Sambata, 26 noiembrie, la Westminster, in capitala Marii Britanii, doi profesionisti de marketing din Romania au obtinut recunoastere internationala in cadrul ceremoniei de absolvire organizata de Chartered Institute of Marketing, cea mai mare asociatie internationala a profesionistior de marketing. Madalina Irina Constantin din Bucuresti si Mihai Oprea din Cluj Napoca au fost prezenti la Londra la festivitatea de absolvire a unor programe profesionale avansate, cu o durata de doi ani.

Ceremonia este unul dintre evenimentele de referinta ale organizatiei mondiale care stabileste standardele in industria marketingului si are peste 100 de ani de existenta.  „A fost o ceremonie cu tot tacamul: imnul, robele, foarte impresionant. Si locul, deosebit de special, la Westminster. Au fost studenti din toata lumea, aproape fiecare era din alta tara. Coplesitor. Inca nu am reusit sa-mi dau seama ce impact va avea pe viitor, dar cu siguranta e un mare pas inainte. E o senzatie fantastica sa faci parte dintr-un club asa select.”  – spune Mihai Oprea. Mihai a fost timp de peste sapte ani director de marketing la Groupama Asigurari si este in prezent director de marketing la EVW.

 Pentru a obtine o certificare internationala, un cursant trebuie sa treaca printr-o etapa de admitere, care stabileste daca are competentele pentru a fi admis la un nivel avansat, dupa care urmeaza trainingul propriu-zis, care dureaza doi ani de zile pentru programele complexe.

 An de an, tot mai multi profesionisti din Romania reusesc sa se inscrie la programe de certificare internationala.  In acest an, 23 de absolventi din Romania au finalizat cu succes programele de training si certificare, iar peste 120 de profesionisti din tara noastra se pregatesc in prezent pentru a incheia un program in 2018.

 Absolventii programelor de la Institutul de Marketing obtin un adevarat pasaport international pentru a lucra in orice tara din lume. Romania dovedeste astfel ca poate „exporta” si profesionisti in marketing, nu doar muncitori necalificati sau zilieri.

Cei mai multi dintre cursantii de la Institutul de Marketing lucreaza in Romania. Intre cei care au ales sa plece din tara, majoritatea lucreaza in domeniu in Marea Britanie, insa studiile ii ajuta sa obtina un loc pe masura pregatirii lor oriunde in lume. Migratia in Marea Britanie s-a situat in 2015 la al doilea cel mai ridicat nivel din istorie. Dintre cetatenii romani si bulgari care au sosit in Marea Britanie in 2015, 84% (52.000) au venit sa munceasca. Dintre acestia, 31.000 au sosit avand deja un loc de munca, conform datelor de la Oficiul National de Statistica (ONS).

 Institutul de Marketing a fost creat in parteneriat cu Oxford College of Marketing si More Marketing Solutions, pentru a oferi sprijin local in Romania tuturor oamenilor de marketing interesati de performanta profesionala la standarde internationale prin calificari CIM (Chartered Institute of Marketing). Periodic, Institutul ofera acces la resurse de marketing, dar si webinare pe teme de interes din domeniu si sustine, din acest motiv si un portal dedicat de resurse, www.marketingfocus.ro.

Madalina Constantin este specialist in marketing si comunicare B2B. Madalina are o experienta de peste 10 ani in marketing, servicii financiare si  antreprenoriat in zona industriala. Este absolventa a unui MBA si a programului cel mai avansat al CIM la Oxford College of Marketing si Institutul de Marketing, Chartered PostGraduate Diploma, obtinand titlul de Chartered Marketer. Se descrie ca un “content marketing believer” si colaboreaza pe proiecte de continut cu compania More Marketing Solutions si portalul marketingfocus.ro. Madalina s-a intors de curand de la Londra, unde a avut ceremonia anuala de absolvire organizata de Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM). Un motiv sa ne impartaseasca, la cald, cateva impresii. 

Ai fost recent la  Londra la ceremonia de absolvire, ce poti sa ne spui? Cum te-ai simtit? Cum a fost atmosfera?

Ceremonia de la Londra a fost o demonstratie de marketing din partea profesionistilor in domeniu, respectiv The Chartered Institute of Marketing. Locul ales pentru ceremonie a fost The Church House, o cladire parte din Westminster Abbey, ceea ce a facut ca un aer aristocratic sa pluteasca cumva in aer pe toata durata ceremoniei. Absolventii - a se citi clientii - au fost in centrul atentiei si, pentru mine cel putin, asta este cea mai importanta lectie.   

Esti absolventa a celui mai avansat si dificil program CIM. Cum a fost studiul? Cat timp ti-a luat? Cum ai reusit sa combini studiul, examenele si lucrarile cu un program sustinut la serviciu?  

Studiul a fost deopotriva interesant si greu. Interesant, pentru ca ai sansa sa descoperi informatii sau perspective noi, pentru care esti obligat sa inventezi sau sa gasesti  aplicabilitate, datorita formatului de examinare, ceea ce este extraordinar pe termen lung. Este un exercitiu care devine normalitate in activitatea curenta de om de marketing. Cat despre cat de greu este studiul, si cum se combina cu programul de lucru, cred ca este o chestiune de optiuni si prioritati. 

