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Never Ask ‘Now What?’ Again: Delivering the “Last Mile” of Customer Experiences with Activated Customer Data

Unlock the full potential of your customer data. Learn how data activation and orchestration can eliminate the "last-mile problem" and drive seamless, personalized customer experiences.
Data

Here’s a hypothetical for you: You’ve invested heavily in a customer data platform (CDP) and consolidated your precious customer data into that platform. Now, your teams have access to all these rich insights. Now, you should be set up for success. 

But you find yourself asking, “… Now what?” Your customer data is underleveraged, customer insights remain elusive, and the vision of a seamless, data-driven customer experience (CX) seems just out of reach.

Sound familiar?

This isn’t hypothetical—it’s something we hear from execs across every industry, and if it’s your experience, you’re not alone. 

And we’ve got good news: 

By focusing not just on data activation but on the orchestration of your data-powered customer experiences, you can realize the full potential of your investments and deliver world-class CX use cases at the pace the market demands.

Your Challenge: Siloed Data and the Last-Mile Problem

Today, even though many organizations have a CDP, people within those organizations may struggle with making sure that their data is actually used effectively and cohesively across all customer touchpoints. 

We often refer to this issue as the “last-mile problem,” where—despite our best efforts—delivering the best content to customers across all channels in an orchestrated manner isn’t happening. Solving this problem is mission critical if you’re interested in achieving a seamless customer experience.

Data Activation: The Only Foundation for Effective Orchestration

How can you get that data so it’s both usable and used? 

You start by activating your data.

Data activation refers to the process of moving your data from its organic location—the hefty spreadsheet you pulled, that 30-page customer relationship management report, and so on—and getting it into an operational repository that’s accessible by both your most-used CX tools and your busy teams. 

Doing this involves a few key steps. You’ll need to: 

  1. Audit your data. Determine what data you’re collecting, where you’re storing it, and who has access to it. 
  2. Clean up your data. Carefully get rid of duplicate data points, organize your data, and create comprehensive, unified customer profiles. 
  3. Segment your data. Using those profiles, define specific audience segments based on behavioral patterns, demographics, and interests. This will help you target these segments with extreme precision. 

Leveraging Activated Data for a Seamless Customer Experience

Got your data cleaned up and organized? 

While data activation is crucial, it’s only the first step. The real magic happens with the consistent and efficient use of your data across various teams and channels to deliver the actual content that drives business results.

Here’s the No. 1 thing to prioritize as you start orchestrating: 

Break down silos. 

Having centralized data is great, but if it doesn’t flow smoothly and interdepartmentally, you’re still going to have fragmented creative. Get your teams talking, collaborating, and using the same data.  

What Are the Benefits of Effective Use of Activated Data?

There are many reasons to consider putting in the required work to activate your data and orchestrate your creative thoughtfully.

A few of our favorites include: 

  • Efficiency and agility: With more streamlined operations come fewer mistakes or hurdles, giving you the ability to roll out more responsive marketing campaigns.
  • Transparency and accountability: Centralized and defined data flows improve auditability and accountability—and help give your entire organization a better, more nuanced view of how data is used across different systems. 
  • Personalization (at scale!): Activating your data and using it to orchestrate stellar CX gives you a deep understanding of customer behavior and a way to act on that understanding. This fuels ultratailored customer experiences that drive engagement and loyalty. 

Ready to Activate and Orchestrate? Practical Steps for CIOs and CMOs

Benefiting from well-used data and scalable processes could be in your near future! Get started with these practical action items: 

  1. Get your marketing and operational teams on board—and on the same page. The name of the game is clear collaboration, so make sure the people you’re working with understand what’s happening. 
  2. Devise robust and repeatable processes. Map out what you want to see happening with your data, from activation all the way through to CX execution. Document and share your plans. 
  3. Where possible, leverage artificial intelligence (AI) thoughtfully. AI can help you streamline these processes and save a lot of time and stress. Train your teams to use AI strategically, and keep your eyes out for new, useful AI solutions. 

By breaking down silos and ensuring seamless data that flows intuitively through your organization, your team can finally deliver the personalized, engaging experiences that drive loyalty and growth. The time to act is now—so you never have to ask “now what?” again.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Darren Waddell, Executive Vice President, Innervate

Darren Waddell is an accomplished CX strategist who deeply understands the industry’s ever-evolving landscape. For 9+ years, Darren has served as the executive vice president of Innervate (formerly RevJet), the dynamic customer experience company. Darren combines his expertise in technology, data analytics, and consumer behavior to drive success for hospitality brands.

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