It's Not About the Technology

An old post, but still valid I hope

I recently read an interesting article on how Apple’s iPad was changing the way we build business relationships and have conversations.


Don’t worry, this isn’t going to be another article talking about the iPad …there have been a few of those already and I already own that T-shirt.


I was intrigued by the logical progression in which it was said that this new piece of technology could open up the conversation with customers. It flowed something like this (with my own little tweaks)

New Technology = Superior user experience


Superior user experience = Easier consumption


Easier consumption = more consumption


More consumption = more chances to connect


More chances to connect = and do what?


Now there’s the $million question – we often forget that ultimately it’s not about the technology but about the customer, and what we do with that connection when we have it.


Even wikipedia’s definition for CRM now includes the phrase ‘Once simply a label for a category of software tools, today, it generally denotes a company-wide business strategy embracing all client-facing departments and even beyond’


Technology allows us to do many things bigger and faster but not always better – the better only comes together when we put the customer at the heart of what we do. What we do might include email marketing, it might be social, it might be old fashioned in-store activity but whatever we do, we have to ask ourselves ‘‘what’s in it for the customer?’’


I recently sat with a client where we reviewed the ‘point’ of one of their communications. The round table brought forward 5 different USPs that were related to business needs – not one of them put the customer’s needs at the forefront.


At this point I’m going to borrow from Joseph Jaffe’s book, ‘Flip the Funnel’ where he describes ways to turn technology to your advantage. I’ll borrow just 5:


1. Technology should bring out the humanity in your company, not mask it – don’t pretend you’re something that you’re not. Ryanair are a no frills airline – the way they use their website and email programme reflect that.


2. Adopt a multi channel approach to building relationships. The easier you make it for customers, the more they will engage – using email as a case in point, don’t let it work in isolation of all the other channels you use but rather use it to support or initiate those conversations you are having elsewhere.


3. Consider tiered systems for different segments – don’t talk to all your customers in the same way: is it really a surprise when your engagement levels drop because your newsletter is a ‘one for all’?. Segmentation doesn’t have to clever, in fact it’s often how unclever you are that really counts


4. Automation is not always the answer. In email marketing the more you can automate towards ‘lights out marketing’ then the more efficient you can become. But your CRM strategy needs to have that human touch sometimes
And last but not least….


5. Personalisation is the gift of technology, intimacy is the gift of humanity. Email is great..but don’t forget the power of a handwritten note


So whatever we do to instigate, facilitate or react to conversations (the whole point of technology) let’s not forget that the ‘C’ in CRM is for ‘Customer’…and not for ‘Computer’.


(This post first appeared on the eCircle Blog, Inside the Box )

A Simple Thank You Goes A Long Way

The Power of Words

You have a few moments to grab my attention so using the right words is vital

The other day I wrote on a post on my favourite email subject line last week. Of course we know how important using the right words is, especially when we only have a couple of seconds to make an impact ( An A to Z of eCRM G is for Gladwell ). In fact the slight problem I highlighted with Kiehl's yesterday proved my point.

This is of course true in email subject lines and within the email, how we use copy in our Google Ads, the copy on the landing page we direct our prospects to.

I recently listened to a great session from Bryan Eisenberg on using Google and PPC to improve conversion rates and understanding your audience and using the right words was central to his message . Presentation below courtesy of Fusion Marketing Experience and J-P De Clerck

How to Use Google to Lift Your Conversion Rate

View more presentations from Fusion Marketing Experience / J-P De Clerck


But I think nothing sums it up more than this great video created by Purple Feather



Enough said/written

Re-Defining 'Conversation'

I came across this interesting if old piece from the Ogilvy Blog and what conversation means these days .

To me it's interesting because it still promotes the idea of conversation as really being the constant throughout the evolution of marketing. The conversation may alter or take on a different emphasis depending on where and when it is taking place, but it still exists.

The conversation might be taking place via a social media site where peers are exchanging thoughts on a product, or it may between the brand and the consumer via feedback programs or a series of emails.

What's key is that we as marketers understand what the conversation content needs to be at that particular moment, and uses technology, where appropriate, to optimise this content and uses technology to make the conversation easier to take place.

The future is not about combining the conversation that is marketing with technology

It's about doing that now!

