People like to be recognised – whether that is at work, at home or when interacting with a brand. We not only like to be recognised but many of us, at least at the consumer level, have come to expect it. Yet, many brands still struggle to deliver the ‘one-to-one’ engagement that we have come to expect.
Marketers have arguably never been in a stronger position to prove they understand their customers and can recognise and reward them with relevant experiences at the right moment. Recognising your customers will make them feel valued and create a relationship based on more than just a transaction – encouraging them to engage further with your brand. Techniques such as segmentation are being used to varying degrees, but there is significant room for improvement to give customers something a little different.
Customer data is an invaluable source to understand and recognise each interaction an individual has with your brand. However, in a recent commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Collinson, it was found that only 30% of brands are personalising offers or communications based on customer interaction data. And personalisation in areas such as content on the website or in physical locations, product recommendations or reminders and alerts simply isn’t happening, with as little as 5% of brands doing this at an individual level.
This is far from the ideal customer experience that is going to drive loyalty with the time-poor, choice-rich customer who expects recognition. While some brands are intending to address their shortcomings, with 65% stating that delivering more personalised experiences is a high or critical priority in the next 12 months, many companies need to raise their game to recognise and retain their customers by utilising more dynamic personalisation.
