeholders about where and how AI is used in our processes. We also ensure that AI-generated content is distinguishable, maintaining the authenticity of human creativity where it matters most.

This transparency not only builds trust with our customers but also helps us stay accountable to our ethical standards.

Evolving with the Landscape

Our ethical AI framework is not static; it evolves with the technology and regulatory landscape. We regularly review and update our policies to align with the latest developments in data protection laws such as GDPR, CCPA, and others relevant to our international operations.

Beyond policies and frameworks, we invest in ongoing training for our team to ensure everyone understands the importance of data privacy and the ethical implications of AI. This cultivates a culture where responsible AI use is not just a policy, but a shared value.

The Future of Ethical AI in Marketing

As we look to the future, it’s clear that the successful marketers will be those who can harness the power of AI while maintaining the highest ethical standards. By prioritizing privacy, security, and transparency, we’re not just complying with regulations – we’re building a foundation of trust that will drive long-term success in the AI-driven marketing landscape.

The path forward requires constant vigilance, adaptation, and a commitment to ethical practices. But for those willing to invest in responsible AI use, the rewards – in terms of customer trust, brand reputation, and innovative capabilities – are well worth the effort.

The Social Commerce Revolution – Building Unbreakable Loyalty Loops

Posted on by Stephanie Dwyer

It’s clear that the social commerce revolution is more than just a trend – it’s a fundamental shift in how consumers discover, engage with, and purchase products. Building on the foundation laid out in our previous article on social commerce strategy, we’ll explore how brands can leverage this shift to create unbreakable loyalty loops and thrive in this digital-first landscape.

The Psychology of Social Shopping:

Understanding the psychological principles underlying social commerce is crucial for brands looking to succeed in this space. Social shopping tools capitalize on cognitive biases and heuristic thinking, leveraging principles such as:

  • Follow the Crowd: Utilizing social proof through features like pick lists and popularity lists.
  • Follow the Leader: Leveraging expert opinions and trusted referrals.
  • Follow Those You Like: Tapping into people’s tendency to emulate those they admire through content like influencer partnerships.

From Convenience to Community:

Social commerce initially focused primarily on convenience and tapping into unplanned discovery moments. It has since evolved into a powerful tool for building lasting relationships. In today’s social commerce environment, create shoppable communities that foster and grow shared values and experiences to ensure success.

The Power of Authenticity and Social Capital:

At the heart of a successful social commerce strategy is the cultivation of social capital within online brand communities. By prioritizing authenticity, brands can transform loyal customers into powerful advocates. This shift from transactional to meaningful relationships is crucial, as the power of authenticity significantly impacts a brand’s community-building efforts and, consequently, its revenue.

Driving Emotional Connections:

To build unbreakable loyalty loops, brands must focus on driving emotional connections with consumers through a strong digital presence. This involves leveraging user-generated content, implementing growth loops through cross-selling and upselling, and embracing community-led growth strategies. In return, brands gain unprecedented access to their perception, image, and data, yielding more effective marketing strategies.

Adapting to a Dynamic Landscape:

The social commerce ecosystem is subject to rapid change influenced by geopolitical tensions, economic shifts, and evolving consumer preferences. To remain resilient, brands must embrace scenario planning and develop adaptive loyalty loop strategies. Marketers can employ tools like predictive intelligence and behavioral econometric models to decode online chatter and adjust marketing approaches in real-time.

Expanding Beyond Social Media:

While social media platforms remain at the forefront of social commerce, the landscape is expanding. Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD) services, video game companies, and metaverse developers are entering the space, looking to the success of social shopping as a blueprint for their growth efforts. The key principles of algorithmic targeting, trusted intermediaries, and frictionless purchasing remain crucial across these new frontiers.

Executing Shoppable Strategies for Unbreakable Loyalty

As the social commerce landscape continues to evolve, brands need a partner who can help them navigate this complex ecosystem and execute effective marketing strategies. This is where Coegi comes in. 

