Reify CRM and Analytics

Ongoing Improvement

Wed, 21 Feb 2024 01:19:00 GMT

An experimentation culture has improvement at its core.

Performance marketing is based on experimentation, a process that drives not only metrics but also the refinement of processes and systems. An organizational culture that embraces this experimental mindset is essential for facilitating sustained improvement. It's within this adaptive environment that we should also continually improve how we do our craft.

It's essential for everyone on the team to be involved in the improvement process. The different perspectives and shared knowledge lead to real innovation. Innovation must be organic and planned.

By organic I mean you have to have an always open door to hear how we can do things differently.

A great way to encourage out of the box thinking is to ask the team, “What can we do to double our efficiency, not just make incremental improvements?” This kind of thinking pushes us to think creatively and ambitiously. It’s about aiming for significant breakthroughs, those moonshot goals that can redefine our capabilities and create the next standard.

Acting on the ideas that come from these sessions is just as important as the brainstorming itself. When team members see their suggestions implemented, it validates their effort and encourages a cycle of continuous contribution. This approach builds a momentum where improvement becomes part of the team's DNA. It's not just about acknowledging good ideas; it's about bringing them to life, testing them in the real world, and learning from the outcomes.

The path to success in performance marketing lies in fostering a culture where experimentation and improvement are at the core. By engaging every team member, encouraging bold thinking, and putting ideas into action, we set a standard of continuous advancement. It's about marrying creativity with analytics, ambition with methodology, and individual insight with collective strategy. As we move forward, our commitment to this cycle of improvement will not only keep us competitive but also constantly push the boundaries of what we can achieve.

A Culture of Experimentation: Training and Development

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 01:16:58 GMT

Cultivating a Culture of Experimentation in a CRM or Analytical CoE

1. Experimentation and Experimental Design

Training in experimentation and experimental design is a foundational step for teams within a CRM or Analytical Center of Excellence (CoE). This is typically approached through a blend of classroom and online sessions and content. The training should encompass:

Formulating Clear and Testable Hypotheses : Understanding how to construct hypotheses that can be rigorously tested and validated.
The Importance of Control Groups: Emphasizing their role in providing reliable comparisons and the effectiveness of a campaign.
Mitigating Confounding Effects : Teaching how to avoid introducing too many variables at once, which can obscure the factors responsible for the outcomes.
Randomization : When and how to use A/B testing to ensure unbiased results and why A/B testing doesn’t always mean a 50/50 split.
Understanding Statistical Significance : Explaining its meaning and its importance in interpreting test results.
Continuous Testing and Learning : Instilling the notion that experimentation is an ongoing and iterative process, not a one-time event.

For a practical and relatable learning experience, start with real-life, relatable examples before transitioning to work-specific scenarios. Regularly scheduled sessions will ensure that all team members share a common understanding and remain aligned with the CoE’s methodologies.

2. Developing a Culture of Experimentation

Fostering a culture of experimentation requires ongoing nurturing and mentorship that extends beyond the traditional training environment. This culture should be anchored in three core principles:

Embrace Failure as a Steppingstone : Shift the mindset to view unsuccessful tests not as failures but as invaluable learning opportunities. A company culture that punishes error can inhibit the transition to performance-based marketing. Instead, cultivate an attitude that values insight from every outcome.
Democratize Experimentation : Open the doors of experimentation to all team members, not just data analysts or strategists. By involving everyone in the ideation and learning processes for tests, you not only broaden the scope of your experiments but also build a stronger sense of team ownership and engagement.
Ritualize Sharing and Learning : Establish regular forums where experiment outcomes, both successful and otherwise, are shared. This transparency helps in disseminating knowledge throughout the team and reinforces the value of each experiment, further embedding a culture of experimentation and learning.

Developing a culture of experimentation is critical for your team’s ability to innovate and drive performance marketing forward. Encourage curiosity, support collaborative learning, and celebrate forward progress of your CoE.

