The One to One Consumer Marketing Podcast

”State of B2C Customer Retention” Roundtable with iRobot’s Erin Bonsang, Delivery Hero’s Tobias Lüder, and Voi Technology’s Carl-Adam Markborn

In this special episode, Ben speaks with Erin Bonsang, Head of Owned Channels at iRobot, Tobias Lüder, Head of CRM, Europe at Delivery Hero, and Carl-Adam Markborn, Head of CRM at Voi Technology. Together they discuss the findings of Spectrm's recent survey on the "State of B2C Customer Retention," including how the focus on retention has shifted, how to measure retention success, which channels are more effective than others, the challenge of managing customer expectations, the tech tools each marketer uses, and more.
 
Topics discussed:
The findings of Spectrm's recent "State of B2C Customer Retention" report.
How the focus on customer retention has shifted in recent years, and how that's playing out in strategies at three B2C brands.
How different brands are measuring their retention efforts and how using a global control group helps show the impact on other segments.
Why onboarding is the "unsung hero" of CRM, and how different brands are ensuring they're getting messaging and tone right so they can build that customer relationship.
What channels are seeing success, what channels are in decline, and why it's necessary to adopt a multi-channel strategy.
The challenge of managing customer expectations, and how messaging plays a role in helping customers better understand how to interact with the brand.
What tech tools CRM marketers are using to facilitate retention and how these tech tools can be used to create a unified view of the customer.
What the future of customer retention will look like, especially now that stricter data regulations will impact marketing efforts.
 

Alterra Mountain Co.’s Molly Holmes on How to Build Customer Relationships Through Exchanging Value

Ben speaks with Molly Holmes, Director, CRM Marketing at Alterra Mountain Company, a family of ski destinations and experiences. They discuss Molly's love of data and the importance of using data to drive creative campaigns, why customer relationships are built on an equal exchange of value, and the danger of drowning in too much data. They also discuss the challenges of privacy regulations, effective CRM channels, advice for new marketers, and how AI tools will free up marketers for more orchestration in the future.
 
Topics discussed:
How Molly started her career in economics and studio art, and how she's stayed at the intersection of art and science in her various marketing roles in the ski and hospitality industry, now the Director of CRM Marketing at Alterra Mountain Company.
Why Molly gets excited about data, how it can be used to create impactful campaigns, and why customers are much more comfortable giving their data today.
Why retention and lifecycle marketing is like building a relationship where there's equal value exchange on both sides, and how Alterra Mountain Company goes about providing that value to customers.
Why ways to track via a third party are becoming less reliable and effective, and why many companies are turning to zero- and first-party data instead.
The challenges of data at scale that can easily overwhelm you, and how to create smart, simple campaigns instead.
What channels Molly sees as most effective or that have great potential, including email, apps, SMS, and even direct mail.
Advice to marketers that includes keeping things simple and the importance of measurement.
What the future of consumer marketing will look like, and how AI-powered tools will allow marketers to orchestrate more. 

Quest Diagnostics’ Jordan Womack on Why There’s No Such Thing as an ”Average Customer”

Ben speaks with Jordan Womack, CRM Director at Quest Diagnostics, a leading provider of diagnostic information services. They discuss the unique opportunities to engage with customers in the healthcare space, the value of collecting zero- and first-party data, and why there's no such thing as an "average customer." They also talk about the current state of consumer marketing and where companies are lacking in their tech investments, how CDPs will become one of the most useful tools for omnichannel marketers, and how AI will influence consumer marketing into the future.
Topics discussed:
The evolution of Jordan's career, including what he learned during his time spent managing the loyalty program at Tesco, before moving to Quest Diagnostics as CRM Director.
What Jordan means when he says there's no "average customer," and how to use data to find the connection between signals and behavior.
The importance of collecting zero- and first-party data, and how even asking a few questions through a pop-up can help you create more targeted journeys.
How retention and lifecycle marketing are two disciplines to learn, and the importance of creating great experiences at every touchpoint.
The challenges to consumer marketing in healthcare, and the opportunities to target customers with relevant research and advice to help better manage their health.
Which channels are working best for Quest, and which KPIs they're tracking in order to measure success.
Why the evolution of CDPs is an exciting technology that, when powered by AI, will give marketers the ability to better know and target their customers.
Where consumer marketing will be in five years, and how AI will influence that change.

Building Strategies for Human-to-Human Marketing with Betfair’s Luisa Fernanda Muñoz

Ben speaks with Luisa Fernanda Muñoz, Head of Customer Experience and CRM at Betfair, the world's largest online betting exchange. They discuss the need for human-to-human marketing, and how to build relationships with your customers based on their unique avatar — all while caring for them within the regulations of the gambling industry. They also talk about practices to stay top-of-mind with customers, how Betfair uses AI to suggest next actions, the challenges to CRM, and why you need to be selective with your data.
 
