360 degree customer profile Archives - Omnichannel Personalization SaaS Solution

03 Feb
2017

Neiman Marcus: Omnichannel Strategies to Bridge the Gap

Integrating Brick-&-Mortar and Digital

Technological advancements are redefining the way customers interact with retailers.

Customers now expect much more from brands they love, and omnichannel strategies are driving development within marketing departments to meet these expectations. A plethora of companies and retailers have introduced a seamless shopping experience across mediums by implementing omnichannel marketing strategies. From brick-and-mortar to website to mobile app, shopping has become a fully integrated experience, thanks to omnichannel.

Last week we dove into the Nordstrom’s world and reviewed the different ways the retailers use omnichannel to enhance the customer experience. Today, we are continuing this and looking at how luxury retailer Neiman Marcus is integrating brick-and-mortar with digital to create a heightened customer experience.

Mobile App

Despite having only 42 brick-and-mortar stores, compared to most luxury retailers with anywhere from 60 to 100 stores, Neiman Marcus is still the biggest luxury retailer in the world.The 42 brick-and-mortar stores play host to a large number of fashionable and high-end items. According to CEO Karen Katz, however, the luxury retailer has a “robust selection of products online that [they] don’t have room for in [the] brick-and-mortar store.” Consequently, Neiman Marcus’ efforts to bridge the gap between the products available virtually and physically, have given way to a successful mobile app. The mobile app serves as a larger commerce platform, as well as, a conduit for customer engagement with Neiman Marcus by making shopping easy and convenient for customers.

Customers have a way to shop on-the-go and find more products that cannot be found in Neiman Marcus stores. In-store associates are equipped with tablets featuring the app and help customers quickly find products online and offline. Sales associates are also encouraged to direct customers to browse through the online and mobile stores. Customers can access these same sales associates via text, email, phone call, or FaceTime while on the app. Neiman Marcus also has a solution for finding any item, from anywhere, within minutes. The mobile app has introduced a new feature called “Snap. Find. Shop.”. The feature allows shoppers to take photos of clothing and accessories they see at any store, and the app will find the exact or similar product on the Neiman Marcus mobile store. The mobile app provides customers with a smooth blend of online and brick-and-mortar services, heightening the customer experience.

Virtual Dressing Room

Another way Neiman Marcus digitally transformed the in-store experience is by adding digital dressing rooms. The retailer deployed the “Memory Mirror,” a device which enables shoppers to digitally compare outfits and items of clothing while in the physical store. Acting as a large video screen and camera, the Memory Mirror allows customers to see outfits from 360 degrees. The mirror is password-protected and connected to shoppers’ Neiman Marcus account. Customers log into the mirror and can browse outfits they previously tried on and captured in 360-degree, eight-second videos. These “try-on videos” can be saved to the customer’s mobile device, emailed, and shared on social media. Shoppers can also compare clothing options side-by-side, as the mirror remembers what the customer has already tried on. This initiative enables customers to experience flawless digital integration and increased interaction with Neiman Marcus. The Memory Mirror is a complementary blend of brick-and-mortar and digital shopping.

Neiman Marcus relies equally on mobile and brick-and-mortar stores. The seamless incorporation of online and offline has kept customers highly engaged with the retailer. The customer-centric philosophy has propelled Neiman Marcus into implementing innovative and different omnichannel strategies. Neiman Marcus has truly made the digital shopping experience and physical shopping experience seamless.

Tune in next week as we take a look at the third and final retailer in our omnichannel trilogy – Kohl’s.

26 Dec
2016

Combining the Art and Science of Retail: JC Penney’s Digital Evolution

Omnichannel Evolution: From Magazine Catalog to Online Catalog

JCPenney was once one of the most influential catalog retailers and an original omnichannel retailer. JCPenney’s efforts to evolve the brick and mortar business has the company advancing omnichannel execution.The introduction of the digital age has provided JCPenney an incentive to create a more sophisticated and modern view of this catalog. The evolution of the catalog is connecting with customers on how, when, and where they prefer to shop.

