To thrive in today's market, a company needs skilled professionals who can cultivate trusting customer relationships and execute effective marketing strategies.
In this digital era, these processes are undergoing transformation, necessitating timely responses to market challenges and the exploration of novel mechanisms.
One individual who has achieved outstanding results in tackling these challenges is Mikhriniso Nigmatullina, an expert in strategic marketing, e-commerce, and business development.
She embarked on her professional journey as an Account Manager at Procter & Gamble. After relocating to the United States of America a few years ago, she now applies her expertise to the business development of the Depositphotos service.
In the following discussion, Mikhriniso Nigmatullina shares her insights and strategies for effectively developing digital communication channels with clients.
Mikhriniso, you have an extensive professional history with Procter&Gamble, the world's largest consumer products manufacturer and top advertiser. Please tell us about your responsibilities in this role.
- Absolutely. My journey with Procter&Gamble started as a Territory Account Manager, and then I became an Account Manager, a role I held for four years. I was primarily responsible for business development across major accounts within Russia's retail, pharma, and e-commerce sectors.
My duties were multifaceted, involving research, analysis, and evaluation of pricing, products, sales, marketing, and media strategies. This was done to pinpoint national opportunities to catalyze market growth and revenue. Among my pioneering work was designing and implementing the company's in-store business growth model. This entailed crafting marketing, sales management, and financial strategies and identifying and developing new sales channels for the company.
My role also involved developing strategic marketing plans for some of P&G's key accounts. These plans encompassed product roll-out, marketing planning, growth, and product support planning, highlighting my core contributions to the company.
Throughout my tenure, I learned that effective planning could drive brand awareness and boost product sales significantly. To build a strategy, I analyzed the market, competitors, and customer base in each store. This enabled me to organize promotions in those stores where activity would yield the highest results. A notable achievement was managing to reposition specific product categories in stores, which led to an 11% increase in category volume. This strategy was subsequently adopted by leading retailers from other networks. For this successful initiative, I received an award from P&G.
Eventually, I earned a promotion and expanded my responsibilities to include sales of all P&G pharmaceutical products. This new role entailed working not only with retail chains but also with online customers.
The pharmaceutical market is complex, given that its products directly impact people's health, and consumers need to trust them.
How did you contribute towards establishing this trust for the company's products?
- You're correct; dealing with pharmaceutical products does come with unique challenges. One of the key features of this market is the strict regulatory landscape. In order to ensure pharmacists were accurately conveying information about our products to consumers, we continuously provided them with training.
Like in large retail chains, there were specific product display and merchandising strategies. For instance, to draw customers' attention to the benefits of our products, we used special stickers, such as "made from natural ingredients" and "does not cause drowsiness."
In my role as Account Manager, I handled multiple brands, one of which was new to the market. I led the launch of this brand at P&G, which involved creating and implementing a business plan for pharmaceutical clients, both online and offline, tailored to the Russian market. This also included devising a distribution strategy and assessing brand profitability.
To boost brand recognition, we executed a large-scale campaign in Moscow, placing the brand on 150 banners across the city. This significantly increased brand visibility, contributing to a surge in sales.
Moreover, to optimize promotional investments, I developed a promo calculator. This tool allowed us to calculate the budget accurately, preventing overspending on advertising campaigns. This strategy was subsequently implemented across the pharmaceutical e-commerce sector, leading to more effective budget planning.
Given your tenure at P&G predates the coronavirus pandemic, could you comment on the effectiveness of digital communication channels in enhancing brand awareness at that time?
- Indeed, the pandemic has accelerated the growth of the online market. However, even before that, digital communication channels were instrumental in achieving impressive results, primarily offline. It was crucial that information about our in-store and in-pharmacy promotions and marketing activities was disseminated through websites, email newsletters, and social networks. This ensured that customers were aware of upcoming promotions, like receiving a free toothbrush head when purchasing a toothbrush on a specific day.
In fact, I implemented an e-commerce marketing strategy that encompassed competitive analysis, comprehensive marketing support, sales forecasting, product range development, and media support. This strategy boosted the efficiency of online retail by 300% within one year for my clients.
One effective example of online strategies benefiting offline sales was incentivizing customers to leave product reviews. We prioritized this approach, recognizing that many consumers base their purchasing decisions on the experiences of other customers who can vouch for the product's quality.
Additionally, I had a fruitful experience with social media at P&G. In an effort to raise awareness for a new product, we utilized targeted advertising on Facebook (now Meta). This tactic significantly increased traffic to the online pharmacy selling our products. Furthermore, we engaged bloggers to promote the product, another effective strategy that enhanced the brand's recognition.
Would you say that companies venturing into e-commerce and enhancing their digital communication channels with their audience gain a competitive edge?
- Absolutely. The digital communications market is experiencing rapid growth because these services enable swift resolution of both work-related and personal tasks, irrespective of geographic location. As a result, many business activities, including conferences, business meetings, and networking events, are transitioning to an online format, attracting a broader range of participants.
Speaking specifically about e-commerce, it has made significant strides in recent years. Online retailers are constantly working to streamline the journey from product selection to purchase, ensuring it's as convenient as possible for the consumer. Some brands have even adopted augmented reality technologies, allowing customers to virtually try on clothing, and cosmetics or envision furniture in their homes without setting foot in a store.
Importantly, digital communication channels expedite decision-making for customers. If a person is interested in a specific product, they can quickly find reviews, verify its quality, and place an order on an online platform within a few clicks. This is especially significant in the United States, where time is often at a premium. Furthermore, digital communication channels enable companies to maintain constant contact with their customers, a crucial aspect of customer relations today.