"Marketing Leadership & Planninng", pentru ca impreuna cu "Analysis & Decision", structural legate intre ele,  sunt ca istoria: nu intotdeauna ne place ce si cum s-a intamplat, dar este important sa stim si sa tinem cont de ele pentru a influenta viitorul.

Care dintre module ti-a placut cel mai mult?

Fiecare modul a avut rolul lui, dar am totusi doua mentiuni. In primul rand, modulul "Managing Corporate Reputation",  pentru ca te face constient de aspecte foarte sensibile ce pot afecta un business, si, carora, de multe ori nu le acordam atentia necesara. "Marketing Leadership & Planninng", pentru ca impreuna cu "Analysis & Decision", structural legate intre ele,  sunt ca istoria: nu intotdeauna ne place ce si cum s-a intamplat, dar este important sa stim si sa tinem cont de ele pentru a influenta viitorul (in bine, speram). 

Un program MBA te invata sa fii constient de tot ce inseamna un business. Calificarea Chartered Marketer aprofundeaza o directie de dezvoltare, in cazul de fata marketingul.

Ce a adus nou si in plus acest program fata de cel de MBA?

Un program MBA te invata sa fii constient de tot ce inseamna un business. Calificarea Chartered Marketer aprofundeaza o directie de dezvoltare, in cazul de fata marketingul, iar pentru mine inseamna preocupare fata de nivelul meu de profesionalism. Oricare ar fi insa calificarea, relevanta acestor diplome se masoara in practica, prin rezultate.

In 15 si 16 noiembrie 2016, un total de peste 1.000 de reprezentanti ai companiilor e-commerce de top autohtone dar si internationale au participat la GPeC Summit si la Festivitatea de Decernare a Premiilor in Comertul Electronic Romanesc – Gala Premiilor eCommerce. A fost a 11-a editie a celui mai important eveniment dedicat comertului electronic romanesc.

What's the missing element in the most conversion strategies? The Psychology of Conversions  at with Tania Wolf next week at GPEC! 

What's the missing element in the most conversion strategies?  What is the number #1 mistake 99% of marketers are making when they do  conversion rate optimization? And, in other words, why shouldn't you in any case miss GPEC next week?  The secret and  also some ingredients of proved success recipes will be generously revealed by Talia Wolf . More than that, she is  just one of the knowledgeable speakers and professionals sharing their experience with their Romanian peers and marketing community. 

Talia Wolf is one of the  best-known international experts in Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO), being the former Founder of Conversioner, a very well-known conversion optimization agency. Talia and her team focus on optimising websites and customer journeys by using emotional targeting, consumer behavior and behavioral data in order to generate higher sales, more leads and engagement.  Talia is a speaker for famous international online marketing and conversion optimization conferences like ConversionXL Live, Conversion Summit, MozCon, ConversionJam, Conversion Conference, Emerce. On November 15 2016, Talia Wolf speaks for the first time in Romania at GPeC Summit on how to create a memorable buying experience for your customers by the use of emotional targeting – the missing element in most conversion optimization strategies.

Marketing Focus managed to interview Talia as she returned from a conference in Berlin and, therefore,  offer a sneak preview of what you can get live next week on November 15th  and 16th at GPEC Summit. 

What are the most frequent mistakes marketers are doing regarding the conversion rate optimization?

Many e-commerce sites tend to overload their site with information which causes frustration with customers. Since we're overloaded with information every day and everywhere,  the customers really need us to tell them what to do and where to go.  The same goes for e-commerce stores. They need to have one call to action that help  customers take the first step. For example, displaying hundreds of products on one page, with sliding images, links to different services and daily deals is confusing.

Many ecommerce sites tend to overload their site with information which causes frustration with customers.

Most e-commerce stores have all these features because they don't want to miss any opportunity. They worry people might leave if any of the options and services aren't displayed. However,  this causes exactly the opposite of the intended effect as our customers arrive on these sites, they  can't find what they're looking for and leave.

Personalization is key for succeeding in e-commerce. They should translate into giving people what they need, at the right time

Personalization is key for succeeding in e-commerce. They should translate into giving people what they need, at the right time. Another issue is related to  product images. While most e-commerce sites tend to display an image of  itself  for a product of the as the first image, what most people want to see is how it will look in their house, on them. Precisely, they want to see how it will look in real life. Be sure to add these images of real people wearing your product to show people the after effect. Other common mistakes are not showing shipping fee throughout the  checkout and then adding it at the end - this is extremely frustrating and annoying for customers. A great way to tackle this is by adding a shipping calculator to your site. 

 How could marketers make better use of behavioral data to increase leads and conversions?

Emotional targeting focuses on getting to know your customers on a deeper level than just behavioral elements such as gender, age and device. It's about putting the customer first - not the product or business but making it about the customer. Essentially during the emotional targeting methodology we tap into the core emotional triggers of our customers, their decision making process and use persuasive design, copy, color and many more elements to create a better customer journey for them that generates X3 revenues for businesses. The emotional targeting methodology also ensures you're not running random A/B tests, but actually know what your testing and will be able to understand and scale the results later. In order to truly convert people and grow your business, you have to put your customer first and understand the real reason behind their purchase. 

