[Understanding Marketers] Are “Performance Growth Consultants” the same as Marketing Consultants? (Part 2) E-commerce Takes Off! Unveiling the Mastermind
Previously, we interviewed Gina, a consultant at Growth Strategy (hereinafter referred to as GS) , to understand the relationship between performance growth consultants and brands. Next, we will have an in-depth discussion on “e-commerce marketing” and how an already well-developed brand can position itself in the e-commerce battlefield to stand out.
5. We all know the pressure in e-commerce: “Money must be spent on the most crucial things.”
How do you know “where the most crucial things are” and “how to allocate the budget to improve marketing effectiveness the fastest”?
If we’re talking about rapidly boosting e-commerce performance, the most common approach is to analyze past marketing campaigns, such as discounts, collaborations, advertising, pop-up stores, etc., and examine the budget/actual cost, duration, reach/conversion rate, achievement rate, and campaign value of each campaign.
GS can analyze which activities are “effective,” meaning those that are effective in boosting performance in the short term and have a high cost-performance ratio . These are then prioritized for inclusion in the “future considerations” list. Additionally, if the advertising content itself is excellent, but the channel or budget allocation is poor, resulting in less impressive results, these are included in the observation and testing area.
Use data to categorize strategies into effective, testing, and ineffective ones. Then, specifically strengthen the execution and optimization of effective strategies, or do the same thing in other channels or to other consumer groups to amplify and extend effective strategies.
If a brand has a solid foundation, a complete product line, a sound corporate structure, etc., then all that’s left to strengthen is a solid approach. Usually, after more than six months of adjustments, performance growth is usually evident.
6. In addition to solving clients’ immediate problems of “poor current performance”, do you, as a performance consultant, also help clients develop long-term goals?
Or do you suggest clients try new marketing strategies with unknown outcomes?
Let’s return to the performance-based, testing, and ineffective strategies we just discussed. We generally don’t encourage clients to pursue unknown ideas outright. However, for performance-based and testing strategies that already have data, we can use it to explore new testing possibilities. If clients have leeway despite budget and time constraints, we recommend adding more optimized testing projects during the “performance testing period” shown in the previous diagram. This not only boosts current sales but also helps clients identify growth opportunities more quickly, such as tapping into new consumer groups or testing new products, thus accumulating capital for future marketing endeavors .
7. Finally, could you tell us about the most worthwhile result you’ve achieved?
Take, for example, a beverage brand I mentored this year : The client is a long-established brick-and-mortar beverage store with branches throughout Taiwan, and they have been operating their e-commerce website for a long time. The reason they sought our cooperation was that their e-commerce revenue had reached saturation, and they hoped to use data analysis to better understand their membership profile, expand their membership base, and further grow their e-commerce website revenue .
We first build a complete data analysis system for our clients, importing data reports from the entire site, so that internal staff in the client company can align with their goals, establish decision trees, and plan activities purposefully.
We also conduct weekly and monthly advertising tests. In addition to analyzing the audience and finding new audiences, it is also important to consider consumers’ price sensitivity, control gross profit, conversion rate and revenue performance, etc. We strictly control the marketing budget and marketing effectiveness, and we replicate the factors of successful marketing strategies and incorporate them into the next strategy, thus continuously cycling through the process.
We’ve been working together for a year now, and have successfully achieved impressive annual brand performance for our clients. Our closing report shows that the e-commerce website’s revenue and membership numbers have both doubled, and even exceeded 120% in some cases.
In conclusion, the key to the success of GS’s collaboration with its client this time lies in:
Our consulting team collaborates seamlessly with our clients , enabling us to provide sound strategies, effectively implement them, deliver tangible results, and deliver the “human touch” that consumers desire. Furthermore, we meticulously collect firsthand consumer data, all of which rely on the brand’s own execution capabilities. Our consultants act as behind-the-scenes strategists, observing market trends, devising plans, and coordinating with key personnel to lead the charge and win battles.
Acknowledgements: Gina Lü, E-commerce Development Manager, Growth Strategy Consultant
Serving and leading over 30+ clients, with total annual project budgets exceeding 5 million. Working with clients in industries including FMCG, beauty, skincare, and pet products. Accumulating experience as an e-commerce system provider and digital marketing agent. Possessing experience in executing projects across diverse industries. Skilled at using data to help clients solve business problems and able to plan marketing strategies for brands from a performance perspective.
Digit Spark, part of the Zhenhao Internet Media Group, integrates its six sub-brands offering data application services to provide enterprises with comprehensive and precise optimization services across five key areas: “Industry Customer Targeting,” “Performance Optimization Strategies,” “Digital Tool Integration,” “Online Voice Cultivation,” and “Brand Value Promotion.” It drives brand success through data technology.
