Posts filed under ‘CRM’
More Cloud Based “Monkey Magic” for CRM
On the subject of cloud based monkey business **, I just came across a great article fom MailChimp. Be a Survey Ninja: How to Mashup CRM Data With Your Surveys
The post does address using MailChimp specific functionality in the form of Custom Variables when integrated with a CRM application, but the basic premise is valuable and possible with many other implementations, whether basic or sophisticated. Take every opportunity to segment communication, monitor response, manage messaging accordingly and gain meaningful feed back using the insight of all the variables at your disposal. I still aspire to the idea of starting with a basic set of information about a consumer that is augmented by each and every communication, contact and transaction and this can be further enhanced by responses to market research over time. That could build a richer picture comprised of a comprehensive set of benavioural, attitudinal and descriptive variables to more accurately predict purchase propensity, value, volume and timing.
Many of you will know will already know what a great EMS MailChimp is. I have used many major solutions in this area, but I have always been impressed by MailChimp’s ease of use, affordability, impressive functionality and accessible help and documentation delivered with a chimp chuckle.
I have been impressed by the granularity and flexibility of the statistics generated by MailChimp while collating email statistics to inform online marketing benchmarks for 39 NZ cultural organisations as part of the Optimiser project for Creative New Zealand. The success of MailChimp in the arts in this part of the world is indicated by the fact that MailChimp is used by over half of the Optimiser participants who use an EMS. A significant advantage of MailChimp over comparable offerings is that it has Google Analytics seamlessly integrated in its statistics whch among other things enables the quantification of online activity with tickets sales in both numbers and value. More Monkey Magic 
A notable advantage that MailChimp offers is the success it has had making available an API that has supported integration with a huge variety of different third party software and service vendors. MailChimp supports a great deal of different types of integration by making its API readily available and accessible. It supports a diverse variety of solutions under four main categories:
- CMS
- CRM
- eCommerce
- Mobile
Under the remaining Other category are a large number of different applications such as: SurveyMonkey, Informly, Google Contacts, Facebook, Google Analytics, WordPress, and even ticketing solutions like Eventbrite, University Tickets, Ticketscript and Regtix.
MailChimp supports integration with numerous leading CRM solutions, including (but by no means limited to): Insightly, the open source CiviCRM, Salesforce, Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Sugar CRM, Zoho CRM, and the amusingly titled Less Annoying CRM.
** Did you spot the obtuse reference to sixteenth century Chinese novel Journey to the West by Wu Cheng’en produced for Japanese TV in the 70′s and translated and broadcaast in Australia as Monkey.
4 January, 2013 at 9:20 am Tim Roberts ARTS Australia Leave a comment
CRM – 1, 2, 3 Simple Steps to Engage
Mark Knight founder of Right Chord Music in an article 3 things musicians can learn from brands about Customer Relationship Management suggests that CRM efforts all stem from three goals:
- Identify, attract and win new customers
- Retain existing customers
- Re-invigorate relationships with former customers
It is a nice simple way of distilling the market growth challenge, but I feel that it may go a little light on the product and service elements of CRM.
But if an arts organisation just concentrated on systematically achieving these goals alone they would be miles ahead.
I really enjoyed his Bonus Tip: Get Organised.
Just using a spreadsheet to record your customers but segmented into different constituent relationships (relevant for a musician): Artists, Blogs, Labels, Promoters, Publishers and Radio stations.
He then proposes adding the longitudinal dimension that records and defines a relationship – Contacts: : “When, Why and What”
The amount of organisations I see that have not even got this simple information management in place is saddening.
30 November, 2012 at 1:58 pm Tim Roberts ARTS Australia 2 comments
Are queues really the fairest option we have available in this day and age?
A colleague, Tim Baker posted this article on the Thinkaboutpricing LinkedIn group. Jez Butterworth’s The River prompts fears of rise in paid queuing.
