The document provides 10 tips for using technology to boost customer loyalty and ROI. Some key tips include considering your customers' preferences when using new technologies, linking physical and online experiences, collecting data from mobile and in-store technologies to send targeted offers, and remembering the importance of human touch even when using new technologies. Ultimately, the goal of any technology usage should be to influence customer purchasing and create a seamless experience across all customer touchpoints.

1. Top Ten Tips:
Using technology to boost
customer loyalty and ROI

2. In context
Gartner says that there will be some 30 billion web-connected devices
globally by 2020; and whilst this presents fantastic opportunities for
marketers, focus should be on the customer and not on the latest piece of
shiny new tech.
Poorly used technology could simply result in disengagement not only
from communications, but from the brand altogether.
When we speak with partners and prospects, technology is often at
the top of their agenda, and brands are sometimes scared of being left
behind. So, the question is; how do you ensure that your brand is using
technology to deliver the most relevant and timely communications in
order to drive your customers to spend more, spend more often, and
remain engaged?
Here are our top tips for using technology to increase customer
engagement and loyalty.
As new technologies constantly emerge
and evolve, it’s easy to get swept up in
their appeal to find new ways to connect
with customers. With every new product
promising to increase sales, it can be
difficult to tell what is really worth investing
in - and what will be a long-term solution
rather than a fad.

3. Don’t underestimate the
power of the consumer
With so much to do and so little time, today’s consumers are happy to
embrace technology into their everyday lives.
With information and choices at consumers fingertips, if you’re not offering
a personalised, relevant, targeted and streamlined experience across all
channels, chances are you won’t keep your customer for long.
To stay one step ahead, consider how new technologies will affect your
specific customer groups, and anticipate their needs. This could be as
simple as sending out an alert with a special offer if a customer has
abandoned their shopping bag before making their purchase, or
providing customer service support via their preferred channels (i.e.
social media, text, live chats, etc.).
But, ensure that you are targeting the right people, with the right message,
at the right time. This is where insight and integration is so essential, and
is one thing that we look at when we start working with brands.
Whatever makes life easier and simpler
is unlikely to meet with resistance - as
long as the value of the technology can
be communicated.
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4. Mobile rules
Global Web Index highlighted that 80% of internet users worldwide
own a smartphone. This is where we manage our digital lives - from
communication and social networking, to lifestyle management, media
playback, shopping, travel, payments and productivity.
In terms of your website, a mobile site just doesn’t cut it anymore from
the customers perspective. Just because they’re using their phone, this
doesn’t mean they want to access less information about your brand. Key
to providing an omni-channel experience is offering the same service
regardless of device. Having a responsive as opposed to a mobile site
provides a consistent user experience whether a customer is on a phone,
tablet or PC.
Here’s our opinion on how to get the most out of NFC:
Link payments directly to the customer for
instant insight into buying preferences and
spending habits.
Deliver personalised offers at the till-point
to influence purchasing and encourage a
higher spend.
Segment the data received to understand which
of your customer groups are most actively using
NFC and which offers or communications are most
successful; then adapt them in a real-time test
and learn environment.
In our experience, NFC offers limitless
potential for customer loyalty and data
collection - but most importantly, all in
real-time.
Mobile brings with it an array of
marketing techniques that allow you to
get personal with your customers.
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Mobile is steadily becoming a portal from the offline to the online, and
NFC (Near Field Communication) acts as the consumers new digital
wallet, allowing them to carry everything from a credit card to a loyalty
card within the convenience of their smart phone.

5. Location,
location, location
Location-based notifications add value to the in-store experience by
providing timely, targeted messaging to customers in or near your store.
Let’s look at iBeacons, which recognise smartphone users as they walk
past, or through the store. The data you receive when sending an
iBeacon depends on whether you have an app. Solo, iBeacons enable
gathering of information about customer numbers, their in-store location
and uptake of offers. Combined with a loyalty app (where you will have
already collected initial demographic data), iBeacons send you rich data
on exactly who’s shopping and allow real-time segmentation of your
customer base.
This gives you the power to push the customers next action; for example
sending targeted offers to those already in your store who are most likely
to respond.
Remember that your communications should
be contextual. Consider time, location,
demographic and individual needs when
planning your messaging. In its simplest
form - there’s no point promoting barbecues
when it’s -5 degrees outside.
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Send targeted
offers to push
customers next
actions.

