Personalization in communications is not new. Direct marketers have used it in direct mail since the first computers and printers were used for marketing in the mid-twentieth century. Today, variable data printing technologies mean that marketers can personalize every word of a direct mail package, from outer envelope to letter, brochure and response device. Email marketers have had the same option since email’s first day.

Today, personalized email or direct mail communications don’t seem optional. Yet many marketers that use personalization often report poor results. So, what has held personalization back?

Marketing has changed immensely over the last decade. Primarily, customers now expect to interact with brands the same way across different channels. This poses a problem for the traditional marketer targeting a single channel. Marketers need to adapt and refocus their aim on a specific audience but across ALL channels. From websites to in-store visits to mobile apps, customers want to have the same experience of that company across the board. So how do you change? Going from one channel to multiple has to be hard, right? Actually, it’s an easier adjustment than you think. Here are 10 skills that can help make your transition simple.

Ecommerce tools have made it easier than ever for businesses to create and manage loyalty programs. But creating a quality loyalty program is not as easy. Sure, a store can create a program that offers points or deals to frequent customers, but the question remains — is the loyalty program serving its true purpose? That is, does it engage customers and give them a reason to keep coming back?

According to the COLLOQUY Loyalty Census, the average American household is enrolled in 29 separate loyalty programs — yet they only actively participate in about 12. With more choices than ever available to customers, it's critical to create a loyalty program that actually incentivizes each person to participate. 

Read on to learn four ways you can create a successful loyalty program.

In a noisy digital world, it's more challenging than ever to engage with customers, give them a positive experience and cement a lasting brand-customer relationship. Consumer behavior has changed — and now most customers prefer companies that understand who they are as individuals.

Years ago this would have been nearly an impossible ask. But with the advancements in marketing technology, it takes less time, effort and manpower to understand who your customers are. Read on for three ways marketing technology can help improve your customer relationships.

Marketing and communications are in a rapid pace of ongoing transformation. Not only is that transformation from offline to digital, it is also growing beyond its traditional role. What was once made up of direct marketing, sales promotion and PR has now grown to include augmented and virtual reality, messaging bots and artificial intelligence. Marketing is shifting from “demand generation” to focusing on user experiences. One of the more recent aspects of the user experience is the focus on personalization. The task becomes: how do we leverage data to deliver individualized experiences that create value for that specific person — without crossing the line and abusing data at the expense of that person’s privacy?