Marketers should focus on one-to-one communication to build good relations with customers, which will ultimately help companies generate more sales, a marketing expert has said.

Companies can use print or digital means to make communication more effective, said Christophe Balaresque, luxury brands and marketing director of Paris-based Arjowiggins Creative Papers, a global leader in paper products.

An organisation can make an emotional bonding with its target audience through one-to-one or human communication as this method helps them communicate with the people in an innovative way, he added.

A customised and well-designed message generally gets greater attention from the audience than digital means, Balaresque told The Daily Star in an interview in Dhaka recently. 

Balaresque came to Dhaka to attend a seminar on creative design and communication organised by Paper Studio, a leading distributor of premium fine paper in Bangladesh, at its office in the capital.

“For example, if I send you an invitation by a text massage, it may not get much of your attention. But If I send you the invitation, which is nicely designed and printed, it will get greater attention as it makes you feel as an important person,” he added.   

Most customers now want the companies to recognise and appreciate their patronisation, Balaresque said, adding that one-to-one communication is an effective way to provide such recognition to customers.

As a marketing expert, he has implemented an innovative marketing approach. His focus is to develop business with luxury brands and opinion leaders helping them benefit from the use of high quality papers.

Performing as a public speaker and a business facilitator, he organises conferences on paper, print and design trends for the design community in Europe, Asia and North and Latin America.

“Bangladesh has around 160 million people with different income brackets and around 20 million of them live in Dhaka. So there is a massive need for recognition,” Balaresque said.    

He said companies should focus on one-to-one approach to build relations with customers for both premium and non-luxury products and services. 

There is a misconception that only luxury brand owners should pay attention to customised services as it involves a lot of investment, he said.

“But it is no longer true.” The approach is now effective for all luxury and non-luxury brands, he said, adding that the print industry, especially paperwork, can do a lot to improve the quality of services.

He said the demand for one-to-one and digital communication will certainly increase due to their complementary role.     

“The future of communication would be both digital and print. There was a fight in the past whether the print or digital means will continue as a mode of communication. This fight is over now. The future is aligning both the means,” he said.

suman.saha@thedailystar.net