In 2012 it does seem anachronistic that the Royal Court Theatre seems to be supporting the idea that “… the queue is the happiest and fairest medium we have found so far … some things should perhaps be considered sacrosanct.“
For Jez Butterworth’s new play, The River with Dominic West at the Royal Court tickets will only be available to those who queue at the venue on the day of performance. That means no advance booking in person, by phone, by mail or online.
Tourists will be OK as they have time on their hands and it can be a unique new ‘London experience’ – queuing in the rain. Touts will be OK as they can pay people to stand in queue to buy the allowed two tickets and hand them over to touts (or touts will bid to buy) to pass them on to the market with “cost of sale” and profit?
In addition to disadvantaging the disabled, regional audiences will miss out (unless they make an early trip to London on the off chance that they will be lucky for later that day) and it would appear to disadvantage the employed with the two access options only in person at the theatre in queues at 9am and 10am?
I can’t help but feeling suspicious that given it is only a 85 seat studio, the queue is a made to order publicity stunt. It also seems to be a ready made publicity opportunity that the Royal Court Theatre can transfer it to the larger Jerwood Theatre downstairs with 300+ more seats and be seen as the good guys giving everyone a chance to see it.
But, will the existing audiences of the Royal Court see queuing as “fair”, I am sure they will not be “happy” that their previous patronage will account for nought when they try to see what is being pushed as the next ‘must see’ show.
As described this innovative access scheme does not appear to acknowledge or reward valuable relationships like friends, donors and other supporters in the form of sponsors, funders, benefactors, foundations, members and associates? Friends membership includes the stated benefit “exclusive priority booking”, I do hope they also received their other benefit of “priority advance notice” of this policy.
There are three shows ‘sold out‘ already, one month before the show even starts (or ‘bookings’ open), so maybe some lucky ones (255) are being looked after. But again, I would not be “happy” or see it as “fair” if I had travelled down to London to queue that morning to see the show on one of those nights.
20 September, 2012 at 1:36 pm Tim Roberts ARTS Australia 3 comments
Personal data are more like personal odour—involuntary, embarrassing, and best not shared at all.
“The future rock stars of our world will be data analysts.” Dave Coplin, director of search for Microsoft’s Bing
Big Data is seeing huge volumes of transaction data (it has been called “the new oil“) stockpiled and mined from sources as diverse as consumer financial transactions to mobile phone usage and locations to toll charges and so-on
But we are also seeing a variety of reactions that seek to liberate or democratise access to the related personal data. The emphasis is that the individual is responsible for, and in control of, their own personal data.
I have mooted this issue previously in the post Will This Be The Start of CMR as Opposed to CRM?
This is an area we need to monitor to be ready if their is a major change, whether legislatively or politically. And as usual, I would suggest that a responsible and responsive (let alone sensitive) attitude is fundamental when it comes to handling personal data.
In typical form, The Economist adds a humorous twist to the tail end of a dry subject:
A report from the World Economic Forum declared that data locked in servers are like “money hidden under a mattress”. The Ecomomist is is less than piquant with its suggestion that “many people still think personal data are more like personal odour—involuntary, embarrassing, and best not shared at all.“
4 September, 2012 at 10:10 am Tim Roberts ARTS Australia 1 comment
What is it that Customers Really Don’t Want?
Most marketers presume that customers want more “engagement” — interacting as much as possible with them and building relationships. BRW explodes three myths commonly espoused by marketers with research into 7,000 consumers:
MYTH #1: MOST CONSUMERS WANT TO HAVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH YOUR BRAND.
Not everyone wants a relationship with a brand they suggest that, in fact, 77% save that honour for friends and family.
MYTH #2: INTERACTIONS BUILD RELATIONSHIPS.
Nope, shared values build relationships and that is built by clear communication of purpose that smacks of authenticity, not hype.
MYTH #3: THE MORE INTERACTION THE BETTER.