According to JCPenney CEO Marvin Ellison, the company has “developed true omnichannel capabilities” by advancing the brick and mortar store. JCPenney’s omnichannel strategy focuses around the creation of a successful mobile app and the implementation of a buy-online-pick-up-in-store method. Let’s look at each part of JCPenney’s strategy and how these elements are helping JCPenney’s digital expansion.

Mobile App

As part of JCPenney’s evolution, the company has focused largely on created a user-friendly mobile application, taking advantage of the massive growth of mobile channels. The JCPenney app features a sleek design and easy to navigate interface which connects to each shopper’s personal account. The JCPenney app is designed to connect the digital and in-store experience, as seen in the image above. Consequently, the user base rates the app at 4.5 stars, with over one million users.

The app is a single mobile hub, facilitating online shopping at the customers’ fingertips. As a result, JCPenney creation of a mobile app has allowed them to connect with digitally savvy customers. JCPenney’s app helps shoppers locate items in stores, apply coupons, and also access their JCPenney Rewards. The app customizes to each shopper’s account, personalizing the app based on browsing history, purchase history, and even location. Customers can also make purchases based on what is available in nearby store locations and can even check available inventory. Consequently, the user base rates the app at 4.5 stars, with over one million users. The evolution of the brick and mortar store to include a mobile platform maintains a personalized omnichannel experience.

Buy Online pick up in store

JCPenney is also powering their omnichannel experience with the introduction of buy-online-pick-up-in-store option, also known as BOPUS. BOPUS allows shoppers to complete online and mobile purchases with a variety of pick-up options. BOPUS is available in all 1,000 physical locations and synchronizes with the location capability on the mobile app and online platform. Shoppers can make purchases based on the online catalog or available inventory in select locations. The shoppers can even choose which kind of pick up option they would like.

The shipping options include shipping to any location, same day pickup, and fast home delivery. JCPenney has a history of operating through catalog service desks. The direction towards digital catalog enhancement makes JCPenney is one of the biggest retailers to offer online orders to be shipped to any of its 1,000 locations. JCPenney’s successful blend of online retail and in-store pick up has evolved the purpose and functionality of the brick and mortar store.

The BOPUS option that JCPenney provides has also expanded the consumer market. Shoppers who come in to pick up orders have a higher attachment rate. A high attachment rate means shoppers are more likely to buy an additional item in-store when picking up an online order. Because of the integration of the digital and physical market through omnichannel, JCPenney is seeing greater returns .

JCPenney has implemented new omnichannel tactics to bring their catalog into the digital age. By marrying the physical and online experience, they have successfully rejuvenated their customer journey. JCPenney plans to continue their evolution through next year with the replacement of point-of-sale units with mobile devices. It will be exciting to see how JCPenney further develops through 2017.

07 Dec
2016

How Omnichannel Retailers Are Changing the Marketing Game

Starbucks, Sephora, and Disney’s Omnichannel Approach

The good old days of customers coming from one channel are over. With the rapid rise of social and mobile channels as valuable marketing platforms, omnichannel business strategy has become necessary approach for a successful brand. While it is easy to understand “Why?” the “How?” is less clear.

Before we can discuss what techniques are being used to optimize omnichannel marketing, we need to take a look at what omnichannel marketing really means. Omnichannel is an approach to sales that utilizes multiple channels and outlets of shopping. The primary goal is to create a seamless customer shopping experience, whether the individual is shopping on a mobile device, desktop, or in a physical store.

Now that we have established a what omnichannel is, let’s take a look at how three companies use it to their advantage.

Starbucks

The Starbucks Rewards program is a perfect example of omnichannel marketing in practice. Starbucks is one of the biggest coffee retailers in the world. Their market reach is incredible, and they have harnessed the power of omnichannel to leverage that huge customer base. The Starbucks Rewards system uses an omnichannel approach to make the coffee buying experience more convenient for customers. Customers can use the rewards card to make purchases without taking out their wallets and to also reload the rewards balance online, in-store, by telephone, or by mobile app. All changes to rewards accounts immediately update across all channels. Thanks to the omnichannel approach, Starbucks customers can satisfy their caffeine cravings at any time, on any channel.

