Having the best email design in the world won't make lasting customers unless the data to support the effort is dependable. Proper data management needs to be Reliable, Verifiable, and Secure. The better your data is, the better foundation you have to build a valuable relationship with your customers.
Reliable
Data needs to be accurate. Take names, easily the most (over)used "personalization" in customer-centric marketing. If you receive an email saying "Hello MICHAEL," that isn't going to feel right. Knowing the proper spelling and nicknames of your customers can be the difference between a message being read as SPAM and being a cordial introduction to a 1:1 message.
You need to be confident that your data is accurate, but also that it can be used across a variety of use cases. Do some systems need the customer's Date of Birth as a number? Is it appropriate to mention "1/1/1911" in an email? Probably not. Your data needs to cover all bases across all of the potential needs your customers (and business!) will have.
Personal
Beyond having the core reliability of who your customer is (name/email/address/etc.), having the means to measure and grow with your customers is important as well. Tracking the type of message a given customer engages with is not something that happens out of the box. However, a few simple additions to the program early on can help you identify what a specific customer is seeking out of the relationship, and help you craft more personal touchpoints in the future.
Leveraging real customer data, from how they are interacting with your business, is fundamental to creating campaigns that require little maintenance while maintaining campaign performance and brand standards. The goal, for most businesses, would be to have customers segment themselves. Deciding what messages they receive based on the interactions they've had with your business. Scalable personalization is the holy grail of CRM Strategy.
Secure
Having the best, most complete data set about your customer is only valuable if you are vigilant about how you treat that information. An abundance of respect for customer data, and how it is shared, is paramount to continuing to have a positive relationship with those customers. From simple moments we've probably all had -- "Why do they keep sending me ads about bird houses?! I was only looking for a picture of one!" -- all the way to more serious breaches and misuse of customer data.
We've worked with some of the biggest names in larges-scale data management, and it's true that 'pobody is nerfect'. Security breaches happen in even the most strictly controlled environments. Doing all you can to prevent your business from being in that situation, along with having the experience to handle these situations if they do occur, can be critical. For institutions of all sizes. From large scale breaches with an Experian leak and hearing crickets about what you should do next, to a rogue employee using your email list for their own advertising without a follow-up explanation-- these missteps can cost a company customers and a decline in public perception.
Want to reliably meet your customers in the most effective way? Turn every customer into your best customer? Strong data practices are a great place to start your customer relationships. We have the experience to ensure your program is the best for your business needs, and your customers.