Sophisticated digital marketers are connecting every part of the business with their customers to build highly personal journeys to not only engage, but stay one step ahead of competitors and create total customer satisfaction.
The really savvy ones are connecting the brand’s CRM and its digital advertising for even greater personalisation.
This is the message that Sydney-based Salesforce Asia Pacific product marketing head Derek Laney brought to NZ businesses on a recent visit to Auckland.
Salesforce helps brands plan, personalise and optimise strong customer journeys. Laney says it is the number one CRM provider in the world and has a deeply established presence in the New Zealand market through its relationships with many leading local businesses such as The Warehouse and Fonterra.
Laney hosted a New Zealand Salesforce Advantage event in Auckland, which discussed the local landscape and key trends playing out as well as the brands who are leading in building personalised customer relationships.
They examined the future of marketing, and how NZ clients are moving away from mass marketing to create strong customer relationships.
Laney is frequently in New Zealand, giving him insights into how certain New Zealand brands are winning the fight for the customer and leading the charge in the digital space.
He agreed to a short Q+A session with M+AD …
What is the focus of Salesforce in NZ?
New Zealand is going through a tremendous period of innovation and the most exciting thing is that its marketers are leading the way. Recent research by Telsyte found more than half of Kiwi marketing departments have a dedicated technology budget. Local companies Xero and Fonterra have succeeded because of their ability to use technology to market to the new connected customer.
The Salesforce team here in New Zealand work alongside our customers as their innovation partners, creating unique customer journeys, changing the way they connect with customers, and providing an overall platform for their success. The most savvy marketers recognise that the most powerful way to engage consumers is through 1:1 interactions.
What were the main points that came out of the Auckland Advantage event? How many did you have in attendance?
The collective energy in the room was phenomenal on Friday – we had 600 of New Zealand’s best and brightest minds, engaging with a programme which featured customer success stories from Fonterra, Fairfax NZ, Genetics Technology, Unleashed and Digital Island. These companies shared their stories ranging from journeys of transformation to how they turned their disruptive ideas into viable businesses.
We also brought back the latest announcements from Dreamforce; including the launch of the IoT Cloud and SalesforceIQ. The IoT Cloud connects billions of real-time events and data, giving context and meaning to those events and data, and most importantly, making the insights actionable.
SalesforceIQ, powered by ground-breaking Relationship Intelligence technology helps companies of any size to use data science to sell smarter.
What made you tap Dominic Quin?
Fonterra is one of the country’s best known home grown success stories – its brand is well recognised around the world as a leading producer of high quality dairy products. Leading the marketing business for Fonterra, Dominic Quinn was one of the first people we wanted to showcase on stage in Auckland.
Dominic has long been a trailblazer in digital marketing and has seen the company undergo fascinating transformation of its business model – from local manufacturer and wholesaler to now an exporter and a direct supplier to the restaurant industry, globally.
Throughout all this, the company has maintained its unwavering focus on the end customer. We love working with companies that share our same obsession with customer success and we are very proud of the partnership with Fonterra. This was a story worth telling and the audience appreciated the insights Dominic shared.
Anything else that’s pertinent?
It’s a really exciting time to be working with organisations in New Zealand – every time we come back to host an event, we’re in awe of the pace of change and advancement that is happening. The country is punching well above its weight in terms of innovation and producing smart businesses that are ready to take on the rest of the world. We’re really excited to be amongst it!
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