Fundamentals of Omnichannel Content Strategy

FUNDAMENTALS OF OMNICHANNEL

CONTENT STRATEGY McGill University

1 May 2015

Fundamentals of Omnichannel Content Strategy 2

Agenda

Morning■ Introductions & Expectations ■ Key Concepts■ Considerations■ Omnichannel Personalization

Roadmap– Workshop Exercise■ Lunch!

Afternoon■ Cross-Channel Journeys– Workshop Exercise■ Break!■ Metrics & Analytics– Workshop Exercise■ Governance & Tools■ Workshop Review

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INTRODUCTIONS & EXPECTATIONS

1 May 2015 Fundamentals of Omnichannel Content Strategy

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Hi There!Peter Gabriel

Big Time


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About Your Presenters

Rebecca Schneider■ President, Azzard Consulting, a

content strategy consulting & staffing firm.

■ 19 Years experience in Information Management

■ Industries: Retail, Auto Manufacturing, Financial Services, Telecommunications, Semiconductors

Kevin Nichols■ Director, Global Practice Lead,

Content Strategy, Sapient/Nitro■ 18 Years experience in the Web

Development Industry■ Key Clients: MIT Open Courseware,

Hewlett Packard, Sprint, Intel



About You

■ What is your experience with omnichannel?■ What are your expectations for this workshop?

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Ground Rules

■ Everybody has a say■ Parking lot for tangents■ Limited electronic interruptions please!

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KEY CONCEPTS

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If someone likes you, they’ll buy what you’re selling, whether or not

they need it.Gene Simmons

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Key Concepts

■ Intelligent Content ■ Omnichannel & Multichannel■ Personalization■ Content Marketing■ User Journeys■ Performance-Driven Content

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Understanding Intelligent Content“Intelligent content is structurally rich and semantically categorized and therefore automatically discoverable, reusable, reconfigurable, and adaptable.”

– Ann RockleySource: https://www.eiseverywhere.com/ehome/69264/137386/

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Using Intelligent Content

■ Enables you to create one instance of content and publish to many different channels with optimized content per channel

Desktop Experience Mobile Experience Packaging

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Using Intelligent Content: Benefits■ Builds logic into the content experience to support personalization,

cross-sell/upsell, recommendations based on previous content viewed and contextually relevant content experiences

Recommendations’ Logic Cross-sell & Promo Logic

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Understanding Omnichannel & MultichannelOmnichannel content assumes the overall user engagement with a particular user journey, and serves up content to each step in the process, optimizing channel experiences. Think Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia!

Multichannel considers more than one channel.

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Understanding Omnichannel & Multichannel

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A recreation of the image by: http://maosuit.com/retail-2/stores/omi-channel-retail-101/ originally created by Tyco.

http://maosuit.com/retail-2/stores/omi-channel-retail-101/

http://maosuit.com/retail-2/stores/omi-channel-retail-101/


Understanding Omnichannel & Multichannel

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Using Omnichannel

■ Makes content contextually relevant and builds the consumer relationship

■ Provides Single View of the Customer & integrated product inventory across channelsHome In-store Commerce Experience

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Understanding Personalization

Personalization is contextual content targeted to a user based on his or her needs and behaviors.

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Understanding Personalization

Content is served up to a user based on any of the following:■ Who is the user ■ Where the user is■ Why the user engages■ What the user engages with■ How the user engages with the

experience■ When the user engages with the

experience

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AN_OREGON_PERSONALIZED_LICENSE_PLATE_WITH_THE_LETTERS_%22WET%22_HOWEVER,_LACK_OF_RAIN_CREATED_A_SERIOUS_ENERGY_CRISIS_IN..._-_NARA_-_555432.jpg

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Requirements for Personalization

■ An investment in new content creation to support it

■ Personas/segments ■ Technology to support it (logic-

driven content, user analysis, analytics)

■ The right measurements and analytics

■ A roadmap with short, mid, and long-term goals

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Using Personalization

■ Develops a deeper relationship between the user and brand, providing specific value or use to the consumer

Ratings, Personalized Selections Contextual Targeting

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Understanding Content Marketing“Content marketing is the marketing and business process for creating and distributing relevant and valuable content to attract, acquire, and engage a clearly defined and understood target audience – with the objective of driving profitable customer action.”

– Joe Pulizzi

Source: http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2012/06/content-marketing-definition/think

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Using Content Marketing

■ Increases consumer loyalty and sells more products through meaningful and timely communication

Related Narrative Crowdsourcing Enriched Content

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Understanding User Journeys

“User journeys include the end-to-end processes a user follows to complete a particular task.”

