Ms. Susan Gear, Senior VP from Catalina Marketing, recently spoke to my undergraduate marketing research class. She spoke eloquently about the confluence of marketing and technology. In the days gone by, a consumer would walk to the neighborhood store and get the one-on-one attention he richly deserved, engaging in a conversation that ran the gamut from what he needed to his daily health challenges. While highly effective, such interaction is neither efficient nor scalable.
Today’s challenge? How do we marry the close personal interaction consumers seek with the technology-driven efficiencies that are the hallmark of modern, cost-conscious businesses? How do we effectively use purchase data and match it to lifestyle profiles? It is certainly not easy, but it is certainly worth thinking about.
The problem with technology is that it can move companies so far away from their customers that over time they lose sight of who their customers really are and what makes them tick. In this “catch 22” world, balance can be a good thing!
About Hemant Rustogi