Marketers today are focusing on precise customer targeting, improved measurement and using all channels of communication for maximum results.

Just a few years ago, variable data printing allowed us to send personalized mail to customers and prospects using our database of names and addresses. Although we could put customers’ names on direct mail, increasing the likelihood the recipient would read it, we were still limited to sending the same message to a segment of consumers based on age, gender or other shared characteristics.

Today, databases are so much more robust, providing tools to capture extensive information about customers’ interests and buying behaviors. This data becomes fodder for personalization, relevant and timely messages to individual consumers. Look no further than Amazon for a good example of customized, precise marketing. Fortunately, current database technology makes it possible for even the smallest company to have response-driven conversations with specific customers.

Since we’re discussing consumer targeting, we want to remind you not to forget the baby boomers. They make up a huge segment of the population and account for almost half of all consumer spending in the U.S. Furthermore, boomers are easy to reach. According to the blog posting the Top 10 Reasons to Include Baby Boomers in your 2010 Marketing Plan, boomers like advertising and they’re easy to reach. They still read magazines, watch TV, listen to the radio, read and respond to catalogs and other direct mail, and like to experiment with brands.

Successful marketers are integrating on- and offline channels for maximum impact and ROI (return on investment). In 10 tips for Integrating Multichannel Data (DMNews, June 15, 2009), Sharon Goldman reminds us to use the right data, prioritize channels (remembering each channel is different), test combinations, and be consistent across channels.

Finally, measure your marketing efforts from beginning to end. One common element of successful marketing campaigns is a relentless focus on measurment. The June 2009 issue of Target Marketing Magazine described how Red Door Spas incorporated historical trends, forecasting, campaign evaluation and relevant key performance indicators (KPIs) to revitalize its marketing efforts.

Using these metrics paid off in many ways. In one campaign, for example, Red Door found that an e-mail and postcard campaign provided a 300 percent greater lift than an e-mail only campaign. With results like that, analyzing all aspects of your marketing makes pretty good business sense!

Although the creative aspect of marketing will always be critical, marketers can now also use quantifiable data to measure effectiveness and justify their investments.

If you haven’t seriously considered how your company is, or can be, more environmentally friendly, you’re missing a golden marketing opportunity to make a real connection with customers and to stand out from the crowd. Some of the world’s largest companies are making green a central element in their marketing efforts and it’s driving the way they do business.

Having said that, we’d be remiss if we didn’t add that saying you’re environmentally or socially friendly—without the evidence to back it up—can cause more harm than not doing anything at all.

Being green has become an important way to generate more green on your bottom line. According to Greenbiz and the State of Green Business 2010, what began as a fundamentally altruistic endeavor is now an essential part of the business. The current recession is not an excuse to delay or cut back incorporating green into the operations and mindset of your organization. Greenbiz says the environmental improvements and innovations you make now become a means for surviving lean times and being more competitive when the market improves.

People are still buying green, despite the economy. According to a BBMG survey, 77 percent of respondents believe they can make a difference by purchasing from socially or environmentally responsible companies, and 72 percent avoid purchasing from companies whose practices they disagree with. “People want brands that deliver value and values,” BBMG concludes.

In the Shelton Group’s Green Living Pulse study, over three quarters of the buying population fell into one of two mindsets: Mainstream Green buyers, who see green companies as the authority and expert, and Engaged Green buyers, who are optimists, independent thinkers and like to try new things.

Marketing green to consumers is a lot more than slapping a green message on your packaging or collateral. You must give people a reason—functional or emotional—to buy.

Of course, if you don’t tell your customers about your commitment and your efforts towards being a good environmental steward, they won’t know. We recently helped Nufarm, which produces products to help farmers protect their crops, develop a brochure about their commitment and approach to sustainability. Nufarm will distribute this marketing brochure to its customers, vendors and other external audiences. It is also an effective marketing tool for an equally, if not more, important audience: your employees. Marketing your green initiatives to them can bolster their commitment and loyalty to your organization. When you think about it, this is just another way to add green—to your bottom line.

Whether you are a small business or a Fortune 100 company, your brand is one of your company’s most valuable assets.

But what exactly is a brand?

There are many definitions of brand, most a variation on the theme. However, one version many people can relate to comes from Al and Laura Reis, coauthors of numerous branding books, including The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding.

Branding “pre-sells” the product or service to the user. Branding is simply a more effective way to sell things…The power of a brand lies in its ability to influence purchasing behavior.

Building your brand

To successfully build your brand, you must understand how the market perceives it. In its white paper, Research Overview: Brand Identity Assessment, Key Issues and Considerations for Designing and Managing Primary Market Research, the Praxi Group offers three simple guidelines for conducting brand-related research.

• Understand what drives your customers’ purchase decisions.
• Distinguish between the emotional elements of your brand (personality traits, leadership position, history) and the functional elements (price, reliability, features). Appropriately measure and understand each. Identify the levels of your customers’ expectations for any given element or attribute; that is, determine how high your customers are setting the bar, and understand that not all elements of your brand are equally important in customer decision-making.
• Do not research your brand in a vacuum; understanding the essence of a brand is more meaningful and actionable if you can compare the results against the perceptions of your competitors’ customers and brands.

The next step is to define and communicate your brand by answering one simple question: what do you do better or best? Focus on benefits: faster, easier, more profitable, safety, security, prestige…you get the idea.

Be relentlessly consistent in delivering your brand. It should always look and feel the same and your key messages should not change. Brands take time to build, but your efforts will pay off handsomely over time.

Since The 22 Immutable Laws came out in 1998, marketers have another powerful way to connect with customers and build relationships: social media. Before you write off social media as too much work or not a good idea for your company, consider these statistics from BrandWeek:

• In 2009, 35 percent of Fortune 500 companies had an active Twitter account and 22 percent had a blog.
• Eight out of 10 of these blogs linked to a Twitter account.
• There are 400 million members of Facebook.

Go where the people are.

Finally, measure your performance and keep track of your brand in the marketplace. Fortunately, even if you’re a small company with a limited budget, this is easy with free tools such as GoogleAlerts and Twitter Search.