For Customer Intelligence Professionals

The Privacy Exchange Disconnect

Marketers Must Show Value For Consumer Information

by Dave Frankland, November 16, 2009

Consumers and marketers have contradictory impressions of the value marketers provide in exchange for the consumer data they collect. Marketers claim they deliver more relevant products, services, and ads based on the consumer information they capture. . . .

For Customer Intelligence Professionals

Assessing Your Customer Intelligence Quotient

A Diagnostic Tool To Gauge Your Firm's Customer-Centric Prowess

by Dave Frankland, November 12, 2009

Forrester introduced the concept of a Customer Intelligence (CI) quotient that indentifies three levels of CI maturity in firms: functional intelligence, marketing intelligence, and strategic intelligence. At the highest maturity level, the Customer Intelligence . . .

For Customer Intelligence Professionals

Reinforce Privacy Through Full Disclosure

Marketers Must Embrace Privacy To Avoid Consumer Outcry

by John Lovett, Dave Frankland, October 29, 2009

Despite consumer privacy concerns, the vast majority of Web sites from retailers to healthcare providers are actively tracking the behavior of online visitors. This practice is well within the rights of these Web site operators not because they adhere . . .

For Customer Intelligence Professionals

Consumer Privacy Is A Ticking Time Bomb For Customer Intelligence Executives

Consumers Are No Longer Passive About Their Privacy

by Dave Frankland, October 29, 2009

Despite renewed interest from Washington, D.C., regarding consumer privacy, the marketing industry continues to call for self-regulation — a concept that is given shorter shrift following its perceived role in preventing the financial crisis. Given this . . .

For Customer Intelligence Professionals

The Intelligent Approach To Customer Intelligence

A Framework For Turning Customer Data Into Smart Business Strategy

by Dave Frankland, October 16, 2009

Marketers who measure the impact of their Customer Intelligence (CI) say that it not only boosts campaign-specific metrics but also improves customer acquisition, retention, and satisfaction, as well as revenue, profitability, and customer value. Yet, . . .

For Customer Intelligence Professionals

Creating A Customer Contact Governance Council

Successful Contact Strategies Require Cross-Functional Support

by Suresh Vittal, Dave Frankland, September 10, 2009

An enterprisewide contact strategy is an important key to success for the marketing organization. Optimal contact strategies help marketers reduce contact fatigue, lower opt-out rates, reduce costs, and embrace customer centricity. But most marketers . . .

For Customer Intelligence Professionals

Marketers: Stop The Abuse! Adopt Preference Management

Consumers Are Losing Trust And Patience With Marketers

by Dave Frankland, July 22, 2009

Preference and relevance are tired and overused marketing terms. But despite the lip service marketers give them, we don't see an awful lot of focus on them. To get a complete picture of the state of preference management in practice and the similarities . . .

For Customer Intelligence Professionals

How UK Firms Use Database Marketing Services

by Dave Frankland, May 14, 2009

We surveyed 88 UK marketers who outsource database marketing services about their outsourcing habits and preferences. Most turn to service providers for database, analytics, and measurement but keep them away from their strategy, creative, and campaign . . .

For Customer Intelligence Professionals

The Forrester Wave™: UK Database Marketing Service Providers, Q2 2009

No Outright Leader Within A Fragmented Market

by Dave Frankland, May 14, 2009

For several years, Forrester has evaluated database marketing service providers in the US. However, not all of these providers operate internationally, and we receive frequent inquiries specific to the UK market. In Forrester's 77-criteria evaluation . . .

For Marketing Leadership Professionals

Case Study: First Tennessee Bank Elevates Customer Insight To The C-Suite

by Dave Frankland, March 3, 2009

First Tennessee Bank leverages insight from its marketing and customer analytics team throughout its business. However, five years ago, the team had limited intelligence on its customers and leveraged a marketing customer information file (MCIF) data . . .

For Marketing Leadership Professionals

How Direct Marketers Can Weather The Economic Storm

by Dave Frankland, February 11, 2009

In June, we surveyed 84 direct and database marketers about their spending plans for the next three years and probed about how an economic slowdown might affect their planned spending. What did we find? Although marketers expected DM budgets to grow, . . .

For Marketing Leadership Professionals

The Customer Contact Strategy Self-Test

by Dave Frankland, November 4, 2008

Successful customer contact strategies involve five major components: culture, technology, analytics, business process, and measurement. To gauge how well firms are positioned to establish an enterprisewide customer contact strategy, we created a self-test . . .

For Marketing Leadership Professionals

Defining An Enterprisewide Customer Contact Strategy

by Dave Frankland, October 22, 2008

Increasingly, today's consumers try to limit their exposure to marketing communications. Yet few firms seek to implement a contact strategy across lines of business and communications channels in order to improve customer experience and maximize program . . .