Our expertise can help you:

  1. Develop a Holistic Social Commerce Strategy: We’ll work with you to create a comprehensive strategy that aligns with your brand values and resonates with your target audience. This includes identifying the right platforms, content types, and influencer partnerships to maximize your social commerce potential.
  2. Build and Optimize Virtual Storefronts: Our team can help you establish and refine your presence across various online marketplaces and social platforms. We’ll ensure your virtual storefronts are not only functional but also visually appealing and on-brand.
  3. Create Engaging, Shoppable Content: We’ll assist in developing natively social, shoppable content that seamlessly integrates into your customers’ social media experiences. This includes strategies for repurposing user-generated content and leveraging micro-influencers for authentic brand promotion.
  4. Implement Advanced Analytics and Predictive Intelligence: Our data-driven approach will help you interpret online community chatter, identify receptive audiences, and adjust your strategies in real-time. We’ll set up robust analytics systems to track performance and provide actionable insights.
  5. Develop Adaptive Loyalty Loop Strategies: We’ll help you create flexible, scenario-based strategies that can withstand market changes and evolving consumer preferences. Our goal is to build resilient loyalty loops that continue to drive engagement and sales, regardless of external factors.
  6. Facilitate Seamless Integration: For clients with existing e-commerce operations, we’ll ensure smooth integration of social commerce elements into your current systems, creating a cohesive omnichannel experience for your customers.
  7. Training and Support: We’ll provide your team with the necessary training and ongoing support to effectively manage and grow your social commerce presence.

Transform your social commerce game and win the hearts (and wallets) of your audience. Are you ready to build unbreakable loyalty loops for your brand? Let’s partner together and unlock your full potential in the social commerce era.

Embracing Value-Based Care: How a Brand Ecosystems Can Revolutionize Healthcare Marketing

Posted on by Coegi

Originally published in Healthcare Business Today

In a post-pandemic world, the healthcare landscape is evolving faster than ever. Amidst this swift evolution, the buzz around value-based care (VBC) presents a significant shift from the traditional fee-for-service model. As healthcare marketers, understanding and navigating this transformation is paramount. But how can brands effectively integrate into value-based healthcare models? The answer lies in building a robust brand ecosystem rather than relying solely on individual campaigns.

Understanding Value-Based Care and Its Implications

Value-based care focuses on delivering quality outcomes for patients rather than merely increasing the volume of services. This model incentivizes healthcare providers based on patient health outcomes, promoting efficiency and quality over quantity. VBC is fundamentally about focusing on outcomes for the individual patient, emphasizing quality over volume.

However, the transition to VBC is complex and fraught with challenges. The healthcare sector must address diverse payer requirements, health equity issues, and the unique value perceptions of various stakeholders, including patients, healthcare providers (HCPs), and payers. This shift is incredibly complicated and difficult to execute, requiring brands to understand the multifaceted definition of value to connect effectively with their audience.

The Power of a Brand Ecosystem in Healthcare Marketing

So, what exactly is a brand ecosystem, and why is it crucial for healthcare brands in a VBC environment? A brand ecosystem is a network of digital touchpoints designed to engage and communicate with audiences in a personalized, cohesive manner. Unlike a traditional campaign that delivers a single, linear message, a brand ecosystem provides a multifaceted approach, fostering deeper connections and engagement.

A brand ecosystem is essentially a combination of digital touch points designed to communicate effectively with its audience. It’s not a linear funnel but instead a holistic experience tailored to individual needs. This approach is particularly effective in healthcare marketing, where the definition of value can vary significantly across different audience segments.

Maximizing Value-Based Marketing through a Brand Ecosystem

Understanding and Communicating Value

For healthcare brands, success in a VBC model hinges on understanding and articulating value to both consumers and HCPs. Brands must take the time to define what value means for each audience segment. This involves creating tailored messages and resources that resonate with patients’ and HCPs’ unique needs.

Brands need to create unique ecosystems tailored to patient and healthcare provider audiences. Each ecosystem must reflect the distinct values and needs of its audience. This personalized approach ensures that the brand’s value proposition is clear, compelling, and relevant.

Supporting the Value-Based Care Model

Brands can play a pivotal role in supporting the VBC model by providing resources that help HCPs deliver quality care. This could involve offering educational materials, tools for patient engagement, or technologies that enhance treatment outcomes. By alleviating some of the pressures on HCPs, brands can build stronger, more supportive relationships.