Progress Management

Sun, 28 Jan 2024 15:46:00 GMT

Celebrate the journey from present state to future state within a practical one-year horizon

In the context of building a CRM or Analytical CoE, I find it more apt to think of project management as progress management. It's not just about rigid steps and checklists; it's about celebrating the journey from our present state to an envisioned future state within a practical, one-year horizon. With our eyes on the future state, we define work streams to bridge the gap between the current state and the future state.

Creating the Roadmap

To create your roadmap, begin by envisioning what the CoE should look like one year from now. For example, you may identify workstreams such as:

1. Process : Moving from a culture of episodic marketing campaigns to an "always-on" Test and Learn culture.

2. People : Evolving your team’s knowledge of experimental design thinking and acceptance of always improving marketing tactics.

3. Technology : Integrating technology-enabled asset creation and deployment for experimentation.

Quarterly Milestones

Tackle the journey ahead in quarters. Identify quarterly milestones for each of the workstreams. For example, for workstream #1: Moving from a culture of episodic marketing campaigns to an “always-on” Test and Learn culture, quarterly milestones might include the following:

Quarter 1
Assess training needs and develop a plan
Introduce the Performance Brief
Identify the initial pilot
Etc.
Quarter 2
Execute the initial pilot
Develop the initial Knowledge Management platform
Begin Knowledge Management rituals
Etc.

Continue for Quarters three and four with the highest fidelity in the early quarters as this is an iterative and evolving plan. Details may evolve, but the direction remains clear.

From Progress to Project Management

With the milestones set, we transform this Progress Plan into a traditional Project Management Plan. Each milestone is dissected into actionable tasks, integrated into weekly stand-ups, and tracked using the project management tool that best suits our workflow.

Embracing a Practical Approach

The path will change as we learn and grow, but the vision for the future state remains unaltered. By focusing on progress rather than perfection, we create the opportunity to celebrate progress, little accomplishments each week to start. Momentum builds momentum, and success breeds more success. Your job is to champion the celebrations.

Project management in the context of a CRM CoE is more than just timelines and deliverables; it's a progressive journey towards an ambitious, yet attainable future state. It's a practical, flexible plan that focuses on incremental progress, with each quarter building on the last. By breaking down our year-long vision into quarterly goals, and then further into weekly tasks, we ensure that each member of the team knows their role in the journey.

Measurement and KPIs

Mon, 22 Jan 2024 18:48:57 GMT

Adopt an Experimentation Mindset and Get Started

For over 25 years I have managed analytical teams for growing agencies, large agencies and for large clients. Before the term “KPIs” was introduced, we just called them performance metrics. Then KPI became in vogue and that’s when the fun began. It seemed everybody wants to define, by committee, the single most important KPI, a “Supreme or Main KPI”, for the business before they set off experimenting ways to improve something. This often led to endless debates that stalled action, like the metaphorical question of how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.

My advice? Just start doing. Yes, identify your main KPI. Chances are you might not directly affect it, but you can influence the smaller KPIs that contribute to the "Supreme KPI." Begin with those.

Take, for instance, a baseball team. Winning the game is the "Supreme KPI." As a hitting coach, I can influence that KPI, but I can’t directly cause it. Instead, the KPIs I can directly influence a team win are things like improving batting averages, on base averages, walk and strikeout percentage, improving the overall productivity of the lineup order, etc. These are specific areas I can influence that helps the team win.

Find your main KPI and the smaller, controllable "sub-KPIs" that you can optimize to improve the overall KPI. Building an environment that focuses on testing and learning will help continuously enhance these sub-KPIs, which in turn, supports the main KPI. Think of it as a cycle of constant improvement, with KPIs acting as the measure of success in your experiments.

The key is to adopt an experimentation mindset. Make your first move with KPI’s you can directly impact.

Technology and Tools

Mon, 08 Jan 2024 15:38:48 GMT

Integrating Technology into CRM Marketing Processes: Pragmatic Progress

It's crucial to recognize that technology and tools, while powerful, are not easy fixes for bad processes. The foundation lies in well-defined processes and rituals. The question that follows is: How do technology and tools integrate into these processes to make them more efficient and how can you bend your processes to conform to the tool making them more efficient?

