The digital consumer is turning conventional marketing wisdom on its head. This fundamental shift in the way that consumers connect with brands means that retailers must evaluate how to create meaningful connections. It used to be that relationships were forged by friendly face-to-face conversations in brick-and-mortar stores. Now, those consumer connections are happening across various channels — telephone conversations, e-commerce websites, mobile devices, blogs, social media sites, in-store.
Beatriz Santin
Retailers everywhere are looking to reach prospects and customers to ensure their products end up under the tree this year. There are many different philosophies on how to achieve this goal, but one consistent requirement is accurate contact data. A recent Experian QAS survey found that 99 percent of respondents waste budget on inaccurate contact data, hurting operational efficiency and communication effectiveness, especially during the holiday rush.
With over 1.4 billion users of email, it's not surprising that businesses are using this channel for more communications. Email is relatively inexpensive and generates a high return on investment, with the Direct Marketing Association estimating a 43 to one return on every dollar spent on email marketing campaigns.