‘Fraid not, there is no demonstrable correlation between interactions and propensity to repurchase.
It makes an interesting wake up call.
31 August, 2012 at 5:53 pm Tim Roberts ARTS Australia 1 comment
You can’t go past behavioural segmentation to develop audiences
Marc van Bree in his blog Dutch Perspective explores Marketing Automation in Performing Arts .
Marc refers to Joseph Jaffe’s book Flip The Funnel which explores customer experience and focusses on customer acquisition, growth and retention.
It is an interesting discussion of systematically developing the oft-forgotten “Tryers” and “Unconverted Trialists” in your customer database using automated techniques.
I am encouraged by the focus on segmentation and in this instance a structured approach to behavioural segmentation.
However he does include a useful warning at the end.
“The point is also not to completely automate all your marketing, push a button and sit back. There should always be room for flexibility.“
2 July, 2012 at 4:35 pm Tim Roberts ARTS Australia Leave a comment
Social Seating or Sacrificing Serendipity?
This is related to CRM, I think?
Turning Seatmates into SeatBuddies
KLM started the trend earlier this year and now other airlines are set to follow.
Before you fly you can select from four flight moods:
- “Business network”
- “easy chat”
- “work”
- “relax”
If you choose either of the first “two sociable options can link their Satisfly profile to their profiles on sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn, so that Satisfly can use information about their hobbies and interests to seat them next to an appropriate co-traveller.“
I thought that one of the comments on the article nailed a larger issue when choosing who will share the row with you … “Which of these four categories of flyers is least likely to be obese?“
The segmentation possibilities are endless when the gate is opened to mine all the data on linked social networking accounts, but it does (as suggested) negate a role for that magical wand of serendipity.
13 June, 2012 at 11:11 am Tim Roberts ARTS Australia Leave a comment
Is CRM Really a Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing?
No I don’t necessarily think so, but to keep mixin’ up the metaphors it is not unlike Field of Dreams with the oft-used mantra “build it and they will come“. Just because you build or buy a CRM at great expense and turn it on does not mean that “… they will come”, let alone continue to come again, more often, with increasing loyalty across the various constituent lifecycles.
As many others suggest CRM is but infomation enabled Relationship Marketing that requires equal investments in strategy, people AND technology.
The reason for my initial question is a recent blog post from Lisa Baxter of The Experience Business Customer Relationship Management: Pulling the wool over our own eyes.
Lisa, I suspect you and I are singing from the same hymnsheet (oops analogy three and counting), but I worry about your vilification of CRM at the start or am I getting the wrong end of the stick (oh oh four).
I think an essential element of a CRM in assisting Audience Development is initiating and then building an ongoing relationship, but an important part of that is trust. Trust is based on mutual respect and organisational actions and tactics must align with that as part of a sustainable long term strategy. The tactics that you mention may be useful components, but as you suggest, on their own with out the coordinated organisational committment that builds trust each and every contact, they are just cheap tricks (and are perceived as such).
CRM like marketing is about managing an exchange of value and that means providing value for both sides, the customer and the vendor. Lisa, the examples you give do seem to be framed to sound “predatory”, but the language does not include the value that such actions may have for the customer (whether prospective, first time, recent or frequent, lapsed or refused and so-on)
Maybe our perspectives are very similar, I agree with you that maybe it is the people and strategy components at fault. A selling orientation is increasingly out of place in this day and age and push marketing is limited by its short term perspective.
I don’t disagree with your ‘platitudes’ that Relationship Marketing may deliver via a CRM: gratitude, helpfulness & empathy, inform, delight, connect and value. In fact, they sound like worthwhile values to aspire to in any initiative.
Yes, retention is the way forward. Retention in all its guises from return attendance to frequency recency and monetary value to upselling, cross-selling and value adds and so-on. But it is a two-way exchange of value that ensures longer term success.
2 May, 2012 at 4:46 pm Tim Roberts ARTS Australia 2 comments
Does Social Media have a role in CRM?
