Social Media Analytics in Social CRM – Towards a Research Agenda

Social Media have emerged as an additional source of information for companies. Regarding an analysis of the huge data volumes within the Social Web, other approaches than manually analyzing social content are needed. Thus, Social Media Analytics (SMA) applications have emerged in recent years and have become inevitable for automatically generating valuable in-sights. However, these tools still suffer different shortcomings, which inhibit a deeper analysis and understanding of data. This research investigates and categorizes currently available ana-lytics methods by outlining literature and analyzing practical applications. Furthermore, it draws a line between descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analytics in the field of Social Media Analytics. As a result, this research complements existing research with strategic ques-tions, possible outcomes of SMA applications, and enabling methods to compute these out-comes, and finally defines a research agenda

To boardrooms and sustainability: the changing nature of segmentation

Market segmentation is the process by which customers in markets with some heterogeneity are grouped into smaller homogeneous segments of more ‘similar’ customers. A market segment is a group of individuals, groups or organisations sharing similar characteristics and buying behaviour that cause them to have relatively similar needs and purchasing behaviour. Segmentation is not a new concept: for six decades marketers have, in various guises, sought to break-down a market into sub-groups of users, each sharing common needs, buying behavior and marketing requirements. However, this approach to target market strategy development has been rejuvenated in the past few years. Various reasons account for this upsurge in the usage of segmentation, examination of which forms the focus of this white paper. Ready access to data enables faster creation of a segmentation and the testing of propositions to take to market. ‘Big data’ has made the re-thinking of target market segments and value propositions inevitable, desirable, faster and more flexible. The resulting information has presented companies with more topical and consumer-generated insights than ever before. However, many marketers, analytics directors and leadership teams feel over-whelmed by the sheer quantity and immediacy of such data. Analytical prowess in consultants and inside client organisations has benefited from a stepchange, using new heuristics and faster computing power, more topical data and stronger market insights. The approach to segmentation today is much smarter and has stretched well away from the days of limited data explored only with cluster analysis. The coverage and wealth of the solutions are unimaginable when compared to the practices of a few years ago. Then, typically between only six to ten segments were forced into segmentation solutions, so that an organisation could cater for these macro segments operationally as well as understand them intellectually. Now there is the advent of what is commonly recognised as micro segmentation, where the complexity of business operations and customer management requires highly granular thinking. In support of this development, traditional agency/consultancy roles have transitioned into in-house business teams led by data, campaign and business change planners. The challenge has shifted from developing a granular segmentation solution that describes all customers and prospects, into one of enabling an organisation to react to the granularity of the solution, deploying its resources to permit controlled and consistent one-to-one interaction within segments. So whilst the cost of delivering and maintaining the solution has reduced with technology advances, a new set of systems, costs and skills in channel and execution management is required to deliver on this promise. These new capabilities range from rich feature creative and content management solutions, tailored copy design and deployment tools, through to instant messaging middleware solutions that initiate multi-streams of activity in a variety of analytical engines and operational systems. Companies have recruited analytics and insight teams, often headed by senior personnel, such as an Insight Manager or Analytics Director. Indeed, the situations-vacant adverts for such personnel out-weigh posts for brand and marketing managers. Far more companies possess the in-house expertise necessary to help with segmentation analysis. Some organisations are also seeking to monetise one of the most regularly under-used latent business assets… data. Developing the capability and culture to bring data together from all corners of a business, the open market, commercial sources and business partners, is a step-change, often requiring a Chief Data Officer. This emerging role has also driven the professionalism of data exploration, using more varied and sophisticated statistical techniques. CEOs, CFOs and COOs increasingly are the sponsor of segmentation projects as well as the users of the resulting outputs, rather than CMOs. CEOs because recession has forced re-engineering of value propositions and the need to look after core customers; CFOs because segmentation leads to better and more prudent allocation of resources – especially NPD and marketing – around the most important sub-sets of a market; COOs because they need to better look after key customers and improve their satisfaction in service delivery. More and more it is recognised that with a new segmentation comes organisational realignment and change, so most business functions now have an interest in a segmentation project, not only the marketers. Largely as a result of the digital era and the growth of analytics, directors and company leadership teams are becoming used to receiving more extensive market intelligence and quickly updated customer insight, so leading to faster responses to market changes, customer issues, competitor moves and their own performance. This refreshing of insight and a leadership team’s reaction to this intelligence often result in there being more frequent modification of a target market strategy and segmentation decisions. So many projects set up to consider multi-channel strategy and offerings; digital marketing; customer relationship management; brand strategies; new product and service development; the re-thinking of value propositions, and so forth, now routinely commence with a segmentation piece in order to frame the ongoing work. Most organisations have deployed CRM systems and harnessed associated customer data. CRM first requires clarity in segment priorities. The insights from a CRM system help inform the segmentation agenda and steer how they engage with their important customers or prospects. The growth of CRM and its ensuing data have assisted the ongoing deployment of segmentation. One of the biggest changes for segmentation is the extent to which it is now deployed by practitioners in the public and not-for-profit sectors, who are harnessing what is termed social marketing, in order to develop and to execute more shrewdly their targeting, campaigns and messaging. For Marketing per se, the interest in the marketing toolkit from non-profit organisations, has been big news in recent years. At the very heart of the concept of social marketing is the market segmentation process. The extreme rise in the threat to security from global unrest, terrorism and crime has focused the minds of governments, security chiefs and their advisors. As a result, significant resources, intellectual capability, computing and data management have been brought to bear on the problem. The core of this work is the importance of identifying and profiling threats and so mitigating risk. In practice, much of this security and surveillance work harnesses the tools developed for market segmentation and the profiling of different consumer behaviours. This white paper presents the findings from interviews with leading exponents of segmentation and also the insights from a recent study of marketing practitioners relating to their current imperatives and foci. More extensive views of some of these ‘leading lights’ have been sought and are included here in order to showcase the latest developments and to help explain both the ongoing surge of segmentation and the issues under-pinning its practice. The principal trends and developments are thereby presented and discussed in this paper