Sephora

The makeup retailer has also changed the way consumers interact with products. Sephora utilizes the omnichannel shopping process to create an enjoyable experience for customers. Sephora has implemented the “My Beauty Bag” program to allow customers to manage their beauty products and see purchase history. The “My Beauty Bag” program makes it easy and accessible for Sephora customers to add items to their shopping carts, peruse their browsing history, make savings on purchases, and re-order items. Sephora’s rewards program also allows members to use their Beauty Bags on their mobile device, computer, and send digital gifts.

While making in-store purchases, customers can use the Sephora app to complement the brick and mortar shopping experience. Sephora is also changing the in-store experience as well, by introducing the Beauty Tip Workshop. Customers now have the opportunity to access their Beauty Bags, see recommended items and looks, and make purchases based on the items shown in the store. Sephora is expertly using omnichannel to revolutionize the cosmetic shopping experience.

Disney

Disney brings omnichannel to the world on tourism and retail. The magic of Disney is brought to multiple channels thanks to their approach. Disney’s process pays attention to even the smallest of details to make a flawless and consistent shopping environment across channels. When booking a trip through Disney’s website or app, customers have access to the My Disney Experience tool to help plan the logistics of the trip. From dining options, to park attractions, to securing passes, the My Disney tool helps customers plan for the entire trip. Once customers get to the amusement park, the Disney mobile app can locate the attractions and performances across the park and gives an estimated waiting time for each attraction and show.

Disney takes the magic even further with the implementation of the Magic Band program. These wristbands not only act as theme park entrance passes, but also act as hotel room keys, Fast Pass check in, food ordering tools, and photo storage devices. These wristbands also include personalized surprises for each band holder. Disney uses omnichannel to make traveling a connected, all-in-one experience.

Omnichannel initiatives like these enable brands to create the ideal customer experience across all channels. Starbucks, Sephora, and Disney approaches are great examples of brand’s solving for the ever-evolving needs of the digital age.

28 Apr
2016

Outsmart the Smartphone: Expert Insights into Mobile Marketing

Marketers know mobile marketing is a critical component of any marketing strategy. Consumers cannot live without their smartphone and mobile device’s have become an integral part of consumer’s daily life.

Despite knowing the inherent impact of mobile, many brands are struggling to create and implement an effective mobile strategy. Yesterday’s American Marketing Association (AMA) meeting helped marketers better understand how to outsmart the smartphone and optimize their mobile marketing strategy.

Experts Scott Talbott from Verve Mobile, John Nosal from Advice Local, Abhi Vyas from Dex Media, and Bryon Morrison from NectarOM, sat down and shared how your brand can outsmart the smartphone.

Here are a few highlights from the panel discussion.

Consider the Omni Channel Experience

In addition to the 40 or so apps on your phone you also have the option to do email, send SMS, browse the web, post on social media, and receive push notifications. Smartphones have put 6 channels into one device along with more than 100 sensors, making it more important for marketers to think about the omni channel experience the device creates. Traditionally brands have siloed channels, creating a disconnected experience for the customer. Mobile is forcing marketers to break down silos and unify their efforts. Bryon Morrison suggested the consumer needs to be the center of the customer journey, not the channels. He continued, “If you understand the individual and their motivations then the mobile device is the most important marketing tool, because it packages all the channels in one device along with movement.

Target the Right Person at the Right Place and at the Right Time with the Right Message

From a location perspective mobile unlocks an interesting opportunity for marketers: location based marketing. Customers are starting to expect brands to tailor content to their location, and are more likely to convert when content is customized to their location. Brands leading with location by utilizing location based advertising or managing their local presence will be more likely to convert mobile customers. John Nosal believed that brands who focus on the mobile experience will win more customers.

“61% of smartphone users are more likely to buy from mobile sites and apps that customize information to their location.”

Get in the Game

When asked who is doing a great job in mobile, Morrison replied, “The ones in the game that are testing and failing fast.” He cited specific examples of early innovators that are now experiencing great success with mobile – eBay and their multi-app strategy were the first to post a billion in mobile sales; Walgreens gets 6x more revenue from customers that download their app; Walmart attained a 2% increase in conversions by shaving 4.3 seconds off their page download time.

Nosal responded that Starbucks was a leader in the mobile experience citing the ability to order and pay for coffee through their app. He also mentioned grocery stores like Tom Thumb (parent company, Albertsons) are leading the way, mentioning ability to build grocery lists through scanning barcodes with the app and use of push notifications to notify consumers of deals.

