Macy Lambert
An internet user sees more than 1700 banner ads each month. Therefore, it’s no wonder that consumers get easily annoyed and end up snubbing these advertisements with a cold shoulder. In this highly fierce and oversaturated market, every brand is striving hard to stay ahead of the game when it comes to resonating with their target audience and selling their products.
Today customers are more tech-savvy and well-informed; they expect personalized experiences, not just shoddy adverts. Brands that leverage data-driven marketing campaigns to create a highly personalized experience can see an 19% increase in sales. Highly targeted communications can result in lasting customer loyalty and more revenue.
According to a small business expert and internet pioneer Susan Solovic,
We live in a high-tech world, yet consumers crave high-touch. They are tired of their calls being answered by Silicon Sally, and they want to be recognized as human beings, not a username and password or account number. Personalized marketing gives customers a sense of identity. They cease to be one of the masses, and instead become an individual with unique wants and needs. Consumers tune out mass marketing because they are bombarded by it everywhere. A personalized message that is relevant is much more likely to attract their attention and to seem more credible.
The challenge for brands is to tailor their marketing efforts in a way that seems real and delivers greater value to their customers according to their needs and wants. But the question remains, how.
According to a recent study conducted by Epsilon , 80% of consumers prefer to buy products from a brand that offers personalized experiences. Personalization is all about expediency. When the service or product is tailored for customers and meet their needs, it will definitely make your brand stand out from the rest.
To better understand how personalized marketing works and how your digital marketing agency can create bespoke messages for your customers to attract their attention and appear more authentic, here are three creative examples of brands that are personalizing their marketing efforts to earn their customers’ trust and give them the sense that they matter the most to their brand.
Amazon
Amazon is an ecommerce giant that struggles hard to invest in the most upcoming technologies to create more value for their customers. The brand has made incredible personalization advances by harnessing the power of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and predictive analytics. Its product curation and recommendation algorithm is a great example of personalized marketing. The algorithm is based on a users’ purchase history – the items they have searched for, rated, liked, reviewed and purchased.
The recommendation engine that is powered by deep learning technology carefully monitors each customer’s purchasing habits and gives them the appropriate product suggestions, according to their needs. These personalized recommendations improve the overall lifetime value of their customers while generating more sales.
Amazon reported an 29% increase in their sales which is infallible proof that personalization is not only an effective technique to build trust, but it can drive more sales as well.
I personally love Amazon because it knows me. Amazon has shown that it understands me, comprehends what I want before I know I even want it, and it builds trust and saves me tons of time by presenting me with only the things that I’ll like. This is why anytime I think about making an online purchase, I think Amazon!
Cadbury
Cadbury, the second largest confectionery brand in the world never ceases to create fun and engaging marketing campaigns to increase their market value and connect emotionally and personally with their customers.
In this campaign, the brand wanted to promote the idea of chocolate as a gift. They created an integrated social video marketing campaign, using Idomoo’s personalized Video as a Service, (PVaaS) technology. In this campaign, users can automatically create a personalized video incorporating the images and names fetched from their Facebook profiles. Users can create this personalized video by linking the landing page of Cadbury Glow to their Facebook profile and entering the phone number of the gift recipient. The recipient can view the video when they receive a gift box of Cadbury Glow chocolate, by submitting their phone number to the Cadbury Glow page.
This personalized video marketing campaign is indubitably an out-of-the-box example of personalized marketing that performed well. According to Mobile Marketer, “With the implementation of personalized video, this Cadbury campaign obtained a 65% click-through rate and a 33.6% conversion rate.” This type of personalized marketing effort will not only create strong customer engagement but also establish a strong, positive and memorable impression.
Starbucks
Starbucks, one of the largest coffee chains in the world, successfully keeps their customers engaged by placing more emphasis on personalized experiences. Starbucks’ app capitalizes on customers purchase history; for instance, the type of coffee they usually like, the time they prefer to drink, and the Starbucks outlet they frequently visit, in order to create highly personalized discount offers and coupons.
The company customer loyalty program and Starbucks Rewards feature allow customers to make a purchase at Starbucks store and earn Gold status for a year. By earning a Gold Card, customers are eligible to get exclusive perks such as Double-Star days.
Starbucks strategically latches on to personalized marketing to not only build a lasting relationship with their customers but to increase the average volume per restaurant which eventually boosts their sales.
It’s Time to Get Personal
The main purpose of personalized marketing is to let your customers know that you value them and are paying attention to them. In order to gain their trust, your digital marketing agency should do diligent research, planning, and testing before taking any customization initiative. Putting yourself into the shoes of your customers can help you create a more delightful and personalized experience based on their interests, needs and buying behavior. Incorporating an element of personalization in your marketing efforts can improve your brand perception while increasing conversion rate and eventually sales down the road.
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