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In business, the saying “It’s all about the customer” is touted as the driving force behind customer relationship management. For direct marketers in particular, it’s all about how to effectively reach your best customer at the right time with an offer that sets the tone for your future CRM efforts. Here, Target Marketing caught up with Jackie Heitman, senior vice president of marketing for Purchase, N.Y.-based broadband telecommunications provider Bresnan Communications, to discuss the company’s revamped customer acquisition program. Bresnan recently partnered with Framingham, Mass.-based Pluris Inc., a CRM software and solutions provider, to implement a new, coordinated analytics approach. Since then, it has seen a 17 percent lift in response rates.
Target Marketing: What customer acquisition efforts did you have in place before implementing the new CRM system?
Jackie Heitman: Bresnan Communications has relied on direct marketing as much as other cable companies to drive our acquisition efforts. We used some level of targeting and propensity models … prior to working with Pluris. Bresnan sought a new solution because prior to the current system, our direct marketing program was separated into three parts under three separate vendors. This was not ideal, as we were unable to receive timely updates on the information we needed in order to tailor our direct marketing efforts appropriately.
With the current system, we were able to have all of the data housed in one place, where Bresnan could then control the database, lists, and dissection and analytics of the program. In addition, we were able to segment the data and create models on a monthly basis. These types of improvements enabled us to then target our direct marketing campaigns on a granular level and really deliver the proper quantities of promotional material to our targets.
TM: How has the marketing technology you are now using improved customer acquisition efforts?
JH: The technology, methodology and services we are applying now has its foundation in the integration of behavioral and demographic information, and leveraging the same to target consumer groups that exhibit higher propensities to respond to Bresnan’s offering and message. The solution … has given us the ability to analyze data at a very atomic level to create a solid understanding of the consumer base and to guide our strategies accordingly. Additionally, these new techniques and tools that help us simulate scenarios before we implement a tactic also help us test and measure activities at a very detailed level. With the tools, we are continually updated on the propensities of every customer and prospect with proof, based on past performance, that the new modeling approach is not only timely, but also accurate.
Target Marketing: What customer acquisition efforts did you have in place before implementing the new CRM system?
Jackie Heitman: Bresnan Communications has relied on direct marketing as much as other cable companies to drive our acquisition efforts. We used some level of targeting and propensity models … prior to working with Pluris. Bresnan sought a new solution because prior to the current system, our direct marketing program was separated into three parts under three separate vendors. This was not ideal, as we were unable to receive timely updates on the information we needed in order to tailor our direct marketing efforts appropriately.
With the current system, we were able to have all of the data housed in one place, where Bresnan could then control the database, lists, and dissection and analytics of the program. In addition, we were able to segment the data and create models on a monthly basis. These types of improvements enabled us to then target our direct marketing campaigns on a granular level and really deliver the proper quantities of promotional material to our targets.
TM: How has the marketing technology you are now using improved customer acquisition efforts?
JH: The technology, methodology and services we are applying now has its foundation in the integration of behavioral and demographic information, and leveraging the same to target consumer groups that exhibit higher propensities to respond to Bresnan’s offering and message. The solution … has given us the ability to analyze data at a very atomic level to create a solid understanding of the consumer base and to guide our strategies accordingly. Additionally, these new techniques and tools that help us simulate scenarios before we implement a tactic also help us test and measure activities at a very detailed level. With the tools, we are continually updated on the propensities of every customer and prospect with proof, based on past performance, that the new modeling approach is not only timely, but also accurate.
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