The Interviews

Richard Schenker is a leading expert on loyalty marketing and the original architect of Canada’s most popular points program PC Optimum.  “A recent study I saw from Bond Brand Loyalty reported that the average Canadian has about 16 or 17 loyalty programs in their wallet or in their digital wallet, …

Interview with Michael Johnson, Marketing Department Chair at the Wisconsin School of Business and the co-author of “Managing the Customer Portfolio”. At the time it just seemed to make common sense. Why spend all this marketing money chasing after new buyers while ignoring the customers you’ve already got? Why not …

Frans Riemersma is the Founder of the marketing technology consultancy Martech Tribe, author of “A Small Book on Customer Technology”, and the co-producer of the “State of Martech Report”. The story of marketing automation over the past three decades or so has largely been one of rapid adaptation to technological …

Chris O’Hara leads the customer data solutions practice at SAP and is the co-author of Data Driven: Harnessing Data and AI to Reinvent Customer Engagement. By Stephen Shaw Back when mainframe computers ruled the world customer data at the individual level was kept under lock and key by the high …

Mark Abraham is Boston Consulting Group’s Marketing, Sales and Pricing Practice Leader for North America and the co-author of the book “Personalized: Customer Strategy in the Age of AI”. By Steve Shaw Right offer – right time – right message. Tough for most marketers to get right, never mind in …

Jim Tincher is the President of the CX consulting firm Heart of Customer and author of the book “Do B2B Better”. By Stephen Shaw Make it – sell it  – ship it. That’s pretty much the way B2B companies have operated forever. Usually product-centric and sales led, they view customers …

Brett Townsend is the SVP of Strategy at the research firm Quester and co-author of the book “Insights on the Brink”. By Stephen Shaw Once upon a time marketers would not hesitate to invest in market research before launching a new product or taking a gamble on a Big Creative …

By Stephen Shaw Jim Kraus is President of the Buyer Persona Institute and the co-author of the book “Buyer Personas”. You may have seen them displayed on large wall posters in your building hallways and common areas. Maybe you were given laminated one-page summaries of them. Or possibly been handed …

By Stephen Shaw When Apple suddenly incurs the wrath of the public for a cultural gaffe, it is clear times have changed. The offense was committed earlier this year when Apple released a 10-minute video titled “Out of Office”, the latest installment in a lighthearted promotional series called “The Underdogs”, …

Allison Hartsoe is a leading expert on customer-centricity and the author of “The Age of Customer Equity: Data-driven Strategies to Build a Sustainable Company”. By Stephen Shaw The story is a familiar one, played out year after year, decade after decade. Under pressure by investors to drive up earnings, companies …