Multi-channel strategies should also include plans for mobile wallets - which touches everything from loyalty to payments (including alternative payments e.g. redemption of reward and frequent flyer points at point-of-sale). While the eventual winners in the mobile wallet platform space are yet to be determined, the time is now to begin executing on your strategy. It may take five to ten years for mobile wallets to truly explode, but the definite trend is in that direction - so don't be late, plan and test now as it may take you that full amount of time to get the execution right.
2) Social Media Optimization: This is the year that efforts are redoubled to improve the effectiveness of social media marketing and to create more shareable moments, especially as Facebook becomes a more meaningful Marketing platform. This includes segmenting your customers by social role, and using social activities to support search engine optimization. Imagine, what would happen if everything you did was designed to be shared?
3) The rise of the Datarati. “Big data” will be two of the most over-used and over-hyped words in 2013. While much of it is hype, what is not are companies’ continued focus on data analysis as companies continue to invest in measuring social media, understanding customer value and modeling customer behavior. If you do not use your data to talk to your customers, others will. Google's Chief Economist, Hal Varian once said that "Datarati are companies that have the edge in consumer data insight...Data is ubiquitous and cheap, analytical ability is scarce... The sexiest job in the next ten years will be statistician." How true. Investments in data aggregation and the hiring of "sexy" statisticians is going to be a major trend in 2013.
4) Customer Experience: Today, customers have more choices than ever and are more frugal. This affords them the luxury of demanding more. This is the year that the CRM Marketer will be charged with offering a holistic experience across all company touch points and developing the infrastructure that allows for knowledge sharing and smart communication. Smart organizations will hire a Chief Customer Experience Officer to identify and capitalize on unmet expectations. Tactics like loyalty programs andgamification will continue to play an integral role in the customer experience development, but so will initiatives that enable a holistic experience e.g. Uber which allows customers to hail, track and pay for a taxi via its website and/or mobile app.
Those companies that understand that the brand’s offline dynamism needs to be recreated online - that sense of discovery, inspiration and entertainment - will be the companies that survive and prosper. Who says that e-commerce sites can’t intermingle presentation, curation and yes, personality? This is the year that the customer's mobile and online experiences will evolve and rival the customer's offline experience - hopefully with some fun and humor mixed in.
5) Personalization and customization: In order to be effective in this new year, companies will seek to know more about its customers and use that insight to talk, engage and interact with their customers more often and more meaningfully in new and innovative ways (including dynamic content, apps, blogs to other social networking). Nothing is stopping you from offering onsite curation, “try it on” offerings, or discounts to selected customers on selected products or services (including shipping and/or same day delivery) based on their online behavior and/or value. So give it a try. 2013 is going to be up close and personal, like it or not.
6) Cross-channel For many organizations, Cross-channel Marketing has merely focused on messaging - integrating email and display with at least one other channel. It is so much more than that. In our view, both Customer Experience and Cross-Channel Marketing are symbiotic and mutualistic. In the absence of a Chief Customer Experience Officer, it is incumbent upon Cross-channel Marketing to guide a holistic marketing strategy and customer experience.
We see a trend in companies whereby they are creating whole departments around the concept of integrated/Cross-channel Marketing to allow for a consistent brand and customer experience. We applaud this trend. Two traps to avoid are: a) not adding to a Marketing bureaucracy an “influencer” group with no accountability, power or budget, b) not only focusing on great in-store, digital and creative execution, but ensuring that you are developing a differentiated value proposition for your organization along the way.
5) Personalization and customization: In order to be effective in this new year, companies will seek to know more about its customers and use that insight to talk, engage and interact with their customers more often and more meaningfully in new and innovative ways (including dynamic content, apps, blogs to other social networking). Nothing is stopping you from offering onsite curation, “try it on” offerings, or discounts to selected customers on selected products or services (including shipping and/or same day delivery) based on their online behavior and/or value. So give it a try. 2013 is going to be up close and personal, like it or not.
6) Cross-channel For many organizations, Cross-channel Marketing has merely focused on messaging - integrating email and display with at least one other channel. It is so much more than that. In our view, both Customer Experience and Cross-Channel Marketing are symbiotic and mutualistic. In the absence of a Chief Customer Experience Officer, it is incumbent upon Cross-channel Marketing to guide a holistic marketing strategy and customer experience.
We see a trend in companies whereby they are creating whole departments around the concept of integrated/Cross-channel Marketing to allow for a consistent brand and customer experience. We applaud this trend. Two traps to avoid are: a) not adding to a Marketing bureaucracy an “influencer” group with no accountability, power or budget, b) not only focusing on great in-store, digital and creative execution, but ensuring that you are developing a differentiated value proposition for your organization along the way.
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