loyalty.com

The world market for database solutions is forecast to grow at an annual growth rate of 51 percent over the period 1997-2002 to more than 113 billion dollars. In an effort to tap into this expanding market, companies of every kind have rushed to offer all sorts of discounts and specials under the guise of loyalty programs. And, yet, millions of people are tossing out dozens of pieces of junk mail every week. As companies realize this, they are learning that whatever programs they develop to express customer caring must be meaningful to the individual customer - in his or her terms. The real lesson here, argues renowned marketing expert Fred Newell, is that customer care must involve more than discount and point program rewards: that customer loyalty can't be bought - especially in today's Internet-oriented world. Don Tapscott told attendees at the 81st Annual DMA Conference in October 1998 that "we are in the early turbulent days of a transformation of marketing and commerce." Witness the explosion of online shopping especially over the 1998 holiday season and the wild success of online retailers such as Amazon.com. As the Internet builds a culture not unlike the revolution that shopping malls created in the 1970s and 1980s, it must be part of any new solution designed to improve customer loyalty. In his new book, Newell shows how the building of customer relationships in this new culture will call for a broad shift from database marketing to true customer relationship management (CRM) whereby customer behavior is modified over time by strengthening the bond between the customer and the company. Using case studies, Newell shows how winning marketers are executing CRM in real time in today's digital age -- and that there's a lot more to E-commerce than just using the Internet, Web, and e-mail to communicate with customers. In Loyalty.com, Newell outlines what the latest technology shifts mean for marketers in every field, and how businesses can create and implement the best and most effective CRM strategies. This guide is filled with hands-on explanations of sophisticated customer analysis and relationship building techniques and new tools of the Internet. Case histories from various industries provide real-world examples of how to apply the principles of CRM in the constantly growing and ever-changing world of the Internet. Key topics include: * The right strategy to build CRM for your company * How e-mail will integrate all aspects of customer communication * How traditional retail stores will fare against online competitors Whether marketing business-to-customer or business-to-business, Newell outlines the fundamentals needed to build customer loyalty that will last well into the new millennium. He shows that the smartest - the winners - are learning from experience - and from their competitors, and he provides the keys to develop long-term customers in the age of online shopping.