Why marketing shouldn’t take place in an ivory tower

The formula for strong customer relationships is simple: first listen, then respond to the needs of the other person. Carl Zeiss Meditec AG shows how this communication can be successfully digitally mapped and customer relationships can be strengthened online.

Specializing in the manufacture of medical lasers, surgical microscopes and instruments for eye examinations, Carl Zeiss Meditec AG addresses a target group with a tight schedule: Doctors and surgeons. “Our customers block traditional marketing content,” reports Dr. Jochen Tham, Head of Global Marketing Communications. The solution: stand out with individual and relevant content.

Digitization: more relevant than ever

The restrictions that come with the current coronavirus situation are massive. As far as digitization is concerned, however, they definitely have advantages. “We usually do a lot through personal contacts,” says Tham. “This is of course not possible at the moment. That opens up exciting new options for us. For example, we have developed a plexiglass protective shield for our slit lamps in order to better protect both doctors and patients during treatment. For the registration process we have developed an international website as well as cross-border social media campaigns. Before the current situation, we would have operated strictly according to country. But this way we were able to all the doctors who came forward Send two of these shields to support during the COVID pandemic – we have sent over 100,000 copies in total. Due to the crisis, we have clearly gained digital momentum – we want to maintain that and expand it further. “

It all depends on the perspective 

This also means that processes have to be rethought. “Our customers are used to customer experiences from big online brands in their private lives – we have to map that in the B2B area too,” explains Tham. That is why Carl Zeiss Meditec AG has been using trigger-based campaigns on its own website and on social media channels since the beginning of 2020 and has dispensed with blast mailings. With the help of Munchkin codes, the surfing behavior of the website visitors can be traced.

This has two decisive advantages: On the one hand, it can be derived which areas and products the users are particularly interested in. On the other hand, specific communication offers can be placed on the basis of previously defined points. Because everyday life in the clinic is so stressful, doctors and surgeons have often perceived the blast campaigns of the past as a nuisance. The situation is completely different with the trigger-based campaigns. These are so popular that the opening and click rates have doubled.

The topic of personalization is also moving up on the agenda. “In the future, we want to use the option to create customer profiles to prepare the website in such a way that specialists can be directed to the content that is relevant to them. This means that an ophthalmologist or a neurosurgeon receive content tailored specifically to their needs without having to click through long product lists or menus, ”says Tham.

Adventure journey customer journey

The way is the goal – this saying is no accident. Especially when there are several years between the first contact and the purchase, the customer journey has to be convincing. Whether congresses, information portals for medical professionals or your own website: both online and offline, it is important to connect as many different and diverse touchpoints as possible.

Without targeted tracking, you quickly lose track of where a customer is currently in the sales funnel. In addition, the customer journey does not end with the purchase – after all, devices have to be serviced regularly. To ensure that the journey does not come to an abrupt end, data should be accessible across departments and transparently for all teams.

For Dr. Jochen Tham is therefore clear: “Marketing must not be an ivory tower. Not only marketing and sales have to work closely together, but also marketing and IT. ”When marketing starts a campaign and the customer then calls the sales department with curiosity, the sales team must of course be familiar with the campaign. “Keeping everyone on the same page is an increasingly data-driven process for which marketing and IT have to agree on a common nomenclature.”

Digital marketing thrives on dynamism

Support is provided by a versatile marketing solution such as Marketo Engage from Adobe, which can be easily integrated into all existing programs and data sources thanks to flexibly programmable interfaces (API). Carl Zeiss Meditec AG uses Marketo Engange, for example, to transfer its customer data centrally to a Power BI dashboard, thus ensuring that the respective campaigns reach the right target group.

Whether lead management or email marketing:  Marketo Engage supports brands with flexible tools and solutions to get the best out of their customers. And because this only works when all teams pull together, Marketo is bringing sales and marketing closer together – for customer experiences that inspire.

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