24. www.zhimatech.com
Over the past month, news of the National Security
Administration’s massive data collection center and
the media frenzy surrounding NSA leaker Edward
Snowden has pushed the term “Big Data” into the
common lexicon.
For national security purposes, Big Data refers to the
mining of data points from sources such as social
media, emails and phone calls. Software systems sift
through the data, creating patterns and identifying outli-
ers that can be turned into nuggets of information used
to thwart a terrorist attack or other security threats.
But Big Data isn’t relegated to the confines of the
NSA’s nearly-completed Utah compound — retailers
are now using an inverse form of the process. Unlike
the NSA’s practice of singling out data that doesn’t
fit a pattern, retailers use Big Data to identify shoppers
that do fit into certain patterns, enabling them to target
shoppers with personalized marketing, advertising and
offers.
In a recent Q&A with Ran Shaul — co-founder of
Pursway, a company that specializes in data analytics
for retail — we asked about the benefits of Big Data,
and whether the recent NSA controversy could cause
a backlash from those consumers who deem the pro-
cess a breach of privacy.
How does shopper data help retailers? Can you give
examples?
A: It helps retailers put the right product in the right place
for the right audience. For example, a retailer could
learn that customers in northern regions of the country
prefer knits more than their coastal counterparts, or that
some folks are mall shoppers while some respond to
email. They may even learn something as specific as
certain pants selling well with belts, helping the retailer
arrange the store for customer convenience.
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For retail, ‘Big Data’ means big benefits
2.3 国内外行业发展现状
25. www.zhimatech.com
Exploring their data allows retailers to better understand
how their consumers influence others’ purchase de-
cisions. In addition, it helps retailers avoid spamming
their consumers, giving them the insight they need to
send the right offer to a smaller segment of their cus-
tomer database, which might actually be interested in
the offer and/or influence their friends’ shopping deci-
sions, rather than blasting a generic offer to all of their
customers.
Overall, better understanding their data allows retailers
to connect to their customers via their preferred chan-
nels and improve the consumer experience. Most of all,
it allows retailers to make a profit so that they can re-
main in business.
Does it help customers at all?
A: Absolutely. Customers get better communication
that fits their needs. They save time. They get less junk
mail. What they do see is more pertinent to what they
want.
Customers care about customer experience. Getting
timely and relevant offers and deals does add value,
that’s why so many liked Amazon suggesting books
that fit their taste.
However, sending a twenty-something shopper an of-
fer for wrinkle cream discounts or sending a push notifi-
cation to a mobile handset while someone is drive
on a highway does not help retailers connect with their
consumers or create a good customer experience.
Ultimately, with the proper use of data, retailers should
be able to create a customer experience that is more
like having a personal shopper or a local merchant who
knows you and caters to your preferences.
www.retailcustomerexperience.com
For retail, ‘Big Data’ means big benefits
2.3 国内外行业发展现状
