Big data and analytics are allowing greater visibility into and understanding of where buyers are entering the marketing funnel. But how can enterprises leverage big data and analytics to facilitate more personalized customer experiences? Shep Hyken explains that, in the future, even the most minor customer preferences will be understood, resulting in more meaningful and valuable brand connections.

1. #NewWay
ToEngage
The Future Project: Vol. 2
Envisioning the Impact of
Big Data & Analytics on Commerce
Using Customer
Preferences to Build
More Meaningful
and Valuable
Brand Connections
Interview with Shep Hyken, @Hyken
Chief Amazement Officer at
Shepard Presentations, LLC
Connect with us

2. 2 | The Future Project: Vol. 2 Envisioning the Impact of Big Data & Analytics on Commerce | #NewWayToEngage
Introduction
The rise of big data and analytics allows organizations to understand the customer
journey like never before. Customers are no longer traveling a single path to purchase.
Sophisticated analytics tools are providing greater visibility into understanding all the
different places that buyers are entering the marketing funnel.
More personalized and relevant offerings can be presented – across multiple channels
– allowing buyers to meet their specific purchasing needs, from nearly any device or
location. But with customers requiring more engaging, meaningful and consistent
brand experiences, across all channels, how can enterprises leverage big data and
analytics to deliver these experiences?
Shep Hyken was recently interviewed to shed light on these challenges and unveil what
the coming years hold for the future of commerce.
About Shep Hyken
Shep Hyken sees a future where the most subtle of customer preferences are understood,
building more meaningful and valuable brand connections.
Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert,
business speaker, and New York Times best-selling author.
He is the CAO (Chief Amazement Officer) of Shepard
Presentations, where he focuses on helping companies
deliver amazing customer service experiences.
Follow Shep on Twitter @Hyken or connect with him on LinkedIn.

3. 3 | The Future Project: Vol. 2 Envisioning the Impact of Big Data & Analytics on Commerce | #NewWayToEngage
Previously, we had information based only on what the customer did in the past.
We could track what the customer was doing and pull together a bunch of information
about what the “average” customer did. But today, thanks to big data, we have so much
more information available.
We are receiving data from many different places, and with analytics, we can use that
information to paint a vivid picture of customer behavior. Trends are easier to identify,
and we can predict what actions customers will take next. But the key to using this
information successfully is to pare it down to something more simplified.
Sophisticated analytics tools can paint a vivid
picture of customer behavior.
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Enhanced Customer Experiences
How has the introduction of sophisticated
analytics tools changed our understanding
of the customer journey? And what has
been the impact of being able to harness
qualitative analytics?

4. 4 | The Future Project: Vol. 2 Envisioning the Impact of Big Data & Analytics on Commerce | #NewWayToEngage
This is one of my favorite topics because everybody has been talking about big data.
It spots trends and predicts what could potentially happen with the masses. But when
you get down to what I call “little data” or “micro data,” that’s when you’re looking at the
individual and looking at that person’s specific buying habits.
For example, I may be the owner of a hotel chain, and I may spot a good piece of real
estate that would be the perfect place to build a successful hotel. That’s because I have
information based on past knowledge. That would be my big data.
The first guest who walks through the doors happens to be somebody who has visited one
of my other hotels. Because of the information I have about that guest, I am able to give
that guest a more personalized experience.
I know this person likes the corner room, the bigger pillows and the chocolate mints (so I’m
going to leave extra). By the way, I know all this because the housekeeper made a note that
we put in this person’s record. So this becomes little data, which allows everyone to create
a customized experience for the individual.
Leveraging “Little” Data
How do you predict companies will take
advantage of personalized marketing
efforts in the future with so much
customer data available now?
“Little” data creates a customized experience for
the individual.
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5. 5 | The Future Project: Vol. 2 Envisioning the Impact of Big Data & Analytics on Commerce | #NewWayToEngage
Predictive analytics is really about looking at all the past information, which is pretty
black-and-white. This is hard data that we can use to predict what is going to happen
based on certain pieces of information. But cognitive data allows us to start “thinking”
about all that data.
For example, maybe a trend is starting to shift, and something large is going to change.
Knowing this allows us to start thinking and experimenting with the data and then look at
the results to find out whether we’re taking the right actions.
Understanding Shifting Trends
What role will predictive and cognitive
analytics play in the future?
Predictive and cognitive analytics allow us to test
data and then take the right actions.
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You must first decide whether you want an omni-channel experience, and if you do,
you need analytics to cross into all the different channels. The goal is to take these
channels out of silos, so no matter which path the customer selects, they benefit
from a consistent experience with your brand.
Organizations that are struggling with the omni-channel experience are not participating
in all the channels where their customers are spending time. They are picking and
choosing, and it’s for their convenience instead of the customers’ convenience.
Leaving out channels, however, results in losing an entire base of customers. Perhaps
these customers are bouncing from one channel to the next, and if they’re not getting
the same experience from all of them, it’s going to erode confidence.
Predictability is a key to creating customer confidence. Without that confidence, you can’t
possibly have customers who want to be loyal, because they don’t know what they’re
going to get.
Shattering Silos
How can analytics power an
organization to deliver a seamless
omni-channel experience? And which
channels are organizations struggling
with the most?
Taking an organization’s channels out of silos
provides a consistent brand experience.
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7. 7 | The Future Project: Vol. 2 Envisioning the Impact of Big Data & Analytics on Commerce | #NewWayToEngage
First of all, if data could talk and give me advice, it would explain which data to use,
because there are vast amounts of information available. So my trusted adviser,
Mr. or Ms. Big Data, would say, “This is what you need to take a look at. This piece
of data will tell you exactly what your customers want and expect from you.”
You will like the data that it provides, because it’s going to make you more successful
and make the customer experience much better.
Greater Intelligence
What if your data could talk to you like
a trusted business adviser? How would
that help the business?
If data could talk, it would explain which data to
use, because there are vast amounts.
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8. 8 | The Future Project: Vol. 2 Envisioning the Impact of Big Data & Analytics on Commerce | #NewWayToEngage
Moving into the Future
Cognitive data and analytics will play important roles in the future. Personally, I love the
idea of data being cognitive because it takes the big data and predictive analytics and
elevates them to an entirely new level.
We’ll also have the ability to understand customers like we
never have before. The most subtle of preferences will be
uncovered and used to make customers feel like a brand
knows them personally. As a result, analytics will deliver
customer connections that are deeper and more
meaningful and result in greater brand loyalty.

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IBM Commerce Can Help
There is an alarming gap between what brands
believe they deliver and what customers actually
experience. Eighty-one percent of consumer brands
say they have a holistic view of their customers while
only 37 percent of consumers believe their favorite
retailer understands them.
IBM Marketing Cloud helps close the customer
experience gap-making it easier to understand
and design meaningful customer experiences across
applications, devices and time to accelerate today’s
results and tomorrow’s ambitions. It powers the delivery
of exceptional experiences for customers across the
buyer journey by leveraging customer data, providing
analytical insights and automating relevant
cross-channel interactions.
• Quickly design and automate consistent cross-channel experiences
• Make better decisions and deepen customer engagement with purpose-built
analytics inside
• Gain faster time to ROI and increased agility through a cloud-based digital
marketing platform that integrates easily with other customer data sources
and applications
To learn more about IBM Marketing Cloud solutions,
go to IBM.com/NewWayToEngage
Also, join the conversation on Twitter with Futurists
like Shep Hyken using #NewWayToEngage

10. 10 | The Future Project: Vol. 2 Envisioning the Impact of Big Data & Analytics on Commerce | #NewWayToEngage
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