on customer behavior right from the first social media interaction or online purchase .
A good system should be able to collect data from multiple sources breaking down silos and capturing the online footprint of the customer , then leverage customer insights to deliver an omnichannel engagement strategy . The multi-channel approach should be fully automated and fine-tuned to give the customer a delightful yet non-invasive one-on-one customer experience .
The revenue related insights should be plugged into these efforts to generate return while creating a layer of continued intelligent engagement that will serve to retain the customer and generate referrals and customer loyalty . In the beginning , what started as pull communication towards the customers , becomes push communication driven by the customer himself . This is the usual sales and marketing cycle where a customer is first introduced to a product in a store , they buy it , use it , and refer others to it .
Having the right information and insights will deliver the right product , UX and CX experience . However , impact must also be measured . Machine learning often has biases that human intervention needs to cover just as much as the opposite is true .
Implementing actionable digital insights strategically and at scale to drive growth , mitigate risk and create customized experiences is often the main goal , but may further elicit disjointed systems and create data silos . The benefit of measuring impact is that you can match customer profiles and create ‘ mature ’ data that helps you connect with the customer .
Marketers must first understand that the power of this approach is not in the collection of data but in the synthesizing of the data to create tangible insights that can effectively inform customer behavior as they change . The key is in understanding where the customer will go before they go there by studying past and consistent customer behavior patterns .
Many marketers get stuck in the behavior of the customer today which delivers short term success . The power in marketing automation tools is to adapt the CX experience to the dynamic market , evolving customer and changing technological landscape . Failure to do so will only leave you distraught and with mounds of data .
Luxury brands have mastered the art of marketing automation over the pandemic period and are using customer insights very well for their targeted communication and to drive continued sales . In July 2021 , Mercedes-Benz sold over 50 units of the new GLS-Maybach sport utility vehicle in India , at a volatile time during the pandemic .
The sales were closed even before the car officially hit the showroom ! The price tag is known only to those who can afford as you would not find this vehicle advertised in your regular magazine and there is no chance that you will casually scroll past it while browsing through you Facebook page .
The automaker begun making calls to a select panel of customers a month earlier to check their interest in the vehicle based on past requests , online profiles , social media pages and past preferences in cars . The salespersons used data on the customers birthdays , names of spouse and pets to cluster the panel of customers .
These customers highly appreciate exclusivity and personalized relationships with the salespeople at Mercedes . Knowing their names , close relations , places of work etc . helped the executives at the car maker map out interests of their customers , those close to them , and what would motivate them to make the purchase of the new vehicle off the shelf .
This gave insights on their likes , preferences , passions and what drives them , forming a good base for a one-onone interaction . The bragging rights and exclusivity factor is also an important motivator for purchase for this target group .
Armed with the data , the sales executives then organized exclusive previews and ‘ money-can ’ t-buy ’ events for these customers . These included customized interior requests where customers were asked to dream up their own vehicle interiors , dinner with brand ambassadors in exclusive environments to create an emotional connection and ‘ closed door previews and review ’ session , VVIP events in exclusive clubs and bespoke experiences that the customers and their families would find comfortable and bring them to the right frame of mind and pace for the million-dollar engagements .
Mercedes customized the experience to as far as ensuring that their clients in India who left the country during the worst of the pandemic got a test drive while on retreat in England or in European countries .
The insights they had on their customers spoke volumes to their approach . While the customer would visit a golf club , a bespoke experience would enhance the engagement . Knowing the names of the customer ’ s children will also bring the cheque closer home because they spend time out of work on family holidays . Perhaps knowing that the customer prefers police blue vehicles would help the customer dream up a beige leather interior for his exclusive piece .
The car manufacturer then used Google to deliver geo-targeted and personalized ad content broadcasting it during the visits of the customers to the exclusive spots to reinforce the message interaction . In this scenario , the work of marketing automation was to collect data that helped the sales executives use insights that would amplify the human one-on-one connection to create premium experiences and generate sales . The impact was seen in the sale of 50 luxury cars , the full allocation for India even before the official launch of the vehicle .
Many brands have an aspect of marketing automation driven by the onset of the pandemic , but they still struggle to find their way in the market . A good understanding of what to do with the data and the insights , as well as adequately measuring the impact of the brand experience may be lacking in most scenarios . Sometimes , the systems may be collecting the wrong data , often , machine testing could be a hinderance as the automation software is biased and skewed .
To sum it up , a good balance between collecting the right data , drawing the correct insights , and knowing what is required to create the right UX and CX should deliver desirable results for the brand .
Diana Obath is a seasoned Public Relations and Communications Specialist . You can commune with her on this or related issues via mail on : ObathD @ gmail . com .