Digital natives won’t know this but somewhere in the recesses of my new digital nature mind, I remember a Dr Dolittle toy. It was called a Push-Me/Pull-Me. It came in a variety of forms but the defining element was that the toy had two heads.

A beast with two heads is an analogy for many businesses that COO’EE comes in contact with. One head is typically a non-digital native i.e. comfortable with their past experience, uncomfortable with the new digital language, and frightened by the concept of open communication. The other head represents the digital native who has been born into the future on communication. Communications that are designed to be two-way and measurable, the holy-grail of advertising.

Push-Me/ Pull- Me - The Two Headed Beast

The natural tension between these two views of marketing and communication are both valid and healthy.

The ‘non-digital native’ – let’s call him ‘Experience’ – has a tool kit of customer engagement strategies that have worked well at times in the past. ‘Experience’ has learnt to cope with the vagaries of seasonality, response rates and brand values that have been used to explain traditional advertising campaign performance. All of this experience has made him risk adverse.

The ‘digital native’ head – let’s call her ‘Immediacy’ – intrinsically knows that every well executed digital strategy will typically deliver better results, more quickly on a totally measurable basis. ‘Immediacy’ is wanting everyone to get on the same digital page – now. She is aiming to succeed by innovative thinking and, where necessary, failing quickly. She therefore embraces risk. Because by failing quickly and relatively inexpensively, ‘Immediacy’ knows that she will win the real prize sooner.

At this stage we are reminded of saying ‘two heads are better than one’. Without ‘Experience’ knowledge of push marketing – via integrated marketing campaigns that point to a website and a range of digital assets – digital engagement is limited. Without ‘Immediacy’ of the answer to the ‘right here, right now’ problem, consumers who are already in the majority, will leave you and your brand behind to bond with companies and brands who want to connect with them, rather than make excuses as to why they don’t want to build a relationship.

For companies that have embraced or are about to embrace the marriage of ‘Experience’ and ‘Immediacy,’ increased market share and level of customers’ loyalty awaits.

For those that have still not accepted the ‘two heads are better than one’ approach, all that will remain is a visit from the SPCA quickly followed by the liquidator.

COO’EE Crew