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CMOs Should Watch “Revenge Of The Nerds” And “Real Genius”

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April 30th, 2013

In reality that line is different for everyone. How do you build a system and a process that enhances your marketing ROI without alienating your consumers? As with most cases, “it depends” is the answer. But there are some things you can do, and not do, to improve your chances of success.

So with all these competing forces at work, how does a CMO decide the best route? When talking to my clients about best practices related to “data-driven marketing” the typical headlines are:

  • You have to do it. The old days of grip-it-and-rip-it email blasts and Facebook posts are dying faster than newspaper sales. Make no mistake; you are in a race with your competitors to become more relevant with your consumers faster than they do.
  • Just because you can and want to collect the data doesn’t mean you have to use it on day one. The true value of, and benefit to, a certain data set may not be obvious for a while. Collect it now, because disk is cheap and you’ll want it later.
  • Try to shift your focus from campaign “blast” marketing to consumer-focused marketing. Deliver messages when it’s right for them, not when you are ready to hit “Send“. But…
  • Timing is the No. 1 vector that creates creepiness. Send me a text as I’m driving by your store: not cool. Send me a text because you know I visit your store a lot: better.
  • Don’t use any data that you wouldn’t want someone else to know about your kids.
  • Relevancy and personalization are hard. Don’t try to jump to the finish. Take your time along the path, learn as you go, and actually ask your customers (I know, crazy right?) for their input.

    In the end, each CMO and retail marketing teams need to figure out how to enhance their customer relationships, through all of their marketing channels. Taking the time to be thoughtful and organized can make a huge impact on your overall results.

    What do you think? Does the tequila help or hurt my column quality? If you disagree and want to start a flame war, please comment below. Or you could be nice like your mother taught you. You can also send me a private message or check out the Twitter discussion on @todd_michaud.

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    • Posted in CRM, E-Commerce, IT Strategy/Industry, Mobile/Wireless/Contactless
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