Topics discussed:
Luisa's journey in marketing, from an engineering background, to managing service teams and loyalty programs at El Tiempo Casa Editorial and Samsung, to becoming Head of Customer Experience and CRM at Betfair.
The current state of consumer marketing, and why more companies should be focused on retention and building relationships.
How Luisa thinks about CRM, including understanding different avatars and building a journey for each one, and why the value offer is everything.
How Betfair takes care of their customers by pushing content in a responsible way to stay in line with regulations.
The biggest challenges to succeeding in CRM, like how to stay top-of-mind and to listen to your customers.
How Betfair uses AI in their "betbots" to make next bet offers based on behavioral history.
Advice for marketers on delivering what you promise, building relationships, and focusing on retention.
How, in five years, consumer marketing will use more technology to create better relationships — but tech won't replace those relationships.

Ekimetrics’ William Ferrell on Personalization, Value, and Starting with the Audience

Ben speaks with William Ferrell, Senior Manager at Ekimetrics, a leader in data science and AI-powered solutions. They discuss why brands are losing millions by not getting to know their audience and serving up ads that aren’t relevant, the three things a brand needs for personalization at scale, and why brands should turn to data and connected tech stacks to improve their efforts. They also talk about Colgate's successful Facebook Messenger campaign, the different challenges to customer retention between low engagement and luxury brands, and why the future of marketing will be data-driven.
 
Topics discussed:
The current state of consumer marketing, and why companies are wasting millions of dollars serving up ads that aren't relevant to their customers because they're not getting to know them deeply — despite having the tools to do so.
The challenges to customer retention and loyalty, especially with a low engagement product like toothpaste, and why they made the shift to focusing on building relationships through value exchange.
How Colgate launched a “whitening at home” campaign through Facebook Messenger, which engaged customers through chat and gamified their experiences, resulting in 70-80% engagement rates.
The different approaches to customer engagement between toothpaste and luxury brands, and how despite the in-person focus with luxury, there's opportunity to use data to drive a better experience.
The three pillars of personalization — audience, technology, creative — and why you need these three things to be able to scale.
Three pieces of advice for marketers, including why you should walk in your customers' shoes, why you should focus on getting the audience right first, and why you need to create utility to stand out.
How the future of marketing will continue the digital transformations that happened during COVID, and why data-driven will become business as usual.

Keeping Your Brand Top-of-Mind with francesca’s Amanda Long

Ben speaks with Amanda Long, Director of Retail Marketing at francesca’s, a fashion boutique retailer. They discuss the current state of consumer marketing, including how to use your channels more efficiently, how data and privacy regulations can be an opportunity to learn more about the customer, why predictive modeling is an exciting new trend, and the importance of having retention and lifecycle marketing strategies in place. They also discuss how Amanda first got into marketing by tagging along with her grandmother to wholesale events, advice for marketers just starting out in the business, and the importance of having fun. 
 
Topics discussed:
The evolution of Amanda's career, from tagging along with her grandmother to wholesale events and watching her bring in new customers, to becoming a rep in high school and driving her own business, to her agency work where she discovered a love for CRM, to her current role as Director of Retail Marketing at francesca’s.
The state of consumer marketing today, and why increasing privacy and data laws are simply an opportunity to navigate in order to get to know the customer better.
The importance of retention and lifecycle marketing, and how businesses are leaving money on the table if they don't prioritize those strategies.
The challenge to effective CRM, including using available channels like paid and email as efficiently as you can, and not duplicating efforts.
How Amanda has focused on increasing personalization at francesca’s, including revamping the loyalty program and increasing recognition on the website.
Why predictive modeling is a trend that CRM marketers should be excited about and that can help with personalization efforts.
Advice for marketers that includes knowing what your goals are, not letting perfection get in the way of shipping a good product, listening to your customers, and having fun!

Creating Fresh Customer Experiences with Pressed’s Georgia Price

Ben speaks with Georgia Price, Director, Digital and CRM at Pressed, a leading cold-pressed juice and plant-based snacks brand. They discuss the ways consumer marketing should “treat customers like you want to be treated,” and how Pressed is leveraging data and their various channels, including email and the app, to provide content to both acquire, retain, and reactivate their customers. They also discuss how personalization can be accomplished through more dynamic means, the ways in which Pressed is investing in their data infrastructure, and how there's value in customers being able to choose the channels through which they want to be engaged.
 
Topics discussed:
The common themes Georgia has found in customers across industries, from gaming to ed tech to ecommerce, and why it’s always rooted in wanting to be treated like a human.
How Pressed uses email as a primary retention channel, and has increased CTRs by over 100%, open rates by over 50%, and attributed revenue by 15%.
How Pressed is iterating on its loyalty program to engage more customers beyond initial sign-up, and how they're looking at ways to maximize their app for more targeted engagement as well.
How Pressed is investing in their data infrastructure to unlock customer information they haven't had before, and how they're using that information to create new customer journeys.
The challenges to personalization at scale, and how Pressed is using more dynamic content based on data to better engage customers.
Why there's opportunity in different channels beyond just email, and why the value will come in customers being able to choose through which channel they want to hear from a brand the most.
Advice for young marketers, including advocating for channels you know are working, becoming more data savvy, and embracing the opportunity to work cross-functionally.
 