For Marketing Leadership Professionals

Six Success Factors For Outsourcing Customer Analytics

by Dave Frankland, July 11, 2008

Customer analytics is a critical function in leading marketing organizations. Leaders leverage customer analytics to optimize campaigns, dictate contact strategy, and boost profitability. But analytic resources are in short supply, and many organizations . . .

For Marketing Leadership Professionals

Database Marketing Fundamentals For B2B Marketers

by Dave Frankland, June 27, 2008

Well-executed database marketing increases customer engagement, better aligns marketing activity with sales results, and improves marketing efficiency. However, business-to-business (B2B) marketers must overcome four unique challenges to maximize database . . .

For Marketing Leadership Professionals

Direct Marketing Needs A Green Wake-Up Call

Environmental Colorblindness Could End In Regulation

by Dave Frankland, April 18, 2008

Consumer concern for the environment has risen considerably over the past few years. Consumers consider not only their own practices but also the actions of companies with which they interact. Piles of unread catalogs and credit card offers make direct . . .

For Marketing Leadership Professionals

The Customer Database Amps Up Its Influence

Findings From Forrester's Recent State Of The Customer Database Study

by Dave Frankland, March 11, 2008

The customer database — initially built in most organizations to support direct marketing (DM) — is increasingly being used far beyond its original purpose. As an update to a 2005 study, we surveyed 107 database marketers about their database content . . .

For Marketing Leadership Professionals

Fair Isaac Needs To Integrate Analytics To Shake Off Its Service Bureau Legacy

The Forrester Wave™ Vendor Summary, Q4 2007

by Dave Frankland, November 2, 2007

Fair Isaac offers a range of services and technologies for enterprise clients, but most of its database clients have service bureau relationships for data processing and database management. Its highly regarded analytics capabilities are usually "bolt-on" . . .

For Marketing Leadership Professionals

Advanced Analytical And Strategic Services Propel The Allant Group Forward

The Forrester Wave™ Vendor Summary, Q4 2007

by Dave Frankland, November 2, 2007

In the two years since we last evaluated database marketing service providers, The Allant Group has honed its delivery of analytically and strategically led database engagements. Allant targets enterprise opportunities in select industries, and its integrated . . .

For Marketing Leadership Professionals

KnowledgeBase Marketing Advances With Integrated Strategy And Analytics

The Forrester Wave™ Vendor Summary, Q4 2007

by Dave Frankland, November 2, 2007

In the two years since we last evaluated database marketing service providers, Knowlegebase Marketing (KBM) has continued its analytic and strategic approach to service delivery and, through the purchase of DataCore, has acquired a full-service midmarket . . .

For Marketing Leadership Professionals

Equifax Shines As An Integrated Midmarket Database Marketing Service Provider

The Forrester Wave™ Vendor Summary, Q4 2007

by Dave Frankland, November 2, 2007

Equifax Database Services (Equifax DBS) offers flexible, pragmatic, and integrated solutions best suited for midmarket opportunities. Primarily focused on financial services, media, retail, and travel companies, Equifax DBS integrates strategy, technology, . . .

For Marketing Leadership Professionals

Experian Marketing Services Offers Scalable Databases And A Broad Range Of Services

The Forrester Wave™ Vendor Summary, Q4 2007

by Dave Frankland, November 2, 2007

In the two years since we last evaluated database marketing service providers, Experian Marketing Services has invested to improve its service delivery, enhance its strategic and proactive advice, and deliver an integrated offering. The company still . . .

For Marketing Leadership Professionals

Acxiom Is The Technology Powerhouse Of Database Marketing Service Providers

The Forrester Wave™ Vendor Summary, Q4 2007

by Dave Frankland, November 2, 2007

In the two years since we last evaluated database marketing service providers, Acxiom has made significant additions to its strategy and analytics capabilities, and has developed a promising midmarket strategy. The company remains a technology powerhouse . . .

For Marketing Leadership Professionals

Harte-Hanks Excels As A Midmarket Database Marketing Service Provider

The Forrester Wave™ Vendor Summary, Q4 2007

by Dave Frankland, November 2, 2007

Although Harte-Hanks offers enterprise-level custom database solutions, much of its recent focus and success stems from its midmarket accounts. The company offers several midmarket packaged solutions focused on specific industries and functions, and 85% . . .

For Marketing Leadership Professionals

ChoicePoint Is A Solid Database Marketing Service Provider For Financial Services Firms

The Forrester Wave™ Vendor Summary, Q4 2007

by Dave Frankland, November 2, 2007

As a newcomer to the Forrester Wave, ChoicePoint Precision Marketing notched up consistent though not outstanding scores across the board. It is heavily focused in financial services and recently began targeting telecommunications and cable firms. The . . .