– Kevin Nichols & Donald Chesnut

Source: UX For Dummies, Page 62

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User Journeys: Benefits

■ Maps out the path of a user to ensure his or her needs are met by serving up the most useful and relevant content

■ Keeps the solution and content user-centered■ Helps the business make decisions around end-user needs and

motivations■ Increases conversion and success metrics (when done well) because

user is able to complete tasks seamlessly and easily■ Provides insight into cross-channel user behavior; can set a baseline

which can be further tested for validation

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Understanding Performance-Driven ContentPerformance-driven content is content an organization measures and evaluates after publishing in order to make decisions on future content priorities.

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Using Performance Driven Content■ Drives the best, most effective

and relevant content to a user■ Optimizes the work from

analytics, insights and competitive assessment so organizations can respond to a user’s content needs

■ Helps an organization build a publication model around performance

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CONSIDERATIONS

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Falling in love was the easy part; planning a

wedding - yikes!Niecy Nash

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Considerations

■ Considerations Within Omnichannel Context■ Planning for Omnichannel■ Omnichannel Challenges

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Considerations

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Considerations: Business Goals

■ How does omnichannel further your business goals?■ Do you understand your customer and know how omnichannel will

benefit them (and by extension, your company)?■ What channels do your customers use?■ What if omnichannel is not the answer?

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Considerations: Target Audiences

■ Who are your target audiences?■ Do you have any developed personas and/or user data?■ What do they need/want?■ What is the plan to provide your audiences with what they need/want?

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Considerations: Operations

■ Executive Support■ Budgetary Support (over multiple years)■ Who needs to buy in? What are the political ramifications?– Marketing Plan (internal use)■ What else is going on? (IT initiatives, budget cycles, marketing

campaigns)■ What is a realistic high-level timeline for rollout (staggered is best)?

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Considerations: Technology

■ What do you need in terms of technology support?■ Integration with systems and collaboration with IT will be important■ What is the technology infrastructure costs and ongoing maintenance

needs? ■ What sounds great in theory, may not work in real life

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Considerations: Content

■ What are your content priorities? Channel priorities? ■ How will the content be created?– Externally (e.g., agencies, content creators)– Internally (e.g., publication units, content authors)■ Have you done a content inventory and audit?– Findings & Analysis?■ Is this effort dove-tailing with a website redesign or CMS

implementation?

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Considerations: Data Needs

■ Personalization – do you have the data you need?– Customer Profiles (active, passive)– External Data (e.g., Axiom)■ Can data be shared across systems?– Do you need a data warehouse?■ How will you measure results (positive or negative)– Metrics are more difficult to put in place after the fact– Baseline metrics are very important

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Considerations: Legal Issues

■ Customers are sensitive to data use (e.g., creep factor)■ Any regulatory or compliance rules specific to your industry?■ Privacy laws differ from country to country

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Considerations: Costs

■ Technology■ Staff Time– Project vs. “Day Job”■ Consulting/Agency Costs■ Ongoing funding needed (not just implementation)

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Content Strategy & Omnichannel PlanningBig things to consider:■ Understand your content gaps and

needs (inventories!)■ Content production costs and

timeline■ System integration■ Prioritize your channels (bring on

additional channels later)

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Challenges: Operational/Business

■ Siloed business units■ Conflicting incentive structures– If a purchase was started online, but completed in-store – who gets the

credit?■ Organizational acceptance of omnichannel (why bother)

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Challenges: Content

■ Cost to create and maintain content– This is not a simple short-term marketing campaign■ Additional staffing (or different) staffing model may be required■ UX does not always consider all content types■ SEO requirements can twist content– e.g., keyword overload, synonyms in navigation

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Challenges: Technology

■ Single View of Customer (SVOC) may be difficult due to system integration issues

■ Integrated cross-channel inventory is costly■ Product metadata is often not consistent across back-end and

consumer facing systems■ Metrics definitions may not be consistent across systems

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OMNICHANNEL PERSONALIZATION

ROADMAP

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Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four

sharpening the axe.Abraham Lincoln

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Roadmap

■ Overview■ Team Planning & Goals■ Current State■ Stakeholder Interviews■ Omnichannel Personalization Roadmap■ Roadmap Exercise

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Roadmap: Overview

■ Plots prioritized and scheduled approach to achieving the short- and long-term omnichannel recommendations

■ Identifies bottom-up projects to feed it, and immediate opportunities to improve processes and demonstrate value

