The availability of more and better digital data helps companies to better understand their customers through instant feedback. According to Ajaz Ahmed and Stefan Olander in the book Velocity, brands need to use digital data to be “useful” for their customers rather than “convincing”. The following are the seven take-aways of the book:
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A Smith & Wesson beats four asses
New technology is changing the rules. With mountains of data available, brands should carefully collect significant digital data to learn about their customers and adapt to the new circumstances. Innovation and reinvention must become an ongoing task. Resisting the change will lead to a decline of the business. Small businesses have the advantage of being more agile and can react faster to change. Small organizations should live up to a culture of innovation and be ready to leap at any given time.
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It’s easier done than said
Changes and innovation should be put in action immediately, without long preparation. If it does not deliver the expected results, it always can be changed afterwards. If you know what your customer wants, deliver it before he figures it out by himself. Action tops strategy!
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The best advertising isn’t advertising –make meaningful connections
Business is done between people. People need to be connected to do business. Advertising is not enough anymore. The customer needs to be engaged. Digital technology allows more communication in different forms (blog, facebook, twitter, etc.) The customer needs to understand and share the story behind a service or a product. Serving the customer means entertaining the customer and creating emotions.
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Convenient is the enemy of right
Shoot for the moon, so you can hit the stars. To be on top of the game it’s necessary to work on the highest level of achievement. Learn from experience – yours as well as others. Make things as simple as possible.
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Respect human nature
Use digital data to learn about the customer and combine it with real life experience to make life easier, richer and more fun. Apply your messages to different senses of the human body (visual, audio, smell etc.) Support your customer in choosing the right product. Remember the feeling when a pharmacist gives you the right product for you out of a two shelf collection.
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No good joke survives a committee of six
Make decisions based on facts and stand behind them. Do what’s right and not what everybody does. A open discussion must be honest and lead to practical decisions. Be guided by your mission and your values.
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Have a purpose larger than yourself
Be guided and inspires by your mission. Dream big and love what you do. Be taken away be the people you serve. Have an overall goal that helps the public.
On a personal note I think that a lot of companies don’t realize the power and opportunities of digital data. Being engaged with your customer and relying on feedback will be a crucial part of many businesses in the next years. Here at Jazzyjobber I am looking for ways to create an organisation that prioritizes what the customer wants and delivers what’s requested.