Personalization (Part 1): A Love Story
Personalization Progression from “One for All” to “One for One”
If customer loyalty is a relationship game, as we argue it is, then the level at which organizations are able to personalize is like dating. There are different levels of commitment, desire, loyalty, effort and of course, reward. Customer relationships are no different from others in the sense of getting back what you put in. High effort, intimacy and investment reap bigger rewards than more generic, automated approaches.
One >> All — “Blind Date”
Congratulations! You are in the game! You have things like data and content. You even have some technology that enables your messaging and content towards the customer. But, while you have these things, there is no real commitment by your organization to define the specific people you are targeting beyond basic demographics, data is still pulled in silos, or you’re seeing a 3rd party for that. You use the same messages and content no matter who is interacting with your brand and those messages are triggered by merchandise. No commitments, not enough information to really get to know your customer, and certainly not enough of an investment to command any kind of loyalty from either side. It’s a basic, no frills relationship.
One >> Many — “Your Selected Tinder Favorites”
You’re more mature now. You know what you are trying to get out of your relationships and while you are not yet ready to go exclusive, you are going to be more intentional. You now have defined segments of the population you want relationships with, and your content and messaging is triggered by those segments. You’ve learned to make things run more smoothly by connecting your customer and prospect data, but you’re not yet committed enough to adapt your channels or move beyond manual targeting.
One >> Few — “Getting Serious”
Now things are real. You are investing for the long haul and setting the stage for some real loyalty and commitment. Your data is connected and automated, even spanning a few channels. You have a clear sense of the kinds of people you really want to commit to and you have architected to meet their needs and better understand what triggers them. Your content and messaging is more complex; tailored to segments as well as print, media and digital channels. You are ready for the One — the 1:1, that is.
One >> One — “Putting a Ring on It”
You are there, and your customer is there, too. You have shown you are a good match and your customer wants to be loyal to you. You know what content and messaging they need and when, and you give it to them easily via their preferred channel. You are fully automated in your targeting and all that data is from a single source. You are connected, seamless, and personalized. You are a perfect match for one another and plan to evolve your relationship into the foreseeable future.
Getting that customer loyalty and commitment is not for the sprinter, but the marathoner. The data, tools, content and insights required to get to 1:1 personalization is to be aspired to and not rushed, or you will reek of desperation and drive away the very customers you seek to connect with. Take it one step at a time, with the end goal in mind, and you too will be able to reap the rewards of continuous customer intimacy and loyalty.
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An aside: No means no! Not all customers want personalization. There is a scale of creepy to caring. A customer who does not want personalization, or hates the channel you are using is going to be annoyed if you go there and your brand will suffer. Also, don’t try to personalize weird things. Just don’t. Pay attention, use common sense and most importantly — respect the no.
About Us…
Brian Clements (Director, Sparks Grove) lives at the intersection of marketing, data and technology, so much so that his ability to perform basic life functions eludes him. Joni Roylance (Global Lead, Customer and Employee Experience, North Highland Consulting) is hyper connected to the emotional world of humans and how those emotions impact everything. Together they found a writing sweet spot, and with left and right brains, are generating these thoughts for you.
