Data Strategy
May 10, 2024
Now more than ever companies need to be proactive with customer data instead of reactive. It is no secret that every industry is constantly changing. And these days, change feels never-ending. In our post-pandemic world, we are realizing more than ever the importance of being ahead of the curve rather than behind it, and how we can better prepare for the next unexpected bump in the road. During our Digital Velocity ‘22 we broached this topic with our partners and customers alike to see how they were trying to stay ahead of the times and why it is so important.
Embrace these three ways to be proactive with customer data and help your company be ahead of the game rather than running behind.
Figure Out Ways to Keep Making Progress
From our Healthcare Digital Velocity, Elizabeth Boudrea, the International Head of Healthcare Workforce Development at AWS shared her advice for making sure to never stop moving. Part of being proactive with customer data is not letting roadblocks slow you down, which is exactly when it’s hardest to keep moving forward.
“Decide what you’re going to do [with your customer data], what you want to prove, and then accelerate decision making. Don’t get stuck, don’t do analysis paralysis. Start somewhere, do an iteration, do a small pilot. You’ll learn something from it. Then you expand, and that’s what we like to do.”
– Elizabeth Boudrea, International Head of Healthcare Workforce Development, AWS
Watch the rest of our session with Elizabeth here!
It is very easy to feel stuck in the gridlock of company politics and rules when unexpected disruptions occur, just do not stop moving. Even if you are taking small, barely perceptible steps, a step is a step is a step. Slowly work toward your goal and things will get done.
Millin Shah of UPS agrees with Elizabeth that these changes will be difficult, however going slow and keeping moving is the key to enacting change.
“Go slow and do as much as you can. Find use cases [for your customer data], go around the organization and try to see what the organization wants. Get some early wins, build some pipelines across your digital stack. Start collecting some data. Start creating your unified ID, your people graph, or people based audiencing, and see where you go.”
– Milin Shah, Digital Experience – Insights & MarTech, UPS
Watch the rest of our session with Milin here!
Having the tech stack to support your customer data efforts for innovation will show your team and your company the real benefits that a CDP can have, especially when times are straining. Collecting customer data and acting on it roots your organization in fact rather than feeling and makes success faster and easier to achieve.
Create a Roadmap for Where Your Company is Going and Your Customers Are Headed
Predicting your customers future needs and desires will help you plan for where your company should be headed when the roadmap isn’t clear. The way forward is through your customer data – it holds all the directions you need! Michael Davis at Shift Paradigm explains how they’ve been proactive with customer data to create trusted customer experiences.
“We start to build audiences where we have some predictability and modeling that really kind of helps us act in a very forward-thinking way. Getting less reactive and more proactive based on how people are behaving. And the fun part is, of course, the ability to speak to people within the brands that they’re used to, instead of having this overarching like one-size-fits-all message. You find a place where these people are comfortable and have trust built, and we can communicate within those lines of business.”
– Michael Davis, Corporate Strategy Seat, Shift Paradigm
Watch the rest of Michael’s session here!
Be proactive with customer data to learn from your customers. Learn what they enjoy and what they do not. Learn what they want and then use that to innovate before there is the demand. Be the leader in your industry instead of following in the footsteps of others. Trying times can also be times of opportunity, if you use the moment correctly! Using a CDP to build customer profiles and see what areas of your business are most successful and what areas need improvement will fast track your success.
Create a Calm and Capable Work Environment
Always feeling behind the ball creates a work culture that is no longer pushing boundaries, but merely attempting to meet them. Plan for the future, and your present will improve.
“We transformed the workplace from something that felt really reactive where the house was always on fire to something that felt like we had built a fireproof house and we could be a lot more strategic and intentional about the decisions we were making. The work around audience performance management is a big piece of that; giving people the ability to impact the world is a big deal. If we can give them those tools we’re really empowering something super cool and that’s fun to be a part of.”
– Greg Hershey, Director of Marketing Analytics, Otter Products
Watch the rest of our DV session with Greg Hershey at Otter Products!
Stop trying to put out fires. Instead, get the right people and the right technology that will set you up for success. Be proactive with customer data. Having Tealium’s CDP and amazing customer support in your corner will help you lighten the load.
Using these steps to be proactive with customer data in times of unexpected tumult will help you respond proactively toward success and opportunity instead of reactively toward fear and failure. Knowing who your organization’s customers are and how they interact with your company will allow you to make informed decisions. For more on how these amazing innovators are changing the world with Tealium watch our Digital Velocity ‘22 series!