Know the Metrics that Matter

Don’t get caught up in the funnel metrics. Keep it simple and make sure that your KPIs link to mobile moments that matter like conversions and sales. Scott Talbott gave an example of automobile marketers getting too caught up in desktop web funnel metrics while missing out on the opportunity to reach prospects while they are physically standing on a dealership lot. Morrison also shared an example of a client that spent an immense amount of energy on app optimization, as opposed to growing their SMS channel which was delivering in-store mobile coupon conversions between 25%-45%.

Get to Know Your Customers

Brands know it is important for them to understand their customer and Abhi Vyas mentioned 81% of them think they are doing a good job. However, only 37% of customers think their favorite retailer understands them. The panel agreed this was a function of marketing departments, as opposed to mobile marketing. As an example, Morrison mentioned that marketing departments are often set up to launch and manage channels which is time consuming and laborious. That creates silos and makes cross channel marketing a challenge. If organizations focused on profiles and used a personalization platform then their ability to integrate a new channel would be much faster, easier and cost effective. That approach would also allow a brand to innovate faster which is currently being outpaced by consumer sophistication levels and expectations.

Talbott proposed one way companies could better market is by focusing on context, stating that “content is now secondary to context.” He also mentioned that mobile location matched against 1-to-1 knowledge of a customer is the best way a marketer can get to an understanding of intent.

If you are interested in learning how you can better deliver the right message, at the right time, to the right person let us know and schedule a demo to see the NectarSuite in action.

03 Dec
2013

How Customer Analytics are evolving the way we Market

Customer Analytics allows you to learn all your Customer Needs!

You’ve got big data. Now the big question is, what do you do with it? With the help of customer analytics, you can turn your data into something useful and transform it into a prime marketing tool. The result is an enhanced customer experience with data driven, hyper-personalized communications.

In today’s world, customers have set the bar high and you need to meet their demands and expectations. Marketing campaigns need to be turbo charged with personalized content, information and products. You’ve only got a few seconds to make a great first impression. It’s important to make that opportunity count.

How does all of this come together to cultivate offers and products for a successful marketing campaign? By combining purchases, social media conversations, real time behaviors, customer insights, lifestyles, listening to what you’re customer is doing, etc. Behavioral data will assist you in identifying unique segments obtained through customer analytics.

With Nectar Suite you can use the results immediately for targeted marketing campaigns and your customer analytics will stay updated so you can deploy this in real time. This may include featured deals, products recommended for you, hot offers right now and promotional offers.

You can request a demo through our website to see how Nectar’s products can best serve your needs.

26 Nov
2013

How to make Big Data personal with Segmentation

Who says Big Data can’t be personalized?

Within the realms of marketing campaigns, generalization is not a word you want to embrace. Sending identical, generic mass emails to your entire customer base across the board isn’t the route you want to take. This only leads to poor customer retention, customer dissatisfaction and your emails ending up in the virtual trash bin…unopened.

When you’ve got data, you need to leverage it in order to communicate relevant and targeted messages. The content within these emails need to be useful, have purpose and address the needs of your customers in real time.

In order to efficiently segment your data, you need to conduct an analysis based on existing data and decide the target groups you want to approach. Applying segmentation to your data allows you to create email marketing campaigns that are relevant for each group. Segmenting is also a key process that disperses information, products and offers to designated groups that’s specific to their needs and interests.

Segmentation can be based on many factors according to demographics, behavioral, lifecycle, occasions, social data, past purchase history, spending habits, age, gender, website activity, etc. By segmenting all of this data, you’re identifying the various levels of your database and sending out cost-effecting email campaigns that are tailored to each group. Without segmenting data efficiently, it’s difficult to produce targeted information. Not to mention, it’s a waste of time when you’re sending out products & offers that are of no use to your customers.

Segmentation is typically based on the amount of data you have on individual customers and making the most of it. This can be obtained through social data, CRM, past purchase history, website activity, demographic, etc. It’s the process of dividing your customers into logical groups and tailoring emails targeting their interests, triggers, lifecycles, website behavior, and purchase history. Nectar suite automatically segments customers based on lifetime value and engagement.

