Capstone Seminar Presentation for

Master of Professional Studies Organizational and Professional Communication

Tayler Cummings University of Denver University College

August 10, 2014

!  Internet and technology evolve and change rapidly

! Marketing tactics continuously change with the buying processes of people

! Connecting with buyers has become more challenging

(Garg 2014)

! CRM systems and software are limiting when analyzing buyer personalities and processes

! To ensure profitability CRM must be combined with other marketing tactics ◦  Buyer Personas

! There may be varying ways to implement successful digital marketing campaigns but buyer personas are one of the more effective ways to truly understand the unique intricacies of each existing and potential customer and ensure profitability and collaboration among departments.

!  CRM is “the practice of analyzing and using marketing databases and leveraging communication technologies to determine corporate practices and methods that maximize the lifetime value of each customer to the firm” (Kumar & Reinartz, 2012).

(Business Bee, 2014)

! 1980’s – Introduced by Leonard Berry ! 1986’s – ACT! created a storage system

for CRM data ! 1995- Tom Siebel launched Siebel Systems ! Early 2000’s – a mad dash by other

companies ensued

! Allow marketers to “break the buyers into distinct groups and then catalog everything [known] about each one,

[which makes] it easier to create content targeted to each important

demographic” (Scott, 2013).

(ROI online, 2014)

!  1975- Alan Cooper briefly introduced the idea through his writing

!  1983- Cooper’s Plan It* software program was built off of the persona concept

!  1998- Cooper introduced the book The Inmates Are Running the Asylum

(Wikipedia 2014)

Buyer Personas CRM

• Tina from 1-800-Flowers.com • Jenny from AG’s Chrysler Group • Bonnie Rind’s “The Power of the Persona” – A case study • Adam Dimmick’s “Your Guide to Personas and How to Use Them”

• Different types of CRM systems (operational, analytical, & campaign management) •  Disney World Resorts “Pal Mickey” – A case study • Disney World Digital Wristbands

(Rodman 2014)

! Personas should be created from CRM data collected from real people

(Best Clip Art Blog, n.d.)

! Gain insight into customer value !  Retain profitable customers ! Maximize revenues ! Create engaging content based on

customers preferences ! Maintain strong relationships !  Stay on top of trends & competitors ! Create cohesion between departments ! Guide marketers through complex decision

making processes

!  It’s simple – neither. ! To reap the benefits both CRM and buyer

personas must be combined

(Moore 2014)

! CRM and Buyer Personas create unique benefits when combined ◦ Detailed customer insight and data ◦ Content/products created with the customer

in mind ◦  Increased customer value and profitable

customers ◦ Cohesion between departments/companies

"  CRM data is collected and analyzed to determine customer value, sales objectives and market trends, and to better understand the customer’s perspective, as well as marketing effectiveness (Currie and Finnegan 2010, 153).

"  Buyer personas are developed based on CRM data, surveys, and focus groups (Martin 2010, 25).

"  Buyer personas and CRM data is shared throughout departments to ensure company values and objectives are clear and openly communicated (Rind 2014; Dimmick 2011).

"  Buyer personas are utilized to create engaging content and marketing campaigns (Scott 2013; Cain 2014).

"  CRM capabilities are used to determine the success of the marketing tactics and customer value is considered to ensure profitable relationships are maintained and developed as buying behaviors evolve (Kumar and Reinartz 2012, 7).

"  Adjustments are made to the marketing campaigns based on CRM data collected and feedback from customers (Great Southwest Moto Adventures 2014; Berry 2002).

! CRM and Buyer Personas vary depending on the company

! Both offer benefits on their own but combined allow for distinct advantages for marketers

!  Successful and intricate Buyer Personas can only be created from data collected from CRM

! Peer-reviewed sources and research has reduced over the years

! The research and solutions have implied that CRM and buyer personas are meant to be used together

! There’s a desperate need for continued research and journals related to these concepts within marketing

!  Berry, Leonard. 2002. “Relationship Marketing of Services – Growing Interest, Emerging Perspective”, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Vol. 23, No 4: 236-245. Access August 10, 2014. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/009207039502300402.

!  Cain, Kevin. 2014. “Targeted Content: The Holy Grail of Content Marketing.” Convince & Convert: Digital Marketing Advisors. Accessed August 10, 2014. http://www.convinceandconvert.com/content-marketing/targeted-content-the-holy-grail-of-content-marketing/.

!  Currie, Wendy and Finnegan, David. 2010. “A Multi-Layered Approach to CRM Implementation: An Integration Perspective”, European Management Journal, Vol. 28 No 2: 153-167. Accessed August 7-10, 2014. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2009.04.010.

!  Dimmick, Adam. 2011. “Your Guide to Personas and How to Use Them.” Bunnyfoot Blog, June 8. Accessed July 25-26, 2014. http://www.bunnyfoot.com/blog/2011/06/your-guide-to-personas-and-how-to-use-them/.

!  Great Southwest Moto Adventures. 2014. Interview by author. Los Angeles, CA. July 1, 2014.

!  Kumar, V. and Reinartz, Werner. 2012. Customer relationship management: Concept, strategy, and tools. Berlin: Springer.

!  Martin, Lauren. 2010. “Personas in Product Design.” Slide Share Presentations, February 8. Accessed July 23-27, 2014. http://www.slideshare.net/lorielue/personas-in-product-design.

!  Rind, Bonnie. 2014. The Power of the Persona. Pragmatic Marketing. Accessed June 22-29, 2014. http://www.pragmaticmarketing.com/resources/the-power-of-the-persona.

!  Scott, David Meerman. 2013. The New Rules of Marketing & PR: How to Use Social Media, Online Video, Mobile Applications, Blogs, News Releases, & Viral Marketing to Reach Buyers Directly. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.