Global Brands Bring New Focus to Holistic Customer Strategy
Interval Requests An Upgrade Just four years ago, Interval International was one
center,” Patel says. “We now have more than 150
of those companies that communicated with its cus-
offers, which can be targeted down to the person.
tomers as if they didn’t know them. Up until 2003,
We are now able to segment our offers regionally
the vacation exchange network of 1.8 million cus-
and also incorporate purchase and behavioral pat-
tomers and more than 2,000 resorts was hamstrung
terns so we are not talking to someone in Texas the
with a homegrown CRM system that provided no
same way we talk to someone in New York City. We
visibility into its customers and limited its email dis-
are also able to see if a particular channel, such as
tribution to 15,000 at a time. A recent overhaul of
email, isn’t working for you and try to adjust our
the company’s IT and marketing departments, as
marketing to fit a particular customer’s preference.”
well as the implementation of a new Infor single-
Because the ability to communicate timely vaca-
view customer solution, has provided the company
tion offers is critical in the travel business, Interval
with a full, integrated view of the customer.
has an immediate payback from the ability to
“With our old homegrown system, we were
increase its email volume and also to send targeted
sending the same email offers to every customer
messages. From a volume standpoint, the company
and every customer saw the same banner ad when
has increased its email capacity to 1.2 million over a
they visited our website,” says Sapana Patel,
seven-day period, resulting in an immediate rev-
Interval’s director of applications services. After
enue increase, and its email open rates jumped 60
going through the early phases of the project,
percent in targeted groups.
Interval learned that the payoffs wouldn’t come
The next phase of the single view strategy for
from the CRM system alone, so the company
Interval, according to Patel, will be integrating the
created a centralized department to oversee their
call center so it can access the same offers being
customer interactions.
extended electronically. Patel also wants to expand
“We now have one view of the customer and we
the ability to better calculate the lifetime value of its
know exactly who you are whether we are commu-
customers to extend more relevant offers to its
nicating via email, our website, or through a call
top-tier customers.
“We are now able to segment our offers regionally and also incorporate purchase and behavioral patterns so we are not talking to someone in Texas the same way we talk to someone in New York City.” – Sapana Patel Director of Applications Services, Interval
Conclusion Interval’s use of the single view strategy shows that
customer retention and acquisition. The obstacles
the increased customer intelligence made available
are big but must be overcome. Unifying outdated
can be used to increase customer value. When Patel
data collection processes, rules and analytics and
says that the company will develop more offers for
bringing those processes into real-time life can help
its top-tier customers, the single view of the cus-
your company see its customers better, and align
tomer it has developed will make defining its top
itself around that customer view. Bell Canada did it
value easier. It will also enable more relevant offers
with its various products that needed to all find a
to that customer group, which will develop more
relevant target among its 28 million customers.
revenue from that group and stronger customer
Turkcell did it to fend off competition. Interval did it
relationships. Increasing customer value is a key
to increase customer value.
strategy in the always on, hyper-marketing world that your customers live in.
With a single customer view, your company will avoid the alienation that comes with treating cus-
The variety of examples also shows that a
tomers like strangers. A single customer view helps
unified view of the customer is an essential com-
your company treat customers as they should truly
petitive strategy as well as an efficient approach to
be treated: like your most valuable asset.
©2007 Carlson Marketing Worldwide. Peppers & Rogers Group is a division of Carlson Marketing Worldwide. All rights protected and reserved.
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