Nectar’s products allows your brand to hyper-personalize communications with the right offers and products in real time that’ll drive revenue.

08 Nov
2013

5 Effective Ways To Hyper-Personalize Communications

Every Customer Deserves Personalized Attention

One of the top priorities of any marketer is to capture, build and retain customers. Effectively engaging customers to keep any services and products in the forefront of their mind is a difficult task. It requires advanced marketing personalization with turbo charged hyper-personalized content, products and information. No two customers are the same. For that reason, it’s important to hyper-personalize communications with content that is tailored to each individual.

As a marketer, you need to deliver meaningful, useful, and effective content that will address your customer’s needs in real time. That’s no easy feat. There’s a tremendous amount of competition out there. Millions of emails are sent out everyday to millions of customers. People are busy with very little time to spare. With several hundred emails lurking in a recipient’s inbox, you’ve got to stand out in order to be noticed and considered. A generic or “slightly personalized” marketing campaign wont’ cut it. Sally isn’t going to open your email just because it addresses her by name followed by a catchy slogan.

How do you effectively deliver hyper-personalize communications for your customers?

1. Connect the Customer Dots – Imagine you’re asked to make a sandwich for Sally. The only information you have is she prefers white bread and doesn’t like mayo. Based on that, you make her a turkey and cheese sandwich on wheat with mustard and hope for the best. She’s not impressed. Why? The sandwich was plain, bland and lacked her personal preferences. The same holds true when you’re trying to hyper-personalize communications. Without big data under your belt, you’re going in blind. You need data from crucial sources like CRM, website, email, transactions, browsing history, 3rd parties, etc to create relevant content for each individual customer. Once you have those valuable dots to connect, you’re able to leverage every piece of data. This time around, you make Sally a roasted turkey sandwich on lightly toasted ciabatta bread with honey mustard, tomato, avocado, lettuce, bacon, extra pickle and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Now…you have her attention.

2. Create 360 Degree Customer Profiles – Once you’ve connected the customer dots, you’re able create rich customer profiles that is worlds beyond a profile established from traditional data. This can mean the different between “Sally likes to buy shoes” and “Sally likes to buy shoes preferably in the spring and summer months. She gravitates more towards trendy styles and adores heels. Her mission is to purchase designer brands without paying the designer price.” You can use this portion of her 360 degree customer profile to send her products and offers that are useful, caters to her buying preferences and communicate offers and products that would further enhance her buying options through your company.

3. Pay Attention to Real Time Behaviors – Want deeper insights to the lives of your customers? With Nectar’s data processing tools, you can gather information about what your customers are sharing, liking and what their interests are. It’s taking the process a step further and listening to what your customer is doing through the use of algorithms. Is your customer taking a step out of the box? Are they spending additional time in other categories? Is your customer making purchases that veers away from their typical habits? This is all vital information that will update and combine with existing social data. This in turn gives you the ability to connect more dots and convert this data into valuable insights. The result? Turbo charged hyper-personalized communications. You know that Sally likes shoes, but lately, she’s showing an interest in vintage decor pieces. She’s liking items in that category and recently make several purchases. She’s in the market for both small and big ticket items. Why? Sally is renovating her home.

4. Address the Customer’s Needs – Utilizing real time behaviors opens the door of opportunity. Based on Sally’s decision to renovate her home, you can create a slew of products and offers that will address her needs at this time. Based on her browsing and purchase history, you’ve determined she is partial to vintage styles and the color blue. Sally’s purchases have been sale or clearance items and so far, she’s worked on the livingroom and dining room. With all of this big data, it’s time to send out a few marketing campaigns with tailored products and offers. These offers can be a mix of items for the 2 rooms she’s currently working on and a few for other rooms in the house because eventually she’ll be in the market for those as well.

5. Execute Immediately After a Trigger – Life happens and changes are always taking place whether sudden or those that are planned out. These changes produce triggers. Some of these triggers may include a birth announcement, save the date, engagement, new job, relocating to another city, booking a 2 week vacation to an exotic island overseas, birthdays, and other milestones. Amid these triggers are opportunities to cultivate products and offers based on a customer’s immediate needs. A customer’s birthday might trigger sending a personalized Happy Birthday message with an exclusive coupon to their most frequented store. An engagement annoucement is a trigger to send an email with products and offers that are tailored specifically to that moment…like save the date cards or wedding invitations.