A pragmatic evaluation is essential, keeping budgets in mind. It's a reality check that no tool can be a perfect 100% solution. Instead, we should focus on progress over perfection. In the context of CRM marketing, a practical mindset acknowledges that tools may not accomplish everything, but they can significantly contribute to our efficiency.

No tool can perform 100% of what we desire, but if it can deliver 80%, it's a winner. The emphasis is on incremental gains over time. Like a triathlon that starts with the first swim stroke, using the tool is the key. Waiting for it to reach 100% perfection is counterproductive. It's akin to trying to plan every detail of a triathlon before taking the first step – an approach that hinders progress.

The key is to start using the tool and gradually grow into it. Waiting for perfection leads to stagnation. Imagine bringing up clay from a wheel; initially, you create a basic bowl shape. Similarly, with technology, it's about playing with it, working through its features, and gradually molding it into what you need and to some extent, you molding into what it offers.

Incorporating technology and tools into CRM marketing is not about seeking a flawless solution from the outset. It's about embracing a practical and pragmatic approach that recognizes the limitations of tools while leveraging their capabilities. No tool can do everything, but if it can take you 80% of the way, that's a solid foundation. The emphasis should be on progress over perfection, allowing incremental gains as users become more adept with the tools and processes continue to evolve. In the end, it's not about waiting for perfection but about starting, growing, and adapting.

Nurturing Knowledge

Thu, 04 Jan 2024 16:20:52 GMT

Nurturing Knowledge: A Strategic Approach to Knowledge Management

In the creation of a Center of Excellence (CoE), where a seasoned expert leads the way to solutions, establishing and maintaining a robust knowledge management system requires careful planning, leadership, and a commitment to continuous improvement.

Follow the Trail: Creating Rituals and Processes

In the realm of Knowledge Management, leaving a knowledge trail for others to follow is critical. It's about establishing a roadmap that ensures everyone starts on the right path, stays on course, and contributes to improving the journey for others. Much like trailblazing along a hiking path, organizations must implement practices that facilitate the smooth transfer of knowledge across teams.

Performance Brief: Fostering a Culture of Experimentation

One effective ritual to adopt is the Performance Brief. This is designed to encourage everyone in the team, not just leaders, to think in terms of experimentation. Its meant to be simple and additive to the briefs you already have in place. The brief includes:

Champion:
Identify the current champion piece, which could be the last communication sent.
Gather key performance indicators (KPIs) from the latest deployment of the champion.
Document what you know about the Champion’s latest performance. If you don’t know, state that so your team will know next time.
Challenger:
Propose changes in the creative to outperform the current champion. These can be very simple changes such as headline challenges to minimize impact on creative resources.
Establish a testing hypothesis, in other words, “why do you think the proposed changes will beat the current champion?”
Outline your next testing opportunities.

Weekly Status: Integrating Tests-in-Progress

Enhancing the weekly status meetings by including a "Tests-in-Progress" section encourages a broader perspective. This section covers for each test in progress:

Learning objectives
Test deployment/execution progress
In-market date
Anticipated "first read" of results
Expected completion of final reporting

Monthly Learning Agenda Review: Cross-Functional Collaboration

Led by a CRM strategist, the Monthly Learning Agenda Review fosters cross-functional learning, collaboration, and ideation. This session is not about reviewing charts and tables but interpreting the insights gained. Key agenda items include:

Review of tests in progress and their hypotheses.
Champion vs. Challenger learnings over the past month.
Implications of the learnings for future strategies.
After-action reviews as necessary.

Disseminate and Democratize Knowledge: Overcoming Pushback

A critical success factor in creating a CRM/Analytical Center of Excellence is the dissemination and democratization of knowledge. The Monthly Learning Agenda Review must include representatives from every functional area, including account, strategy, creative, project management, analytics, and execution. The pushback against this inclusive approach must be overcome for sustainable execution of the CoE and continuous improvement.

