Commerce media: Retail’s next big opportunity

Remember when email took the world by storm, replacing a significant portion of “snail mail”? The shift didn’t happen overnight; it took time for the public to understand, trust and embrace the new technology. Advances in digital marketing may move quickly, but we in the industry cannot expect to change user behavior overnight. Consider that email has traditionally been a “one click” or “single action” environment. When a new idea such as kinetic email challenges this convention, there are ways to effectively strategize its use in your campaigns and properly introduce its features to your audience. Kinetic email – the evolution of responsive design You may have heard the energetic term “kinetic” being bounced around – appropriate since movement is the main idea behind this advancement in email communication. But to fully understand its appeal, we need to look back at another technological breakthrough. Once the mobile boom occurred a few years ago, email designers saw the writing on the wall – or perhaps we should say “on the screen” – and responsive design was born. It was finally possible for content and layout to resize to the screen of the device on which it was viewed. In designing those layouts for mobile screen sizes by manipulating the CSS, developers eventually discovered that content in the email could be interactive and dynamic. This capability was coined “kinetic.” Kinetic email design acts as the next stage of responsive, giving the user multiple ways to interact with the content and layout before he or she takes a committed action. Why is it desirable? Studies in user behavior tell us that the average viewer spends 3-15 seconds looking at an email communication, with the average Apple user spending even less – only 0-3 seconds. Obviously, there’s a huge advantage in holding someone’s attention, and if used cleverly, kinetic design can help in that regard. It can also remove steps to purchase because they’re being completed within the email rather than on the website. Within the email, subscribers may be able to view color and size choices, or choose between perks such as free shipping or a percentage off their order (we’ll dig deeper into those possibilities in a follow up blog post). This creates a more interactive atmosphere, and that’s a good thing. Still, you must bear in mind that too many steps provided by kinetic design can be overkill. You don’t want to add more work for the viewer; complicating what was once a simple action can turn off your audience, so be smart about its application. Does it make sense for your brand? The key is to determine whether or not kinetic capabilities complement your brand. What do you offer? Who is your customer base? Remember, an email marketer needs the user to interact with the email; they won’t just hover or toggle instinctively. Will your customers stick around to watch, explore or play? Carefully consider products/images/topics that will offer an engaging experience. It has to result in more than just a “wow” response; in needs to encourage transactions. It can also be difficult to predict response since this sort of breakthrough is likely more exciting to those of us on the development side than it is to the end consumer. To prepare your customers for the novelty of kinetic email, you could notify them in advance. However, a smarter way to approach the introduction might be through the use of simplified tabs and navigation. Too many options would start to look like a full blown site – unnecessary. Is kinetic email the future? It’s a bold innovation for sure, but it’s still too early to determine its value to email marketers. To be truly valuable, it must consistently get people interested in making a selection – and a carousel of pretty pictures only goes so far. A savvy email marketer knows that flashy functionality can be an attention-getter, but it must be used when and where it makes sense. Aim for a smarter execution to make the most of a kinetic set up. Want to learn more about the latest trends in email design? Watch the video recording from our recent webinar, Digital Eye Candy: Email Creative Strategies that Wow!