Nectar’s products allows your brand to hyper-personalize communications with the right offers and products in real time that’ll drive revenue.

22 Oct
2013

5 Reasons Why You Need Marketing Personalization

All things considered, it’s a must…

There’s lots of decisions to be made and various avenues to consider as a marketer. One of the more prominent, hands down, is Marketing Personalization. The road map of promoting your products, generating interest, acquiring customers, obtaining & expanding a loyal customer base and boosting your revenue is vast. It’s no easy feat.

When it’s time to substantiate a plan of action, there’s a slew of questions darting from every direction. The most pressing of all questions leans towards, “Is there a need for marketing personalization and how important is this?” An extreme “in a nutshell” answer is YES and VERY. But, you’re not here for one word answers…

Let’s sift through to some of the more salient fundamentals of marketing personalization…

1. You’ve got some hardcore competition – Ninety trillion emails are sent out each year. Approximately 70% of those emails are not personalized and are considered generic while 25% contain a trivial amount of marketing personalization. Bottom line…less than 10% of emails received are considered legit by the recipient. The rest are deemed as “spam” and dispersed to the trash bin unopened. That’s not where you want to be. We’ve all heard the expression, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” With 90 trillion emails being sent every year, there’s a tremendous amount of competition. Swimming in the sea of mediocrity isn’t going to cut it. You’ve got to do more than make an impact or come up with a catchy slogan. You need to gather,disparate and segment your data efficiently to deliver the most relevant content, products and offers.

2. Customization vs Personalization – Although similar, these two terms are sitting on opposite ends of the stick. To differentiate the 2, lets think about a cup of coffee. A customized cup of coffee is based on general information. John likes coffee. Regular. Cream and sugar. He enjoys a cup of coffee periodically throughout the day. A personalized cup of coffee transpires from connecting big data, connecting the dots and creating a 360 degree customer profile. Jane is a coffee aficionado. Regular. Columbian Dark Roast from a local cafe down the street. Medium cup. Two raw sugars. A splash of skim milk. She enjoys a cup at 9 am, noon and 3 p.m. Jane does not drink coffee after 6 pm. Customized is good. Personalized will get their attention.

3. 360 Degree Customer Profile – As they say, no 2 snowflakes are the same. The same holds true for your customers. Without marketing personalization, John is simply a 35 year old male who lives in a small town. It’s flat and notably generic. There’s very little data to create a relevant marketing campaign for John. Adding marketing personalization into the mix allows you to segment and individualize each morsel of your big data to execute hyper-personalized communications. One-to-One marketing connects your customer dots from across the board through social, email, website, CRM, mobile, transaction, and 3rd party channels. With all of this information, you’re able to create a 360 degree customer view on John. Based on this data, you now can leverage and distribute the most relevant information, products and offers to John in real time..

4. Turbo-Charged Personalization – You’ve noticed that John is spending a lot of time in the home office categories and purchased several small ticket items. This was compiled from his behavior and transaction data. The big question is why? With turbo-charged personalization, the channel to social information opens. In the world of marketing personalization, this enables you to stand out from the rest because now your customers shared social information is included. John is shopping home office items because he started his own business and will be working from home. However, he’s on a budget and waiting for the big ticket items to go on sale. As a marketer, this is your opportunity to deliver hyper-personalized messages in real time based on pre-planned points.

5. You’re aiming to please – Over 70% of online customers have expressed their frustration when companies send them emails with offers, products and information that have no relevancy to their life or needs. Your goal is to please your customer, not irritate them. Without marketing personalizaion, you’re going in blind. Marketing compaigns will be generic and lack value to your customers. Maybe you sent John an email that included special offers for pet food and baby items. The offers are stellar and select items are over 80% off. That’s great, but how does this apply to John? It doesn’t. The email isn’t opened and immediately transferred to the virtual trash bin. With marketing personalization you’ll have the big data to hyper-personalize communications. You’ll know that in addition to John embarking on a small business venture, he’s also in his mid 30’s, allergic to animals, single, and he’s an outdoor enthusiast. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking, traveling and mountain climbing.

