You Know Me. Not.

So, this was an interesting one.  And kind of surprising for whom it involves, someone we've worked with before...

The numbers tell it: more than 57% of consumers prefer a personalized online experience with a brand. Results from a number of campaigns -- with personalized emails or digital commerce product selection -- support these claims, often with a significant lift. 

This is best practice, but legacy systems often pose a challenge for brands with established customer databases.  For example, a colleague at C[IQ] is a loyal Williams-Sonoma customer.  She buys online, from catalog, at her local downtown store, and when dispatched even on business travel.  

Her last purchase was at a Bay Area retail store, and within days she received an eMail touting a local Bay Area event.  But, she doesn’t live in the Bay Area. 

This is likely a case of the left hand not talking to right hand, whereby the eMail marketing campaigns are determined solely on the location of the last purchase.  But if purchase history was connected to the eMail marketing database -- with a layer of customer intelligence -- a more appropriate message would be sent. 

Incidentally, this is an also example of failing our SMART messaging guidance, that we discuss elsewhere.

Is it complicated?  Yes, yes it can be.  But if you are going to leverage personalization, you need to do so intelligently (and smartly). Otherwise, even loyal customers will pause and think, "after all these years, you still don't know me?"