It goes without saying that the internet has radically changed media over the past few years. For marketing departments worldwide, online channels present opportunities to reach new customers in a wider reach of locations.
With a strong IT link in their marketing department, businesses can better leverage their promotional messages across this growing channel.
Australians engaging more with online ads
According to a survey conducted by Roy Morgan, Australians are increasingly likely to click on advertising on the internet. Compared to 2011 figures, the number of those who viewed this type of content on a computer in a typical four week period rose by 25 per cent to 1,248,000.
![Online advertising can now be viewed on tablets.](https://media.alctraining.com.au/media/6fc86f18-94c2-442f-84b6-3d4875149ca7/img/462/14104903.jpg)
Four years ago, there was no advertising on tablets at all and now over 200,000 individuals will click on at least one ad a month on these devices. Similarly, 378,000 Australians now view advertisements on a mobile phone, compared to just 60,000 in 2011. A significant group of individuals (one fifth of those surveyed) even utilise multiple devices to access internet advertising.
Increasing connectivity is not just important for the younger generation. As Tim Martin, general manager of media at Roy Morgan explained, online advertising is also crucial for reaching more mature customers.
"14-24 year-olds are currently much more likely than the average Australian to agree they often notice ads online, including when watching videos – however they are the least likely to say they've clicked through ads recently," he said.
"YouTube, Facebook and other digital content providers and platforms aiming to boost advertising revenue need to broaden their reach among older demographics – those consumers who are ready to click (and shop) online."
The importance of data collection
Online marketing isn't just about communicating information. The channel is also useful for collecting customer insights and data that can drive future projects. Having a more intimate knowledge of why, when and how customers interact with your brand can make it easier to meet their future needs.
Gaining an ITIL certification can help manage customer data in a way that makes it easy to store, access and analyse. When it comes to collecting this information, online platforms can offer easy, affordable and wide-reaching methods.
For example, Amazon uses a platform called Mechanical Turk (MTurk). According to research conducted by the University of Texas, this particular service can capture data from a more diverse pool than samples from American colleges. The information obtained is just as reliable as data from traditional methods and survey participants can be recruited quickly.
How can IT play a part in ad campaigns?
In both the online and offline world, creative technology can create interesting, unique and, most importantly, memorable campaigns.
It is important to understand how the technology will be utilised to engage target audiences.
As consumers become overloaded with information, typical ads may not grip them in the same way and companies will need to think outside the box.
This is where good project management training becomes key. Even for the smallest campaign, it is important to understand how each element will add value and how a marketing department can utilise technology to engage target audiences.
A fantastic example of simple yet effective campaigns has been seen just across the ditch in the Haka 360 app. In order to capitalise on the excitement surrounding the Rugby World Cup, insurance group AIG created a virtual reality experience that can be viewed on a VR headset or on a mobile phone. In any medium, users are able to get up close to the All Blacks as they perform the famous haka.
IT and marketing can come together in many effective ways and businesses should consider how these two departments can collaborate on future projects.