Frictionless B2C

Ironing out the rough spots in a marketing world

full of wrinkles.

B2C

Introduction
Continuous. Effortless. Uneventful. Smooth. These are all synonyms for the word frictionless. They all mean
pretty much the same thing as it relates to a cross-channel B2C marketing experiencea smoother ride for your
customers.
In other words your customers want, demand and quite frankly expect a cross-channel experience where they
receive essentially the same message across all of those same channels.
In the recently-released Modern Marketing Essentials Guide to Cross-Channel Marketing, we talk about how the
customer experience is broken and why it is brokenfar too many customers are subjected to a fragmented or
non-integrated experience across all channels.
Rest assured, the experience is in fact broken and it is broken whether you fall on the B2C or B2B side of the aisle.
In this particular guide, well discuss some ways to remove any friction B2C marketers may be having as it relates to
delivering a cross-channel marketing experience.
For you B2B marketers out there, you will want to check out Frictionless B2B. Clever title, huh?
Ok enough levity. Lets iron out some best practices on delivering on the frictionless marketing experience promise
when it comes to marketing automation, content marketing, social media and data management.

THE STATE OF CROSS-CHANNEL B2C:

A confused state of affairs.
A snapshot of todays B2C audience experience.
9:20 AM
A customer of Brand X receives an email which contains content related to a new sale.
10:12 AM
Customer receives an SMS message which contains content related to a completely different sale.

1:04 PM
Customer decides to make a purchase via the path to purchase in the original email.
3:31 PM
Customer sees a display ad for the exact item they just purchased a few hours prior.

In dialogue with buyers, (modern marketers) give them exactly what they need at each stage of
the purchase journey, personalized to their preferences. They give the buyers nothing that would
waste their time. (Forrester ResearchWhy You Need to Be a Modern Marketer 2014)

A bigger picture of the problem.

78% of customers dont receive a consistent experience across all channels. (Accenture)
96% of buyers receive irrelevant ads or promotions (Janrain and Integrated Marketing Survey)
74% of customers are frustrated that web content doesnt map to their interest (Nielson)

AT THE END OF THE DAY

94% of customers have discontinued communications with a company because they receive irrelevant
promotions and messages. (Blue Research)

SO WHATS THE PROBLEM?

Poor Integration = Channel Frustration
Lack of engagement coordination can trip everything up.
And according to Forrester: Even within marketing, silos inhibit
coordination, resulting in less-than-ideal customer experiences.
(Why You Need to Be a Modern Marketer 2014).

89% of marketing teams have

internal divisions between
channels. (Janrain Survey)

Without a coordinated, cross-departmental, cross-channel fix,

marketers can suffer:
Loss of customer interest.
Lost of customer loyalty.
Confusion and mistrust.
Loss of market share
Regardless of channel, consumers and prospects have more refined
appetites for marketing and higher expectations. They expect and desire
more than a generic product experiencethey want to feel an affinity for
their investment and attraction to a brand.

70% of marketers say they lack a

consistent or integrated content
strategy. (Altimiter Group)

THE SOLUTION:
The Frictionless Customer Journey
No more bumps, detours, or hiccups.
According to research by Deloitte, ideal customers spend 2x as much as regular customers, and carry a 5x
greater lifetime value because they drive a modern word-of-mouth strategy for your company, service or brand.
Those ideal customers are ones that:
Can confidently get valuable, consistent information from you at any time
Welcome new developments communicated to them
Gladly share successes with peers
Feel a part of a greater community around your products and services

End-to-End Customer Experience and Marketer Experience

Powered by the Oracle Marketing Cloud

FEMALE: 35
LOCATION:
CHICAGO
PURCHASE
HISTORY:
HANDBAGS
Marketer creates
audience prole

Delivers ad to customer
using display partner

Collects anonymous behavior

data about customer

Entices customer to register

and share preferences

REGISTRATION
CHECK OUT
Listens to spike in SF
marathon conversations and
publishes Facebook post

Marketer orchestrates thank

you note after purchase

ELLIE JONES
CHICAGO

Matches 3rd party data with 1st party

data, identifying as Mark Jones

CHECK OUT
Marketer positions
windbreaker in blog post

Orchestrates SMS based on

preference stated by Mark

Drives advocacy

Products Legend
BlueKai DMP

Cross-Channel Marketing

Social Marketing

Content Marketing

SOME PROOF:
Real successes from real global companies
Lane Bryant
The clear need was to increase the number of people who earned Real Woman Dollars (a cash back program), how
to message that it is time to redeem Real Woman Dollars, and what to message to those who did not earn. Utilizing
a two-phase segment an orchestrated approach with email and display retargeting to alert both customers and
prospects that the time was now for them earn Real Women Dollars.

The results: Display ads return up to 28:1 ROI online. In-store redemptions increase about 5% to the group that see
the display ads vs. the group that we cannot send display ads. The email open rates increase 13% for the start of
the Real Woman Dollar redemption period to 40% increase on the last day of redemption. Conversion rates increase
about 1.5X at the start and climb to 3X on the last day.
With over 750 stores, Lane Bryant is the most recognized name in plus-size clothing for women, and their emphasis
on fashion and fitnot merely sizemakes them a style leader.

Tivoli Gardens
When Tivoli Gardens launched its cross-channel strategy, the digital channels were not aligned but scattered
across different platforms. The challenge was to make the experience seamless for the customer no matter
which touch point the customer would initiate the dialogue in. All channels were integratedincluding search
engine marketing, display advertising, email marketing, visits to their both their regular site and their mobile
site and app, as well as kiosks.
The results: The customer gets a better trip to Tivoli Gardens. It has become easier to search for information and
plan a visit, regardless of whether they do so at home or during your visit, e.g. with help of the app. The customer
gets more out of the things that interest them most. It allows them to get updates on what is going on in the
Gardens. For annual cardholders, it means that they can get more out of their Annual Cards, and for all visitors that
means an opportunity, e.g., to receive interest-specific recommendations and offers by email. The customer gets a
better service experience: e.g. both online purchase and self-service kiosks provide easier access and less queuing.
Tivoli Gardens is one of the most popular seasonal theme parks in the world and the most visited theme park in
Scandinavia. It offers fun and engaging rollercoaster rides as well as cultural events and concerts such as Tivoli
Gardens Festival. It even has its own symphonic orchestra and unique Pantomime Theatre.

And finally, some wisdom from a B2C powerhouse: Nordstrom

Companies were in control up until 2000. But now the customer is in the drivers seat. If you
embrace that, you will thrive. If not, then by 2020, you will not survive. J amie Nordstrom
Nordstrom is focused on providing a consistent customer experience wherever customers go, engaging in
personalized conversation across channels, and recognizing them when theyre in store. They have personalized
stylists for frequent customers, and they have invested in things like Mobile POS to shorten lines for their
customers. They accept theyre no longer in control, and that acceptance ensures they are never out of touch
with their needs. Rather than being reactive, they are being proactive. They are creating a digital dialogue.

About Oracle Marketing Cloud

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Integrated information from cross-channel, content, and social marketing with data management and dozens of
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Visit oracle.com/marketingcloud

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