Setting B2B digital marketing in artificial intelligence-based CRMs: A review and directions for future research

[EN] The new business challenges in the B2B sector are determined by connected ecosystems, where data-driven decision making is crucial for successful strategies. At the same time, the use of digital marketing as a communication and sales channel has led to the need and use of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems to correctly manage company information. The understanding of B2B traditional Marketing strategies that use CRMs that work with Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been studied, however, research focused on the understanding and application of these technologies in B2B digital marketing is scarce. To cover this gap in the literature, this study develops a literature review on the main academic contributions in this area. To visualize the outcomes of the literature review, the results are then analyzed using a statistical approach known as Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) under the homogeneity analysis of variance by means of alternating least squares (HOMALS) framework programmed in the R language. The research results classify the types of CRMs and their typologies and explore the main techniques and uses of AI-based CRMs in B2B digital marketing. In addition, a discussion, directions and propositions for future research are presented.In gratitude to the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and the European Regional Development Fund: RTI2018-096295-BC22.Saura, JR.; Ribeiro-Soriano, D.; Palacios Marqués, D. (2021). Setting B2B digital marketing in artificial intelligence-based CRMs: A review and directions for future research. Industrial Marketing Management. 98:161-178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2021.08.006S1611789

Increasing the Level of Customer Orientation - A Big Data Case Study from Insurance Industry

The paper positions Big Data as a challenge of information integration into existing analytical infrastructures. The presented arguments have been derived by means of a case study. The case is selected from the domain of insurance industry that intends to leverage the potential of Big Data for the purpose of increased customer orientation. Particularly the application of advanced analytics on a broader information base, i.e. include data that has been collected by the distributed sales force, promised to be a fruitful approach. Yet, we can mainly learn from areas in which the project initially failed. It will become obvious that the ability of a cross-functional process alignment is prerequisite to providing a consolidated view of customer information. It also seems to be essential for integrating external data sources. As a key take away, this paper will provide first heuristics and drafts a maturity model on how these challenges of integration will manifest themselves when applying Big Data techniques

The meanings of ‘organic’ branding in the Russian skincare industry

This paper will discuss the evolution in marketing communications characterised by the emergence of social media and the spread of online communities, as a result of which, consumers have become active co-constructors of brand identity in the market. The present research aims to bring companies’ attention to the process of brand co-construction with their customers, by considering different organic brand perceptions. It will specifically discuss how organic skincare online communities in Russia perceive and understand ‘organic’ branding and it will identify four major groups of members, who authorize, construct, analogize or abandon organic labels. The research will use the netnographic approach and thematic data analysis to examine online forums discourses. It will categorise different label interpretations into groups according to the meanings that online members assign to them

Customer relationship management field lab at PCDIGA: marketing campaigns

The appearance and development of the Internet created a new paradigm in the marketing area, where companies are becoming increasingly focused on developing a customer centricity strategy in order to create a more engaging relationship with the customers. This Work Project aims to analyse, measure and evaluate the impact of PCDIGA’s communication channels and respective strategies to establish contact with their customers, namely through marketing campaigns via e-mail or social media platforms. According to the data collected and knowledge gathered, some recommendations, suggestion for improvements and initiatives were proposed in order to align with a customer-centric strategy

Towards an integrated framework of sports sponsorship life-cycle process and digitalization: a case study of Euroleague Basketball