I don’t know, what do you think?
I was asked by a client the other day whether Social Media should have been documented more in a CRM specification. I said that I had presumed so, but when I tried to define tasks or information requirements that overlapped CRM to Social Media a short paragraph seemed to do the job.
I am not diminishing the value of Social Media. But Social Media is about a conversation and the extension of Customer Relationship Management is not Customer Conversation Management.
Listening is more important than talking, preaching or promoting. The latter does not encourage or enhance engagement, listening does.
So back to CRM. I guess you could record a customer’s FB page, twitter account, Linked in page and so-on. But that is just like recording phone numbers, it does not mean you are or will listen to them or learn from them what interests them, excites them, annoys them, even what they think about you and what you do.
I think the missing link is legwork. Sorry for the mixed analogies, but the legwork of listening is essential, whether automated or manual. Listening to Social Media channels may result in learning and provide the trigger for activity. That trigger may be a complaint, compliment, indication of a prospect or a warning of a defector (maybe lapsing subscriber is less inflamatory). Various Social media channels need to be monitored for triggers and when a trigger is identified, a CRM may then assist in managing the customer incident, communication, activity, induction, loyalty, upgrade, re-attraction and other stages of an ongoing, developing and evolving relationship.
Therein lies the challenge, identifying triggers by the action of listening to the multitude of conversations. A CRM can record Social Media identifiers, integration will eventually enable the monitoring of the social media channels for individuals. However, intelligence will be required to be added to that listening to accurately identify triggers for the proactive (even just reactive) management of the relationship.
Then we get to the issue of privacy … oh boy – let’s leave that for another day.
3 April, 2012 at 1:12 pm Tim Roberts ARTS Australia 3 comments
Are Ticketing system providers ever going to facilitate integration with a stand-alone CRM?
Roger spotted this research conducted by Turnkey Intelligence.
For the second time, Turnkey has surveyed 141 sports teams in the: US MLB, MLS, the NBA, the NFL, and the NHL. The findings are summarised in the report The State of Data Systems in Sports & Entertainment.
The study focused on four areas:
- CRM/database management
- Ticketing
- Sponsorship
- Market research
A major issue here and a common refrain in marketing, is the lack of integration between ticketing and CRM, let alone real-time integration.
“The ability to integrate CRM with other systems (ticketing, etc.) is a critical driver of CRM manager satisfaction (or, in many cases, dissatisfaction).“
“Users of both systems identified “uptime”, customization capabilities, and access to an open API as the platform features most important to them/their organizations …Ticketmaster users expressed dissatisfaction with their system’s lack of integration and customization capabilities“
So am I correct that there are no published API’s for Ticketmaster to facilitate integration?
“a consistent theme among respondents was the importance of system integration. Today’s users expect all systems – CRM, ticketing, lead-scoring, merchandise databases, web forms, etc. – to integrate with each other easily and seamlessly, and to enable the clean, simple exportation of data.“
The use of the term ‘exportation’ worries me. Surely these days we are after real two way integration and beyond the ferrying of batches of data between stand-alone systems?
It was interesting to see how well Microsoft CRM rated:
“Microsoft scored relatively well on CRM users’ biggest satisfaction drivers (ease of use, reporting capabilities, and integration with other systems), whereas Archtics performed markedly worse, especially with regard to integration potential.“
Over 70% of respondents use Ticketmaster and Archtics is a Ticketmaster product that they say is an “integrated solution” , yet it appears that users have another opinion. OW!
The article concludes reinforcing the importance of integration:
“Overall system integration, seen as having a direct relationship with increased efficiency and better business, is becoming more important every day. The systems that can continue to adapt to this reality quickly and cost-effectively will gain market share, while more rigid, stand-alone platforms will suffer.“
15 February, 2012 at 4:54 pm Tim Roberts ARTS Australia Leave a comment
