Xerox CMO Stresses Need For Personal Marketing

By Peter Lavelle

16 June 2010 11:47 GMT
Image: Xerox.com

Chief Marketing Officer at Xerox Christa Carone has told an audience of marketers they must use the human touch to build relationships with consumers. Speaking in New York yesterday, Carone told attendees of the Digital Marketing Days Conference they cannot depend on technology to get through to people. Instead they must create experiences meaningful to each person to establish trust.

Carone emphasised that people remember perhaps four of the three thousand media messages they receive daily. Especially given the difficult commercial climate businesses face at present, she said marketers ought do whatever needed to ensure their messages have impact. She pointed to earlier successful campaigns:

• Xerox used a playful email video to generate sales leads. The video comically warned that information overload turns office workers into zombies, and advised that Xerox products can prevent this. Featuring personalised names for each recipient, the video had a 50% referral rate of 370,000 prospects.
• Australian pet chain Best Friends Pets had success tailoring their marketing according to each customer's activity and pet. It used direct mail and email marketing.
• MSC Industrial Direct used telephone research to develop messages more relevant to individual customers. The company saw response rates on follow-up orders increase 20% as a result.
  

Carone warned however against being too personal. She referred to Liongate's recent campaign for the movie Saw V, which enabled people to sign up friends to receive a threatening phone call from one of the film's characters. Personalised to include each person's name, some recipients however thought the threat was real. Carone said: “We don't like it when someone we don't know knows too much about us.”

Sources

Christopher Hosford, 'Xerox CMO Carone Stresses Need For More Relevant Marketing,' BtoBOnline.com, 15 June 2010.
Dianna Dilworth, 'Xerox CMO Tells Marketers To Get Personal With Customers At Digital Marketing Days Keynote,' DMNews.com, 15 June 2010.