Think Customers: The 1to1 Blog

Kathy Hecht, chief marketing officer, American Greetings Interactive
AGI extended its segmentation strategy to the online environment. The company has been moving through three stages of personalization. Its personalization is based on: 1. what customers buy; 2. what they do; and, 3. what they say. Taking this approach has led to a 67 percent revenue lift online. Additionally, listening to customers has also helped to evolve AGI's offerings.

Jennifer DeMarco Herskind, assistant vice president of marketing, Dave & Buster's
Dave & Buster's is a restaurant/entertainment business with 57 high volume venues. The company has several objectives regarding social media, which include delivering effective service; building community, advocacy, and awareness; monitoring and responding to customer activity; and driving sales. All of its social engagement activities map to these goals. Additionally, the company measures the success of all these activities.

Donna Rossi, vice president, global customer experience management, Western Union
For Western Union, social media success started with taking small steps and understanding who "owns" social media within the company, who in the organization benefits, how to retain the corporate voice in social settings, and what resources are needed to engage customers effectively using social channels. Additionally, the company developed social media guidelines to unify its approach. These include transparency, taking responsibility, thinking twice before posting, and following overall corporate privacy guidelines.