Trust matters: Benefits of a customer data cloud you may not have considered
The benefits of a customer data cloud are many, including managing digital identities, tracking consent, authentication, and authorization.
Nordstrom is a leader in offering an in-store experience that drives loyalty, but now they’re using techniques to gather data that has some consumers shaking their heads, as it becomes one of the brands to begin using cameras and mobile phones to track behavior in-store and online.
As customer data becomes the next frontier in personalization and the future 0f e-commerce, the stakes are high for businesses to get it right – without causing a sense of intrusion for customers.
1984 is calling: Mobile phones to track behavior risk being compared to Big Brother efforts
The New York Times recently ran a story that reveals how the department store is using mobile technology to track and follow customers as they shop in brick-and mortar locations.
While it’s not much different from enabling cookies, the idea seems to hitting nerves around data privacy and Big Brother. According to the Times, once the brand posted signs informing customers that they were being tracked, some of them were “unnerved.”
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In addition to tracking customers using mobile technology, brands can use the old-fashioned video camera to gather significant, valuable data. A company called RetailNext analyzes video footage of shoppers to see how they navigate the store, and they also use mobile signals to pinpoint their location.
The two together can create a powerful metric for brands struggling to complete against online retailers like Amazon—which gathers significant data from users to drive a custom experience.
Future of retail relies on consumer trust
Macy’s, a brand on the forefront of the omnichannel experience, is using this kind of data to deliver personalized deals and information straight to the shopper as he enters the store.
The idea of physical surveillance is nothing new. Stores have long used security cameras to keep track of customer behavior as they move through the building, and in-store mobility is an accepted cornerstone of any good mobile strategy.
It won’t be long before the marriage of the two to gather data that drives a personalized shopping experience is a practice that’s not only commonplace, but accepted as the standard in the future of commerce..
