Marketing Strategies: integrating AI/NLP technologies into conversational engagement

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Jardine Cycle & Carriage is a well-known brand in Singapore and Malaysia with a reputation that has been built up over the past 125 years and now serving Singapore, Malaysia Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Myanmar. As a premier automotive dealership on the Malayan peninsula, they have operated since 1899 offering iconic automotive brands like Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Chrysler, Jaguar, Kia, and Citroën brands.

As the tides of technology continue to reshape industries, JC&C, with its clientele spanning the affluent and high-affluent segments, has seemingly embarked on a new transformative journey by forging an innovative strategic partnership with ada to integrate AI/NLP technologies and “redefine the automotive experience”.

Malaysian multinational Telecomms conglomerate Axiata’s ada (analytics, data, advertising), is headquartered in Singapore and Malaysia, and partners with leading brands across Asia to drive their digital & data maturity and achieve their business goals. In sharp contrast to JC&C, they’re a relatively young company vested by Axiata in 2014 and supported by renowned regional brands like Mitsui, Sumitomo Corporation and SoftBank Group. They bill themselves as a leader in digital transformation across Asia focused on automated customer service solutions and data-driven marketing strategies. Serving 12 markets, working with a composable CDP that makes use of best in class components and leveraging tools like Databricks, ada complements its unique digital expertise with deep proprietary data of 375 Million consumers served by over fourteen hundred employees associated with just as many commercial clients. ada have been recipients of numerous awards like the Effie Awards with Gold, Silver, and Bronze accolades for innovative campaigns in multiple markets.

In an article from The Edge Malaysia Weekly, dated July 8, 2019, Axiata Group’s digital advertising arm, ada, unveiled a plan to revolutionize the advertising industry through the strategic use of tech data and innovative business models.

At the time, led by CEO Srinivas Gattamneni, ada aimed to cater to the evolving landscape of digital consumers by providing digital marketing, data science, and platform-building solutions. Backed by Axiata Digital, ada aspired to become the agency of the future, blending data science, consulting, and agency services.

The substantial investments and ambitious goals aimed to disrupt business models and focus on value-driven approaches to shift industry norms. Central to ada’s digital strategy is emphasis on data-driven advertising, leveraging deep consumer insights to deliver targeted and impactful campaigns. By harnessing data from various sources and investing in technology, ada sought to maximize advertising ROI and drive business outcomes for clients. ada anticipated the seismic shift towards programmatic and automated ad buying, albeit with the concomitant challenges of bad actors using technologies like bots to drive activity and commit fraud.

Despite being a young player in the industry, ada’s apparent rapid growth and innovative approach continue to signal its potential to disrupt the marketing landscape as a whole and shape digital futures in marketing.

Their collaboration with JC&C of course will not come without challenges, amongst them those related to data privacy and security as well as compliance with regulatory requirements. Transparency in what data is used and how it is used is essential in maintaining customer trust and so the integration of AI requires careful planning and ethical considerations.

As Cycle & Carriage and ADA continue on their collaborative journey, the fruits of their labor appear to becoming manifest. From enhanced customer engagement to streamlined operations, the impact of AI integration is apparently palpable, Cycle & Carriage leverages ADA’s expertise to implement AI-powered chatbots, personalized marketing campaigns, and data-driven insights, driving tangible business outcomes and setting a new standard for digital transformation in the automotive industry.

Not every organization can be a JC&C nor will they be able to afford a relationship with an agency like ada. It might not even be that relevant given they are a regionally focused player, however consider the following.

Let’s be clear, Pretectum CMDM is not a part of the tech stack in use in this example, we present it, because it demonstrates some great possibilities for any organization. What we would like you to consider, is how any composable CDP that incorporates something like the Pretectum Customer Master Data Management (CMDM) system, could be leveraged to support more personalized engagement with customers through various touch points in marketing, sales, service, and support channels for any organization.

By centralizing and standardizing customer data across departments and systems, Pretectum CMDM enables businesses to have a holistic view of each customer.

