Editorial: A long future for eCRM
- PDF / 102,177 Bytes
- 2 Pages / 599.08 x 768.144 pts Page_size
- 48 Downloads / 194 Views
Ever since the publication in the 1960s of ‘The Medium is the Message’, it has been acceptable to upgrade presentation over content; the same process as, for instance that, exhibited by a bibliophile in raptures over an original Gutenburg bible, or a fan of Brigitte Bardot viewing ‘And God Created Woman’. And should one find fault with this, particularly when, in the case of the web, the presentation could so easily be stimulating, visually exciting, personally interesting? A visit to the Egg bank site should be as exciting as playing Tomb Raider on one’s Play Station, and winning! The fact, however, that most websites are as inspiring as reading the Yellow Pages on holiday, and technologically clunky to boot, is why I titled this editorial as I did. To me eCRM is in the future, not the present. Current eCRM reality could be categorised as: — paper goes electronic (viz the multitude of brochures and application forms translated from A4 to the screen) — personalisation of content, rare — capture of data for offer decisioning, segmentation, future value prediction, virtually nil — encouragement of two-way communication (the basis of most relationships) unheard of — one-to-one manufacture of product, nil. So, by summer 2000, we have merely succeeded in using the web as a fast and
䉷 Henry Stewart Publications 1350-2328 (2001)
Vol. 8, 2, 103–104
cheap access channel to that which mainly existed in previous paradigms. So what should lie in the future for eCRM? Clearly, the speed and cost implications of e-commerce will drag over to the new channel a lot of transactions that previously went by telephone or mail. But the real paradigm shift will, in my opinion, only occur when a true exchange of customer data for enhanced service occurs — real eCRM indeed. So what will this look and feel like to the person in the Clapham e-café? Supplier Who are you, what would you like, when do you want it delivered? We don’t think we have dealt with you before; please confirm? (Customer replies) Supplier Response Would this be suitable, or perhaps that? We don’t know you too well yet, but our impression is that you might be most interested in an X designed by Sr. Y? This is what his work looks like . . . Customer This is OK, I like Sr. Y’s work — but I haven’t told you about my medical condition that stops me doing XYZ. Supplier That’s fine — we have a version that has been adapted for your condition — it looks like this . . . Customer We’re nearly there — just tell me what it costs and how long it takes to make.
Journal of Database Marketing
103
Editorial
Supplier The price is £X, with a discount of £Y if you are prepared to wait a week for delivery because our factory is rather busy tonight. Customer That’s fine. Please take my order and e-mail me if you develop a new range by Sr. Y. I will stay in next Thursday
104
Journal of Database Marketing
Vol. 8, 2, 103–104
evening between 6–7 for my delivery. Futuristic? I hope not because this is nothing more than how we really want to be treated by eCRM — great content, from a gre
Data Loading...