Emotional targeting focuses on getting to know your customers on a deeper level than just behavioral elements such as gender, age and device. It's about putting the customer first - not the product or business but making it about the customer.

Could you give us two examples of a customer journey approach planned the right way?

One of the best ways to stand out and build a successful brand is by running in-depth research about your customers. Understanding them on a deeper level and giving them the experience they're looking for. We'll learn all this during my session.  While growing your traffic is great and may lead to higher sales, the one way to make sure you do grow your business and increase sales is by optimizing your customer journey, making it easier for people to buy and increasing your conversion rates. Once you've managed to increase your conversion rates and sales, you can then focus on growing traffic that generates much higher ROI.  Customers want to feel safe while shopping online, so be sure to highlight that, focus on a good mobile experience that allows people to either save items for later or check out easily and focus on retention - what happens after the conversion - letting people know about their purchase status, creating a connection with your customer and constantly communicating with them to better their experience. These are some of the main pillars for increasing conversion rates in e-commerce and ensuring people come back.  

Right now,  there is a 270% gap between conversion on mobile and desktop. Though the average website sees about 65% of mobile traffic, people still checkout more on desktop or tablet. Mobile visitors are different and require a different customer journey!

Right now,  there is a 270% gap between conversion on mobile and desktop. Though the average website sees about 65% of mobile traffic, people still checkout more on desktop or tablet. There are a few reasons for this, one is that people don't always feel safe to checkout on mobile, or they may be just in the research phase, learning more about a product. The main reason this is happening is because marketers are still treating mobile visitors like mini desktop visitors. They take their design for mobile and shrink it to a mobile screen using responsive design. However, mobile visitors are different and require a different customer journey - one that addresses their specific needs. For example, offering a quick way to save for later on mobile can increase conversions dramatically. Our goal right now is to bridge the gap between what customers are looking for on mobile, and what websites have to offer. It's important to understand that if marketers do not start thinking about mobile visitors differently and giving them the experience they're looking for they will also lose customers on desktop, as these visitors won't visit their website on desktop if they had a bad experience on mobile. 

Why we should not miss your presentation in Bucharest? 

During my talk at GPeC Summit I will talk about the many issues marketers and e-commerce stores face today and the #1 mistake 99% of marketers are making when they do CRO. I will map out an exact plan for optimizing your site, building a successful brand and growing your company using emotional targeting. We'll take a deep dive into the three most important pillars of the emotional targeting framework and learn exactly how to turn more visitors into customers by doing conversion optimization the right way. 

Conform cifrelor furnizate de RomCard, in premiera pentru GPeC, valoarea platilor online prin card in sistemul 3D Secure la magazinele online romanesti a inregistrat o crestere de 59% in primele trei trimestre ale anului 2016, comparativ cu aceeasi perioada a anului trecut. La finalul lunii septembrie 2016 se procesasera plati online in valoare de peste 434,2 milioane de euro, fata de 273,2 milioane de euro procesate in primele 9 luni ale anului 2015.

Pe 15-16 noiembrie are loc, la Bucuresti, a 11-a editie anuala a GPeC – cel mai important eveniment de e-commerce  si online marketing din Romania si CEE. Potrivit organizatorilor, evenimentul aduce un line-up exceptional de speakeri internationali si autohtoni – adevarate autoritati in domeniu care nu ar trebui ratate de niciun jucator din industrie.

GPeC aduce pentru prima data in piata de e-commerce din Romania conceptul “All Day Special Guest Event”, dedicand o zi de eveniment exclusiv lui Bryan Eisenberg, “Guru in User Experience” asa cum a fost numit de eConsultancy - cea mai importanta comunitate de marketeri si specialisti in e-commerce la nivel global. Aflata la a 11-a editie anuala, GPeC este cea mai importanta conferinta de E-Commerce & Digital Marketing din Europa Centrala si de Est.

Joi, 29 septembrie a.c., la Clubul Diplomatic Bucuresti, a avut loc cea de-a 8a editie a Conferintei „Marketing in Direct” (MID). Circa 220 de participanti au avut ocazia de a afla direct de la cei 11 specialisti in domeniu cum, pentru a fi cu un pas inaintea concurentei, Social Media trebuie privita nu doar ca o strategie, ci drept un real canal media.

Invitati internationali pe 5 octombrie  la cea de-a XI-a Atelierele de Leadership Moral UMANanager. Evenimentul va propune o discutie interactiva cu trei personalitati din lumea de business din strainatate, membri ai Ethical Business Building the Future (EBBF), o organizatie cu 500 de membri, oameni de afaceri din Europa, inspirati de principiile credintei Bahá'í: Daniel Truran, Ralph Blundell si Valerie Davis.

Romexpo va fi la inceputul lui octombrie kilometrul 0 al industriei de tehnologie in Europa Centrala si de Est. Reprezentantii a peste 4500 de companii din regiune vor participa la cea de-a cincea editie a expo-conferintei Internet&Mobile World, in perioada 5-6 octombrie.