Guest post written by: Rebecca Smallwood, Digital Gurus resident CRM, Automation and Performance Marketing Recruitment Specialist. It was another fascinating event at the end of July from Interactive Minds, with Joseph Park, former Global Chief eCommerce Officer for Mattel (think Barbie, Hot Wheels etc.) The topic was the challenging, but ever desirable, strategy of mass customer personalisation for a brand; where to start, what obstacles you will face and how to achieve set targets and outcomes. Not only has Joseph got an impressive resume, but his knowledge and passion for the space shines through as he walked the audience through just how a massive, and very established, business like Mattel made the transition from traditional toy manufacturer to a global, digital first business that has developed hyper-personalised communications with their customers. Joseph described the increase in the relevance of an online presence, but not only that; the shift in how mobile has become an absolute priority to audiences; if you aren’t mobile, you may as well not be online. This isn’t just for big businesses to take heed from, even smaller brands should be ensuring that their email communications are at least mobile friendly. So, with online shopping pushing the physical stores attendance numbers down year on year, how is a brand going to really embrace the online revolution to ensure their market place is not replaced by the new kid on the web? Joseph used the brilliant example of “Chewbacca Mom” – give it a watch if you have a few seconds, I guarantee it doesn’t disappoint. This piece of user generated content was able to completely change the game for Kohl’s (a US retailer) and overnight broke the record for the most watched Facebook Live video – EVER. Kohl’s quickly used this opportunity with this unlikely viral sensation, by turning up at her house and videoing her family receiving a bunch of free Star Wars toys, more Chewbacca masks and $2,500 worth of Kohl’s gift cards. Then used this content to push out across all of their social channels, utilising the customer generated content to personalise the audiences brand experience. When it comes to personalisation and moving into the digital space; there are few examples as impressive as Mattel’s. With its founding in 1945, it would be understandable to see the brand go the way of George the Giraffe (Toys ‘R’ Us), but they have moved with the industry and not only kept up with more modern competitors but are also spear heading the way forward too! Joseph’s case study on Hot Wheels for example; they embraced social media, producing videos that gain over 527 million views in the past 12 months, with 94% of that created by fans! What are the hot tips on personalisation from Joseph then? After all, we can’t all be the Netflix and Spotify’s of the world:
  • Take the time to do a digital health check - are your legacy systems holding you back?
  • Find the right partners to become a more digital 1st organisation
  • Create experiences that get your customer excited
  • Be authentic; consumers know when they are being marketed to
  • Be smart with your data – utilise what you know to build a strategic marketing plan and stick to it
If you want to continue the discussion, connect with Rebecca on LinkedIn today.