Strategy&tactics Glossary

A/B testing, also known as split testing, is a method in digital marketing where two versions of a webpage, email, or ad (Version A and Version B) are compared to determine which performs better in achieving a specific goal. By presenting these versions to different segments of the audience, marketers can analyze user behavior and make data-driven decisions to optimize performance. For example, an A/B test might be used to compare two different call-to-action buttons to see which leads to more conversions.

An abandoned cart refers to the situation in e-commerce when a potential customer adds items to their online shopping cart but leaves the website without completing the purchase. This is a common challenge for online retailers, as it can indicate hesitancy or distraction during the buying process. Businesses often use strategies like follow-up emails or special offers to recover abandoned carts and encourage customers to complete their purchases.

A brand communication strategy is a comprehensive plan that outlines how a brand will communicate with its target audience to achieve specific marketing objectives. It involves defining the brand’s messaging, tone, and channels of communication to effectively convey its value proposition and build meaningful relationships with customers. A well-defined brand communication strategy ensures consistency, clarity, and resonance in all brand interactions, helping to strengthen brand perception and drive engagement.

Brand identity refers to the visual and conceptual elements that distinguish a brand and convey its unique personality, values, and offerings to the target audience. It encompasses components such as the brand’s logo, colors, typography, imagery, messaging, and overall design aesthetic. A strong brand identity fosters recognition, trust, and loyalty among consumers, helping to differentiate the brand from competitors and create lasting impressions.

A buyer persona is a semi-fictional representation of an ideal customer based on market research, data, and insights into real customer behavior, demographics, and needs. It helps businesses understand their target audience better and tailor marketing strategies, messaging, and products to meet their preferences. For example, a buyer persona for an e-commerce brand might include details like age, occupation, purchasing habits, and pain points.

A Call to Action (CTA) in marketing refers to a prompt or directive that encourages the audience to take a specific action, such as clicking a link, signing up for a newsletter, or making a purchase. CTAs are commonly used in advertising and digital marketing to guide users toward the desired outcome and can be found in websites, emails, or social media campaigns. For example, a button that says “Buy Now” or “Sign Up” is a typical CTA designed to drive immediate engagement or conversions.

The customer journey is the process or path that a customer follows when interacting with a brand or product from initial awareness to post-purchase experiences. It typically consists of multiple touchpoints across various channels, including online and offline interactions, that influence the customer’s decision-making and overall experience. Understanding and mapping the customer journey helps businesses identify opportunities for engagement, optimization, and personalization to enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Digital marketing encompasses all marketing efforts that use digital channels and technologies to reach and engage target audiences. It includes various tactics such as search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM), social media marketing, email marketing, content marketing, and more. Digital marketing leverages the Internet and digital devices such as computers, smartphones, and tablets to connect with potential customers, build brand awareness, drive website traffic, generate leads, and ultimately increase sales and revenue.

Its flexibility, measurability, and ability to target specific demographics make it an essential component of modern marketing strategies for businesses of all sizes.

Direct mail is a marketing strategy that involves sending promotional materials or advertisements directly to targeted recipients via postal mail. It typically includes items such as postcards, letters, catalogs, or flyers, tailored to appeal to specific demographic or geographic segments. Direct mail campaigns aim to generate leads, drive sales, or increase brand awareness by delivering personalized messages directly to potential customers’ mailboxes.

Dual screening refers to individuals using multiple devices simultaneously, such as a smartphone, tablet, or laptop, while watching television. This behavior allows users to engage with additional content or activities on their secondary device while consuming TV content on their primary screen.
In digital marketing, dual screening presents an opportunity to target audiences across multiple devices, enhancing engagement and creating synchronized, complementary content and ad experiences.
Understanding dual screening is crucial for marketers aiming to create cohesive cross-platform campaigns that align with modern consumers’ multitasking behaviors.

Friction points refer to obstacles or barriers encountered by individuals or organizations in achieving their goals or objectives. In the context of strategy and tactics, friction points represent areas of inefficiency, resistance, or difficulty that impede progress or hinder success. Identifying and addressing friction points is essential for optimizing strategies and tactics, streamlining processes, and improving overall performance and outcomes.

Integrated marketing is a strategy that aligns and coordinates all online and offline marketing channels to deliver a unified and consistent message. This approach ensures that every customer touchpoint – from advertising to social media to in-store experiences – reflects the brand’s core values and goals. For example, a brand may use the same messaging and visuals across TV ads, social media, and email campaigns to create a cohesive customer experience.

A landing page is a standalone web page created specifically for a marketing or advertising campaign, with the primary goal of converting visitors into leads or customers. It typically contains focused content and a call-to-action (CTA) designed to prompt a desired action, such as filling out a form, making a purchase, or subscribing to a service. Landing pages are often used to drive targeted traffic from digital marketing channels and provide a seamless and optimized user experience to maximize conversions.

Lead generation is the process of attracting and capturing potential customers or leads for a business’s products or services. It involves various marketing strategies and tactics aimed at generating interest and inquiries from individuals or organizations who have shown interest in what the business offers. The ultimate goal of lead generation is to nurture and qualify leads, eventually converting them into paying customers.

Marketing automation is the use of software tools and technology to automate repetitive marketing tasks and workflows. It enables businesses to streamline processes, nurture leads, and engage with customers across multiple channels, such as email, social media, and websites. By automating routine marketing activities, organizations can improve the efficiency, scalability, and the effectiveness of their marketing efforts.

