Locations
I spent the first half of last week at Gartner’s Customer 360 conference, which used to be known as the Gartner CRM conference. As part of my attendance, I was asked to take part in a focus group that provided feedback on the rebranding and conference changes, which led to some interesting perspectives on what “Customer 360” meant and what the conference was all about.
Some participants thought the new title implied too much emphasis on data and metrics, and others were sorry to see the “CRM” moniker go, but I think the change demonstrates the coming of age of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and the convergence of marketing and business intelligence. The new name, to me, shows that the industry has recognized the need to get a full 360 degree view of the customer.
One of my favorite sessions that spoke to this was by Gartner Analyst Bill Gassman. Called “How Marketing Benefits from Data Analysis and Marketing Skills,” it focused on three major areas: how BI can help with marketing strategy, bringing the business and IT closer together, and the importance of data quality. His presentation described some of the ways that a good business intelligence framework can contribute to that 360-view of the customer by avoiding information silos.
The focus on comprehensive customer insight is especially important in the current economic climate, with tightening budgets; the CEO, CFO, and Sr. Marketing management are all being held more accountable for the return on their marketing spend. They need the information to decide which programs are most effective.
At Projectline, we’re helping our customers get the insight they need by helping unlock siloed data, improve data quality, and manage the whole view of the customer. To learn more, contact me at brianh@projectlineinc.com.