The History of Real-Time

Marketing in 500 Words

Real-time marketing (RTM) may seem like a spiffy new

concept but it’s actually been around since the mid-

90s.

It was right about then companies discovered that, in

some cases, months- or years-long marketing

campaigns hamstrung their ability to be on the cutting

edge of industry trends.

Shorter campaigns and delivery cycles meant brands

could be more adaptive to customers.

Real-time marketing languished in the background behind more

traditional methods and then burst on the scene in the early 2000’s with

the advent of social media. Suddenly it was possible to find out what

customers were talking about and respond in hours or minutes instead of

months or days.

Real-time marketing languished in the background behind more traditional methods

and then burst on the scene in the early 2000’s with the advent of social media.

Take these examples, for instance.

● Warburton’s Bakery launched a short

but memorable RTM campaign and got

caught up in baby fever when Prince

George was born.

Suddenly it was possible to find out what

customers were talking about and

respond in hours or minutes instead of months

or days.

● Arby’s turned music star Pharrell’s unusual hat into an opportunity to

gather charitable donations.

● Several companies used the method at the 2014 World Cup to promote

their brands and engage customers.

— Nike Soccer (@nikesoccer) May 24, 2014

Now that brands realize they can capture the ear of the customer on

social channels, there is a growing trend to take real-time marketing even

further.

Using consumer analytics and big data pulled from social channels,

call center activity, mobile app activity, purchase history, and more,

companies are poised to deliver individualized customer experiences.

“It's far more beneficial to understand what

your customers are doing now, where they

are located, and how they are engaging

with your brand (which channels and

devices) - all of this data allows the

marketer to understand their customer's

current context and update their profile

which in turn enables them to engage

customers with hyper-personalized

communications that fit their needs in the

present moment.”

The history of real-time marketing may still be

young, but it’s clear that existing and emerging

technology combined with the new immediacy of

customer expectation means the method is here to

stay.

-Marketing expert Katrina Conn

Photo Credit: Flickr.com/Didriks