Creating a knowledge management framework, ensures that the organization will evolve to your vision as well as continuously improve. By leaving a trail of knowledge for others to follow, implementing effective rituals and processes, and democratizing knowledge, you will create a resilient and evolving CRM Center of Excellence.

Change Management

Tue, 02 Jan 2024 15:00:00 GMT

Six key considerations for successful change management

Change management is a pivotal element when transitioning to a CRM/Analytical marketing team, necessitating a shift in mindset and skill sets within the organization. The journey towards a more quantitative approach, centered around test and learn methodologies, demands careful planning, effective communication, and continuous engagement. We'll talk about six key considerations for successful change management in the context of evolving to a CRM/Analytical marketing model.

1. Communication

2. Celebrating Progress

3. Continued Stakeholder Involvement

4. Training and Development

5. Listening and Adaptation

6. Addressing Resistance

In this post, we will talk about the first three. In a subsequent post, we will explore the last three.

1. Communication is Key

The cornerstone of any successful change initiative is effective communication. Ensure that every member of your team understands the reasons behind the shift to performance marketing. Communicate the goals, benefits, objectives, and expected outcomes of the change. The more individuals understand the purpose and significance of the change, the more likely they are to rally behind it. Share your vision with everyone involved in the transition, creating collective purpose.

2. Celebrating Progress

Create a roadmap or project plan that includes small, achievable milestones. Celebrate these victories with your team, emphasizing progress over perfection. By spotlighting these wins, you reinforce a positive atmosphere and maintain momentum. Winning begets winning. Regularly communicate successes to key stakeholders, building momentum as you transform.

3. Continued Stakeholder Involvement

Stakeholder engagement doesn't end after the initial stages. Actively involve stakeholders and team members throughout the journey. Solicit feedback and input regularly, keeping everyone informed about progress. This continuous involvement fosters a sense of ownership and commitment, creating organizational momentum that will drive the transformation.

4. Training and Development

Give your team the skills and knowledge they need for success. Develop specific and relevant training, avoiding overwhelming your team with information. Reinforce training through hands-on experiences, encouraging a cycle of learning by doing. Introduce rituals and processes that become ingrained habits, ensuring that the steps of change are consistently followed.

For instance, add a page to your brief that shows the current EM champion and a spot for a proposed challenger, whether you have one or not. Get people to think about testing. Include bullets that state your hypothesis, e.g., “Testing Hypothesis: An email using an image specific to the product the recipient owns will improve the CTR”. Identify future testing opportunities and hypotheses. This helps cement new vocabulary and expectations of the change.

5. Listening and Adaptation

Establish regular feedback rituals to encourage team members to share insights, suggestions, and concerns. Create an environment where learning and experimentation are celebrated. Be prepared to adjust based on feedback and learning.

6. Addressing Resistance

You must expect some resistance to change and be prepared to address it. Know it going in. There will be people who simply aren’t “wired” to think “test vs. control” with measured outcomes. Somebody who declares, “I don’t do Excel” is probably not cut out for a CRM/performance marketing team. Understand their concerns and work to mitigate them through communication, training, empathy, and showcasing the benefits of the performance marketing approach.

Conclusion

By incorporating these change management principles, organizations can successfully navigate the complexities of transitioning to a CRM performance marketing model. Effective communication, ongoing celebration of progress, stakeholder involvement, specific training followed by hands on doing, and a commitment to listening and adaptation create a positive and collaborative environment. This, in turn, supports sustainable evolution and success.

Talent Acquisition

Mon, 18 Dec 2023 15:53:50 GMT

Center-brained marketers who embrace the concept of Team Ego and possess the artistry of Data Storytelling

Finding the right talent for your data analytics and CRM teams goes beyond technical skills. In a world where the smartest person in the room might not be the best fit for your team, it's crucial to look for individuals who embody the qualities of a "center-brained" marketer, embrace the concept of Team Ego, and possess the artistry of a Data Storyteller.

Center Brained Marketers

A “center-brained marketer” is an individual who combines both analytical and creative thinking in their marketing approach. They excel at balancing data-driven insights with creative strategies to develop effective marketing campaigns.

