At our webinar on March 8, Michael Gethen, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Sprooki, and Deborah Weinswig, Managing Director of Fung Global Retail & Technology, discussed the value of analytics-driven customer engagement. Sprooki is a technology company that serves the Asia-Pacific region’s largest malls and retailers with a location-based mobile engagement platform that helps retailers win more customers. The platform can engage with mobile consumers on a daily basis, wherever and whenever they choose to shop. Rich customer data and analytics-driven consumer engagement were the main topics of discussion during the webinar. Gethen described the nexus between consumer data and meaningful analytics as “the holy grail for retail.” The mobile phone/tablet is now the ultimate means to collect and enrich data in order to tailor marketing communications that target consumers in a relevant way, because consumers increasingly want retailers to come with them wherever they go, whenever they decide to go and for whatever they want. From the consumer’s perspective, the key points are:

• “Wherever I am, your company is available.”
• “Whenever I choose, your business service is at my fingertips.”
• “Whatever my next step, you have anticipated my needs.”
• “Whatever my actions, you are ready to respond.”

Sprooki uses mobile technology to help retailers and malls drive commerce in intelligent ways, particularly via mobile. However, even though e-commerce and m-commerce are important, the goal of most retailers is still to drive traffic to their physical stores. Retailers can harness technology to capture demographic information, of course, but they can also use it to find out when and where their customers are engaging with them. Marketers can then use that information to send real-time, personalized, The typical consumer today goes through a multitude of platforms in order to make an informed purchase. For example, a consumer may find a pair of shoes or a recommendation for a certain pair on Facebook. He subsequently browses for the shoes both online and in a store. While in the store, he may continue to use his smartphone to further research his purchase. Once he finally buys the shoes, he receives them either in the store or by delivery at home (if he has purchased them online). His purchase decision may have been helped along or encouraged by an alert of a sale or promotion. Retailers will increasingly see how there is separation between decision making, purchasing, paying and receiving, and they will have to work to take the friction out of this type of shopping in order to maintain customer loyalty. Customer data is more important than ever before because people are more connected to mobile than ever before—and the mobile phone is the most powerful and meaningful way to connect with consumers as they shop, both online and in-store. As consumer choice becomes wider and deeper, consumers expect more from brands. An analytics-driven approach to consumer behavior will deliver better outcomes for both shoppers and retailers, Gethen noted, and he said it is the only way to help retailers grow consistently in the future.