It’s clear. In today’s data-rich environment, retailers must optimize the consumer experience to drive business through actionable insights. 83%[1] of marketers exceed their forecasted return on investment (ROI) by implementing personalization driven by data. 91%[2] of consumers assume brands will recognize and remember them. With first-year churn at 50% for financial institutions, it’s understood that personalization can help reverse that trend.
“Data is the new oil. It’s valuable, but if unrefined it cannot really be used.”
Dave Humby, Chief Data Scientist at Starcount
Oil starts as crude and is only usable after it’s been refined. The same goes for data. To make it actionable and provide a personalized experience, we need to draw from multiple data sources. The following six data resources will help align your audience with your marketing efforts and help you create timely and relevant communications.
Key Data Source 1: Demographics
Demographics, the study of a population and its components, provide insight into a household’s composition, including finances, life events, buying activities, buying behavior and major purchases. They also deliver facts, like age, gender, income level, race and ethnicity. These components help create solid customer/member profiles and are the foundation of any successful campaign.
Demographics, in combination with your core data, help determine segmentation, where they exist and their basic characteristics. Armed with this knowledge, you can confidently develop your marketing strategy and plan.
However, demographic data is limited. “It offers a singular view, like a snapshot in time,” offers Amy McConnell, VP of Marketing Strategy at Marquis, a financial services market leader. “To really harness the power of demographics, you should use this intelligence in conjunction with other data sources.”
Key Data Source 2: Psychographics
Psychographic data sets explore values, attitudes, interests and personality. From them, we can gain a deeper understanding of our financial institutions’ customers/members. This intelligence gives us insight on where they work, play and how they spend their money. All of which aids in understanding who our customers/members are and how to best reach them.
These insights into individual tendencies enable you to build a robust behavior profile, deepen your understanding of segment behavior and assist with strategic media placement. “Psychographics allow you to target smarter by knowing and finding who needs your financial institution’s services,” McConnell added, “They also help drive retention and enhance product offerings based on usage patterns.”
Key Data Source 3: Propensity
Propensity data defines who is in the market for a specific product, like an auto or mortgage loan, and who is likely to have products elsewhere. Drawn from transactions, online and social tracking, surveys and more, propensity data predicts brand affinity along with customer/member preferences and behavior. This data enables strategic targeting and allows you to implement a mirroring effect. However, propensity information is only the likelihood a consumer is interested in specific product, not a guarantee. It’s best to couple this information with other relevant data sources.
Key Data Source 4: Mapping
Mapping converts data into visual references based on location. The visual effect creates a new perspective, making customer/member and prospect clusters as well as their proximity to you and competitors’ financial institutions more visible. For example, in an area dominated by apartment buildings, a personal loan may seem appropriate; however, when demographic, psychographic, and propensity data are overlaid, the dwellers may be more prone to be in the market for a mortgage. It is important to partner with your compliance affiliates to avoid regulatory concerns and mitigate any risks with the usage of mapping and demographic data for marketing perspectives.
Key Data Source 5: Credit Scores
Credit score data leverages a secondary credit risk ranking to help create segments and determine opportunities. A strong credit score is a great indicator for prequalified offers and prescreening for credit increases and activations. However, credit monitoring services, like FICO, are highly regulated. If used with close monitoring and approval from compliance affiliates, the data can help create a powerful and personalized experience to delight your customers/members and strengthen your connection.
Key Data Source 6: Credit Monitoring
Credit monitoring data allows you to know what customers/members are doing outside of your financial institution. “What if you could monitor what your customers and members are doing outside of your organization and take action on it?” asks Andrew Lampkins, SVP of Marketing Client Relationships at Marquis. Credit monitoring helps drive timely and relevant marketing messages at the right time.
Data Management and Reporting
With the vast amount of intelligence collected from these sources, interpreting the data often can be daunting, time consuming, and utilize multiple resources. Using a partner to collect and interpret the data may help to alleviate the strain. Companies like Marquis put their experience and expertise at their client’s disposal. Marquis’ insights help develop strategic marketing plans based on their data, the institutions unique customer/member base and the financial institution’s product offerings.
Without measurable results, ROI can be attributable to other sources. Marquis also offers reporting tools to help their clients discover what campaigns are successful and where programs can improve. The Marquis NEXT Reporting Tool delivers a complete view of campaigns, from product performance to opening rates. Lampkins adds, “A tool like Marquis NEXT is ideal to see the growth of new products due to your campaigns.”
Go Forth and Personalize!
Data is valuable. The insight it provides is the basis of any personalization which guides us on who to target, what consumers want, when they want it and where they are most likely to view the message.
For these reasons, these six data sources are essential to your marketing strategy. They are the keys to winning campaigns with compelling offers and a personalized experience. You’ll gain valuable insights, allowing you to learn more about your audience and their needs. Multiple data sources will also uncover new marketable segments that enable continuous growth. Most importantly, personalized content with the right message delivered at the right time creates loyal and lifelong customers/members who will turn to you first for their financial needs.
[1] Invesp https://www.invespcro.com/blog/data-driven-marketing/
[2] Accenture https://www.accenture.com/_acnmedia/pdf-77/accenture-pulse-survey.pdf