The ability to harness data is the foundation for ever-more personalised marketing – and it lies at the heart of what being ‘data-driven’ is all about. Babatunde Khalidson focuses on four key personalisation opportunities provided by data – as well as the challenges that need to be overcome. He begins by looking at three-tier granularity…
Artificial intelligence (AI) enhances an online retailer’s ability to engage with customers, says Peter Thomas. The technology that is now redefining retail enables algorithms to make the same complex decisions a human could, sifting through the data, but much faster and at volume. It means the customer experience (CX) becomes more tailored and personalised; the customer journey more comfortable. When used well, the tech helps both retailer and consumer.
Take the guesswork out of your email campaigns and lose the silly mistakes that are costing you money – these straightforward email marketing tips and tactics show you what you should be doing …and what you shouldn’t! Rae Steinbach shines a spotlight on an effective and more lucrative use of the channel.
With disruption continuing in all areas of marketing, transparency is the key driver of this change – the industry must reinvent the advertising model around ethically driven business practices, says Ben Humphry. The problem is twofold: marketers question visability and viewability and complain they are in the dark about ad buying results (were they great or were they faked?); meanwhile consumers fear they are being commoditised via their data . . . so resort to ad-blocking. Trust is eroding on both sides. Thus, adtech ethics must shift from concern to action – here’s how.
Research by Acquia has exposed a huge gap between digital strategies and their execution, with senior marketers in large organisations being blindly optimistic and setting unrealistic expectations for their company’s digital ability. But Sylvia Jensen believes it’s not just a lack of skills or budget holding large organisations back, it’s also not having the right technology in place. She says brands need to be embedding digital within the culture of the business, rather than viewing it simply as a ‘tool’.
Come on, get appy! Max Chekalov shows how brands are successfully using mobile apps in their marketing campaigns – and he tells why your business might do well to consider getting an app, to improve the customer experience and boost your sales.
Keeping data clean is at the core of compliance and competitiveness, says Stuart Huke. And the professionals who are focused on data quality are now at the top table of businesses across the UK and Europe – thanks to the GDPR spotlight.
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:
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:
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.