Marketers embrace omnichannel advertising: The key to engaging consumers across all touchpoints

In a world where you will see advertisements almost everywhere (probably more than the thing itself), omnichannel advertising has become a strategy for modern marketers. Omnichannel advertising is advertising via multiple mediums (such as TV, social media, websites, email, in-store, mobile apps, etc.) to create a synchronized customer experience.

Given that customers are not limited to one medium these days, by creating a unified brand presence across diverse touchpoints—mobile, desktop, connected TV (CTV), over-the-top (OTT) platforms, digital audio, direct mail, digital out-of-home (DOOH), email, and social media—brands can deliver consistent exposure that captures audience’s attention and drive results.

Engaging in this approach is Abhishek Shetty, a leader in digital marketing who is trying to understand the novel ways brands can effectively connect with their consumers.

The New Standard in Advertising Integration

Omnichannel advertising is no longer a fancy thing but a necessity for brands aiming to remain competitive in today’s dynamic landscape, according to Shetty. From immersive CTV ads and personalized mobile notifications to engaging social media campaigns and geotargeted DOOH placements, the key lies in crafting cohesive/personalized messaging that resonates across all channels.

"Omnichannel advertising isn’t simply about the act of showing up everywhere," says Shetty. "It’s about creating a seamless and relevant journey for the consumer, ensuring every interaction feels intentional and meaningful."

Shetty’s strategies emphasize the importance of harmonizing technology, data, and creativity to optimize every touchpoint. By doing so, brands not only increase their reach but also foster deeper, more personalized connections with their audiences.

Why Omnichannel Advertising Is Essential

Research shows that an average consumer engages with six to eight touchpoints during their buying journey. Shetty outlines three key benefits that omnichannel strategies offer, first consistent messaging builds trust and familiarity which can guide customers from awareness to purchase, second personalized ads tailored to consumer preferences yield better engagement metrics. Third, unified messaging across channels develops loyalty and drives higher conversion rates. Given the benefits of omnichannel advertising, Shetty identifies three principles to unlock the potential of omnichannel advertising.

The Pillars of Effective Omnichannel

Advertising To unlock the full potential of omnichannel campaigns, Shetty tells us three foundational principles. First, in today’s digital world data-driven integration is key to unified and effective advertising. By bringing first-party data from multiple sources – CRM systems, mobile apps, websites, social media and offline interactions like point of sale (POS) systems – brands can build a complete customer profile. CDPs enable this integration and give a single view of each customer which can support segmentation and personalized targeting. Beyond integration, tailored and contextual messaging means the ad resonates with the individual.

Whether it’s an interactive Connected TV (CTV) ad, a geotargeted mobile campaign or a personalised email, every interaction should align with the consumer’s preferences and context. Advanced tools like Dynamic Creative Optimisation (DCO) allow brands to change ad content in real-time so it’s relevant and maximises engagement and ROI.

Then, there’s cross-channel consistency of the brand. Whether it’s social media, email or in-store displays, the voice, tone and look should be the same across all platforms. When every touchpoint is a unified brand then it reinforces the message and gives the customer a recognisable brand across all channels. Given the developments in technology, Shetty has given us some of the ways to use these newly developed tools.

Shetty says AI-powered personalization is key where AI analyses massive amounts of data to predict consumer behaviour. This means real-time, tailored ad delivery across all channels, which can increase relevance and engagement. Programmatic is also key to streamlining media buying by automating the process and getting ads to the right audience at the right time on mobile, desktop or OTT channels. Multi-touch attribution models can also give you insight into which touchpoints drive the most conversions so you can allocate resources and optimise for maximum impact.

While implementing omnichannel advertising, there can also be some considerations to look at. With data coming from multiple sources, integration can be complex. Shetty advises investing in robust infrastructure and consent management platforms to ensure compliance with regulations like GDPR and CCPA while maintaining consumer trust. Plus frequent exposure to ads can overwhelm users, reducing engagement.

By implementing frequency caps, creative rotation, and data-driven insights, brands can balance visibility with user experience. While implementing is important but what is also effective to know is whether the implementations are effective. Shetty advocates for using advanced measurement tools that offer granular insights into channel-specific contributions, engagement, and ROI, to understand where the efforts are most effective.

The Future and the Current of Omnichannel Advertising

As technology gets more advanced Shetty sees omnichannel strategies getting even more complex. AI and machine learning will be key to predictive analytics so brands can predict what consumers want and deliver hyper-relevant content. New platforms like augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and voice-activated assistants will open up new opportunities for engagement and expand the scope of omnichannel advertising.

Integrating these new developments with existing channels will keep brands at the forefront of the customer’s mind and attention. As the advertising landscape evolves, Shetty’s insights and strategies will remain a guiding point for marketers aiming to build lasting, meaningful connections with their audiences.