A center-brained marketer will leverage both the logical and intuitive aspects of their thinking process. They are adept at analyzing marketing metrics, customer data, and market trends to inform their strategies, while also possessing a creative mindset for data visualization creating compelling visuals, and presentations. They are comfortable navigating both the quantitative and qualitative aspects of marketing, recognizing the importance of data-driven decision-making while also using this information to be creatively persuasive.

Team Egos

Emphasizing the importance of Team Ego echoes through the organizational design philosophy. This isn't about personal ego; it's about individual egos thriving within the collective confidence that a team, working collaboratively, can achieve more than any individual could alone. Team Egos manifest in the final score, motivating individuals to contribute to the team's collective success. In the context of executing successful CRM Centers of Excellence (CoEs), cultivating a Team Ego is crucial for fostering a cross-functional mindset.

Data Storytellers

A Data Storyteller is not merely a reporter of facts; they transcend reporting to become analysts with a narrative. These individuals possess an understanding of data analysis coupled with the ability to communicate complex findings in a compelling, persuasive, and understandable manner. Being a Data Storyteller requires courage—it's easier to generate reports and leave interpretation to others.

An approach I have used to help overcome this with analysts is to review their work, and if lacking, ask them to write a single paragraph on what they learned and what we should do differently without using any numbers. “Be the great simplifier” is sage advice I got years back.

Assembling the right analytical and CRM teams involves seeking individuals who embody the qualities of center-brained marketers, value Team Ego for collective success, and possess the narrative ability of Data Storytellers. Beyond technical skills, it's these qualities that will drive your team to not only interpret data but to creatively leverage it for strategic and impactful decision-making.

Designing Your Organization

looka_production_148245617 — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 15:48:21 GMT

A culture of collective achievement, connections, and seamless transitions

Achieving success with a CRM Center of Excellence (CoE) requires a focus on organizational design. This post looks at the key elements that contribute to CRM CoE organizational design, emphasizing the importance of a culture of collective achievement, connections, and seamless transitions.

Collective Achievement: Team Ego

Team Ego is not personal ego, it is individual ego that thrives on the collective confidence that together, the team can achieve even more than the individual. Team egos are reflected in the final score and compel individuals to work for the collective success of the team. Team Ego is required for a cross functional mindset. A cross functional mindset is critical in executing successful CRM CoEs.

Individuals with team ego must be in place or recruited as functional leads for each link in your CRM marketing chain.

Connecting the CRM Chain Links

A successful CRM CoE hinges on the seamless connection of the marketing chain—from strategic planning through execution to back-end analytics. Recognizing that one team's output serves as another's input underscores the interdependency required for a well-functioning CRM CoE. This hand off from one CRM link to another (e.g., from the strategic brief to analytics for a test and learn plan and then the handoff from analytics to execution) can be thought of as a relay team baton pass. The baton pass is the equivalent of a “process gate” between which your output becomes my input. The quality of the baton pass, or the information passing through our process gate must be of the highest quality.

When thinking about your CRM teams, focus on the pass between them and among them, whether it’s a baton or a brief, include a ritual or process to ensure the handoff is accurate and meets the needs of those later in the chain.

Seamless Transitions: Spotlight the Handoffs

Instituting rituals or process gates at each transition serves as a spotlight, illuminating the handoff process and holding individuals accountable for successful transfers. Create metrics that measure successful handoffs. Assign individuals who are accountable for successful transfers.

Using acquisition campaigns as an example, introducing rituals where representatives from project management, creative, analytics, and execution collaborate ensures alignment for successful handoffs. Asking critical questions during strategic rituals, such as the presence of a control group and the accuracy of tracking, becomes a crucial step. During the ritual, execution representatives address practical concerns like audience pulling, test and control groups, and tracking methods for accurate reporting. Is this painstaking at first? Yes. But like all repetitive exercises, its gets easier and more efficient as the organization learns.

