STAMFORD, Conn., November 16, 2011 - Dancing reality television shows have captivated American and European consumers alike, and marketers should take note, according to research from Pitney Bowes Inc. The customer communications management firm helps brands engage with customers across many channels. For consumer brands, it’s a new customer dance thanks to technology that leverages customer data and applies it to two-way personalized conversations across physical and digital channels.
According to the Pitney Bowes white paper The Customer Dance: When to Lead, and When to Follow, marketers should incorporate the customer experience into their branding efforts, especially in digital channels. In physical channels, such as mail and in-person interactions, brands should inform conversations with the most recent customer data that demonstrates that the brand recognizes each customer personally.
To move beyond loyalty and retention, the Pitney Bowes survey queried consumers in the UK and the U.S. as to which specific techniques encourage them to “continue using a business and maybe buy more from them.” The four most popular steps in the dance between brands and consumers were:
- Providing channel choice for contacting a company (53%)
- Providing home delivery (52%)
- Giving consumers a say in development of products and services (46%)
- Featuring controls so consumers may select preferred channels and frequency of communications (46%)
“Today, we have the software that powers cross-channel alignment for creating a mutually managed experience between brands and customers,” said Murray Martin, Chairman and CEO of Pitney Bowes Inc. “The customer data that brands have collected can now be dynamically applied to customer interactions on the Web, in call centers, with live chat, on bank statements, direct mail, and even in stores. We have the technology. Marketers can now provide the personalized two-way dialog that consumers are craving.”
About Pitney Bowes:
Delivering more than 90 years of innovation, Pitney Bowes provides software, hardware and services that integrate physical and digital communications channels. Long known for making its customers more productive, Pitney Bowes is increasingly helping other companies grow their business through advanced customer communications management. Pitney Bowes is a $5.4 billion company with more than 30,000 employees worldwide. Pitney Bowes: Every connection is a new opportunity™. www.pb.com