Tesco and a Tale of Personalised Content

Tesco and a Tale of Personalised Content:  from Business 2 Community by Deborah Bates
I have a confession to make. Last week, the most valuable piece of content I received was from a supermarket – Tesco, to be precise. Glossing over the sad fact that receiving money-off vouchers for my groceries was the highlight of my week, I wanted to explain why this content proved to be so valuable for me, a consumer.
Firstly, the vouchers provided someone most content providers strive for every day – real-life enrichment. This content made my life better. You see…

That’s not the end of it though… Sure, it was really nice to be able to buy some of my favourite foods at reduced prices. However it was also the fact that Tesco had thought of me, my likes and done something that only I would benefit from. Not the millions of customers it serves every day, just me.

Make your customers feel special…
Let’s face it – I’m not alone in this. Everyone likes to feel special; like their individual needs are being catered to. Treating all of your customers and prospects like sheep won’t get you anywhere, especially when it comes to content.
The fact that Tesco took the time to analyse my shopping habits (via my Clubcard, which is scanned each time I make a purchase) and then created vouchers that would make my life better was really important to me. If I’d have received vouchers that offered me money off eggs, cream and mushrooms (all of which I hate), I would have been really turned off.
Tesco pulled it off though and in return, made me more inclined to remain shopping in Tesco stores. This created yet another benefit for the brand: customer loyalty. Marketing director Scott Logie recently said customer loyalty is at “an all-time low”, especially after the recent horsemeat scandal – so anything brands can do to improve this is surely worth considering.
…but also make it worth their while
Other brands – retail-based or not – can learn a lot from Tesco’s personalised voucher campaign. It all starts with capturing personalised data from your customers. Last year, research from PwC found that around three-quarters of consumers would happily share information about themselves… depending on what they received in return. “People are willing to share personal information if they get a benefit from it,” PwC’s Mark Lobel said. Take his advice – ask your customers to complete polls, surveys or even reply to email newsletters that contain specific questions, but do offer something in return.
Use it, don’t abuse it
Then, be sure to USE the data. Don’t just leave it lying around.
Follow the Tesco tale of personalised content. The possibilities lie far beyond discount vouchers (although these really are useful). Other food or drink retailers could send their customers personalised recipes that feature their favourite products. Likewise if a brand selling pet products notices a new customer has come into the store with their Labrador, they could provide them with tips on keeping this specific breed healthy and happy.
Also, don’t be reckless with this personal data. Be sure to keep it stored securely and keep any really private information (such as names, addresses or DOBs) strictly under wraps. If you respect your customers and cater to their individual needs, you’ll hopefully see your customer retention rates and profits rise through the roof – so take a chance on personalised content.
Thanks to Tesco.com and Twitter.com for the images.