Under a value-based care model, brands have the best opportunity to thrive by supporting HCPs with the necessary resources to drive patient outcomes. This support not only strengthens brand-HCP relationships but also reinforces the brand’s commitment to quality care.

Engaging Patients through Active Communication

Effective patient communication is essential in a VBC model. Brands must prioritize patient education, particularly around preventative health measures, to ensure better health outcomes. This proactive approach helps patients take an active role in their health, aligning with the core principles of VBC.

Patient education and preventative health will take a front seat under a value-based care model. Brands can enhance their value by focusing on these areas, ensuring better patient outcomes.

Not a Funnel, Not Singular: Embracing the Brand Ecosystem

The dynamic nature of value-based marketing demands a shift from traditional campaign strategies to a more integrated brand ecosystem. An ecosystem approach opens up more scale and engagement opportunities, understanding the uniqueness of each audience’s definition of value. By adopting this strategy, healthcare brands can better navigate the complexities of VBC and position themselves for long-term success.

Conclusion

Whether value-based care is fully adopted or not, the opportunity for healthcare brands to enhance their value proposition remains significant. By understanding and embracing the principles of a brand ecosystem, brands can break through the complexities of healthcare marketing and set themselves up for success.

At Coegi, we specialize in helping healthcare brands navigate this transformation. Contact us today for a consult and learn how we can support your journey towards a more integrated, value-focused marketing strategy.

Expanding Reach and Engagement with College Students Using Influencers

Posted on by Coegi

Challenge

Coegi collaborated with agency partner, True Media, on a key initiative for Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO). The client needed to reach current college students (aged 18-24), specifically those in STEM fields who are undecided about their careers. Previous marketing efforts focused on standard website traffic generation and career messaging; however, they were looking to expand into additional tactics that would connect with students in an authentic, trust-inspiring way.

Highlights

Millions
of impressions served to those potentially interested in Optometry field

Thousands
of post engagements driving an authentic connection between ASCO and potential students

31 pieces of content
created and amplified efficiently across channels

Solution

Our teams leveraged the power of social media influencers to provide a new way of engaging with the target audience. Recognizing the influence of peer recommendations on college students, we partnered with a selection of young Optometrists and Optometry students (3 creators in total). These creators produced a mix of 31 pieces of content, including standard branded messages alongside a unique UGC (User-Generated Content) challenge. The UGC challenge encouraged viewers to share their top six “sights to see” and tag others in the Optometry community, aiming to spark a viral trend on Instagram and TikTok. Paid amplification was utilized on both platforms to further extend the reach of the influencer content and build genuine connection with relevant individuals beyond the creators’ core followers.

Results

Organically, we drove nearly 3,000 organic engagements at a 7.9% engagement rate through the 31 pieces of content. 

Through amplification on Instagram, we achieved over 1.2 million impressions at a CPM (cost per thousand impressions) of $7.71, generating over 70,000 post engagements. Similarly on TikTok, boosted content delivered nearly half a million impressions at a CPM of $3.97, with over 2,000 post engagements. Amplification not only allowed the content to reach a broader audience of relevant individuals, but also drove greater attention and consideration as evidenced by the content engagement. 

While the success of the UGC challenge is still to be determined, the initial results from the boosted influencer content are promising. 

Key Takeaways

  • Influencer Selection: Partnering with creators who are both relatable and relevant to the target audience (young Optometrists/students) proved effective.
  • UGC for Engagement: The UGC challenge fostered audience participation and could potentially lead to a viral trend, further amplifying the campaign reach.
  • Paid Amplification Benefits: Utilizing the Paid Partnership tool on Instagram and TikTok allowed for seamless content integration and audience expansion beyond the influencer’s followers.

Overall, this campaign demonstrates the effectiveness of influencer marketing in reaching and engaging with a specific audience of college students. The combination of relatable creators, engaging content formats, and paid amplification strategies hold promise for driving brand awareness and consideration within the Optometry field.

Want to explore ways influencer marketing can boost your strategy? Contact our strategists today!

The Balancing Act: Short-Term Wins and Long-Term Growth in Healthcare Marketing

Posted on by Cameron Reese

Leaders in the healthcare industry understand the unique challenges of marketing to consumers and HCPs in this space. Unlike promoting a new phone or pair of shoes, healthcare decisions are often complex and involve building trust. This blog dives into the crucial balance between achieving short-term wins and fostering long-term growth for your healthcare brand.