As marketers, we all want to better leverage data to understand our customer and provide them with the best possible experience. It not only better serves our clients, but is ultimately more profitable for the company. But most of us struggle with large volumes of data, with no idea how to best use it. There are many factors that play into this problem. For most organizations, data is spread out across multiple systems with no consistent data management strategy. That means that as marketers, when we get the data, it comes in a wide variety of forms. The standardization could be different, customers could be missing certain record fields, purchase history could be divided into different accounts…you get the picture. This disparity makes it difficult for us to get any sort of insight from the information. How can we leverage data if it is inaccurate, incomplete and not accessible? Experian Data Quality recently completed a survey of over 250 chief information officers (CIOs) and found that they too are struggling to leverage data. Four out of five see data as a valuable asset that is not being fully utilized within the organization. In speaking with the CIOs, some of the biggest challenges aren’t just about technology, but rather organizational structure and company culture. Sixty-eight percent of CIOs struggle to find stakeholders who take anything other than a siloed view of data management. In addition, 70 percent of respondents say they struggle to implement data-driven decision making because no one seems to own the process. To improve data insight, organizations need to improve the structure around data management. This is where the chief data officer (CDO) comes into play. The chief data officer is a growing c-suite position that is getting more and more popular. Most of the CIOs we spoke with that had a CDO said the role had only been created in the last six months. The reasons companies are looking to put a CDO in place are all related to improving access and insight from data. CDOs are there to: Reduce risk around data-driven projects Curb costs from poor quality data Handle increasing data governance pressures As this role continues to grow, it is going to have a big impact not only on marketing, but also the organization as a whole. With that in mind, join us for a webinar on Tuesday, August 18th at 2 PM EST to talk about the emergence of the chief data officer. We’ll discuss data as an untapped resource, how the role is changing organizations and how to ensure your organization is ready for the shift that this new role brings. Register today!

There is much to be said about the differences between college-age consumers (19- to 21-year-olds) today and their counterparts five years ago. As many marketers recognize, young-adult consumers cannot be targeted based solely on generalizations and assumptions. To accurately and respectfully capitalize on this segment’s buying power, marketers need to understand how their spending patterns have changed in recent years and how to earn a slice of the group’s spend. Accounting for inflation, 19- to 21-year-olds are making more money than young adults did five years ago. Their pay has increased by 20 percent, and, interestingly, their spending has increased by 30 percent. So where are they spending this money?   1. Dressing for success According to Census Area Projected Estimates (CAPE) of expenditure data from Experian Marketing Services, both men and women in this age group are filling their closets with about 35 percent more professional attire — shoes included. This has brought 2015’s average spend up to $22,859 per year per household for college-age women and $11,196 per household for college-age men. This rise in spending on professional wardrobe could be attributed to more professional entry-level job expectations or a possible shift in technical trade positions to business professional positions.  CAPE data also reveals a 70 percent increase in memberships to networking and recreational clubs. This increasingly professional outlook among college age consumers requires confidence and the right ensemble to proclaim success. Key takeaway: Position products and services to appeal to this career-minded consumer who is aiming to look the part.   2. “Go with the flow” What kinds of messages resonate with these individuals? According to TrueTouchSM data from Experian, college-age consumers can be best engaged when marketers appeal to them using a “Go with the flow” marketing message. “Go with the flow” has consistently ranked as the top motivating marketing message for college-age individuals in the study.  The second and third most resonating marketing messages for this market are “Never show up empty handed” and “Work hard, play hard.” “Go with the flow” means this market has a live-and-let-live outlook on life. Brands who employ a similar outlook, don’t take themselves too seriously and extend no-risk offers may have a better chance to engage this cohort. Key takeaway: If marketers tailor messages around these motivating philosophies, they may have a better chance of earning this market’s business.   3. Offline entertainment For marketers in the retail industry, particularly those with clothing or supplies fit for the outdoors, be aware that this cohort of 19-21 year olds are visiting outdoor apparel and supplies sections more often than they did five years ago. In fact, they are spending 37 percent more on luggage and travel than the same age group 5 years ago. According to the same Experian CAPE study, renting RV’s and increasing spend on camping and winter sports equipment are expenditures getting more attention from college-age consumers this year. Key takeaway:   Despite being pegged as a technology-first generation, this cohort also enjoys going “off the grid.” Even if you aren’t selling outdoorsy equipment, be aware that there is more to this age group than smartphones and Netflix. Combine the “go with the flow” attitude with their sense of adventure to better cater your messages to these consumers. A lot has changed in five years. Marketers trying to engage college-age consumers need to understand how spending habits (and motivations) are changing in order to provide the most relevant brand experiences and capture this hard-to-pin-down market. To see how Experian Marketing Services’ rich consumer data can help you profile your best customers, visit our website.