Cicero and Customer Centricity

Roman scholar Cicero and being customer centric 2000 years ago

"if you wish to persuade me, you must think my thoughts, feel my feelings and speak my words"

Commuter Shopping with Peapod

Peapod the leading Internet grocer in the US Pilots Virtual Rail Program; Commuters Shop, Scan and Book Grocery Deliveries From Their Smartphones

We all lead busy lives and none more so than the commuters in the Chicago area. “Chicagoans spend, on average, more than an hour commuting to and from work each day.  That’s well over 200 hours a year in transit time alone,” said Elana Margolis, Peapod's Director of Corporate Communications

To help and make sure they don't run out of groceries, Peapod have set up larger than life virtual store shelves in a couple of busy locations.

The shelves are stocked with popular products from Coca-Cola, Barilla and Procter & Gamble that can be scanned and ordered via a smartphone.

Commuters are able to start shopping, amend lists and book deliveries

The App is available on both Apple and Android phones.

And the pilot runs off the back of a trial they ran in Philadelphia, described in the video below, working with Giant and Titan . There, commuters bought a wider selection of products and a with a bigger average basket size. 90% of commuters who scanned returned




Now of course not all organisations can help their customers in this way. It doesn't need to be on big scale with lots of budget.

As I wandered through my city centre last week, I came across this Estate Agent's window who made sure that just because they were closed you weren't able to view properties.

It doesn't have to be more sophisticated than that but Peapod's work ( very similar to the Tesco Korean example below ) is a great example of where physical meets digital to make lives easier

So You Want to do Social? Stick a Pin Anywhere.

Nobody said doing social was going to be easy - and judging by this landscape pulled together by Buddy Media it might not be.

It's Not Rocket Science - 2

My second post on getting things right..or wrong..in the world of eCRM

Ok, perhaps not the most hi-tech welcome I'll ever get but never the less, its always nice to be made welcome - although I'm not sure who 'I' is with no name being visible, and maybe a 'Mr' would have been nice :-)

Fusion and the Road Map to Revenue

The Fusion Marketing Experience that I was lucky enough to moderate last week was topped and tailed by Kristin Zhivago, international revenue coach.

I had previously bought her book, 'Road Map to Revenue', where she lays out a simple to follow, but highly effective process to re-engineer the sales process by, wait for it, actually selling the way customers buy.

Kristin summarised her own presentation as follows:

Current customers will teach you how to sell to new customers

If you interview them the right way at the right time, 
   YOU can change your organization – 
   YOU can make it more customer-centric

Customers are ignoring marketing and sales and creating their own Customer Communities

Buying process has changed; marketing/sales haven’t

Anyone who doesn’t catch up fast will be beaten by competitors who get it

It's well worth reading

(This is actually a link to Amazon)

It's Not Rocket Science - 1

This will be a new series of posts highlighting elements of eCRM where brands kind of get it right..but then waste an opportunity to..well, sell me something. And as my first degree is in Astrophysics, the Rocket Science label works for me

I'm a frequent traveller on EastCoast Trains, usually between York and London. so, it makes sense for me to join their Loyalty Scheme. There isn't actually a real alternative ( sorry Grand Central but not enough departures) so I'm getting points for something I'm doing anyway although I do now book other rail operators through them as well.

Anyway, I like the idea that as I'm on the site they show me how many points I have...but look at the Ad beneath my points

Surely that was an opportunity to recognise me further and perhaps get me to redeem my points, encourage an upgrade, buy a refreshment voucher?

It's Not Rocket Science .

Shopkick - Digital Rewards for Physical Shopping

Shopkick is a mobile app ( on both iPhone and Android so they get my vote!) that aims to reward customers for shopping and browsing. 

It hands out virtual points to consumers even for entering a store like Macys, Toys R Us and Best Buy in the US.

It even links to the customers Visa Card to ensure that points are awarded for using that card and promises to reward customers with free coffees etc as you are recognised when you enter the store. It also has the ability to share other customers product reviews.

I think this is a great example of using digital technology to reward and enhance the customer experience with the clever use of data, content and context as I highlighted in yesterday's post on being customer centric

The video below gives you a flavour of the offering

Customer-Centricity: The Logical Decision

With the on going move towards marketing automation there is a risk that we always take the next best action or offer based purely on what we know about the customer from data collected historically. 

Of course to a certain extent that's all we have to play with. So the next best action when the customer calls into the call centre is to try and up grade the phone they have. The next best action for the another customer is to send them an email with an offer for the umbrella that goes with their recently acquired garden table.

But what if the first customer has called in to cancel their contract? Or the second customer has actually already sent an email complaining that they have 3 screws missing from the table and so aren't in a position to assemble it just yet. In these instances what are the chances that your offer will be accepted? Although not zero, I would say pretty minimal.