As a marketer, you’ve invested a great deal of time and money. You’re on the right path. Now it’s time to face forward and onward march. Adding a solid marketing personalization plan gives you the opportunity to take what you already have and move towards success. In this day and age, customers expect personalization throughout their entire buying process. They want to be acknowledged, enticed, and have their interest sparked with emails loaded with offers, products and information compatible with their life…in real time. When a customer is checking emails, you’ve got only a few seconds to catch their attention and make an out-of-this-world impression. It’s not the time for impromptu.

Nectar can provide your company with the easiest One-to-One Marketing Suite and help you connect your customer data, increase customer engagement and revenue.

11 Oct
2013

Small Details In Marketing Personalization Makes A Big Difference

The Little Things Are A Big Deal

There’s a lot to do in the great big world of marketing personalization. Your goal is to acquire customers, drive traffic to your site, boost revenue and retain your pool of customers. Establishing a 360 degree customer profile requires a great deal of effort. This information is obtained through various sources including purchase history & habits, CRM, customer profiles, email, mobile, social, browsing history, etc. Once that is established, you have to connect the customer dots from customer databases and third parties.

From there, hyper-personalized communications are deployed via trigger marketing in real time to deliver the right information, products, offers and content at just the right time. This involves finding the trigger, creating the right offer and delivering a timely execution. All in all, having the most efficient and accurate road map will determine your success and aspired outcome.

When you look at a map, you’ll see more than the thick lined interstate highways. There’s a collaboration of main roads and side roads. When trying to get from point A to point B, it’s habit to look at the quickest route…interstate highways. However, this doesn’t take you to your final destination. Close, yes, but not quite there. You need the main roads and side roads to successfully reach your destination.

The same holds true for marketing personalization. There’s a great deal of dynamic sources of retaining big data and generating real time, hyper-personalized content and communications. As much as it may appear that you’ve gone from point A to point b successfully, you’re not there…yet. Now you need to string together the smaller roads that will get you there. In the world of marketing personalization, that means paying attention to the little things. Those little things can make a big difference.

The small details aren’t so small when you look at the big picture…

1. Timing – We all know, with most things, timing is everything. Within your big data, you’ve determined Mrs. Smith’s comprehensive 360 customer profile. She’s received timely offers, content and products based on her needs, triggers, habits, etc. Are you ready to execute a campaign? No. Now you need to take the word “time” in its literal sense. When are you sending these emails to Mrs. Smith? Have you studied her patterns to hone in on when Mrs. Smith reads her emails? This often overlooked detail is of key importance. You can have the most complete, real time communications, but if Mrs. Smith reads her emails at 9 a.m. and you’re executing a marketing campaign at 7 p.m. you’ve missed her.

2. Events – By using adaptive algorithms, you can listen to what a customer is doing. You can observe behaviors, social, CRM, purchases, announcements and lifecycles to evaluate and optimize the hyper-personalized content. Did Mrs. Smith accept a new job that requires relocating to another city? Sending a congratulatory note might seem like the nice thing to do however, this is information you need to weigh carefully. Instead, find a meaningful and relevant way to use this information to influence some recommendations.

3. Customer engagement – You’ll be aware of when a customer appears to have “fallen off the face of the earth.” They may appear to be in a state of dormancy. Your first reaction may be to send a slew of “We’ve Missed You” or “We’ve Noticed You Haven’t Shopped In Awhile” emails with offers and products to nudge them. You may even go so far as to send an exclusive coupon to lure them back. Overloading can often backfire and potentially turn a customer away for good. This is a good time to study those algorithms and key in on those events. Mrs. Smith is moving because of a new job. There’s a lot to do! She’s packing, making arrangements, a long commute, starting a new job, etc. Now is the time to plan a careful marketing campaign to reestablish her engagement.

Nectar’s suite of products can work together to connect big data, develop a complete picture and deliver the most relevant and individualized communications.

