Retailers: Step Up Your Personalized Experiences Game to Survive - CUSTOMER

CUSTOMER : 2/03/2016 eNewsletter   Latest Featured Articles » Retailers: Step Up Your Personalized Experiences Game to Survive Retailers are closing their doors across the United States. While dining with my teenage daughter and her best friend, we skimmed an article that listed all of the Wal-Mart, Target and Macy store closings. Properties will soon be empty because American consumers are doing more and more of their spending online. But is it just consumer habits or did these retailers fail to deliver on the omnichannel experience? » Avtex Extends CRM Reach with Webfortis Acquisition Avtex has extended its customer relationship management (CRM) strategy this week through the acquisition of Webfortis, a Microsoft Dynamics CRM provider based in San Francisco. According to Avtex CEO George Demou, Webfortis aligns well with Avtex because it is built around a strong partnership with Microsoft and a dedication to maintaining its technological edge. » Why More Marketers Should Let Data Tell the Story Oftentimes, it is difficult to see how customer data can help to craft a compelling narrative about your brand. The cold, calculating nature of numbers can seem so far removed from the emotional connection that storytelling attempts to forge. However, data can provide valuable insights about how and why customers use your brand's products, which in turn can create a dynamic story. Western Union, the financial services and communications organization, provides a strong example of how to do this. » IBM's Watson Starts a Career in the Call Center The most obvious and enduring benefit to a human call center agent is, of course, their human touch. A bot can't register tone, synthesize emotions, or empathize. In call center industry speak, they can't register sentiment. » Is Your CEO Still Not Considering Mobile? The world of marketing is expected to grow once again in 2016. According to a study by Selligent and StrongView, 56 percent of questioned business leaders expected their marketing budget to increase in the new year, while less than nine percent foresaw a decrease. An additional study by StrongView found that much of this budgetary increase will be seen in email marketing, with social media and display advertising also becoming more of a focus for creative agencies. Top Stories » Growing IoT Market Set to Impact Contact Center Industry » Altitude Software's Strategy Center Streamlines Outbound Contact Center Lead Management » eGain to Support Camelot UK Lottery with Web Chat » Macy's Hires Two New Execs to Revamp Omnichannel » Why Cloud-Based Customer Care Software is the Future Featured Channels » Customer Support Software » Omni-Channel Customer Engagement » Omnichannel Experience Featured Resources » Cloud: The Essential Buyer's Guide » Making the Leap: Taking your Call Center to the Cloud » Simplify the Software Experience on Any Device with Consumer-Style Apps Advertise With Us General advertising Info: Click here    Become a CUSTOMER columnist! Become a TMCnet columnist! Want to contribute your expertise to a growing audience of technology professionals? Become a writer, blogger or columnist for the TMCnet Web site and this newsletter. Contact TMCnet Group Editorial Director, Erik Linask, at elinask@tmcnet.com for details.

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