Being customer centric not only means offering the customer what they might want ( it's ok to do that honestly- I'd rather be sold the HDMI lead before I get home and realise I need to buy one!) but it actually needs to understand the context in which the offer is being made.

Context not only relates to a customer mind set but also takes into account physically where the customer is and how they are receiving the offer. You are a Nespresso drinker and you are wandering past a boutique . A logical message to your mobile Nespresso app would be to send you an invite to try the new blend? Not if it's 7-45am when yes, I am in need of a coffee but  the boutique doesn't open until 9am!

Data and context are important if you think that CRM is everywhere, as I do. And of course being customer centric means putting the customer first based on their needs and not your short term profits.

So, do I offer

 a product with a margin of £10 with an 80% chance of purchase
OR
 a product with a margin of £20 with a 50% chance of purchase?

Today's report to the CEO might dictate the second option? But surely the long term play with the customer in mind is the first option, if only because the customer is more likely to be happy with the product they chose and so will positively review the product. But also they are becoming accustomed to you offering them the right product. Saying 'yes' to your brand becomes an easier thing for them to do going forward.

Remember the wise words of Mr Spock  - Live LONG and PROSPER, and then THINK LONG and PROSPER

( This post kindly inspired by this morning's Idio Content Marketing Breakfast  - definitely an event to put your name down for)

Bricks and Mortar and Customer Centricity

The rumours persist -  'Amazon to open physical stores'

This story has been running since the end of last year and the debate rages as to whether the stores might be a Costco approach, pile it high and sell it cheap, or whether it might be a boutique offering that promotes primarily its Kindle range of e-readers

Whatever the outcome, or indeed even if the rumours are true, it does suggest that the role of bricks and mortar will not vanish for a quite a while yet.

Who would have thought 10 years ago that Apple would have a part to play on the high street? Have you been in an Apple store recently. Even when they are not introducing a new version of the iPad etc, the stores are always full of customers.

Why?

It's because they understand their customer.

Not all customers are truly IT savvy and feel immediately comfortable in switching from a PC to a Mac so they want to touch and feel the product and get some face to face advice.

Not all customers once they've bought the kit are happy to wade through on line tutorials on how to get the most out of the iCloud, so are ok with sitting in one of the free workshops which as Apple say

' are taught by people passionate and knowledgeable about Apple products and eager to share their knowledge with you. You’ll have a great time, learn new skills and pick up loads of tips '

Not all customers can solve their technical problems, so why not step up to the Genius Bar? 

Even the way that sales can be processed via hand held devices so there is no real till point is all about making the customer experience second to none. and you haven't opened the box yet!!

They didn't set about by setting a a target for store turnover. They started out by setting a vision of an environment that would make their customers lives better and easier. That's what being customer centric means, and in Apple's case making the store cool enough to hang out at.

We often think that customer centricity is all about data. And to a large extent data helps us understand our customers but being customer centric is thinking about customer needs and wants. 

Yes it is about an amazing in store experience but it is of course also about understanding that customer journeys are not straight forward and don't always start at 'A' and finish at 'B'.

It's about understanding that at different points in that journey their needs will vary. As I write this I came across a nice post from Hubspot on How to Design a Persona Centric Website Experience . And although web specific this section seems very relevant

Segment by Demographics: Start developing personas by researching your existing customer base to identify the most common buyers for your products and services. You may have several different types of buyers, so give each one a detailed description, including name, job title or role, industry or company info, and demographic info.

Identify Their Needs: What are the biggest problems they are trying to solve? What do they need most? What information are they typically searching for? What trends are influencing their business or personal success?

Develop Behavior-Based Profiles: What do they do online? Are they active on Twitter, Facebook, or other social networks? What kind of search terms do they use? What kind of information do they tend to consume online? Which of your products do they spend the most time researching? How do they use those products?

In the words of Kristin Zhivago one of the presenters at the Fusion Marketing Experience, 

“Marketers spend the bulk of their time on internal politics and learning new tools – out of necessity. But all this knowledge is worthless without a personal, in-depth understanding of what customers are really looking for and how they want to go about buying it,”

This is certainly something Best Buy considered when they set up their interactive screens in stores for customers who wanted to touch and feel the equipment but also wanted information and reviews on the product.


If a product needs 'test driving, whether that's a new computer, a car..or a new fragrance, stores still have the upper hand. The trick is to make the experience so amazing,  that the customers buys there and then..and not from an online retailer later on in the day.