09 Oct
2013

Why Trigger Marketing Matters

As They Say…Timing Is Everything

As a marketer, you’re probably thinking about how to acquire, grow and retain customers. That’s a lot to do! There’s a lot to process as well as consider with marketing personalization. You’ll often hear important key terms mentioned including customer engagement, 360 degree customer profile, big data, CRM, ROI, segmentation, hyper-personalization and one-to-one marketing. These are all necessary components to create successful marketing personalization so your company can deliver the most relevant content in real time.

Amid these components is trigger marketing. In a nutshell, trigger marketing is the engine that hums continuously. There’s a constant stream of messages being deployed to to your customers based on behaviors, browsing history, purchases, interests, etc. Delivering a successful trigger marketing campaign entails combining these pieces of big data, identifying an event in a customer’s life that warrants a need and communicating during these pre-planned points in time.

Having the right road map can make it easier to achieve success and the desired outcome. As part of the email marketing campaigns, triggered email marketing is at the core of helping to drive engagement and revenue.

Delivering a successful campaign is your ultimate goal. To achieve that, there are 3 key elements to remember…

Find the appropriate trigger – The content within these marketing campaigns should be based on your customers immediate needs.

Cultivate the right offer – Triggers have to be followed up with relevant products & offers.

Timely Execution – Presentation should occur immediately after an appropriated trigger.

As a business owner, you want your campaign to drive both traffic and revenue. There’s always a concern of frequency, value and appearance with trigger marketing. And, the big question lingers…”Do people mind followup emails?” The answer is yes. Keep in mind, though, it’s all about presentation, timing and tone.

Here are some tips to keep in mind for what your customers are looking for…

1. Acknowledge me. I just signed up to receive emails from your company. A welcome or thank you email is a considerate means of acknowledging my interest and introducing your company, products, offers, etc.

2. Entice me a little. The operative word is little. There’s a fine line between enticing me and conning me. Why should I become and remain a loyal customer? Based on my personal information, how can your company suit my needs more efficiently and cost effectively then company A or B?

3. Where’s my receipt? I made a purchase and I’d like to have a transactional email for my records. I’d like to double check to see if my order is accurate and things processed correctly with my bank.

4. Spark my interest. I recently ordered a new bedding set, a few bathroom accessories and some end tables. It’s safe to assume I’m updating my home. I’d be interested in additional products you offer based on my purchases. Window treatments? Kitchen accessories? Area rugs? Go ahead, inspire me.

5. Nudge me a smidgen to try something new. I’ve worn Crocs flip flops for as far back as I can remember. It’s my brand of choice, however, there’s a chance I order a pair year after year out of habit. Expand my horizons. Is there a flip flop that’s similar made by SKECHERS or Nike? Show me. I might just consider stepping out of the box.

6. I like special treats on my birthday. A gift basket filled with gourmet treats showing up at my door compliments of your company isn’t feasible, I know. However, how about a special offer, discount coupon or, at the very least, a Happy Birthday greeting?

7. Get me excited. Is there an upcoming event that you know I’ll be head over heels about? Let me know about it. As the event nears, send me a reminder or two because I’m busy and I may have forgotten to make note of it.

8. Offer a token of appreciation for my business. I’ve been a loyal customer for quite some time. Whether it’s a personal note or a 20% off coupon on my next purchase, it’s nice to know my loyalty is appreciated. I’m making the choice to do business with you. Without loyal customers…well, you get where I’m going with this?

9. I’m not a fan of creepy. Offer discretion when analyzing my browsing and purchase history. Any mention in your emails of the amount of time I spent browsing products to diminish the appearance of stretchmarks will be duly noted. This will not work in your favor in more ways than one.

10. Touch base with me. I’m busy. Often times weeks go by with very little time to spare. I may not have had time to browse, shop & make a purchase. I may have even left a product or two in my cart. Send me an email. Remind me there’s a product in my cart and, if you really want to earn brownie points, offer me a coupon towards my purchase. Score!

As mentioned, with trigger marketing, it’s all about timing, relevancy, tone and presentation. Remember, your customers are real people. Address them as such, respect their time, send offers that fit their needs and time it just right. Capture the attention of your customer by establishing the appropriate trigger. Materialize the immediate needs with applicable products, offers, and information. With automation and the right set of tools, these triggered events can be both automated and intelligent. Once these fundamentals are in place, you’re ready to execute.