6. Don’t forget your
physical retail
environment
From self-service tills to in-store kiosks, consumers want in-store
technology to enhance their shopping experience; making it simple and
fluid. Kiosks and interactive tablets are an additional touch-point in the
customer journey, and can be used to trigger additional engagement
and data collection opportunities, such as providing personalised offers,
self-service ordering, or membership/loyalty sign-ups.
The Westfield ‘How We Shop Now’ survey highlighted that half of
shoppers decide where to shop based either on the quality of mobile
signal or the availability of Wi-Fi in store. Whilst not only enabling the
consumer to share, surf, or shop; in-store Wi-Fi registration enables you
to collect data on footfall, browsing activity, and customer demographics.
Consumers want in-store technology to
enhance their shopping experience.
In-store Wi-Fi registration
enables you to collect
data on footfall, browsing
activity, and customer
demographics.
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7. Second-screening =
real-time participation
Ownership of multiple hardware devices has led to the rise of ‘second-
screening’ (watching TV whilst on another device). Whilst this raises
questions about how focused a customer is on your brand whilst second-
screening, you can utilise this trend to engage with them on a different
level, and on their terms. We can now participate and interact with
what we’re consuming - for example in the X Factor app users can rate
contestants in real time; and Twitter reported that over 40% of evening
Tweets are TV-related (Kantar Media).
It’s important to think about how you can drive your customers to
participate in real time. Consider topical and timely tweets; targeted
online or social media ads at the times you know your customers are
active; or (if budget allows) gamification and interactive TV ads. For
example, with Shazamable TV, a simple tap of the Shazam app when
an ad is shown on TV lets viewers interact with the brand on their smart
device to submit data, play a game or access more information.
Think about how
you can drive your
customers
to participate in
real time.
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8. Wearables &
The Internet of Things
It’s easy to get excited about the Internet of Things. Everyday objects
connected to the internet means brands can subtly integrate themselves
into customers daily lives: at the breakfast table with their connected
fridge; on-the-move with their smart watch; or using an app to turn on the
heating before they get home from work.
This can provide you with valuable data about who your customers really
are. But stop and ask yourself, ‘Why are we doing this? What do we
hope to achieve? How does this benefit our customers?’ The Altimeter
Group say that you must place your brand fully, intuitively, sensitively, and
centrally to how customers expect to interact with and experience the
brand. Ultimately, it’s all about customer convenience.
The full implications of The Internet of Things are only just beginning, but
we’re convinced that it will have huge impact on customer experience
and loyalty. We’re completely fascinated; and are working furiously to
understand how to maximise the wealth of data and customer insight that
it will no doubt deliver.
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You must place your brand fully,
intuitively, sensitively, and centrally to
how customers expect to interact with
and experience the brand.

9. Segment and target
For example, Sky TV’s ‘AdSmart’ shows different adverts to different
households watching the same programme (on a Sky TV channel).
Segmenting your data lets you build
communities of likeminded individuals,
which you can then target with specific
messages based on their preferences
and interests.
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10. Make sure you get
the right data,
not just Big Data
By following just one of these tips, it’s inevitable that you’re going to
end up with a lot of Big Data. We use the ‘So What?’ phrase – it may
be interesting that Year 1 performed better than Year 2, but So What?
What’s it telling me? What can I do now I know this? This is the joy of
Big Data, it allows us to drive more insights and more answers to these
‘So What’ statements.
Effective loyalty schemes generate higher levels of accurate data about
customers, which can be taken advantage of in marketing efforts. Tailoring
and personalising campaigns towards individual needs, lifestyles and
preferences lets you build relationships and engagement; consequently
increasing profitability (ROI).
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Your data should clearly show how
investment in your loyalty scheme
directly affects sales and influences
customer behaviour - if it isn’t giving
you this information, then there’s no
point in collecting it.
When considering Big Data in your
business; make it simple and most
importantly relevant.

11. Remember the
human touch
Technology is nothing without the human touch. Whilst you may have an
all-singing, all-dancing app or in-store kiosk, customers will still welcome
the opportunity to talk to a real person. We all know technology has its
glitches, or that some customers might need a little support, so ensure
that you have well-trained, knowledgeable staff behind your brand to
both minimise confusion and retain trust. What’s crucial is to provide a
consistent customer service experience across all platforms. This is what
retains engagement and loyalty, and ultimately increases the quality of
your customer data.
Here at Ikano Bank, we believe that our people make our business. They
bring data to life by interpreting, analysing, and strategizing for our
clients. Without them the data would be nothing but a complex mass
of information for clients to sift through. What we’re getting at here is
that - no matter what your industry - having that human touch can make
processes and transactions simpler, easier and more-user friendly, and is
vital to maintaining happy customers.
Provide a consistent customer service
experience across all platforms.
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Having that human touch can make
processes and transactions simpler, easier
and more-user friendly.

12. If in doubt, go back
to basics
Don’t forget that the rules of marketing are the same as they always have
been. What has evolved is how customers prefer their communication, the
options available for it and the ability to engage in real-time. Getting a
personalised offer is nothing new – the Boots Advantage Card kiosks have
been with us for over 15 years. Whether you ask people to visit a kiosk,
download an app, tap an NFC tag or scan a QR code, each channel needs
to be enabled to offer a consistent, omni-channel customer experience.
Take a step back and think about which new technology is the best match for
your customers. It has to fit with your business proposition - what engages
one business’s customers might have the opposite effect on others.
The rules of marketing are the same
as they always have been.
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Think about which
new technology is the
best match for your
customers.

13. In Summary
Ultimately, using technology is about where in the transactional process
you have the best chance to influence purchasing in an easy and attractive
way for your customer, whilst creating a seamless experience across all
channels. Get your technology and communication balance right, and
the complete process will work hard to increase profit.
So, if you only take three things from this document, these would be our
ultimate take-outs:
Consider your specific customer groups and
their preferences, and make sure
communications are contextual
Link your in-store and online experiences
Technology is nothing without a personal touch
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No matter which technologies you use to
engage with customers, you can’t afford
to forget that the aim is to get them to
spend more money, more often, and stay
longer – and do so on their terms.

14. www.ikano.co.uk
@ikano_UK
Ikano Bank is awesome with data,
but even better at relationships.
And that, ultimately, is what
turns customer loyalty into
a business’s success.
? Do you want to build a new loyalty or
customer engagement programme?
? Do you want to improve an existing one?
? Or, do you simply want to turn customer
data into actionable insight?
No matter what stage you are at with your customer
engagement we have the intelligent, intuitive insight to
help you achieve ROI and drive incremental revenue:
Wherever you are with customer
engagement, we have the
intelligent, intuitive insight to help
you achieve greater ROI and
drive incremental revenue.
For more information please contact:
Barry Smith
barry.smith@ikano.net
07551 671 825
0115 850 3644