But if they do, it's from the brands own e-commerce offering.

Putting the Brand at the Heart of the Customer

I know, we all thought that the Customer was the focus. Indeed they are. But to mis-quote from John F Kennedy’s inauguration speech

 ‘And so, my fellow Marketers: ask not what your customer can do for you - ask what you can do for your customer.’

We know that traditionally the model has been for the Brand to have the upper hand in the relationship with it’s customer. But we believe that has changed. Don’t we ? Well yes and no.

Today’s customer no doubt does have more control.
The way they buy has changed
The way they research has changed
And they undoubtedly talk, comment, review our products in a completely different way to say even 5 years ago

Does this put the brand on the back foot? I suggest that actually it’s an opportunity for brands to become as important as ever in customers’ lives.

How? By listening to customers’ needs at every touch point in their journey to whatever they are trying to do. That might be the journey to purchase your product or it might be an opportunity for the brand to help customers in their everyday lives by just making things easier and better.
Yes of course we can sell more by understanding how customers buy, but we can actually sell more just by sometimes being there when customers need help or have a problem.

In reality what does that mean? Here are a few examples that I've liked recently





As we continue to tighten our belts we still need to eat
– even when we are on the motorway where food is notoriously expensive.
So the Moto app provides us with a Deal of the Day to make prices more palatable.











When tyring to sell a car, webuyanycar.com very kindly
sent me an email confirming my appointment, but also gave me the option to change the appointment time with a link in the email.
In the end I didn't sell my car to them but the service was amazing






I sometimes treat myself to a lovely sandwich from my local deli Mairs. And I can tell you they are amazing!

But on one Saturday lunchtime...

And what did I get back?

So of course I go back!


At the checkout in Sainsbury's,

they automatically compare your baskets branded goods with their main competitors and are honest enough to tell you if your shop would have been cheaper elsewhere.
( Brand Match)


And as a result offer to give you money off on your next visit.







In one way or another, these are examples of great use of different touch-points to enhance the customer experience. Making life easier.

Great examples of eCRM

Great examples of everywhere CRM

Reasons to be at the Next Fusion Marketing Experience

Sign up at www.fusionmarketingexperience.com

#fusionmex

First Impressions Gain Loyalty and Trust

I've argued in previous posts that Trust is a key factor when trying to convince an audience to read your content or buy your products and services - See the A-Z of eCRM A is for Ancient Greeks . No real surprise there.
I've also suggested that first impressions do count. Whether that be the content of your subject line or the landing page you direct people to - See the A-Z of eCRM G is for Gladwell.

And now a new report from ClickFox has suggested that indeed lasting first impressions are key to gaining loyalty and trust. 48% of customers indicated that the most critical time for a company to gain their loyalty is when they make their first purchase or begin service.

As you can see from the chart, 40% become loyal when problems are resolved in a way that exceeds expectations.

Only 1% of the customers indicated that a good time would be at the point where they are considering switching to a competitor. I would argue that also applies to win-back campaigns that target customers when they have not shopped with you a while. I regularly make use of those 'missing you' communications that include a tasty 20% off. Its not making me loyal. It's just buying my attention for a while.

But lets not assume that once you've made a good impression a Brand can take a foot off the pedal. I mentioned a while back about a great first impression that Space NK made with me when I signed up for their NDulge Rewards Program. Sign up was easy and I received my welcome email as I walked out of the store. I have to say however that since then I've been very disappointed. I didn't get my promised Birthday treat, and the email content has been geared towards my initial purchase - a gift for my fiancee - and not based on me - a man!

So although I do agree that first impressions do count, I would argue that every touch-point impression is an opportunity to to exceed expectations. But also an opportunity to slowly erode the trust and good will you originally gained.

ClickFox 2012 Brand Loyalty Survey available here (registration required)

eCRM Muppets

Assuming that the target market was milk purchasers with children in the family that love the Muppets then the latest packaging promotion / eCRM program by Arla for Cravendale milk certainly hit the mark with us.

The promotion that ties in with the recent Disney release of the Muppets Movie, encourages you to collect 20 unique codes and get an 'awesome' ( a little too American?) Kermit backpack as well as enjoying Muppet games and content at Cravendale's milkmatters website .

Of course the website they direct you to via the packaging is milkmatters.co.uk/muppets. But as the promotion has ended as I write this, there is a holding page with some contact details.