Building a robust CRM CoE requires focusing on connecting the CRM marketing chain links, spotlighting handoffs, and cultivating Team Ego. Doing this not only builds a resilient CoE, but also one set up for continuous improvement.

Engaging and Enrolling Stakeholders

Mon, 27 Nov 2023 15:42:47 GMT

Engage and Enroll

Engaging stakeholders isn't just about seeking their input; it's about enrolling them to pave the way for our success. To foster a sustainable and continuously improving CRM Center of Excellence (CoE), we must look beyond engagement and strategically enroll stakeholders in our transformational journey.

Seeing Through Their Eyes

Stakeholders play a pivotal role in our Discovery process, offering invaluable insights that shape our CoE strategy. However, we must recognize the inherent bias in seeing things "through their eyes." To truly create and enhance a robust CRM CoE, we must view the entire CRM chain—from strategy to execution to analytics—through the unique perspectives of each link in the chain.

Identifying Key Stakeholders

The first crucial step is identifying key stakeholders from each discipline in the CRM chain. It goes beyond just leaders; it includes those who are "fingers to keyboard," the individuals immersed in the day-to-day work. This dual perspective is essential for understanding both the desired future state and the reality of the current state, providing clarity on the gaps that need addressing.

Engage and Enroll: A Two-Pronged Approach

While gathering insights about the current and desired states, we must simultaneously nurture relationships and enroll stakeholders into the transformational process. Engaging is the easy part—asking questions. Enrolling requires social intelligence. In this case it involves listening actively, understanding unspoken cues, and aligning transformational goals with the interests of each stakeholder. By incorporating social intelligence, you build not only engagement but also commitment—a crucial element for successful change.

Key Stakeholder List

Initiate the process by identifying key stakeholders across each functional area in the CRM chain:

· Executive Sponsors/Champions

· Account Lead(s) or Marketing Strategists

· Creative

· Project Management

· Campaign Management

· Production / AdOps / Execution

· Analytics

Select at least one "owner" and "doer" from each functional area to comprehensively grasp both the strategic vision and the operational reality.

Building Relationships and Trust

Approach stakeholder interviews as a team-building exercise—from top-level executives to execution teams. Clearly articulate goals, build trust, and create a shared sense of purpose. Utilize milestones in your roadmap to drive change and celebrate small victories, fostering momentum, trust, and enthusiasm.

Driving Change Together

In transforming your CRM CoE, success hinges on collaboration and shared commitment. By engaging and enrolling stakeholders at every level, you bring aboard champions that can help you bridge gaps. Celebrate and communicate the journey back to your stakeholders, one milestone at a time, celebrating progress as you go.

Creating Strategy When Building

Tue, 21 Nov 2023 02:10:55 GMT

Why do want a CRM / Analytical Center of Excellence?

First question, why do you want a CoE?

One of the pivotal decisions in crafting a CoE strategy revolves around whether (A) you want to build a new capability where one does not already exist or (B) improve an existing capability within your company or agency. Each approach comes with its unique challenges and considerations, demanding a strategic outlook that aligns with the overarching goals of revenue growth, marketing optimization, and organizational transformation.

This first section will explore (A) when you want to build a new capability where one does not already exist.

Creating a New Capability in an Agency

If you’re an agency, avoid the "build it and they will come" mentality. Instead, focus on "get an engagement, and then build it”. The latter is more pragmatic and future flexible. This means winning the right opportunity and then align behind an expert to blaze the trail accompanied by someone on your team so you can follow it again. With this approach, you can continue to follow and improve the trail building on success while also proving it’s commercially viable.

I have rarely seen the "build it and they will come" approach work. Based on my experience, what often happens is hiring is done by individuals who don’t deeply understand what it takes to build a sustainable CRM or Analytics CoE and end up hiring what they believe is the unicorn that will solve their problems only to find out a year later, after no commercial success, they hired a slick talking donkey with a costume horn. Not saying it can’t work, just my experience.