How Data Drives Relationships and Engagement with Ally’s David Hixon

Ben speaks with David Hixon, Executive Director, Consumer Business and Lending Marketing Strategy and Execution at Ally, a leading digital financial services company. They discuss the ways in which Ally engages with their customers, from the first introductory communication, to why they build relationships before selling on products, to the hyper-personalized experiences they provide on their website and app. They also talk about the challenges to consumer marketing today, especially in the financial services space, how Ally collects and utilizes zero-party data, the importance of retaining your loyal customers, and why success is building relationships with the people around you.
 
Topics discussed:
How Ally centers their marketing efforts on building relationships and trust through conversational communication, and why it's important to them to wait two months before trying to sell on a new product.
The challenges to consumer marketing, especially in the financial services industry, when customer behavior and sentiments are changing daily.
How the marketing team is structured, and how it sits traditional marketers alongside analysts and statisticians to have the "trifecta of what you would want for a good marketing strategy."
Why Ally has retention rates in the high 90%, and why customers of multiple business lines have lower attrition, higher balance growth, and more engagement.
The challenges to consumer marketing, including finding the right product for the right people, and the “conversational choreography” needed to make sure the right customer is getting the right message at the right time.
A behind-the-scenes look at how Ally leverages the data they have about customers to drive its hundreds of trigger campaigns and to create 6,000 unique variations of Ally.com to highly personalize their customers' experiences.
The excitement around using zero-party data to drive better customer experiences through hyper-personalization, and how Ally gathers that data through, for example, their online savings account buckets.
Advice for young marketers, including understanding how important data is to marketing efforts, and how success is about building relationships with the people you work with.

Equifax’s Pamela Shadrick on the Discipline and Possibility of Lifecycle Marketing

Ben speaks with Pamela Shadrick, Senior Director of Retention & Engagement Marketing at Equifax, a credit reporting agency. They discuss the biggest shifts in digital marketing, including more customer centricity, and how despite market changes and challenges, foundational marketing principles will keep you continuing to grow. They also discuss the areas to focus on for increased customer retention, how to scale your personalization efforts, the danger of chasing trends and channels, and why you shouldn't be afraid to challenge the status quo.
 
Topics discussed:
The evolution of Pamela's career, from starting at a time when marketing was just starting to evolve into digital, to her new role at Equifax.
How the biggest shifts in digital marketing included moving from product- or brand-centered marketing to centering on the customer and their journey.
Why, despite what's changing in the market, you should keep the basic principles of marketing — strategy, data, technology, and content — as your foundation for continued engagement, retention, and growth.
How lifecycle marketing is a discipline, and why customer retention needs to focus on drawing customers into a shared purpose and intent, not pushing content at them.
The elements of scaling your personalization efforts, like having the right data, design, channels, and understanding of your customer.
The future of consumer marketing, including the importance of relationships and how human-like AI and robot-like humans will impact that connection.
Three pieces of advice for marketers include having a foundation of marketing principles, not chasing trends, and not being afraid to challenge the status quo.
**Pamela Shadrick appears on this podcast as an individual contributor.  Statements made by Pamela are solely her own and are not intended to represent Equifax or speak on behalf of the company in any way.

Delivery Hero’s Tobias Lüder on Knowing Your Customers, Channels, and Challenges

Ben speaks with Tobias Lüder, Head of CRM, Europe at Delivery Hero, an online food delivery service. They discuss the place of CRM in gaining and keeping customers, and the challenges data privacy regulations — especially GDPR — pose to customer retention success today. They also talk about the different channels Delivery Hero uses and for which purposes, what it's like to be behind the scenes on multiple app migrations, and why marketers need to keep things simple when talking to their customers.
 
Topics discussed:
Tobias's journey in CRM marketing, from starting as a junior and working up to Head of CRM at Delivery Hero, responsible for the European market.
The current state of consumer marketing, where customers are seeking the best deals, fatigued by ads, and not engaging as much with push notifications.
The biggest challenges to CRM today, including how GDPR is changing how marketers need to engage with customers to opt in to emails and notifications.
Why Delivery Hero works with a control group so they can determine how their retention efforts actually impact the company.
The different channels that Delivery Hero uses to engage with and retain customers, and the different content approaches they take for each.
What it's like to work on 18 migrations and rebrandings, how changing the backend of an app changes how you engage with customer data, and why CRM is a crucial tool to get customers to the new app.
Advice for marketers on how to keep their efforts simple, why it's sometimes necessary to not send a message, and the detriment of over-engineering experiments.
What the future of CRM will look like, including how companies will become more human in their interactions with customers.