This approach allows for better organizational decision-making, enhanced customer interactions, and the delivery of more personalized customer experiences. More specifically using Pretectum CMDM could involve the following strategies to enhance customer engagement:

  • Personalized Marketing Campaigns: By using the centralized repository of customer data in Pretectum CMDM, you can create targeted and personalized marketing campaigns tailored to individual customer preferences and behaviors.
  • AI-Powered Chatbots: Implementing AI-powered chatbots integrated with CMDM data can provide real-time assistance and personalized responses to customer queries across various channels.
  • Data-Driven Insights: Use the comprehensive customer data stored in CMDM to derive valuable insights that can drive strategic decision-making in marketing, sales, and service operations.
  • Enhanced Customer Service: Ensure that all parts of the organization have access to up-to-date, verified, and consented, reliable customer information from the CMDM system, improving customer service interactions and overall satisfaction.
  • Streamlined Operations: By centralizing and synchronizing customer data, organizations can streamline operations, leading to more efficient processes in marketing, sales, and service functions.

By adopting these kinds of strategies with a CMDM platform like the Pretectum CMDM, organizations can enhance their customer engagement efforts across multiple touch points, ultimately leading to improved customer relationships, increased brand loyalty, and better business outcomes.

Enhancing Membership Data Management

The Pretectum CMDM system, as a SaaS offering, ensures robust security and compliance while efficiently managing membership data, facilitating seamless processes such as renewal events, membership segmentation, and integration with other systems, ultimately empowering organizations to enhance member value and drive growth.

Managing membership data efficiently and securely is paramount for organizations across many industries and interest areas.

Software as a Service (SaaS) offerings like that of the Pretectum Customer Master Data Management (CMDM) system offer effective membership data management as a critical capability. Key features and focus areas are security, compliance, storage of personal data, renewal events, segmentation, reporting, and integration with other systems.

Security and compliance are fundamental aspects of membership data management. The Pretectum CMDM system employs robust security measures to safeguard sensitive member information, to keep it encrypted, securely stored, and away from the prying eyes (and hands) of unauthorized users.

This includes encryption techniques, access controls, and support for regular security audits to mitigate potential risks such as data breaches or unauthorized access.

Pretectum’s Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) is a key feature in securing and protecting membership data. It works by assigning users to specific business areas where they have certain levels of permission. These business areas, in turn, have control over data schemas and data itself.

Users are granted access to objects within the Pretectum CMDM platform through a “least permissions” model. This means they only have the necessary permissions to perform their tasks and no more, reducing the risk of unauthorized access or data manipulation.

Access is granted to users via an identifier with an accompanying password for UI access, and the same with a token via API. Users are then further restricted based on a hierarchy of permissions based on their organizational assignment and very fine-grained permissions within that organizational assignment.

All these measures ensure that the right people have the right access, helping to maintain the confidentiality and privacy of your membership data in support of various privacy and compliance regulations that your organization might be subject to, anywhere in the world.

Storing Membership Personal Data

The Pretectum CMDM system efficiently stores membership personal data, including demographic information, contact details, preferences, and aggregated history according to the models (schemas) and grouped datasets according to your organizational needs.

The centralized repository enables organizations to access comprehensive member profiles, facilitating personalized interactions and tailored services. By categorizing data according to membership types or levels, organizations can streamline communication, target promotions effectively, and enhance member satisfaction.

Continuous contact with consent

Managing membership renewal events is essential for sustaining member engagement and revenue generation. The Pretectum CMDM system tracks renewal dates if you maintain them, could be leveraged for sending customers reminders, and ultimately facilitates seamless renewal processes.

Regularised requests to members to update their contact details or to provide consent for the use of their data support the sustainment of a long term membership relationship.

Automated process flows streamline administrative tasks for the back office, reducing manual intervention and minimizing errors. The ability to support integration with your payment processing systems ensures support for uninterrupted membership benefits for members.

Non-Transactional Data Management

In addition to supporting the storage of aggregated transactional data from your various back office systems, the non-transactional aspocts of member data plays a crucial role in understanding member behavior and preferences.

The Pretectum CMDM system could be used to capture non-transactional data such as interest or participation in events, engagement with digital content, and feedback survey results. Analyzing this data provides valuable insights into member interests, enabling organizations to tailor offerings, anticipate needs, and enhance member experiences.

Member onboarding

Efficient member approval processes are vital for attracting and retaining members. The Pretectum CMDM system assists in being able to support the streamlining of membership application procedures through integrations. This allows you to automate validation checks and approval workflows.

Integration with identity verification services ensures the authenticity of member credentials, reducing the risk of fraudulent registrations. Real-time updates enable organizations to track the status of membership applications and promptly address any issues, enhancing operational efficiency and member satisfaction.