■ Start big, not small■ Revisit roadmap and course correct as needed

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Roadmap: Team Planning

■ Start with a multidisciplinary team– Content Producing Group(s)– Information Technology (architects)– Sponsoring Business Unit Representative(s) (with budget authority)– Marketing (MarCom)– Subject Matter Experts (as needed)■ Establish core group members, meeting intervals■ Each meeting should have clear goals and action items■ A RACI or similar tool may be useful

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Roadmap: Business Goals

■ What is the long term vision for the company?■ What are the business goals within context of corporate strategy?■ What are the objectives in place to meet those goals?■ How will omnichannel advance business goals?■ Who are your audience(s)?■ What channels are important to your business?

Answer the above as part of a discovery phase.

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Roadmap: Current Content Ecosystem■ Conduct a content inventory – Content-producing systems, customer facing systems– Metadata-producing systems

■ Evaluate Content– Gaps– Overlaps– Overall Quality (Keep/Kill/Edit)

■ Currency■ Voice & Tone

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Roadmap: Stakeholder Interviews■ Meet with key stakeholders (cast of 1000+ not necessary)– Business Sponsor(s)– MarCom– Content Producers– Information Technology■ Ask same/similar questions (interview protocol)■ Provide findings & analysis report■ Use report to inform roadmap

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Roadmap: Workshops

■ Use workshops to define high-level roadmap that plots strategy for next 2-3 years

■ High-Level Example: Omnichannel Personalization Roadmap (next slide)

■ We will go through a workshop exercise today

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Omnichannel Personalization Roadmap

Launch [foundation]

1. Identify initial personas and segments to target per channel.2. Establish the content needed to support each group (what do you

want to serve up to each segment and persona and to what degree?)3. Establish the rules for serving up content (if User X indicated he or

she is Y in user profile then serve up this content . . .) per channel per user task.

4. Account for taxonomy and controlled vocabularies to enable the experience.

Evolution [9-12 months post launch]

1. Test existing content by running ongoing metrics and audits to see how consumers interact with the content experience.

2. Identify additional content areas, such as enhanced cross-sell, up-sell.

3. Test assumed customer journeys across channels to verify accuracy and optimize content performance.

4. Rollout enhanced personalization per channel.

Enrichment [18+ months post launch]

1. Integrate omnichannel for all channels.2. Continue to create immersive content.3. Leverage new or emerging technologies and techniques.4. Optimize per business needs, analytics and consumer trends.1 May 2015


Roadmap: Workshop Exercise

■ Sample Company: All Dressed Up (Salad Dressing Company)– See company information handout■ To define your roadmap, use the white Roadmap cards and place them

in the appropriate cells on the Roadmap grid. Focus on one channel.– Feel free to create your own cards ■ Careful, there may be a few roadblocks placed in your way!

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CROSS-CHANNEL JOURNEYS

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A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong

is to think you control it.John Steinbeck

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Cross-Channel Journeys

■ Overview■ Creating a Cross-Channel Journey■ Journey Exercise

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Why Journeys?

■ Places the consumer and customer at the center of the experience

■ Allows content decisions around user needs

■ Helps to create a publishing model centered around end-user needs and content types, as opposed to internal business silos

■ Keeps the focus cross-channel

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Cross-Channel Journey: Example

4/3/2015


Creating Your User Tasks

■ Start with tasks the user would need to complete a particular objective or goal

– Review business goals, objectives, etc.– Define key consumer objectives (Purchase a product, download a

paper, create a profile)– It may be helpful to put yourself in the mind of the consumer by

stating: I would like to…■ Support a product I have purchased■ Upgrade a product ■ Find a career

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Determine Which Users Complete Which Tasks■ Use personas and segments to plot out which users perform which tasks– A persona tells you who the user is from a behavioral point of view– A segment tells you who the user is from a demographic point of view■ Consider for each persona or segment a user state. User states could

include:– Anonymous—we know nothing about her– Repeat visitor—she comes to our site or properties– Existing consumer—she has used our products or services and created a

user profile with us– Influencer—she writes about us

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Define the trigger for each task

■ Define the triggers for each task: – A trigger is what sets the journey off in the first place and executes the first task. (e.g.,

An ad on TV which advertises a product and inspires the user to Google it)

■Triggers can be passive and active– Active: when a user has a particular need (buy a new dress, create a recipe, etc.)– Inactive: when a user is inspired to complete a task based on an ad he or she sees

■Ask yourself: What would cause the user to initiate the task?■Note, there may be several triggers, but knowing these inform the type of

journeys to create and help you figure out the first step in the journey’s process

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Turning Tasks Into Journeys

■ Start with persona (or segment), user state and high-level user journey task. Review the triggers for inspiration.

