Time to get on the CRM Train
Time to get on board the CRM train
Platform: Internet | Author: Editorial | Source: NMA magazine | Published: 09.09.04
http://www.nma.co.uk/Articles/Article.aspx?liArticleID=990&bPrinterFriendly=true
Not only is the opportunity for online consumer research being gravely under-utilised, it’s now a secure option that’s starting to prove its worth as a money-saving alternative to traditional methods. For customers who have invested in developing interactive Web sites under the objective of creating a one-to-one dialogue with the consumer and built up a database of customer information, it’s relatively easy to define who are your best and most…
loyal customers by the simple metrics of recency, frequency and spend. These customers by definition have an affinity with your brand and with little or no incentive will give you their honest opinion. Up to this point clients are generally responsive to the concept but then the doubts start to creep in. What about security? What happens if our opposition get onto the panel? These questions are easily addressed through careful data selection, secure access, control questions, in-built sanity and validity checking, and cross-checking. We’re only talking numbers of 500 to 1,000 to get to a truly representative response and if there are any doubts in the responses these kind of numbers are easy to interrogate. Online research isn’t commissioned, it can just happen. No late-evening meetings when half the panel doesn’t turn-up, major cost sign-off or travel are required. Questions can be intelligently asked with multiple ways to respond. Images can be easily uploaded. A quick email to your loyal customers and youre off - all to get instant results. However, as with so many opportunities that are tarred with the scary brush of CRM, the natural reaction among so many marketing departments who talk a good game but fear change or apparent risk, the work ends up in next month’s, year’s or century’s budget. Despite fear, ignorance and the pressures of juggling a budget, CRM is an unstoppable train that everyone will have to get on at some point. Online consumer research is just one of the many opportunities that it presents and another one that needs to be beaten into the brains of our clients.
Sam Brownfield
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