'Staying current with ever-changing tech trends is now de rigueur for any modern marketing executive. One of the first things Jim Lyski did after becoming CMO of CarMax in 2014 was to go on a “digital safari” to Silicon Valley with the company’s new CIO and other senior executives. They spent three days meeting with leading tech and venture capitalist firms, getting up to speed on emerging technologies.
“Google is happy to show you not only what they’re doing but what they’re going to concentrate on over the next year,” Lyski says. “Facebook, Adobe, Oracle and IBM Watson will do the same thing. If you’re not talking to the experts that are reshaping our industry, you’re missing the boat. This industry changes at breakneck speed. If you don’t put in the effort to stay abreast of everything, you’ll blink and be left behind.”'
https://www.adweek.com/digital/4-keys-cmos-should-consider-as-they-transform-their-organizations-and-themselves/
Sales is no longer a door-to-door business; you don’t get to ring the doorbell and tell customers they need you anymore. Now, they’re coming to your door, and if they don’t like what they see, they move on. So, how do you ensure they see the value in what you offer?
You have to understand their expectations not just of your offerings, but of their entire experience with your brand — from discovery to customer care. That means that “sales” can no longer stand apart from “marketing” or “service.” These silos must converge and create a continuous, intelligent customer experience (CX). Read on for steps you can take toward meeting and exceeding customer expectations.
http://customerthink.com/4-ways-of-exceeding-customer-expectations-through-intelligent-cx/
For new business owners, establishing brand awareness, launching new products and standing apart from competition is no easy task. Marketers at emerging brands are inherently time poor and often operate on shoestring budgets, so breaking into crowded markets and reaching consumers is a considerable challenge. Hiring marketing staff or third-party advertising agencies is an expensive investment and a luxury for most SMBs, so how can new brands make a big splash given their limited bandwidth and resources?
http://multichannelmerchant.com/blog/5-ways-new-brands-can-use-the-voice-of-the-customer/
“Your focus needs more focus,” urged the martial arts master, played by Jackie Chan, in The Karate Kid remake. The same could truthfully be said about any of our businesses. Focus is difficult to achieve and maintain. It requires constant diligence and discipline.
We could all learn from the experience of Phononic, the developer of solid-state cooling solutions used in a variety of applications and industries. Founded in 2009 and headquartered in the Research Triangle Park area of Durham, NC, this private company has been named a CNBC Disruptor 50 (twice!) and was just recognized for account-based marketing innovation at the #FlipMyFunnel conference, where I first met them. As a company who is just beginning to take their technology out of the lab and into the market, focus is everything.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jenniferdavis/2018/09/10/5-ways-to-focus-on-the-buyer-and-their-journey/#10360c177c53/
Everybody is talking about customer experience (CX), but like many other hot industry terms, it can mean different things to different people. I like the Wikipedia definition: “Customer experience (CX) is the product of an interaction between an organization and a customer over the duration of their relationship. This interaction is made up of three parts: the customer journey, the brand touchpoints the customer interacts with, and the environments the customer experiences during their experience.”
Marketing definitely has a significant role in supporting each of these components. But the old adage that marketing gets the customer and customer service keeps the customer is overstated. A reputation for great service can help the company get customers and marketing has an important role in keeping them.
http://customerthink.com/7-ways-marketing-can-boost-your-cx-performance/
Are you struggling with customer retention? Maybe looking for a way to improve customer loyalty?
Establishing a good relationship with customers can be difficult, especially for car dealers, when generalizations and stereotypes tell customers to be leery of anything you say.
Here are 10 ways you can reverse these stereotypes and strengthen your relationship with customers.
http://www.dealermarketing.com/a-10-step-customer-retention-primer/
When Connie O'Brien became chief marketing officer at U.K.-based Tungsten Network in 2016, the company's awareness was largely limited to Europe. Its marketing was pretty much confined to investor relations.
O'Brien was tasked with building a marketing machine from the ground up.
http://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy-columns/b2b-storytelling-a-modest-budget/311423/
Are you still guessing or assuming that your customers are pleased with your service or that you are meeting the expectations of the relationship?
Really??
Here’s a quick review of the basic requirements to build, deliver and align yourself with your customers' expectations:
http://www.piworld.com/post/best-way-align-customer-expectations/
For most consumers, buying a car is a long, complex process that involves a significant amount of research into different brands, models, and features, leading to a purchase driven by both emotion and logic.
Given the time and financial investment that goes into this, consumers want auto dealerships to deliver a highly personalized and pleasant customer experience.
http://www.dealermarketing.com/how-artificial-intelligence-is-helping-flip-the-script-in-automotive/
The customer experience (CX) drives success or failure in retail, but who should claim responsibility for something so important? In most organizations, it’s the marketing department, according to research from Gartner.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/steveolenski/2018/08/31/does-your-cmo-have-the-necessary-tools-to-perfect-the-customer-experience/#1894bd0a2e3f/