Short-Term Gains: Measurable Impact, Immediate Results

Short-term marketing strategies deliver a quick and measurable impact. Think campaigns promoting flu vaccinations or driving traffic to a website for a new medication launch. Here, success is measured by:

  • Media metrics: Engagement rate, site traffic, click-through rate
  • Business metrics: Sales lift, return on investment (ROI)
  • Advanced measurement: Attention unit scores (measures ad effectiveness), vaccine lift studies (tracks vaccination rates post-campaign)

These strategies are ideal for capitalizing on seasonal trends or generating immediate interest in a new product.

Long-Term Vision: Building Trust and Brand Loyalty

Long-term marketing focuses on cultivating trust and brand loyalty. It positions your brand as a reliable resource, a trusted partner on a patient’s healthcare journey. This translates to:

  • Brand metrics: Brand awareness, brand preference, customer satisfaction
  • Sales & Vaccine Lift Studies: Can also be applicable to long-term success such as share of mind and market share.

Educational content, patient testimonials, and community outreach programs all contribute to long-term success. Imagine a healthcare provider consistently offering informative webinars on various health topics. This establishes them as a trusted resource, influencing patients to choose them for future needs.

The Art of Balance: Aligning Strategies for Sustainable Growth

Focusing solely on short-term gains can negatively impact long-term brand building. While short-term metrics can provide valuable insights and some immediate sense of satisfaction, over-reliance on them can lead to overlooking the bigger business  picture. Here’s how to strike the perfect balance:

  • Identify short-term metrics that predict long-term success. High engagement with educational content could indicate potential brand preference.
  • Maintain a cohesive brand voice across all marketing efforts. This ensures a consistent patient experience, regardless of the short-term or long-term marketing touchpoint.
  • Embrace innovation in activation and measurement. Utilize advanced tools like attention unit metrics and influencer marketing to gain deeper insights and reach your target audience with authenticity.

Conclusion: A Winning Formula for Healthcare Marketing Success

By understanding the nuances of both short-term and long-term growth in healthcare marketing, brands can achieve sustainable growth. Healthcare is a personal journey for everyone, and it can not be a one size fits all approach. In order to deploy an effective long term marketing strategy, brands need to be in tune with who their target audience is, and how they like to be spoken to. By implementing a balanced approach that prioritizes immediate results while fostering long-term trust, healthcare CMOs can build brands that resonate with patients HCPs alike and position themselves for lasting success.

Building Trust and Awareness for Medicaid Options within Multicultural Communities

Posted on by Coegi

Challenge

Coegi’s client, a government health plan provider, needed to raise awareness of their Medicaid options among Hispanic and African American communities. These communities often face historical distrust of the medical care system, further compounded by rising healthcare costs.

Highlights

5%
higher recall among Hispanic/Latino demographics

9%
higher recall among Black/African American demographics

27%
increase in the perception that our brand supports member health goals, care about the community, and offer relevant services

10%
lift in aided brand awareness compared to 2% healthcare benchmark

Solution

We developed an omni-channel pilot campaign to break through the noise and resonate with these core audiences. The strategy focused on three key goals:

  • Increase Awareness: Reach qualified Latino and African American audiences.
  • Build Trust: Position the client as a trustworthy partner who understands their needs.
  • Drive Engagement: Encourage interaction with the brand through the website.

Reaching Key Segments: Identify core audiences by utilizing precision targeting parameters such as first-party data, zip codes, eligibility criteria, racial and ethnic demographics.

  • Moms (Parents): Targeted adults with children, emphasizing importance of childhood and postpartum health.
  • Functionally Disabled Members: Targeted audiences concerned with health issues like mental health and disabilities.
  • New to Medicaid: Targeted audiences interested in health management and wellness, active on digital platforms.

Media Strategy: Maximize impact with Medicaid-eligible audiences by placing personalized messages across an omnichannel digital media plan.

