This year’s Experian Marketing Suite (EMS) Client Summit was one of many celebrations. This marked the tenth anniversary of Client Summit. There were many exciting announcements at the event including the news surrounding the finalization of the divestiture from Experian announced in November. There was also a bit of anticipation of what the new company and EMS experience would look like.
The conference did not disappoint! The company has entered a new phase while experiencing a resurgence of their past. The new company has re-focused on what worked from their origin and have embraced the name Cheetah Digital and a sleek new logo. The focus is on the innovative spirit that was the basis of Cheetah’s original success in the marketplace.
The other focus at Client Summit related directly to the retail marketing customers, what their needs were, and what they were seeing in the space. The lead analyst at Forrester, Joe Stanhope, highlighted the problems the marketing space is seeing and where they will be moving forward. Siloed environments continue to present challenges to multiple marketing teams within the same organization. The teams are being asked to move beyond the single customer view and understanding their customers in specific moments in their lives. Brands need to move beyond understanding who their customer is and meet them at every touch point.
Stanhope also pointed out the importance of making the most of every interaction with each customer. As opposed to ignoring a poor customer experience, engaging the customer at the point of aggravation with the brand can build loyalty and a renewed allegiance to the retailer. He also focused on finding the marketing moments depending on where the customers are in their lives: are they buying a new home, are they having their first child? William Sonoma and Cheetah Digital did a joint presentation on how they have successfully targeted these large life moments through a cross-brand touch. From a new baby registry, to crib-building assistance, to a meal provided to the family from William Sonoma, they provided special touches. What a way to stay relevant with your customers!
At the heart of these issues, Experian Data Quality adds a significant piece to the conversation. Enrichment can provide real-time attributes to help you understand who the customer is, where they are in their journey, and what moment they may be experiencing. While our contact data management products will always be extremely relevant in this industry, we can add a lot on top for the retail market. Enrichment and data management for siloed environments, or a combination of both, allows retailers to engage in a better conversation with their customers and prospects and have a much better understanding of who they are and what moment may be coming.
Cheetah Digital also delivered on the fun events that they have come to be known for and brought in some excellent speakers regarding brands and innovation. We were treated to excellent conversations with Laila Ali, Aly Raisman, author and entrepreneur Josh Linkner, and Andy Cohen. All have taken a certain aspect of their life, an event or athletic gift, and translated it into a personal brand that they have used to raise awareness to other causes and brands. Aly, fresh off the 2016 Olympics has taken her message off the beam to discuss issues around body positivity, especially for youth. Her work takes her to clinics working with those suffering from anorexia to launching a tee shirt line for women of all ages with Life is Good to be true to yourself.
At EDQ, we look forward to seeing what the first year will look like in Cheetah Digital’s new history, and to many exciting exciting opportunities with this valued partner moving forward. And to end it on Andy Cohen’s word of the day – “Cheetah.”
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