Let’s Get Personal!

I was in London last month to address students at the University College London (UCL) Business School. Before finalising my schedule, I looked at the website of a particular hotel chain with a view to making a reservation. In the end I didn’t stay there but, two weeks later, I still see ads for this particular hotel popping up every time I navigate the web.

We have all seen pop-up ads on our computer screen or received e-mails from companies like Amazon with recommendations for things we might like, since we bought something similar. It gives us the impression that the company knows our preferences, and us, just as a friend might.

The Personal Touch

One dictionary definition of “Personal touch” is “An original or special quality, or something that is done for every single person in a group to make them feel special”.

Let’s face it, we all like to feel special so it should come as no surprise to learn that more and companies are implementing some level of personalization into their marketing campaigns, with online companies leading the way. Personalized service has always been an element of the small business and local store, where the owners know their customers by name; now, database technologies and Customer Relationship Software (CRM) are equipping larger businesses to personalize as well.

Internet software allows companies to identify the physical locations from which customers are signing in, to keep records of their transactions and use tracking cookies to learn about their other shopping interests. With this data, a website can personalize a visitor’s experience by showing them a customized page, featuring their language preference and products and offers they are more likely to be interested in. You are using the same technology yourself whenever you might choose to check in – via Facebook for example - and show the world at large precisely where you have chosen to spend your time (and money!).

Personalization is not new. Indeed, it’s been growing for at least 15 years and, thanks to a number of major companies that have been leading the way, it has now joined the mainstream. Dell Computers, for example, has been inviting customers to 'build' their own computers by selecting the various specifications for their machine. In another sector completely, both Adidas and NIKE let their customers do the same with their shoes by selecting design elements and colours of their choice.

Now, personalization has become even more personal as companies of all kinds take things even further and allow you to buy things with your name on. After my presentation at University College London, I took a walk down Oxford Street, where I was astonished to see the variety of personalized items available. They included Lola’s Cup Cakes, which had set up a small table inside Selfridges Food Hall and was taking orders for tailor-made cupcakes to its customers’ specifications.

Elsewhere, I bought an alarm clock for my son, which mentions his name ("Wake up Rolando....You little sleepyhead wake up... Rolando....Time to get out of bed....!") in the wake-up song and I could have bought a personalized bottle of champagne, a cut crystal decanter or a hundred other items had I so wished.

The “My name is on it!” factor has been one of the keys to the success of Coca-Cola’s popular “Share a Coke”advertising campaign which recently came to Cyprus. As has happened in many other countries, the personalized bottles have led to a new phenomenon: buying a bottle of Coca-Cola for a friend or loved one. I don’t remember when it was possible to get such a fantastic response from someone by spending less than €1 on a gift!

And in case you think that personalized gifts and other products are only available from global brands, let me mention the Nicosia-based publisher Power Publishing that makes personalized calendars from your photos. That’s not all. My very good friend Thales Panagides who sells personalised Brazilian bikinis to customers around the globe from the comfort of his Limassol home! The 78 second video below is a vivid example of how devoted Thales and his brand Mar Egeu is to bikini personalization:

Finally, we all know that ever since the advent of online banking, fewer and fewer people are visiting their bank branch. When we want money, we can go to an ATM. So I was pleased (and impressed) to find out that Hellenic Bank has managed to add its personal touch to its customers’ ATM experience. On entering their PIN, customers not only see their name on the screen but the message “Let’s try something new! …More personal” and they have the option to click on their 'favourite' transaction (i.e. the one they carry out most often, such as €60 without a receipt). It is faster than the usual process and makes customers feel that the bank “knows” them.

Why personal? 

Here are five good reasons why you need to make your service more personal:

1. It makes your customers feel unique and special because they are creating their ‘own brand’. Customers want to be treated like individuals.
2. It is more profitable. “Special and unique” come at a price!. NIKE and Adidas sell their tailor-made shoes (NIKEiD and MiAdidas respectively) for at least 25% more than the regular models.
3. It builds brand loyalty by connecting you, the customer, to the brand. So you have MY NIKE shoes, MY alarm clock, MY Coca-Cola, MY cupcake! Customers who have customized a product online engage more with the company, visit its website more frequently, stay on the page longer and are more loyal to the brand.
4. It helps you differentiate your products from those of your competitors. If 25% of online sales of footwear were customized, that would equate to a market of $2 billion per year.
5. It offers you insights that let you stay one step ahead of the competition. For example, Brooks Brothers allows men to create their own suits and what it learns from its customers in one season is used to help it deliver the next season’s product line.

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A double "Let's Get Personal" question for our Fans & Friends: What have you personalized or what are you thinking of personalizing in your own line of work?