Once the record appears in the system, the ability to provide contact data or personal data verification is built-in and can be augmented with requests for affirmation of consent to the use of membership data.

Segmentation and Reporting

Segmentation and reporting capabilities empower organizations to target specific member segments and evaluate performance effectively. The Pretectum CMDM system enables dynamic segmentation based on criteria such as demographics, of other data stored which could include preferences, tastes, and interests.

A powerful natural language search and customizable reporting provide actionable insights into membership trends, retention rates, and revenue generation. By analyzing segmentation data, organizations can tailor membership campaigns, optimize resource allocation, and maximize ROI.

Membership Tracking and Contact Information Management

Tracking member interactions and managing contact information are essential for maintaining accurate member records. The Pretectum CMDM system can be used to store the results of any tracked member interactions across any touchpoints, including website visits, email communications, and social media engagement. Centralized contact management ensures that organizations have up-to-date contact information, facilitating targeted communication and personalized outreach efforts.

The member profile serves as a central hub for integrating with other systems within the organization. Integration with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems enables seamless communication and collaboration between marketing, sales, and support teams. Integration with analytics platforms facilitates data-driven decision-making, enabling organizations to measure performance, track KPIs, and identify areas for improvement. Integration with e-commerce platforms enables personalized product recommendations, upselling opportunities, and seamless checkout experiences, driving revenue growth and member satisfaction.

Effective membership data management is essential for organizations seeking to maximize member value, drive growth, and enhance organizational effectiveness. The Pretectum CMDM system offers a comprehensive solution for managing membership data securely and efficiently in a SaaS environment. By prioritizing features such as security, compliance, personalized experiences, and integration capabilities, organizations can unlock the full potential of their membership programs, foster member loyalty, and achieve sustainable success in the digital era.

Navigating the Customer Experience Landscape

A customer-centric business strives to create a positive, consistent, and memorable customer experience at every touchpoint, which leads to customer loyalty, advocacy, and ultimately, business growth.

Customer-centric businesses foster a culture that prioritizes customer satisfaction and values customer feedback with every employee, from top management to frontline staff, understanding the importance of the customer and their role in delivering exceptional experiences. Such businesses invest in gaining a deep understanding of their customers, including customer preferences, pain points, and behaviors. By using data from systems like the Pretectum CMDM accompanied by customer data insights, they are able to segment their customer base and tailor their products, services, and marketing strategies accordingly.

Such a business offers personalized experiences through personal product recommendations, marketing messages, and interactions to make customers feel valued and understood. Customer feedback is actively sought and used for driving continuous improvement through mechanisms like customer complaints and suggestions, addressing issues promptly, and making enhancements to offerings based on customer input.

Walmart founder, Sam Walton succinctly put it, “There’s only one boss; the customer.” These words reverberate through the hallways of companies that handle consumer data, as they signify the central role customers play in shaping a company’s trajectory. However, it’s essential to understand that customers are not just passive entities; they are active partners in the company’s mission.

A seamless and consistent experience across multiple channels, including in-store, online, mobile, social media, and customer support is important in supporting customers in interacting with the business through their preferred channel, and their history and preferences are accessible to employees across all touchpoints. The end goal is the cultivation of long-term relationships where, rather than focusing solely on short-term transactions, customer-centric businesses aim to build long-term relationships with their customers. This requires understanding that customer loyalty and lifetime value are more valuable than one-time sales.

Shep Hyken, a customer service and experience (CX) expert and keynote speaker and CAO (Chief Amazement Officer) designate of Shepard Presentations, a company that helps organizations create an amazing customer-focused culture suggests that “All of your customers are partners in your mission,” therein underscoring the point that customer data management is not merely about recording transactions; it’s about forging enduring relationships. When customers are seen as partners, the data collected becomes a means to strengthen this partnership, rather than a mere record of transactions.

Such businesses are adaptable and responsive to changing customer preferences and market dynamics. They are willing to pivot their strategies and offerings to meet evolving customer needs and they use metrics and measurements to be customer-centric businesses. They use metrics like Net Promoter Score (NPS), Customer Satisfaction (CSAT), and Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) to measure their success in delivering exceptional customer experiences. These metrics help them to track progress and make data-driven decisions.

Feedback and listening are integral to understanding and meeting customer needs. Actively seek feedback from customers through surveys, social media, and other channels. Demonstrating that you value their opinions and acting on their feedback shows responsiveness and care.

