Personalization

The age-old belief for retailers was that the longer customers spent in your store, the better. But in today’s world of instant gratification, consumers are looking to streamline almost everything — including shopping. This means that retailers must find ways to shorten transactional time while enticing consumers to spend more time engaging in the in-store…

We’ve all heard the advice: meet customers where they are. But what does that actually mean for modern marketers? Years ago, this strategy was fairly easy to execute as brands could focus on a handful of channels (e.g., billboards and direct mail) and retain loyal customers. Today, the marketing landscape is far more complex. Customers…

Influencing consumer decisions is a priority for retailers, and in this quickly growing digital age it’s becoming more important to understand how and where to target them. Already, consumers’ every click is being tracked to see what products they like and dislike. And yes, that means even you're being followed. So how do retailers track…

Personalization is arguably the hottest trend in digital marketing, and it seems to be a topic in nearly every marketing-related conversation. Everyone recommends that marketers look for ways to personalize their websites, content, advertisements, and interactions. Marketers need to understand the importance of customization with today’s consumers. Consider the following: According to 59 percent of…

By 2020, customer experience (CX) is expected to overtake both price and product as the key brand differentiator. This is critical for retailers to understand, as consumers today aren’t willing to compromise on either personalized experiences or security measures, especially when it comes to their personal data. Here are some ways that retailers can leverage…

In episode 210 of Total Retail Talks, Executive Editor Joe Keenan interviews Daren Hull, chief customer officer of Vera Bradley, a women's quilted luggage, backpack, and accessories retailer. Listen in as Hull discusses why Vera Bradley has recently invested in a customer data platform (CDP), his goals to democratize access and utilization of customer data throughout…

Recently I spoke at IRCE about personalization. The conference organizers asked me to address “advanced applications of personalization technology and its results, keying in on the more advanced applications of personalization technology most consumers won’t immediately recognize as 'personalized,' but that drive positive outcomes.” Their request was understandable. We're learning more and more about how…

In 1998, economist B. Joseph Pine II wrote that the world of retail was changing. He noted that the service economy was coming to an end, soon to be replaced with an economy based on memorable experiences and shared events. Now, over 20 years later, the "experience economy" has moved from an academic theory into…

There's a lot of research covering how specific personalization tactics have driven return on investment, but what about quantifying the cumulative effect of personalization across the customer journey? In our most recent Ecommerce Quarterly, Monetate’s researchers analyzed more than 1 million online shopping sessions across our retail customers. The goal was to see whether a…

Retail strategist Carl Boutet discusses the cultural and technological transformations retailers must make to create personalization and consistency across physical and digital platforms. Here's an exclusive interview I conducted with Carl Boutet. Anna Vander Wall: ​Tell us about your career path and what led you to retail. Carl Boutet: ​My formal retail career path started…