BrainTrust Query/RetailWire Daily Discussion
What has your experience been with the use of big data to personalize offers and experiences? Who is doing it right and training their workforce to use these new data streams appropriately?
Big Data is just that (which is of course relative but that is a topic for another day). Big Data by itself does not make smart marketing strategies and it certainly does not train sales associates. What Big Data does is enable smart marketing strategies and allow well trained sales associates to better service and communicate with customers. However, endemic for retailers is to be transaction oriented and not customer oriented. This will lead to the first problem outlined above which blasts customers with an email regardless of whether or not it applies to the target. It will hit some of the right target and it will drive some transactions and may be considered a success even if it alienates some customers.
Big Data, or any sized data for that matter, is an enabler and marketers need to start thinking it as a means to an end, not the end.
Kurt Seemar, President Analytic Marketing Innovations
Braintrust Panelist http://www.retailwire.com/profile/180223/kurt-seemar
RetailWire http://www.retailwire.com