Rich M. Smith, MBA

Personas have historically played a central role in the marketers’ playbook for understanding, segmenting, and targeting consumers. By dividing groups of consumers based on characteristics like demographics, income, occupation, and location, however, what is ultimately created is a profile of the “average” consumer within each segment. While this strategy can be helpful when trying to gain a high-level understanding of your various audiences, it falls short for engaging consumers in 2021.

The pandemic precipitated significant behavioral changes for consumers. For most, the biggest change was sheltering in place in an effort to limit outside, in-person interaction. This resulted in a huge spike in online activity that caught many in the marketing industry flat-footed. With such a crowded digital landscape, marketers must adjust their strategy to gain the attention of already distracted consumers.

- To fight a crowded digital marketplace, marketers will have to create hyper-personalized shopping experiences in 2021.
- Leveraging behavioral data will enable marketers to keep up with changing consumer behavior as the pandemic continues to develop.
- Marketers will need to consider current and future privacy regulations while developing strategies.

Last year was a bumpy ride for marketers, forcing businesses in nearly every sector to pivot or even replace entire strategies in the face of unfathomable circumstances. For many, the most notable change was the impact of social distancing and sheltering in place, which created a huge spike in online shopping activity, even in industries where ecommerce was not previously as pronounced. This shift resulted in a crowded digital landscape, with more organizations vying for consumer attention than… Show more

Last year was a bumpy ride for marketers, forcing businesses in nearly every sector to pivot or even replace entire strategies in the face of unfathomable circumstances. For many, the most notable change was the impact of social distancing and sheltering in place, which created a huge spike in online shopping activity, even in industries where ecommerce was not previously as pronounced. This shift resulted in a crowded digital landscape, with more organizations vying for consumer attention than ever before.

It’s unlikely this shift will reverse itself. The challenge for 2021 is to figure out how to cut through the noise and deliver the sort of meaningful and personal experiences that can compete with face-to-face interactions. Show less

It’s no surprise that online interactions have increased since the start of the pandemic. With more customers spending time at home, 80% of businesses indicate their online interactions with customers have increased. In response, marketers are committed to improving the customer experience, with C-level executives saying they are invested in the customer experience. In fact, 60% of those surveyed report adding additional customer touch points to the customer experience.

The customer… Show more

It’s no surprise that online interactions have increased since the start of the pandemic. With more customers spending time at home, 80% of businesses indicate their online interactions with customers have increased. In response, marketers are committed to improving the customer experience, with C-level executives saying they are invested in the customer experience. In fact, 60% of those surveyed report adding additional customer touch points to the customer experience.

The customer experience needs major attention as online interactions and traffic continue to grow. Marketers need to reevaluate their strategy and focus—instead of relying on touch points alone, there should be added effort to creating meaningful customer interactions. Show less

Growth and competition in the digital landscape has caused many marketers to bury their consumers in ill-timed messages, inundating them with potentially unwanted information and unneeded choices. But, advanced marketing has evolved from buying attention to get our brand in front of the consumer to something that actually improves the shopping experience.

It’s the age-old dilemma of understanding where shoppers are in their buying journey so we can send the right message at the right… Show more

Growth and competition in the digital landscape has caused many marketers to bury their consumers in ill-timed messages, inundating them with potentially unwanted information and unneeded choices. But, advanced marketing has evolved from buying attention to get our brand in front of the consumer to something that actually improves the shopping experience.

It’s the age-old dilemma of understanding where shoppers are in their buying journey so we can send the right message at the right time. Understanding the consumers’ level of intent at a given moment, and engaging with them accordingly is what makes or breaks our success. So what’s the most efficient and effective way to achieve this? At Jornaya, we feel it’s leveraging behavioral data. Show less

Jornaya data shows the number of TCPA Visual Playback (VPB) requests skyrocketed in May 2020. These requests occur when a client receives a complaint from a consumer and requests a visual rendering of the consumer’s web session to show what disclosures were presented to the consumer.
The increase in online shopping due to COVID-19 coupled with the influx of consumer complaints means marketers using automatic telephone dialing systems should be doubling down on consumer privacy and their… Show more

Jornaya data shows the number of TCPA Visual Playback (VPB) requests skyrocketed in May 2020. These requests occur when a client receives a complaint from a consumer and requests a visual rendering of the consumer’s web session to show what disclosures were presented to the consumer.
The increase in online shopping due to COVID-19 coupled with the influx of consumer complaints means marketers using automatic telephone dialing systems should be doubling down on consumer privacy and their ability to prove compliance with the TCPA.
In this contributed article, Jornaya’s Chief Marketing Officer Rich Smith discusses what marketers can do to become more TCPA compliant, including:
Documenting proof of consent, allowing you to deter and help defend against the costly and rising number of TCPA complaints.
Ensuring that proof of consent is stored and available in perpetuity to defend a plaintiff or class action lawsuit.
Capturing and providing a verified record of every web session through visual rendering technology and reports. Show less

No one would deny that the face of retail is changing due to the forces of e-commerce. What we may not fully grasp yet is how that pace of change is accelerating and what it will mean for many industries in even a relatively short time horizon of five to 10 years.

Last week, famed New York luxury retailer Barneys filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection with plans to close most of its stores, citing the downturn in the retail industry and rent hikes.

This bursts the theory that the high-end segment of retail is immune to the trends of e-commerce. As the theory went, high-end retailers like Barneys would continue to be a destination where people would come to experience the merchandise and would survive in populous, affluent markets.

Marketing sometimes feels like a race that can't be won. Not only must one continually edge out the competition to succeed, but the finish line keeps moving. Even as our marketing savvy advances, consumers, who are barraged with messages left and right, continue to find ways to evade our attempts to connect. Maneuvering into a position of advantage indeed takes skill, strategy and practice and is a struggle familiar to any marketing leader.