Using Customer Insights for Global Marketing Success

Data-driven marketing has changed the way businesses connect with their audiences. I've worked on big events like DSEI, DSEI Japan and the Rugby World Cup. I've seen how important customer insights are for making smart moves. But just having data isn’t enough. You need to turn that data into useful actions. Sometimes, this means changing how you think and how you line up your insights with your business goals.

Here’s a simple guide to setting up data-driven marketing for success.

Create Customer Profiles

In marketing campaigns, and even more so when you have a global marketing campaign, understanding your customers is key. Often, it's not just one person making a decision. On DSEI and DSEI Japan, we had to consider input from many people - like government officials, MOD or JMOD as well as the end users (exhibitors, sponsors, etc.). They all have such varied needs and expectations from the event.

We used tools like Salesforce, Pardot, Power BI and Treasure Data to bring all the information together. By mixing data from registration, emails, social media, and event sessions, we created clear customer profiles. For example, we tailored emails which alleviated the pain points people informed us they had when they registered - During registration you told us your biggest pain point was ‘Talent acquisition & training‘, here are 3-4 emails all about the benefits DSEI or DSEI Japan has in ensuring your Talent acquisition & training needs are met. This brought engagement rates up by over 30%.

Learn how to personalise your campaigns further with Account-Based Marketing (ABM) strategies.

Set Clear Goals

Effective global campaigns need clearly defined KPIs at every stage of the funnel. When promoting DSEI, our metrics shifted as prospects moved through the funnel.?

• Top-of-funnel (TOFU) efforts focused on building awareness through LinkedIn campaigns and SEO-optimised content - at this stage it was about eyes on the adverts, how many impressions could we get and how much can we build our remarketing campaigns.?
• Middle-of-funnel (MOFU) tactics used email automation to nurture leads with customer success stories - at this stage we focused on engagement - how many people opened emails, clicked on emails or other social posts.?
• Bottom of the funnel (BOFU), we prioritised conversion metrics like exhibitor sales and upselling additional experiences.

One key learning was to avoid chasing short-term gains at the expense of long-term growth. For example, focusing solely on immediate exhibitor sales would have overlooked the opportunity to build the event for the biggest priority nations and departments by setting strategies around what type of exhibitors we want at the show to meet the needs of our key demographics, which became a repeat revenue stream. Balancing short-term and long-term KPIs enabled us to generate significant ROI while establishing a foundation for future campaigns.

For more on aligning metrics with the customer journey, read my guide to cross-channel consistency.

Turn Insights Into Action

While global campaigns benefit from overarching trends, success often hinges on local nuances. Customers’ preferences, behaviours, and decision-making processes vary significantly by region. Tailoring your approach using localised data ensures your messaging resonates deeply.

For example:

• For DSEI Japan the international audience had a priority of ‘entering a new market’, detailed case studies performed better at driving engagement, these case studies had to include all the nuances of doing business in Japan.?
• In DSEI the defence industry is more established so the focus was on non-traditional technology companies, so we provided more content on the needs of the MOD which only non-traditional technology companies could provide.

Using Power BI, we visualised data correlations, such as how 'entering a new market' content directly drove registrations. Pairing these insights with qualitative data allowed us to refine our budget allocation, investing more in high-performing content. The result was increased registrations and improved campaign efficiency.

Learn how to balance emotion and data for campaigns that resonate across diverse audiences.

Establishing a Continuous Feedback Loop

One great thing about data-driven marketing is that it can keep getting better. In my work on Rugby World Cup hospitality Sales, we used Microsoft Dynamics with Power BI to watch our data in 'real-time'. This let us tweak campaigns in the moment. When we saw engagement drop, we A/B tested subject lines and adjusted send times, increasing open rates by 18%.

This feedback loop doesn’t just help performance; it builds trust. When customers feel their needs are met, they're likely to stay loyal.

Explore how AI can enhance lead nurturing and maximise revenue with multi-channel strategies.

Driving Change with Data

Data-driven marketing is about people too. To thrive, marketing leaders should mix smart analysis with storytelling that matches business goals. From creating custom content to working through challenges with leadership, showing how insights lead to real results is essential.

As Dr. Philip Kotler said,

Marketing’s role isn’t just to satisfy customer needs, but to anticipate them.

By focusing on clear goals, local details, and ongoing improvement, marketers can drive growth and stand out in their fields.

Discover how to unlock the power of AI for global customer insight strategies.

Are You Ready for Better Campaigns?

Global markets can be tricky, but with the right approach to data, many opportunities await. Are you set to tap into customer insights and change the game in your industry? Let your data guide you.