Creating a New Capability in a Marketing Company

If you’re a company looking to innovate your marketing, then hiring the right person can be an effective solution. Why for companies and not agencies? In a company you have a broader group of skill sets surrounding the person you hired, and he/she can help “wire functional units together” to become a CoE using training, rituals, processes, change management and technology.

Do be sure to use an expert to help in the interviewing process and make sure they interview with all functional leads that have a piece of the marketing chain: from concept through execution, through back-end reporting. It goes without saying, they must also be a collaborative, empathetic and a solid team builder. CRM is only as good as your weakest link in the marketing chain.

Setting your strategy requires blending vision with operational processes to create a flexible and pragmatic path forward.

In the following section, we delve into option (B) the strategy of improving an existing capability within your organization.

The strategy to improve existing capabilities or marketing initiatives begins with a comprehensive discovery phase. This involves evaluating individuals, assessing their adaptability and readiness for change, scrutinizing processes to ensure seamless implementation through execution, and reviewing technology and tools that act as conduits between implementation and execution.

The discovery process inevitably reveals gaps between the current state and the desired future state. Called a gap analysis, I find it a valuable way to identify low hanging fruit and a great way to visualize your roadmap for management. Score each identified gap on two spectrums:

Evaluate the Degree of Difficulty: Score identified gaps on a scale of "Hard to do" to "Easy to do," ranging from ten (very hard) to one (very easy).
Assess Criticality for Success: Score each gap based on its importance for reaching the future state, with ten denoting critical importance and one indicating non-criticality.
Plot Items: Use "Critical for Success" on the x-axis (ranging from one to ten) and "Degree of Difficulty" on the y-axis (ranging from one to ten).
Quadrant Analysis: Identify the lower right quadrant (Easy/Critical) as the "low-hanging fruit" and the upper right quadrant (Hard/Critical) as crucial information guiding your strategy and roadmap.

Building your strategy and roadmap on the discovery process requires high-quality data. Your output is only as good as the input emphasizing the need for accurate information from key stakeholders. Engaging key stakeholders will be the subject of my next post on how to build a CRM or Analytical CoEs.

Identify Needs and Customize

Mon, 13 Nov 2023 13:57:40 GMT

Customize Structure Based on Needs

FCustomer Relationship Management (CRM) and Analytic Centers of Excellence (CoEs) can create a profitable growth engine for performance marketing companies and for agencies. Tailored organizational structures are crucial, taking into account the unique needs, goals, maturity stage, desire for integration, and expense parameters of the organization.

Understand your Analytic Team

In scenarios where there's already a robust analytics team in place, the creation of a CRM CoE requires a deep understanding of the internal analytic teams and their capabilities. Analytic teams may not all be equally steeped in Experimental Design and the process/production rigor necessary for execution and accurate performance reporting. The integration of CRM strategies here demands marketers who think in terms of test and learn, controls and hypothesis testing. They may need to help steer the analytics team to go beyond report generation and into univariate and multivariate testing and interpretation.

Understand your Marketing Team

Another critical consideration when building a CRM CoE is how your current marketers think about marketing campaigns. Do they see marketing campaigns as “episodic events” or as “always-on marketing”? The shift from episodic to "always on" thinking requires a specialized team of CRM strategists and analysts. CRM strategists need to emphasize the importance of test-and-learn methodologies, while analysts must translate statistical performance outputs into compelling data stories that drive continuous improvement.

Converting “Episodic Thinkers” to “Always on Thinkers”

Building a team capable of transforming episodic thinkers into advocates of an "always on" approach is not easy. The CRM CoE must act as a training ground, equipping marketing strategists with an experimental design mindset needed for sustained, data-driven customer engagement. This involves not just a one-time training session but an ongoing process that fosters a culture of continuous improvement through experimentation. Interestingly, a major barrier to developing this mindset is a “fear to fail” corporate culture. The foundation and driving force behind experimentation is failure!

You must carefully assess your analytics landscape, marketing team landscape and execution landscape to customize the CoE structure to ensure a sustainable shift to performance marketing. Whether integrating with existing analytics teams or reshaping marketing teams/strategies, the key lies in fostering a culture and understanding of experimentation.