If you watched the 2024 Paris Olympics, you’ll understand all of those competitors are exceptional in their own right. But only a slim percentage of Olympians have a global brand presence (e.g. Simone Biles, Ariarne Titmus, Novak Djokovic, Noah Lyles).
How do they outshine their competition? They build winning campaigns. And if they don't bring home the gold medal, the silver lining is that they go down in history for doing something iconic.
Similarly, in retail technology, seeking strong brand presence in a crowded market is one of the most difficult hurdles to jump over. How can you be more visible in your industry? Equip yourself with marketing solutions that build brand awareness and trust for your target audience.
At the recent Online Retailer Expo in Sydney, AZK Media managing director Azadeh Williams asked retail technology vendors about their focus on brand awareness and strategies they employ to market their offering. Here’s what they had to say:
The interviewees emphasised the importance of establishing a strong brand presence in a saturated market through the power of customised marketing efforts, relationship building and event networking. They emphasised that marketing is not a sprint, but a marathon to organically grow brand awareness for the ultimate goal of lead generation.
How important is marketing to your overall success as a retail tech vendor?
Zach Hotchkiss, Regional VP APAC, Attentive
Marketing is critical for our company. We came into market less than two years ago and we now have 200 customers with a strong presence at many events. We pride ourselves on building relationships and a sense of connection by hosting our own events. Our marketing spend is ample but it plays a critical role in our top funnel of our lead generation efforts.
Mark Baartse, Outsourced CMO
Cold calling or messaging on LinkedIn is not a marketing approach anymore. There must be a presence established prior to engaging with prospective customers or clients. People have multi-year buying cycles; they are not going to get a message today and then sign up for your technology tomorrow. It takes a long-term strategy to nurture relationships and build a positive brand experience.
Ivan Logan, MD and Founder, Omnivore
Marketing is absolutely essential. The reality is that retail technology is a crowded marketplace.
We have to be able to cut through the noise and promote our message into the world. With everyone plugging the notion that their technology is a game-changer for individuals and industries, it’s important to find that unique selling point to separate from the competition.
David Espitia, Account Director, Queue-it
We focus on customisation and localisation to ensure our brand adapts to the local market. We like to share stories of customers that we help. Our main market is enterprise so we have some of Australia’s largest brands on board. When customers see how our virtual waiting room can help them flourish in their business, manage online traffic and grow their loyalty base, we showcase our reliability and resilience against potential risks, such as cybersecurity.
Samved Shankar, Sales Executive, Zoho
Brand awareness and revenue go hand-in-hand. If you have a strong brand awareness channel and marketing strategy, it does help to create a better stance in the market among competitors.
Kehan Vale, APAC Growth Director, Reviews.io
It is a challenge getting your name out there. In the world of reviews, it’s about letting your customers do the work for you. We’re a review solution and customer advocacy is a strong win for us in an agency landscape.
Hugh Russell-Parsons, Strategic Partner Manager APAC, Gorgias
From a venture side, marketing is crucial. You hear brands explain that they need to hit certain channels to get in front of their ideal customer. It’s very much the same story for Gorgias. The main question to ask is how are you getting your unique selling proposition (USP) out into the world? What is your ideal customer profile (ICP) and which channels are they residing on? Hitting different channels will make a world of difference to your marketing strategy.
Authored by Jessica Phillips (née Poulter), Senior Social Media and Communications Specialist at AZK Media.
At AZK Media, we specialise in helping global retail technology companies get noticed in new and emerging markets. We make driving your growth, our business. Contact us today to see how we can strengthen your expansion efforts.
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