Fast Five: Q&A with Brandi Seich of DHL Supply Chain on Marketing in the Attention Economy

Recently, we curated The Attention Economy – The Impact of Attention Scarcity on Modern Marketing. In this eBook, we asked 12 modern marketers to share their best practices for winning the battle for their buyers’ attention. To broaden the discussion and keep the conversation going, we’re reaching out to other marketing and sales leaders with five quick questions on marketing effectively in the Attention Economy.

1. The Attention Economy was first coined in 2001 by Thomas Davenport and John Beck to describe the scarcity of attention and how to measure it, understand it and use it. Fifteen years later, do marketers understand the true nature of their buyer’s attention today?

I believe we as marketers understand that our buyer’s attention is limited and is growing shorter due to advances in technology. The 2015 Microsoft study stating that our attention span has shrunk from 12 seconds to 8 seconds over the last ten years is quite significant. I believe this is what has accelerated the buzz around predictive analytics. We need to attempt to drive buyers to what they need before they know they need it.

2. B2B buyers today are busier and more distracted than ever before. What do marketers tend to get wrong in their rush to capture their buyer’s limited attention?

Providing lengthy content, which doesn’t deliver a message to help your buyer work more effectively or efficiently. When time is at an all-time shortage, we have to be sure to deliver the right message, as succinctly as possible. While our audience here at DHL likes to engage with longer form content like white papers, we’re sensitive to making them genuinely useful, snackable and not a word longer than they need to be.

3. The Internet and mobile have dramatically changed how buyers consume content. How are marketers adapting their strategies to align with how we research and buy today?

Marketers are adapting their strategy around content presentation for ease of consumption and research. Bucketing together similar pieces of content allows your buyer to quickly uncover the additional layers of detail with a simple click. Ensuring that this content is delivered through multiple channels will help your buyers, no matter where they are, discover the relevant, snackable content, ultimately improving the customer experience. Additionally, focusing on digital buyer reviews and named case studies will help your buyer realize the value similar businesses are experiencing due to your product/service.

4. Marketers have vastly more technology options than ever before. Looking at the marketing tech stack, what’s one solution that stands out in helping marketers sustain buyer attention?

How can a girl choose just one special technology out of the ~3,500?! LookBookHQ has been my favorite thus far, but I look to lean heavily on the solution providers who are bringing forward advancements in personalization with a great user experience. Demandbase offers to provide a better customer experience through personalization. I love the retargeting/advertising feature as well, which allows for awesome refinement to your target market. Myself, as well as the team I work with, make every effort to first and foremost think about the customer experience with these technologies. We try to keep our customers at the top of the agenda.

5. How do you combat attention scarcity in your own life?

It’s all about prioritization. I try to focus on the aspects which are going to drive the biggest bang for the buck. Learning to hand things off to team members and ask for help when needed is a skill I am constantly working to develop – it helps tremendously when applied! I am a diehard multi-tasker to the point that focusing on one thing can sometimes be a struggle. As a mom to twin girls, this brings in a whole other multi-tasking challenge! My mind is always on to the next big idea, which is why I always have a note pad to jot down random thoughts.  

Brandi Seich’s work space: My little cube where all the magic happens! Focus at work is managed by always keeping a note pad with me to scribble down just about everything, plus I love checklists. Additionally, there is nothing like jamming out while working on a detailed project. My iPhone, Spotify and earbuds are a must-have.