Page 28 - Communicate

Q1 2018 | X-PERT FILE

at least once every three months. Nearly half
(45 percent) said they do so monthly or more.
Bear in mind that even in developed coun-
tries, where e-commerce is witnessing high
growth, people are still using online as a lead
up to purchase. It is no longer a linear journey;
the journey has become quite complex and omni-
channel, which makes it even more important
to understand the consumer, at what stage they
are, their mindset, interests, behavior and as-
sociated channels to serve the right content at
the right time via the right channel. This also
leads to the fact that consumers are now able to
do their own research online without the help
of any brand or sales-person and therefore it is
only with data-driven relevant content that we
will be able to effectively tap into that phase of
the journey to help influence their decisions and
lead them to our site and/or store.
NO INDUSTRY OR PRODUCT IS EXEMPT FROM
HAVING TO UTILIZE DATA – even a product as
simple as breakfast cereal. Take Kellogg’s for
example. By adopting the Salesforce DMP cross-
channel frequency management, it was able to
manage and allocate ad frequency to individual
consumers, resulting in 1-to-1 personalization
at the right moment and right frequency before
a campaign became ineffective and annoying. you can start small and scale-up in terms of how its audience across channels offering them a
This resulted in saving the brand $20.5 million sophisticated you want to get with putting your more personalized experience delivering on
in wasted video and display spend for an ROI data to practice. their brand message i.e. providing outstand-
of more than 25x. Another big challenge to be mindful of that ing service whether you’re a first time or
Again, why miss being part of this critical affects everything we do online is user experi- repeat traveler.
stage of the path to purchase (PTP) when we ence – a very critical element that drives the Consumers today have an expectation and
simply can? You might not have the e-commerce consumer journey. Looking at some of the biggest the option to get it fulfilled elsewhere, as we
capabilities right now; however, keep in mind e-commerce brands in the region – that should no longer live in an era where consumers are
that you can still use data to influence your cur- be mastering the user interface as it represents forced to choose brands. They simply have ac-
rent PTP and be ready for when it happens. Data the essence of their business – and comparing cess to options all over the world and we are
takes time to build up so, the sooner we hop on, them to some of the global brands out there, the all aware of how accessible these options are.
the further ahead we will be. regional players are behind the curve. What used to protect us in the past is no longer
the case and to protect our share we need to
start taking action.
Last but not least, the one and only way to
effectively use data is by continuously test-
ing, learning and optimizing both content and
user experience. It’s true that sometimes the
starting point can be a struggle. So, keep it
simple, start with a hypothesis based on what
you already know, put it to the test, learn and
make it better.
Data can be intimidating but it’s not new.
It’s been around for a while now and there are
many global brands that are using DMPs ef-
fectively and reaping the benefits.

THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT WITH A DATA-
DRIVEN APPROACH TO MARKETING, EVERYONE
WINS. Consumers get relevant content that
Overall, eMarketer estimates that retail e- Evident in the graph above is that user ex- resonates with their needs; brands connect
commerce sales in the Middle East and Africa perience is a critical component for success. No with the right audience at the right time in
will total $23.33 billion in 2017 and climb to matter how effectively you utilize data, if the their PTP achieving their objectives while
$49.00 billion by 2021. user experience of the destination where users agencies manage their inventories effectively
It’s time to embrace data and start investing are driven to is not up to par, you will lose them. and deliver efficient results. So, let’s not miss
in DMPs and content and if done right the ROI For instance, WestJet was able to save 14 the bus and start prioritizing data and content
will be sweet. I’m not suggesting you start with percent in weekend campaign costs, using the learning from brands that have done it well
all the bells and whistles. The beauty of it is that unified Adobe platform to better understand in other parts of the world.

28 I Communicate