Saturday 19 May 2012

Removing the Blinkers in Channel Selection

Today's individuals communicate in a variety of ways, phone, email, text, social networks and even physical mail sometimes - honest!


So why would we only engage with them in one way?

I spent some time with an on-line grocery retailer yesterday talking about their email marketing programmes, and in particular about that very important second and fifth order and reactivating lapsed customers. (The second starts to get them into the habit, but the fifth means they are hooked..unless the retailer really messes it up)

It came as a real shock to them when I suggested direct mail as a way of reactivating customers who hadn't shopped with them for a while.

Now of course ideally, as a lot of the ongoing communication between e-tailer and customer takes place via email, this would seem the natural method to re-engage a lapsed customer. Not always true. It may very well be that the initial purchase was itself brought about by a piece of direct mail, so why not use this method again in particular if they are a high value customer. It's at least worth a test after trying possibly cheaper methods.

And lets not forget the actual physical delivery itself. I took delivery this morning of some groceries from Ocado. And in that was a catalogue for Boden, a brochure for Sheila's wheel and another for The Times . In terms of their targeting ..spot on! But where was the offer for my next Ocado delivery? Anyway, at least they recognised the 'free' opportunity that the delivery provides.

ps - did you see my Peapod post ?

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