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Persona User State User Journey

Soccer Mom Anonymous Buy a Product





■ Create a set of steps that drive the user to complete it

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Soccer Mom Anonymous Buy a Product – Step One: searches for product in Google

Soccer Mom Anonymous Buy a Product – Step Two: clicks on product in carousel goes to product detail

Soccer Mom Anonymous But a Product – Step Three: Add to cart



■ Create a set of steps that drive the user to complete it.

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■ Map Channel to each task (Answer the question: which channel is the user in?)

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Persona User State User Journey Channel


Website (Desktop)Mobile (App)







■ Define the content necessary for each step in the journey

Persona User State User Journey Channel Content



Product information in home page carousel



Product detail page



Shopping cart

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Additional Considerations

■ One journey may require several sub-paths or decision trees. Capture what you feel are primary decisions within the journey.

– The point of a journey is that it makes assumptions around a user’s path so that you can determine which content to serve up; if it is incorrect, you can modify as needed

■ Build out journeys for one task at a time, accounting for all personas. For each persona, you may require a separate worksheet in Excel.

■ Some personas may end up sharing the same steps within a journey

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Complete the Mapping

■ Validate exercise with key stakeholders■ May require user testing to document assumptions■ Refine as needed– You should plan to validate the journeys after you launch the project

through testing and ongoing measurement of content– Journeys may change as user behavior changes and new technologies

enter into the market

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Exercise Instructions

■ Assume the following trigger:– A user has created a recipe using All Dressed Up dressing for a party

and guests ask for him/her to share it■ Assume the following persona and user state:– User State: Artisanal Millennial; User State: Anonymous■ Create a list of tasks (e.g., share a recipe) and define the content

necessary to support it(Kevin to demonstrate)


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METRICS & ANALYTICS


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However beautiful the strategy, you should

occasionally look at the results.Winston Churchill


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Metrics & Analytics

■ Overview & Definitions■ Metrics for Omnichannel■ Metrics Exercise


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Metrics & Analytics: Overview

Metrics: Tangible measures of inputs and outputs.

Analytics: Conclusions drawn from metrics.

Don’t forget to create a baseline!


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Understanding Analytics & Metrics“Web analytics is the objective tracking, collection, measurement, reporting and analysis of quantitative internet data to optimize websites and web marketing initiatives.”

– Avinash KaushikSource: Web Analytics: An Hour a Day, Page 2


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Metrics & Analytics: Hard Metrics

■ Quantitative measurements: numbers, facts. It’s the “what.”– Web & Mobile

■ Conversions■ # Visits■ Time on Site■ Media

– Click-through Performance on Advertisements/Banners■ Search– Internal, Organic, Paid – keyword usage■ When to use:– There is a need to demonstrate a quantifiable return on investment– Too much anecdotal information is being used to make decisions



Metrics & Analytics: Soft Metrics

■ Qualitative: stories, feelings/motivation. It’s the “why.”– Primary Research

■ Focus Groups– Secondary Research

■ Marketing Trends– Social Listening – Digital Anthropology

■ Online Behavioral Analysis– Surveys

■ Customer Satisfaction■ When to use– Trying to understand customer behavior (needs, motivations,

perceptions)– Further understand the hard metrics data

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Metrics for Omnichannel

■ Channel interactions: is the journey effective?– Trending content– Conversion rates after content interaction■ User satisfaction: is the customer satisfied with the omni experience?– Sharing on social– Downloaded content– Survey data– Bounce & exit rates

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Using Metrics & Analytics

■ Allows you to constantly evaluate your content so that you can make decisions on what to do with it

■ Helps identify under performing content – which may require rethinking or user experience changes

■ Provides opportunity to communicate content success (or content failure) to management

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Metrics by Touchpoint(Favorites)Desktop Bounce, Exit rates

Conversion rates (however defined)Click path

E-mail Response to e-mail Call To Action (CTA)Sign-up for e-mail alerts

In-Store In-Store pickup from online orderQR code usage

Packaging QR code usage

Print Advertising QR code usageCoupon usage

Event AttendanceInteractions with activities (e.g., content participation)Leads generated

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Metrics by Touchpoint (Favorites)Smartphone/Tablet App

Use of social mediaAcceptance of location awareness promptsUse of specialized app vs. websiteConversion ratesWhat is sold in an app vs. website (mobile or other)

Smartphone/Tablet Web

Orientation changesUse of social mediaAcceptance of location awareness promptsLocation of use (in-store?)What is sold in non-app vs. website (mobile or other)

SMS Number of messages sent (based on message type)Number of SMS CTA responses

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Metrics by Touchpoint (Favorites)

TV/Radio Nielsen RatingsSpecialty code usage

Cross Channel/Platform

Use of content between platformsSwitching from mobile to desktop to app experienceCommodity content – preferred method of ingestion

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Metrics: Summary

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Metrics: Summary (cont.)

