Customer Data

Machine Learning, TDA and the Future of Invention
January 23, 2013

Ayasdi came out of stealth mode and told the world it had a new way to analyze big data, and I think the implications for CRM and social are very large indeed. The new way is called "topological data analysis" and hearing about it has the feel of hearing about relativity for the first time and learning that space is curved.

Appboy Helps Devs Re-engage Lapsed Users
January 18, 2013

What's the biggest customer-related problem for mobile app developers? A good guess is that it has something to do with one-time downloads by users who lose interest almost immediately. Enter Appboy, which just launched a customer segmentation platform aimed at building engagement.

Instagram: Better to Tell Your Story Than Let Angry Users Tell It
December 20, 2012

The social media era doesn't mean that more people can communicate than in the past. It means that more customers can communicate faster than ever before -- and customers always communicate more and faster when they're angry. You'd think that this message would have been internalized by the nice people over at Facebook, which owns Instagram. Sadly, that's not the case.

Predicting the Future Is Not for the Faint of Heart
December 19, 2012

I was doing some research in the Time Magazine archives -- the best ones I have seen, by the way -- the other day and came across this nugget from 1962: "Despite the discouraging results so far, many scientists argue that military-space research will ultimately produce an overflowing cornucopia of marketable consumer products, from supersonic planes to small nuclear reactors for home power."

Healthcare Data Has to Be Both Secure and Right
December 17, 2012

Lake Health, a regional healthcare system in northeast Ohio, has been examining its information-security practices with a maturing approach. It is shifting from deploying security technologies to becoming more of a comprehensive risk-reduction practice provider internally for its own consumers. This has caused Lake Health to look at the quality of its data.

The Big Data Marketing Gold Mine
December 03, 2012

It's become clear that the true political star of the 2012 election was Big Data. There is much that marketers can learn from its meteoric rise. Trumping the old-school, gut-instinct days of electoral politics, today's campaigns employ data crunchers who mine the campaign's database for clues on what it takes to engage supporters and motivate them to donate, volunteer and vote.

Google Buys Custom Coupon Startup
November 29, 2012

Google acquired retail coupon company Incentive Targeting, giving it a way to target consumers with deals based on their preferences and broaden its e-commerce presence. Incentive Targeting works with manufacturers of grocery and consumer products to design personalized, timely coupons and special offers.

The Most Desirable Customer Data Plays Hardest to Get
November 29, 2012

As a callow youth, I enlisted in the Navy and found myself at sea aboard the USS Gray as a bosun's mate. That meant standing a lot of watch on the bridge, and being on the bridge meant knowing how to report positions of other things based on a 360-degree arc. The idea was to have a 360-degree view of what was out there -- primarily so we didn't run into it.

Amex Teams With Halo 4 on Master Chief Incentives
November 08, 2012

Master Chief is going after some real world conquests in the newly released Halo 4 from Microsoft. In time for the launch of the game, American Express teamed with Microsoft to launch a campaign that will reward players who sync their American Express card to Halo 4 -- and by default, Xbox Live.

After the Breach: Culture of Honesty Restores Confidence
November 05, 2012

The culture of security -- and the openness and responsiveness that make security systems work properly -- can have a huge beneficial impact on organizations. This is illustrated by the example of Heartland Payment Systems, which moved rapidly after allowing a massive security breach.

Hacking by the Books: Barnes & Noble PIN Pads Bugged
October 27, 2012

Barnes & Noble revealed this week that PIN pad devices at 63 of its stores nationwide were hacked, putting some of its customers at risk. The company discovered the hacking in September, and for the past month, the FBI has been investigating the case. Fewer than 1 percent of Barnes & Noble PIN pads reportedly were affected, but those who were could have had important data stolen.

When Your CRM Is Working, Keep Working on It
October 25, 2012

"It is a good thing to follow the first rule of holes: If you are in one, stop digging." It was only 1988 when this nugget of wisdom was first recorded, according to the Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs. It's one of my favorites, because it has so many applications in the business world. Unfortunately, the glib so-and-so who first uttered this turn of phrase did not come up with the corollary to this saying.

Social Marketing: Right Idea for the Times
October 24, 2012

You might be tempted to consider social marketing just another idea in an endless stream of things dreamed up by the software industry -- and pundits like me -- to generate more business. Well, you'd be right about some of that, but I'd like to argue that the idea is more than hype and is, in fact, in sync with the times. Conceptually, marketing and sales have not changed for a very long time.

Bogus Apps Litter Android With Malware
October 22, 2012

Android is one of the most popular mobile operating systems in the world. As a result, it's also one of the most popular mobile operating systems to be targeted by malware writers. Malware aimed at Google's Android platform increased sixfold during the quarter that ended in September, according to a report released Monday by Trend Micro.

Oracle's Leap to the Cloud
October 03, 2012

I've been at OpenWorld for two days as I file this, but so far I have little CRM-oriented material. CRM really kicks in on Wednesday when the company focuses on CX -- or customer experience -- the moniker that Oracle has given to much of its CRM focus. CX is good for what Oracle is about and some of the announcements about private cloud and high capacity storage fit well with the message.

Tizzy Over Bank Cyberattacks Unwarranted, Say Researchers
October 01, 2012

A week-long cyber attack on some of the nation's largest banks last week most likely wasn't the Armageddon headline writers made it out to be. "It's ridiculous to consider an attack that takes your website offline for a few hours the world's worst nightmare scenario," said Jeffrey Carr, CEO of Taia Global and author of Inside Cyber Warfare: Mapping the Cyber Underworld.

The Remarketing Trap
August 13, 2012

There's a great chase scene in Minority Report when Tom Cruise, having been identified as a future murderer, is making his escape through a futuristic mall. There's a thin line between utopian ideals and dystopian realities, and it makes me chuckle to think that in the case of Minority Report, all that was needed to cross it was the involvement of a marketing department.

Google Nicked in Safari Privacy Kerfuffle
August 10, 2012

Google has agreed to pay the U.S. Federal Trade Commission a $22.5 million fine to settle allegations that the search engine giant violated the privacy of Safari browser users. The fine, which is the largest the FTC has ever imposed, is part of its ongoing effort to enforce consumers' online privacy rights.

Learning the Social CRM Data-Management Ropes
July 23, 2012

Every time people post an update, "like" a page, or otherwise engage with social media, their movements are tracked, followed and recorded. For businesses, this data is a gold mine of information about consumer thinking, preferences and opinions. "Businesses should view social media as a treasure trove of data and insights," said Wilson Raj, global customer intelligence director with SAS.

Reading Into IBM's Tealeaf Buy
May 03, 2012

IBM is building out its digital marketing functionality in its Smarter Commerce portfolio with the acquisition of Tealeaf Technology, a provider of customer experience analytics. Tealeaf software records and analyzes customer interactions on a company's website and any mobile channels it offers. It allows the company to catch any mistakes or glitches in the system that may be hindering the customer experience.