Reindeers, Elves and Machine Learning

There’s a lot we can learn from Santa. His magical sleigh journey aside, what’s truly impressive is how Santa always knows exactly what gifts will satisfy his millions of young customers.

He sorts through millions of handwritten letters, as well as all the messages sent through social media, messaging apps and chats to map and analyse each child’s request.

Santa detects and monitors the behaviour patterns of children throughout the year, so children who have been good get rewarded with the gift of their choice on Christmas Day. He has mastered the art of predicting the desired outcomes of every child that chooses to interact with him.

Like I said before, retailers can learn a lot from Santa. Brand values of efficiency, personalisation and customer satisfaction ensure an exceptionally loyal customer base. He is skilled at personalising customer conversations to individual customers’ preferences. And he is an expert at using behavioural data to take customer service to a new level of engagement.

Modern consumers expect businesses to be digitally adept and able to meet needs in ways that earn their loyalty. Businesses need to integrate online strategies, call centres and bricks-and-mortar stores to meet expectations. Retailers are adapting to change and working to maintain and build market share in the face of increased competition from the likes of Amazon.

Consumers are increasingly familiar with artificial intelligence through increasingly sophisticated software home products. What’s not so obvious is how retailers are embracing change. There is an awareness of the need to apply digital technologies throughout all areas of the business, from marketing to delivery.

The 2018 Deloitte annual survey of senior Australian retail executives reflects that reality.

Almost 79 percent of respondents forecast growth of 10 percent or more in online Christmas sales.

Customer and omni-channel strategies were identified as key priorities for two-thirds of the executives. The goal is to deliver a seamless shopping experience that integrates online, phone and in-store contact. Retailers have a mountain of data but are still learning how to use it to best effect.

That’s where technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning can help. Analysing and applying data patterns can help retailers to reach customers at the right time, with personalised messages. Machine learning can provide insights into customer behaviour over time, identifying opportunities that build brand loyalty.

Sophisticated artificial intelligence optimises every marketing point to drive more efficient and relevant experiences and identify opportunities. It all adds up to a smarter sales and marketing approach to help businesses meet customer needs.

Great advances have been made in recent years and developers are preparing to release improvements to enhance effectiveness and satisfaction. One thing is clear: artificial intelligence is powering a new approach to customer relationships in every channel.

Sales and marketing campaigns are changing rapidly, so say goodbye to old approaches that do little to personalise customer experience.

Get ready to demonstrate how, just like Santa, you are using appropriate listening to predict exactly what each customer really wants for Christmas.

Thanks to our great marketing team Jamie Fitzsimons, Gareth Lloyd and Jean-Baptiste Aubrun for this fun piece!

For an in-depth look into the intelligent possibilities for your business, review the August 2018 Forrester Consulting study, Powering The Intelligent Enterprise With AI, Machine Learning, And Predictive Analytics, commissioned by SAP.