  • Diversity in Digital Media: Moving beyond competitor channels, we explored diverse digital platforms and implemented programmatic buying to find audiences efficiently.
  • Right Audience, Right Message: Layered niche cultural targeting with culturally appropriate messaging for deeper resonance.
  • Upfront Digital Footprint: Prioritized a strong digital presence (70% audience reach) for speed to market, hyper-targeting, and competitive differentiation.
  • Expanding into Traditional Media: Layered in localized print publications, billboards & Radio for increased community relevance.
  • Test and Learn: Established a foundation for future campaigns by measuring engagement and optimizing messaging for better personalization.

Results

The campaign delivered significant positive lifts across various metrics:

  • Unaided & Aided Awareness: Increased brand recognition.
  • Brand Perception: Improved perceptions of the brand as supportive, community-focused, informative, and meeting health needs.
  • Decision Maker Impact: Positively influenced decision-making within both Hispanic/Latino and Black/African American audiences.

Channel Performance: The campaign delivered a significant lift in aided awareness across all forms of media, with a notable lift in awareness among consumers exposed to the banner and 30-second video ad. Brand recall was higher when 4+ channels were utilized, signaling the power of an omnichannel approach.

  • Social and Print: Top performers, particularly in combination.
  • CTV & Display Banners: Effective in raising awareness and brand opinion.
  • Streaming Audio: Moderately positive impact.
  • Online Video & OOH: Provided strong campaign reinforcement, but had less direct campaign impact.

Key Takeaways

  • Go Where the Performance Is: Target audiences where engagement is strong and build scale through an omni-channel approach.
  • Brevity & Emotional Connection: Clear, concise messaging with emotional appeal leads to stronger creative performance.
  • Smaller Audience, Bigger Impact: Smaller audience segments can deliver strong engagement and results when targeted effectively.

This case study demonstrates that building trust within multicultural audiences requires a tailored approach that considers cultural values and prioritizes the right channels and messaging for maximum impact.

 

Navigating the Evolving Landscape of Search Engine Marketing

Posted on by Coegi

Search engine marketing (SEM) stands as a pillar in the realm of digital advertising, elevating a brand’s visibility by securing premier advertisement placements on search engine results pages (SERPs). This channel has become irreplaceable for many marketers in driving qualified website traffic by engaging users with relevant ads that match their specific search queries.

It’s evident that there is a growing importance of mobile and local SEM in brands’ media mix – specifically as a performance-driven channel. However, the way consumers are using search is evolving, as they turn to voice and visual search technologies to add convenience to their experiences. 

The incorporation of AI and advanced data analytics into SEM is also dramatically changing the landscape, requiring businesses to consistently evolve their search strategies to stay at the forefront of digital marketing innovation and best meet the consumer’s needs. 

Major Trends and Changes in SEM

SEM is constantly in flux, shaped by the continual advancements and updates in search engine algorithms. Understanding these shifts is essential for marketers looking to maintain a competitive advantage in digital advertising.

Search Algorithms and Their Impact on SEM

Major search engines like Google continuously strive to enhance user experiences, resulting in frequent and significant algorithm changes. Over the past year, Google has implemented several important updates:

  • April 2023: Replaced first-click, linear, time decay, and position-based attribution models with data-driven attribution to better align with evolving consumer behaviors.
  • May 2023: Introduction of AI-driven innovations at Google Marketing Live, refining both Search and Performance Max campaigns.
  • August 2023: Implementation of the Limited Ads Serving policy to improve ad clarity and build trust.
  • September 2023: The Helpful Content Update launches, focusing on seamless transitions from ads to landing pages that directly answer user queries and enhance the search experience. This highlights the need for marketers to develop content that resonates with the audience’s expectations and addresses their primary concerns about brands and their offerings.
  • October 2023: Introduction of search themes in Performance Max to refine ad targeting.
  • November 2023: Google shifts towards privacy-focused ad strategies, moving away from third-party cookies and instead emphasizing the use of first-party data and contextual targeting.
  • February 2024: Enhancement of AI-powered Search ads as well as the introduction of AR & VR features for shopping, aimed at improving ad engagement and consumer insights.

Each update underscores a shift towards more personalized, efficient, and privacy-conscious marketing strategies, challenging marketers to innovate within the constraints of enhanced user privacy and advanced technological capabilities.