4/3/2015


Metrics Selection

■ Review business goals/objectives■ Determine which metrics will best measure an objective’s success■ Use the SMART approach:– Specific– Measureable– Assignable– Realistic– Time-related

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Metrics: Workshop Exercise

■ Review your roadmap■ What metrics would you use to measure success?

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GOVERNANCE & TOOLS

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If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end

up someplace else.Yogi Berra

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Governance & Tools

■ Governance Benefits■ Team Model■ Tools

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Governance: Benefits

■ Provides a structure for content creation and maintenance■ Provides a forum for content-related issues■ Group members can collaboratively define success measures (reduce

duplicative reporting)

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Governance: Team Model

Governance Team

Working Groups

Brand Accessibility Legal Taxonomy ContentStrategy

Operations Technology Marketing Publishing TaxonomyStrategy

Executive Sponsor

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Governance Tools: Content Calendar■ Provides central area for content planning and production■ Should align with other calendars (technical implementations,

marketing campaigns, product releases, etc.)■ Include go-live dates, dependencies, responsible party

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Governance Tools: Dashboards

■ Provides information on content creation (or other) progress

■ Helps to identify potential roadblocks

■ Help to plan for future initiatives

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Governance Tools: Governance Workflow■ Can be used in

conjunction with a RACI chart.

■ Provides clear steps in approval process.

■ Shows hand off points.

4/3/2015 Fundamentals of Omnichannel Content Strategy 94


Governance Tools: Review Model

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WORKSHOP REVIEW

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Are we there yet?Donkey

Shrek’s Best Friend & Sidekick

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Workshop Review: Input Needed!

■ Review parking lot■ Review feedback– What went well?– What could be improved?

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Any questions? Please ask!

Rebecca■ [email protected]■ Web: azzardconsulting.com■ LinkedIn:

www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccaschneider■ Twitter: twitter.com/azzardconsult

Kevin■ [email protected]■ Web: kevinpnichols.com■ LinkedIn:

www.linkedin.com/in/kevinpnichols■ Twitter: twitter.com/kpnichols■ YouTube:

www.youtube.com/user/kevinpnichols

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omnichannelcontentstrategy.com


THANK YOU!

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APPENDIX

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Suggested Reading (Omnichannel Focus)■ LCP Consulting. The Omni-Channel Dilemma. October 2014. – http://www.lcpconsulting.com/2014-omni-channel-study/■ Trager, Lisa. Stop the insanity! Planning for a Unified Omnichannel Strategy. May 13, 2014. – http://www.slideshare.net/tragester/stop-the-insanity-l-tragerfinal5914■ Havas Worldwide. Prosumer Report. Building Brands That Matter: The Sweet Spot Between Trust & Dynamism. 2013.– http://www.prosumer-report.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2013/11/HWW-Prosumer-Report-Brand-

Dynamism-Hi-Res.pdf■ Deloitte Consulting. The Omnichannel Opportunity: Unlocking the Power of the Connected Consumer. February, 2014.– http://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/uk/Documents/consumer-business/unlocking-the-power-of-the-

connected-consumer.pdf■ Forrester Consulting (commissioned by Accenture and hybris). Customer Desires vs. Retailer Capabilities: Minding

the Omni-Channel Commerce Gap. January 2014.– http://www.accenture.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/Accenture-Customer-Desires-VS-Retailer-Capabilities.pdf■ Retail Systems Research (sponsored by hybris). Omni-Channel 2014: Double Trouble. 2014.– Request report at: http://hybris.com/en/downloads/analyst-report/rsr-omni-channel-2014/715

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Suggested Reading

The following are not specific to omnichannel, however they will be useful when embarking on an omnichannel initiative.■ Jones, Colleen. Clout: The Art and Science of Influential Web Content.

New Riders: Berkeley, CA. 2011■ Welchman, Lisa. Managing Chaos: Digital Governance by Design.

Rosenfeld Media: Brooklyn, NY. 2015

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