 One negative comment to make is that when I actually entered all my codes in ..yes 20..and we now have 12 litres of milk in the fridge!..the copy suggested that I could still collect and claim as long as I saw the special labels in store. Well this morning they were still visible in my local supermarket but the holding page suggests the promotion is over.

But I digress.

I am actually writing in praise of this program despite a few niggles ( although so far as I am yet to receive any follow up communications or indeed my Kermit backpack - do I really need to wait up to 28 days??) .

To start its a a simple mechanic, and I'll assume that the number of codes I need to collect is not just a random number but some how ties in with the business/marketing objectives for the programme - is Cravendale trying  to increase usage?..gain new customers?..increase web traffic?..boost Facebook likes?..

Even if you don't go straight to the muppets page, milkmatters.co.uk offers an option as to whether you want to go to the main website or the promotion ( compare with comparethemarket vs comparethemeerkat) .











Voucher entry is relatively simple ( as long as you can read the code printed on the inside of the label)and in fact you are given a bonus code if you share the promotion on your Facebook page..nice little exchange going on there

As your code is validated,  a new character enters the gallery and after every 5 codes, you unlock a surprise and delight element to keep you excited about the next 5

This is shown both on screen 

and via an email, ensuring I get the reminder next time I go to my inbox






Once I've created my Gonzo toy out of the pdf and a bottle, I'll be sure to share with you.

One more niggle. There is a help section ( great!), but when I emailed saying that 2 of my codes were un readable and hence could not be entered, I didn't get a reply. I know it was Friday afternoon and the promotion ended the next day..but if you're going to offer to help then do!

I was congratulated on collecting my 20 codes




..and the data collections wasn't too much, just enough to get me my backpack and an opportunity to receive Disney emails..not Arla which was surprising. Makes you wonder who had the real clout in pulling together the promotion?

And of course this was confirmed via email.

So I guess I can now sit back and wait for my Disney emails and my lovely Kermit backpack.

Of course while enjoying the odd game at milkmatters, and enjoying the Muppet Movie.

ps..x3

1. why are emails not optimised for image blocking?
2. the confirmation email actually has no links what so ever to get me back to your website? Do you not want me back now that I've bought all that milk?
3. why no Twitter ?. 

....someone else has even hijacked the promo to sell voucher codes using Twitter and eBay!

Email Holding It's Own

 

According to SkyIQ and as reported on emarketer , email in the UK is still very popular with B2C marketers.

Despite the noise being made from the Social side of the fence, it still seems that delivering tailored content via email is key to many marketers marketing plans.

There is of course a view that Social has merely replaced TV as the broadcast channel of choice, without really being able to deliver the personal content that email can.

With the Ehrenberg Institute talking about less than 0.5% of 'fans' interacting with brands on Facebook and IBM talking about a considerable gap between what consumers want from social media interactions with a brand and what the brand thinks they want, there would seem to be still a great role for email - even if it is based on delivering promotions and discounts.

Connect Europe 2012

I'm looking forward to this years Connect Conference from eCircle.

In particular the Integrate sessions from We Are Social on Heinz's use of Social Media and ''Integrating Content, Social and Email'' by Dave Chaffey from Smart Insights

But most of all, am looking forward to attending a conference without the need to prepare a presentation!

Tall Latte - That's Not My Name

Excuse the blatant abuse of The Ting Tings' song title, but it did ring a bell when I received an email from Starbucks this morning.

From Wednesday 14th March, Starbucks Cafes will use your name in store as a way of making the experience much more personal.




The actual transcript is as follows


Have you noticed how everything seems a little impersonal nowadays?


We've all become user names, reference numbers and IP addresses.


That's why at Starbucks we've decided to do things differently.


From now on we won't refer to you as a latte, or a mocha, but instead as your folks intended, by your name.


Okay, we know it's only a little thing but hey, why don't we buy you a coffee on the morning of the 14th of March, and you can introduce yourself. 


We're Starbucks. 
Nice to meet you.


It is only a little thing but it does go back to the old days of customer service when the local shop keeper knew his customers by name and not by an id or loyalty card number. And of course knowing someone's name is a great asset when starting up a conversation

Admittedly Starbucks don't make my favourite espresso, but in terms of of how they are getting to grips with today's consumer ( iPhone payments, intelligent use of data with their Starbucks Rewards card and Crowdourcing through My Starbucks Idea ) they certainly get top marks for effort.

I for one will be in store 14th March for my free Tall Latte.

Let's hope there aren't too many Gianfrancos in the queue!