Thanks to the ever-evolving social media effect, the customer now has a voice; an opportunity to verbalise and thus influence the customer experience. But Professor Steven van Belleghem says social media wield far more heft than mere comment on company performance. Here, he discusses the potentially sinister side of influence.
We all know that engagement is vital, so why are so many marketers rubbish at it? A recent report has found companies are still not sufficiently tailoring their communications to customers throughout the lifecycle and it is surprisingly common for global marketers to send un-personalised emails. In fact, fewer than a third of businesses have a ‘defined’ audience engagement capability for their email campaigns. So, is your customer engagement poor? Check out the report evidence and heed the solutions:
Will the person you are emailing open your message? Will he or she click through? The answers depend entirely on trust; what faith the recipient has in you – it boils down simply to sender reputation. Here’s how to check yours stands up to scrutiny – and thus your email message makes it successfully through to your intended recipient.
Organisations are aiming to futureproof and broaden their own technology landscape– but they should avoid focusing on innovation for innovation’s sake, says Tomas Salfischberger. When it comes to marketing technology, make the most of what you’ve got – deploy digital optimisation instead of re-engineering the entire process. Focus on software that can be integrated into mission critical systems to make sure you are getting the most out of your data; streamlining the customer journey and delivering truly personalised experiences. Here’s how:
Is the culture of measurement killing creativity? How do marketers achieve a symbiotic relationship between two apparently opposing concepts – art and insight – combining a variety of skills to see campaigns through from start to finish? When it comes to balancing data and creativity, Rebecca Manville has some sound advice.
GDPR non-compliance will cost those who risk it up to 4% of global turnover. But even without GDPR fines, most marketers know that dirty data hits the bottom line. Royal Mail research has revealed what brands and agencies are doing to plug the ‘leaky bucket’ of customer churn – to cleanse, validate and improve the quality of the data they hold. Jim Conning examines the findings.
Retailers are facing another wave of disruption triggered by digital technologies. Find out which retailers are leading the way and why, if you haven’t already, you need to start including them in your plans.
GDPR – the General Data Protection Regulation – comes into force this week and the majority of businesses will likely be prepared. So, how will being GDPR compliant benefit their marketing function? For those who aren’t prepared, can they expect penalties? The UK DMA’s director of policy and compliance, John Mitchison, explains.
Sit up and take notice, says Tim Haynes – the latest news headlines surrounding alleged data misuse will mean even brands that collect and use data ethically and in good faith will struggle to persuade customers to trust them. Here’s some practical advice on building consumer trust – and how to put marketing ‘skulduggery’ firmly into the past.
Are you analysing where e-commerce transactions are taking place and what devices your customers use most? Patrick O’Doherty has been examining information about conversions and device use and here reveals some trends and takeaways.