The Ontario Broker - June 2019 - 32

BUILDING
C

onsumer expectations are
changing rapidly and brokers
are under pressure in today's
complex, multi-channel competitive
landscape.
Brokers are adapting their approach
to marketing to win the race to stay
current and connected with customers.
Brand building and the business of
marketing are two key elements of any
successful strategy.
There are many competing priorities
and areas to look at when it comes to
marketing. For brokers who are just
starting out, or who want to take a fresh
look at how they approach marketing,
these five best practices are a good
place to start.
GROWING YOUR BRAND

OF BROKER
MARKETING
BY BRENT CLOSS, AVP OF MARKETING
CAA CLUB GROUP

JUNE 2019

Focus on building a foundation by
creating or enhancing the brand of a
brokerage before investing too much
in individual marketing campaigns.
This means that decision makers will
have to frontload some marketing
dollars to define what they want to
be known for and to develop the
appropriate visual elements that bring
their vision to life.
POWER IS IN THE PEOPLE

It might be tempting to opt for the
cheapest agency quote or the lowest
salary option when hiring marketing
support. It is usually more economical
in the long term to invest in good
people, with valuable expertise.
Look for a marketing advisor who
is experienced enough to ask the
hard questions, agile enough to
stay current, and able to deliver an
integrated plan.

32

SEGMENT YOUR CUSTOMERS

Brokers know their customers well
as individuals, but are there common
trends that can be gleaned from your
customer base? Segmenting customers
into groups is helpful when it comes to
targeting messages or campaigns. The
more that brokers understand about
their customers at the macro level, the
better they can anticipate needs and
desires.
INTEGRATED MARKETING IS A
MUST

A staggering amount of content and
information is shared online and it is no
secret that marketers need to be where
the people are. While digital marketing
is the new staple when it comes to
marketing, it can be overwhelming
to know what to tackle first. Most
importantly, how do you integrate your
digital activities with your traditional
advertising and marketing efforts?
MEASURE, MEASURE,
MEASURE

No matter what investments are made
in marketing, it is crucial to make sure
that measurement is top of mind and
adequately resourced. If you can't
measure what is being done it will be
highly difficult to determine what's
working and not working and most
importantly, what's the best return on
investment.
Building a business is hard and staying
competitive in a rapidly changing
industry is even more challenging.
Brokers who prioritize the business
of marketing have a real advantage to
compete and win the race to win over the
hearts, minds, and trust of customers.

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The Ontario Broker - June 2019

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