The marketing mix refers to the combination of elements that a company uses to market and promote its products or services effectively. These elements, often referred to as the “4Ps,” include product, price, place, and promotion, and collectively form the foundation of a company’s marketing strategy. By carefully managing each component of the marketing mix, businesses can create a cohesive and comprehensive approach to reach their target market and achieve their marketing objectives.

A marketing strategy is a comprehensive plan that outlines how a business will achieve its marketing objectives and goals. It involves identifying target markets, defining value propositions, and determining the optimal mix of marketing tactics and channels to reach and engage with customers effectively. A well-defined marketing strategy provides direction, coherence, and focus to marketing efforts, guiding decisions and actions to drive sustainable growth and competitive advantage.

A media brief is a document or communication provided by a client or organization to media agencies or partners outlining the objectives and requirements for a specific campaign or project. It typically includes information such as campaign goals, target audience, messaging, budget, and key performance indicators (KPIs). Media briefs serve as a roadmap for media agencies to develop tailored strategies, plans, and recommendations to achieve the client’s objectives effectively.

Omnichannel refers to a marketing and sales approach that provides a seamless and integrated experience across multiple channels, both online and offline. It aims to unify customer interactions, allowing individuals to move effortlessly between channels while maintaining consistency in messaging, branding, and service quality. By leveraging omnichannel strategies, companies can improve customer satisfaction, increase engagement, and drive conversions by meeting consumers wherever they are in their buying journey.

Permission marketing is a marketing strategy where businesses seek consent from consumers before sending promotional messages, ensuring a more targeted and engaged audience. This approach builds trust and improves customer relationships by delivering relevant content to those who have opted in, such as through email subscriptions or loyalty programs. For example, a company practicing permission marketing may send exclusive offers only to users who have signed up for their newsletter.

Personalization in marketing refers to tailoring marketing messages, content, and experiences to individual customers based on their preferences, behaviors, and demographics. This strategy uses data to deliver customized communications, such as personalized email campaigns, targeted advertisements, or product recommendations, to increase engagement and conversions. For example, a retailer might use purchase history and browsing data to recommend products or services that align with a customer’s interests.

Pin marketing refers to the strategic use of Pinterest’s “Pins” to promote a brand, product, or service. On Pinterest, a “Pin” is a visual bookmark that users create or save from the web, often linking back to the original source, thereby driving traffic to the associated website. Businesses leverage Pins to showcase their offerings, share content, and engage with users, aiming to enhance brand visibility and attract potential customers.

Product differentiation refers to the process of distinguishing a product or service from competitors’ offerings in the marketplace. It involves highlighting unique features, attributes, or benefits that set the product apart and provide added value to customers. Effective product differentiation helps businesses attract customers, build brand loyalty, and gain a competitive advantage in the market.

A rate card is a document or list provided by an advertiser that lists the prices and specifications of the advertising services it offers. It typically includes prices for different formats, sizes, placements, and durations of advertising. Advertisers use rate cards to understand the costs of specific advertising channels and to negotiate the terms of their advertising campaigns.

A Sales Accepted Lead (SAL) is a prospect that has been qualified by the sales team and meets the criteria for further engagement in the sales process. Unlike Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs), SALs have been deemed suitable for sales outreach based on specific criteria such as Budget, Authority, Need, and Timeline (BANT). Once a lead is designated as a SAL, it demonstrates alignment between marketing and sales efforts and signals readiness for direct sales engagement.

A splash page is a stand-alone web page that serves as an introduction or entry point to a website or online platform. It typically features a single screen with minimal content, often including a logo, a short message, and navigation options or call-to-action buttons. Splash pages are often used for promotional purposes, announcements, or to gather visitor information before providing access to the main site or content. 

Targeting top-funnel leads involves directing marketing efforts toward prospects who are in the early stages of the buying process, often focusing on awareness and discovery. These leads may be individuals who have shown interest in relevant topics or products but have not yet engaged deeply with a brand or made a purchase decision. By targeting top-funnel leads, marketers aim to capture attention, educate prospects, and nurture them through the sales funnel toward eventual conversion.

A unique selling proposition (USP) is a distinct feature or benefit that sets a product, service, or brand apart from its competitors, giving customers a compelling reason to choose it. It highlights what makes the offering unique, valuable, and relevant to the target audience. For example, a USP for a fast-food chain might be “delivering fresh, hot meals in under 30 minutes.”

A vision statement is a concise declaration that outlines an organization’s aspirations, goals, and desired future state. It articulates the long-term objectives and direction of the organization, inspiring and guiding its actions and decisions. A vision statement typically describes the desired impact or outcome the organization seeks to achieve and may encompass elements such as innovation, leadership, sustainability, or societal impact. It serves as a beacon for stakeholders, aligning their efforts and fostering a shared sense of purpose and commitment toward realizing the organization’s vision.

ZMOT, or Zero Moment of Truth, refers to the critical moment in the consumer decision-making process when they research a product, service, or brand online before making a purchase. It represents the shift from traditional marketing models, where the “first moment of truth” occurred in-store, to the digital realm. Understanding the ZMOT means recognizing the importance of online reviews, social media influence, and digital content in shaping consumer perceptions and purchase decisions, as well as highlighting the importance of online presence and reputation management for businesses.