The Rise of Mobile and Local SEM

In today’s digital ecosystem, mobile optimization and local search strategies are paramount. Mobile-friendly websites should balance aesthetics and usability, aiming for fast loading and easy navigation for users. For local businesses, the integration of location-based keywords and localized ad targeting into their SEM strategy is indispensable. This focus enhances visibility on SERPs, especially for searches with local interest, thereby connecting businesses with their highest-intent target audiences more effectively.

Voice and Visual Search Innovations

Voice and visual search technologies are reshaping the SEM strategies. Voice searches, powered by digital assistants and smart speakers, tend to feature longer, more conversational queries. This change means we need to use different keywords that match the brand or campaign’s main focus, like questions and phrases. 

Visual search, leveraging AI to allow image-based searching, enhances web interaction, particularly in shopping and information discovery. Integrating visual search into SEM strategies can significantly boost user engagement, conversion rates, and brand recognition while providing insightful consumer behavior data, making it a pivotal element for more successful and efficient marketing campaigns.

Adapting to the growing trends of voice and visual search requires websites to be user-friendly and equipped to provide accurate, easily accessible information. SEM practitioners must continually update their strategies to align with the evolving preferences and behaviors of their audience, ensuring their campaigns remain effective and relevant.

Effective SEM Strategies in Today’s Digital Marketing

Today, effective SEM strategies have become pivotal for standing out amidst intense competition. These strategies have evolved significantly, transitioning from outdated techniques to sophisticated approaches that prioritize user experience and content quality.

  • Content and Keyword Strategy Adaptations: The move away from keyword stuffing to strategies that focus on user intent and content quality reflects a significant shift in SEO and SEM practices. Originally, keyword stuffing aimed to improve SERP rankings but often led to poor user experiences. Today, search engines favor high-quality content that delivers on its promises, aligns with user behavior and intent, and satisfies users’ needs. This change is important because voice and visual searches are on the rise. Content must be engaging and specifically designed for natural language queries.
  • Leveraging Data and Analytics: Data analytics, powered by AI and machine learning, plays a crucial role in refining SEM strategies. Platforms like Google Ads employ these technologies to analyze large datasets, considering factors like user behavior, demographics, and past performance. These insights allow marketers to optimize their campaigns more effectively, adjusting bidding strategies in real time based on dynamic user behavior patterns.
  • Integrating SEM with Overarching Digital Marketing: For maximum impact, avoid thinking of SEM as a separate initiative and instead incorporate it within a broader digital marketing strategy, considering the intertwining of SEO, social media, and email marketing. This cohesive approach ensures that all channels work together towards a common goal, enhancing the overall effectiveness of the marketing efforts. 

Future of SEM and Staying Ahead

Rapid advancements in technology, such as AI and data privacy, are not only influencing but also redefining the future of SEM, necessitating that marketers integrate these elements into their strategies for sustained success.

  • Continuous Learning: As the SEM industry evolves, marketers must also evolve, adapting to changes to maintain a competitive edge and bringing a spirit of experimentation. 
  • Leveraging Campaigns for Experimentation: View campaigns as opportunities for testing and learning, diving deep into analytics to gather actionable insights.
  • Holistic Data Tracking: The cross-platform tracking capabilities of GA4 allow for a comprehensive understanding of marketing efforts across channels, facilitating more efficient budget allocation through detailed data attribution.
  • Industry Insights: Staying informed through industry publications and resources is vital for learning about the latest SEM developments.

Adopting ethical practices is crucial not only for building trust with consumers but also for ensuring long-term success and compliance with regulatory standards. 

Here are some key considerations:

  • Clear and Ethical Communication: Deploy honest, transparent advertising with high-quality, relevant content, adhering to ethical guidelines and responding to feedback to enhance trust, improve user experience, and provide value.
  • Safeguard Privacy and Ensure User Consent: Adhere to privacy laws and respect user preferences, providing clear options for data tracking and personalization consent.
  • Promote Equity and Inclusion: Ensure ad targeting is free from discriminatory practices and embraces inclusivity, catering to a diverse audience without exploiting vulnerabilities.
  • Sustainability Consideration: Prioritize sustainable SEM practices by optimizing resource use and minimizing digital waste, reflecting environmental responsibility.

Emphasizing a blend of technological innovation, adaptability, and stringent ethical standards lays out a strategic blueprint for thriving in SEM’s dynamic future.

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