El fenomen de la transformació digital està afectant la indústria de l'esport, incloses les pràctiques de màrqueting i específicament del patrocini. El procés del cicle de vida del patrocini és una pràctica ben establerta entre les organitzacions esportives que s'està transformant a causa del canviant panorama digital i les tecnologies emergents que obliguen les organitzacions esportives a digitalitzar els seus processos de gestió i innovar en les seves pràctiques de màrqueting. Per entendre millor com està afectant el canviant panorama digital en el procés del cicle de vida del patrocini esportiu, s'ha realitzat un estudi de cas longitudinal amb l'Euroleague Basketball seguint una lògica abductiva i utilitzant mètodes qualitatius. La recollida de dades es va dur a terme entre el 2018 i el 2022 amb tres rondes d'entrevistes semiestructurades amb directius, directors i directius de l'Euroleague Basketball. Primer el 2018, després el 2021 i, finalment, el 2022. Això es va complementar amb l'observació participant als esdeveniments Final Four 2018 i 2019 i la documentació secundària recopilada del 2018 al 2022 per aconseguir la triangulació de dades. El seguiment de l'Euroleague Basketball durant aquest període va permetre a la investigadora arribar a una comprensió profunda de l'evolució de l'organització pel que fa a l'adopció de tecnologies digitals per a activitats vinculades al patrocini i la digitalització dels processos dins del procés del cicle de vida del patrocini. L'estudi de cas mostra que hi ha una evolució en diferents conceptes de patrocini generats pel canviant panorama digital i es fan vuit propostes. La investigació va revelar que la digitalització del patrocini i les pràctiques de màrqueting més àmplies han afectat el viatge de transformació digital de l'Euroleague Basketball com a organització en el seu conjunt. Aquesta investigació contribueix al procés de teorització de l'impacte del fenomen de la transformació digital en les pràctiques de màrqueting esportiu proporcionant nous coneixements sobre l'impacte del panorama digital canviant en el procés del cicle de vida del patrocini.El fenómeno de la transformación digital está afectando a la industria del deporte, incluidas las prácticas de marketing y específicamente del patrocinio. El proceso del ciclo de vida del patrocinio es una práctica bien establecida entre las organizaciones deportivas que se está transformando debido al panorama digital cambiante y las tecnologías emergentes que obligan a las organizaciones deportivas a digitalizar sus procesos de gestión e innovar en sus prácticas de marketing. Para comprender mejor cómo el panorama digital cambiante está impactando en el proceso del ciclo de vida del patrocinio deportivo, se realizó un estudio de caso longitudinal con la Euroliga de Baloncesto siguiendo una lógica abductiva y utilizando métodos cualitativos. La recopilación de datos se llevó a cabo entre 2018 y 2022 e involucró tres rondas de entrevistas semiestructuradas con ejecutivos, directores y gerentes de Euroleague Basketball. Primero en 2018, luego en 2021 y por último en 2022. Esto se complementó con la observación participante en los eventos de la Final Four de 2018 y 2019 y documentación secundaria recopilada de 2018 a 2022 para lograr la triangulación de datos. El seguimiento de Euroleague Basketball durante este período permitió a la investigadora llegar a una comprensión profunda de la evolución de la organización con respecto a la adopción de tecnologías digitales para actividades vinculadas al patrocinio y la digitalización de procesos dentro del ciclo de vida del patrocinio. El caso de estudio muestra que hay una evolución en diferentes conceptos de patrocinio generados por el cambiante panorama digital y se hacen ocho proposiciones. La investigación reveló que la digitalización del patrocinio y las prácticas de marketing han afectado la transformación digital en Euroleague Basketball como organización en su conjunto. Esta investigación contribuye al proceso de teorización del impacto del fenómeno de la transformación digital en las prácticas de marketing deportivo al proporcionar nuevos conocimientos sobre el impacto del panorama digital cambiante en el proceso del ciclo de vida del patrocinio.The digital transformation phenomenon is affecting the sports industry including marketing practices and specifically sponsorship. The sponsorship life-cycle process is a well-established practice among sports organizations that is being transformed due to the changing digital landscape and emerging technologies forcing sports organizations to digitalize their management processes and innovate in their marketing practices. To better understand how the changing digital landscape is impacting on the sports sponsorship life-cycle process, a longitudinal case study has been conducted with the Euroleague Basketball following an abductive logic and using qualitative methods. Data collection took place between 2018 and 2022 involving three rounds of semi-structured interviews with Euroleague Basketball executives, directors, and managers. First in 2018, then 2021, and lastly 2022. This was complemented with participant observation at the 2018 and 2019 Final Four events and secondary documentation gathered from 2018 to 2022 to achieve data triangulation. Following Euroleague Basketball during this period enabled the researcher to arrive at an in-depth understanding of the organization's evolution regarding the adoption of digital technologies for sponsorship-linked activities and the digitalization of processes within the sponsorship life-cycle process. The case study show there is an evolution in different sponsorship concepts generated by the changing digital landscape and eight propositions are made. The research revealed that digitalization of sponsorship and wider marketing practices has affected wider the digital transformation journey in Euroleague Basketball as an organization as a whole. This research contributes to the theorizing process of the impact of the digital transformation phenomenon in sports marketing practices by providing new insights on the impact of the changing digital landscape in the sponsorship life-cycle process

From CRM to social CRM: A bibliometric review and research agenda for consumer research

Contemporary perspectives on customer relationship management and the parent concept of customer management gathered momentum in the mid-1980 s and early 1990s. The advent of digital technologies, especially social media, have prompted a further evolution of the concept. As a result, today's CRM systems must consider new measures, such as customer engagement and advocacy. Consequently, organisations’ social CRM activities and investments have consistently increased in part underpinned by the increased usage of these technologies by consumers. Through a systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis, we identify three main themes in which research in this area has focused on: (1) CRM and impact on performance, (2) social media capabilities and CRM, and (3) CRM processes and strategic use. We also identify future research avenues in the field derived from our analysis of the literature, emphasising the implications for consumer research