I’ve had good and bad experiences with brands, both of which left me with specific impressions of those brands. Upon reflection, I cannot help but wonder why some got it so right and others so wrong?
All organizations have opportunities to better understand me, the consumer, via my digital and physical interactions, so it can’t be me. I can’t be the enigma that is so difficult to understand online and in-store, can I? I simply want consistent and relevant interactions whether I’m in-store speaking to an assistant or interacting with a brand on a digital channel.
Brands recognize that customer experience directly impacts turnover and margin, and will soon trump price and product as differentiators in the near future, if it hasn’t already.
While most of us assume that marketers are capturing the data that we provide in order to personalize experiences, why is it still going wrong?
The customer data imperative: How should brands react?
While marketers have made great strides in the area of customer data in recent years, according to new research with Econsultancy, only 34% have the ability to integrate different sources of customer data and deliver the right experiences across all stages of the customer journey.
Most brands have a complex tech setup that prevents them from shifting from a multichannel toolset approach to an omnichannel solution strategy.
This complexity is highlighted in the research findings. Many brands have disparate technology platforms and processes, along with a lack of know-how, and siloed organizational structures to contend with. These are symptoms of complexity that force marketers to focus internally instead of on the customer.
Alicia Tillman, SAP Chief Marketing Officer expressed it simply, “Help me make all of the data-driven aspects of marketing take care of themselves so that I can have more time to be creative.”
Recommendations: Tackling the customer data imperative
Marketers must take control of customer data
Marketers must take ownership of customer data to ensure they’re building the right connections with other business functions to help work towards a single customer view, including both online and offline data.
The same research highlights that leaders have a far greater stake in many aspects of customer data with the biggest differences appearing in the areas of data operations (e.g. data integration, data flows, martech stack, data capture, data quality) and governance and compliance (e.g. privacy permissions, data access and controls.)
Ensure that marketing technology platforms are integrated
Integrated marketing technology is the cornerstone of a good customer experience. It helps companies achieve a more complete view of how prospects and customers are interacting with them across different touchpoints.
However, marketers have been integrating data for years, so why are the challenges listed above around disparate technology platforms and processes, lack of know-how (which I believe is a process issue), etc., still valid?
According to Einstein, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. This is why we must find a different way to address that complexity by looking to a suite approach.
Integrate your data for a complete customer view
Managing customer data is already a challenge. More companies need to recognize that a great customer experience is powered by complete data integration from all sources to ensure the kind of relevance and personalization that consumers are increasingly taking for granted.
To this end, brands should look to tackle some of the process and know-how challenges listed above by implementing integration best practices such as those available here. While some of this behind-the-scenes work is not as glamorous as the design and creative work that is more visible to customers, but it is just as crucial to perceptions of customer experience.
Focus on incremental improvements while keeping an eye on the tech trends that will shape the future
Rome wasn’t built in a day and consolidating your martech stack will take time so think about incremental improvements where harnessing the right data at the right point in the customer journey can provide real value while driving a consistent technology strategy.
Technical capabilities for consolidation should include customer identity, big data solutions, marketing automation, artificial intelligence and analytics as these form a solid foundation for the front office.
Simplifying the martech stack is needed so marketers are best equipped to turn insight into action and have a solid foundation for delivering a great customer experience.