Jeff Bezos, the visionary behind Amazon, recognized that “Focusing on the customer makes a company more resilient.” This recognition links customer-centricity with a company’s ability to adapt to market disruptions. Effective customer data management builds a loyal and adaptable customer base, a strategic asset that can help companies weather various challenges.

This is more generally only achievable by prioritizing transparency and building trust with customers by being honest about product offerings, policies, and pricing. Trust is considered a foundational element of the customer relationship. These all form part of the customer experience (CX).

Customer experience and employee engagement Stan Phelps is the founder of PurpleGoldfish.com, a think tank of customer experience and employee engagement experts based at the Frontier in Research Triangle Park. Phelps highlights an often-overlooked aspect of customer experience: “Customer experience isn’t an expense. Managing customer experience bolsters your brand.” This perspective emphasizes that investing in data management isn’t a financial burden; it’s an investment that enhances the brand’s reputation and fosters customer loyalty.

Founder and CEO of CX Journey Inc., a boutique consulting firm that helps clients ground and frame their customer experience strategies in/via customer understanding, Annette Franz further underscores this by noting that “In a world where products and services are becoming more and more commoditized, customer experience is the only true differentiator.” Your business is likely facing fierce local and foreign competition, your existing customer data is the key to creating customer experiences that will set your brand apart from that of others.

Beyond mere record-keeping, data should be harnessed to identify pain points, improve products and services, and drive innovation, however, the effective use of customer data also necessitates a strategic approach. Your business needs effective strategy and planning, you cannot simply have and use your data. Without a data strategy, the data is rudderless; it may have potential, but it lacks direction.

Coaxing lifetime loyalty from data

Coaxing lifetime loyalty from daily transactions is a multifaceted process that involves creating exceptional customer experiences consistently. Steve Curtin defines Customer Experience Management (CXM) as “The art and science of coaxing lifetime loyalty from daily transactions” This perspective emphasizes the long-term focus of effective data management. It’s not just about short-term gains; it’s about nurturing enduring relationships with customers.

Personalization means tailoring interactions and offerings to match each customer’s unique preferences and history using customer data. You can offer personalized recommendations and promotions by recognizing loyal customers with personalized gestures like special discounts or exclusive access to products can go a long way in fostering loyalty.

Ensuring a consistent experience across all customer touchpoints, whether online, in-store, or through customer support, is vital. Customers should have a uniform experience that aligns seamlessly with your brand’s values and promises. Training and empowering your employees to provide outstanding service is essential for success in this area. Encourage a customer-first mindset throughout your organization, and make resolving issues promptly and fostering positive interactions a top priority. Loyalty programs can help in that they reward customers for their repeat business might include point systems, tiered rewards, and exclusive benefits for loyal customers.

Unexpected discounts, personalized thank-you notes, or small freebies with their purchases can create positive emotional connections that lead to lasting loyalty. After a purchase or interaction, engage in prompt follow-up. This would be in line with American entrepreneur, investor, and computer scientist Larry Page’s mantra, “Always deliver more than expected,” Page is best known for co-founding Google. Doing something like checking with customers to ensure they are satisfied with their experience and trying to address any concerns promptly demonstrates your commitment to their satisfaction.

Help customers understand the value your products or services bring to their lives and assist them in maximizing the benefits and features of what you offer. Building customer loyalty requires a thoughtful, multifaceted approach that prioritizes the customer’s needs and experiences. Dharmesh Shah American entrepreneur, investor, author co-founder, and CTO of HubSpot, advises “Improve the experience, and everybody wins,” this statement encapsulates the essence of customer-centricity. When companies prioritize the customer experience and use data to drive improvements, it benefits not only the customers but also the business as a whole.

If you provide an experience that is both useful, usable, desirable, and differentiated you reinforce the utility, desirability, and differentiation of your products and services and brand as a whole.

In conclusion, effective customer master data management transcends mere record-keeping. It’s a strategic imperative that shapes a company’s ability to deliver exceptional customer experiences. By embracing the wisdom of thought leaders in customer experience and customer management, businesses can navigate the complex landscape of consumer data with a customer-centric approach. In an age where the customer’s voice holds unparalleled power, data is the compass that guides companies toward meaningful, consistent, and differentiated experiences that foster loyalty, drive growth, and empower customers to become brand advocates.