DCA
EQUALITY FOR ALL Customers now have much higher expectations, with 61 per cent wanting answers to their questions within 2 hours. Quality of service and understanding customers was a mantra echoed in several debates. Customers in vulnerable circumstances need reasonable adjustments to standard services and support. 53 per cent of the population could be in a vulnerable circumstance at any one time and 25 per cent of the UK population is living with a disability. Businesses must appreciate their customers’ situation and recognise their needs.
Elaine Lee explained that we need to “change the perspective – stop looking from the inside out at your customers and look from the outside in. If you can’t do that honestly and with independence, then bring in help. Failing to respond to customer needs affects financial performance”.
BE CUSTOMER CENTRIC David Lockwood from Te Tapestry Agency with client Lauren Juster, sales & marketing director at Biscuiteers, echoed the sentiments above, urging delegates to “think customer, not campaign and put people at the heart of your marketing strategy”. Tey reflected that customer data enables companies to answer business questions, make decisions with greater confidence, have greater control over the marketing budget and to be more adaptable and responsive to change.
Victoria Betts from Unbound Group and Chris Simpson from More2, stressed the importance of delivering a truly personalised, consistent customer experience, having ‘conversations’ with customers rather than just broadcasting.
Using behavioural segmentation (but not over- segmenting) can find clusters of similar customers and ensures a relevant experience is delivered to the best customer groups. ‘Use data to tell you what NOT to do’, said Victoria, such as offering discounts or other promotions to customer segments who would buy anyway, or trying to reactivate customers who aren’t really lapsed (they are infrequent, not disloyal).
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A key message reinforced was that agility to adapt is vital, ability to change key messaging to suit the economic climate. Listening to customer service calls to understand the customer’s issues is very helpful.
THE POWER OF WORDS Good copywriting was agreed to be of paramount importance by several speakers. Te team at Optimizon showed how to add instant pzazz to online listings. Tey suggested:
• Use an active tone of voice • Tink of just one person when you write
• Start with a verb and avoid staring with A, Te, Tis
• Lead with the benefits, (what problem it will solve) and support with a feature
• Choose short words, which engage the limbic brain responsible for emotional response.
• Decrease the words and increase their power.
SUSTAINABILITY Greg Selfe, founder of Nero Carbon explained that the European paper industry has set an ambitious target of a 90 per cent recycling rate by 2030. He urged cataloguers to choose lower-carbon paper products, use carbon balanced printers, and ensure that printed materials are 100 per cent recyclable.
Other sustainable ideas from panel discussions included Boden’s “Care, repair, re-wear” offer to customers for worn out jumpers and passing waste products to charity. Participants noted that even small changes in mailing piece design can impact on costs, such as adding a handle to outer packaging. Using branded tape and labels instead of bags reduces packaging costs without compromising on branding visibility.
As one delegate summed up “Te networking over teas and coffee is just as valuable as the sessions. It’s so great to be back. “
Tanks to all our speakers and panellists for making this years’ summit such a success.
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