CustomMade.com Maker Emails. CustomMade (@CustomMade) helps connect skilled artisans (“Makers”) with CUSTOMERS to enable one-of-a-kind creations. In addition to using video to share amazing Maker stories, CustomMade keeps CUSTOMERS informed of their Maker’s progress via photos and email updates.a The transparent process transforms SEEKERS into PROSPECTS, SUBSCRIBERS into CUSTOMERS, and everyone into FANS and AMPLIFIERS of this company dedicated to handcrafted quality.
The notion of marketing as a service resonates across the full spectrum of proprietary audiences as well as Paid, Owned, and Earned Media. And it also puts you in a great position to tackle the second tenet of The Red Velvet Touch: Honor their unique preferences.
2. Honor (The Red Velvet Throne)
Picture a king or queen on their throne, scepter in hand, bejeweled crown in place while all of their subjects hang on their every word. That is the world your company operates in today—only you’re not the one in charge.
Thanks to Internet-powered mobile and social channels, consumers stormed the castle and assumed the throne long ago. With a smartphone in hand, consumers now walk into your office, restaurant, or store with access to more information about your business than even your sharpest salesperson.
We keep our consumer lords and ladies happy by honoring their individual preferences. This eliminates the feeling that they’re merely a faceless number to your company and increases the potential for positive word of mouth. And we do this by leveraging both technology and data to deliver personalized experiences in all of our Owned Media channels. Examples today include:
Beyond the Rack’s Mass Mobile Personalization: The fast-growing flash sale retailer leverages SUBSCRIBER interests, purchase behaviors, and real-time inventory to serve up content to its mobile shopping app and emails that’s not only tailored to each individual but also assured to be in stock. This boosts the SHOPPER’s sense of urgency as well as sales.
Scholastic’s Product Recommendations: Proving an old dog can teach you new tricks, the nearly century-old bookseller leverages a recommendation engine to help personalize SHOPPERS’ website and email product recommendations based on whether they’re a teacher or a parent.5
The Weather Channel Mobile App: The latest iteration of the Weather Channel’s (@WeatherChannel) award-winning app lets SUBSCRIBERS map driving routes and pushes National Weather Service (@usNWSgov) alerts to your home screen based on your exact location.
The Honor tenet is really the realization of the vision set forth by Don Peppers (@DonPeppers) and Martha Rogers (@Martha_Rogers) over 20 years ago in their seminal book, The One-to-One Future. However, if the past two decades have taught marketers anything, it is that technology alone cannot transform mass media mentalities into customer-centric thinking. It takes people with:
1. Vision to chart a course toward one-to-one marketing programs.
2. Accurate consumer data that’s put to timely use.
3. Technological acumen to select and integrate the right marketing software solutions to provide truly personal brand experiences.
As I said earlier, Big Data isn’t big if it’s wrong or unused. The coming years will only increase the ease with which you can truly deliver on the promise of The One-to-One Future. The only question is whether your company has the discipline and respect for each consumer’s express permission and preferences to make that future a reality.
3. Deliver (The Red Velvet Theater)
The third tenet of The Red Velvet Touch calls to mind a classic theater filled with gold trim, ornate furnishings, and red velvet seats. I’m fortunate here in my hometown of Cleveland, that I can visit Playhouse Square (@PlayhouseSquare) to see no fewer than five such theaters, each with its own personality. No matter the theater, however, the audience always expects to see the show they were promised. All audiences come to have their expectations met—or better yet, exceeded.
All audiences come to have their expectations met—or, better yet, exceeded.
To achieve your PAD Goals, your company must meet or exceed the expectations you’ve set with each proprietary audience. This is no small feat. We live in an age where local customer service outrage—regardless of its legitimacy—can generate international headlines.6 Accordingly, you would be wise to regularly reassess whether you are delivering timely, relevant content that improves people’s lives.
That “improvement” could be a coupon, your latest promotional flyer, or an entertaining video. The key is that it meets or exceeds expectations; if it doesn’t, you stand to lose SUBSCRIBERS, FANS, and FOLLOWERS over time. Some great examples of brands over-delivering to their audiences today include: