Brands selling through a reseller channel – do you really know your end customer?

Typically, brands who manufacture and wholesale through a reseller channel or intermediary, have access to aggregated sales data.

However, they will have little or no data to really know their end customer more deeply - data that is identifiable, consented and contactable, with the opportunity for dynamic dialogue.

Why is it important to really know your end customer more deeply?

“From deep knowledge comes realised opportunity” - Anon

It flows something like this…from nothing to know, know to knowledge, knowledge to deeper insight, deeper insight to opportunity, opportunity to action and from action to realised opportunity.

There’s a simple formula to really know your customer more deeply.

Identifiable data = know your customers as individuals ie name, gender, age, interests and profiles

Consented & contactable data = know they have given you permission for channel specific ongoing dialogue. This is one to one consented and preference-based communication channels such as email, mobile, App and even mail (imagine that!)

Dynamic dialogue data = know their behaviour and attitudes progressively enhanced by an ongoing value exchange and dialogue. Gain purchase behaviour data - what they buy, why they buy, when they buy, how often they buy and how much they spend.

Enhance with interaction behaviour data – surveys answered, polls completed, competitions entered, social shares. Add advocacy data – sentiment, preference and recommendation. Identify ambassadors – those customers who nominate to be part of select group for research and testing

When all three intersect you really will know your customer more deeply!

Why bother? Three valuable reasons

  1. Know your customers on an ongoing basis: The knowledge gained, the insight gleaned and the relevant action taken provides the opportunity to really know your customers on an ongoing basis.

  2. Control the customer relationship: For brands with little or no direct access to the end customer, this is where the real power of having IC2D2 data kicks in. ‘Control’ means you have a direct sphere of influence. It means you have the opportunity to motivate a positive relationship with your brand, keeping the brand top of mind, motivating increased purchase behaviour – more sales and maintaining an emotional connection.

  3. Own the customer relationship: Taking ownership of the customer relationship comes from respect and consent through a value exchange (not ownership in the absolute sense). To illustrate ownership in this context, let’s compare IC2D2 data and the resulting customer relationship to a relationship with customers via social media.
    - With IC2D2 data you have more ownership of the customer relationship vs with social media customer relationships, you have limited or no ownership.
    - They (social media platforms) are the landlord and you are the tenant.
    - You are renting the relationship.
    - They own the platform and can change the algorithms or financial model as they wish, impacting your opportunity to access your customers.

Now, if you believe in the power of IC2D2 data, then HOW do you make it a reality?

Develop a Direct 2 Customer Relationship Marketing Program (D2C RMP)

If you are thinking, that’s nothing new, then yes, you are right, it’s not new and there are many permutations of these.

They have various names or strategies such as clubs, rewards programs, loyalty programs, communities, a curation of value-adding information, content and benefits for their customers.

Some have all three IC2D2 data layers (Identifiable x Consented&Contactable x Dynamic Dialogue), some only the IC2. A few examples include:

Yates Garden CommunityNike
Blackmores – Wellbeing Check Redbull
Healthy Essentials Rewards by Johnson & Johnson
AEG newsletter and content 

How do you bring a D2C RMP to reality?

At the start ask yourself - are you D2C RMP ready?

  1. Clarify what’s in it for your business? (lots of clues in the article above). Ensure you have financial measures of success. Ensure your team is ready – skills and experience inhouse vs external support.
  2. Clarify what’s in it for your customers? What’s the value exchange for their data? Understand the sensitivities of collecting, using and storing their data. The latest For Love or MoneyTM 2020[1] loyalty research identified members are concerned with how their data is used and how secure their data is. Be clear on what difference your RMP will make to their lives - financially, experiencing your brand, utility and time, personalisation, exclusivity and social and community connection.
  3. Develop the strategy, financials, technology fit-for-purpose, tactical execution and ongoing nurturing and management.
    There is some work here, however the benefits are there to be leveraged and it’s a simple formula:

    D2C RMP = IC2D2 = know your customers more deeply

[1] For Love or MoneyTM 2020 loyalty research - Concerns members have about loyalty programs is available in the full report www.thepointofloyalty.com.au