Your segmentation needs to reach volume without compromising relevance for the individual. So, when did you last review your segmentation strategy? I don’t have all the answers, but here are a few ideas I know DO work and could help your summer segmentation.

 
The long-anticipated first ‘summer of freedom’ has often felt like a distant memory. It is, thankfully, finally here but probably not in that dreamy-like way we once knew.
 
Post pandemic fallout has been… to coin an overworked adjective… unprecedented (bluh). No-one really knew what our post-Covid world would look like and quite how much our ‘usual behaviour’ would change.
 
Two short years later we have in no particular order:

• a WFH culture
• a war
• a fuel shortage
• The Great Resignation
• travel disruptions and cancellations
• and of course an economic crisis that we’ve not seen in 40 years

 
All these factors have had a direct impact on consumer behaviour with tighter wallets and still a long lingering desire to stay at home to save some pennies (and to shut the world out).
 
No matter how much we party for the Jubilee we still have to consider how to market long term, especially this summer when the fear of spending is forefront of our minds.
 
If I had written this 10 years ago, I would have suggested something blasé like ‘if they have bought suncream assume they are going on holiday, so flog them some travel insurance’ (and I probably would have thought that was super logical and clever)!
 
Apart from the fact I now see many flaws in this logic, this sort of strategic thinking won’t work today.
 
Your segmentation needs to reach volume without compromising relevance for the individual. So, when did you last review your segmentation strategy? This is the time to reset and optimize how your data can work for you.
 
It’s got to work harder to maintain retention and growth. I don’t have all the answers, but here are a few ideas I know DO work and could help your summer segmentation.

Firstly, automation has never been more important

 
However, I’m not just talking about setting up a bunch of triggers, shutting the office and going on holiday. Channel automation is a necessity but the contents of both these BAU campaigns should contain automated relevancy.
 
We all need to promote new products and offers but somewhere within each comms should contain a proportion of accurate themes for each individual.
 
How have they been engaging with your brand? Have they browsed particular categories or have they viewed certain products?
 
It’s nearly payday; what about a quick mention of those forgotten basket items?
 
Looks like they may be lapsing. Incentivise them before you lose them forever. Or via the power of predictive analysis don’t incentivize if they are likely to transact anyway.
 
Put these segments together easily and use them to create dynamic content across all your marketing comms.

Multi-channel is my next recommendation

 
We are not one-trick ponies with our heads just stuck in the inbox all day and evening. Other channels exist and can create more urgency, more immediacy of response and longer engagement.
 
So long as you can segment permissions per media, changing your approach to how you contact your customer base will definitely increase your audience, conversions and revenues.
 

Next up, don’t forget the power of your service messages

 
The end customer doesn’t really notice or care that your service and marketing comms differ in type and format. To them it is all one big conversation. Be one step ahead with this by segmenting content by permission.
 
For those where permits are void, send them the standard service message. For those permitting you can add additional marketing content into your service messages dynamically. It’s another brand engagement opportunity and as it’s predominantly service-based, the comms will most likely be read.

Loyalty is also a key area to promote

 
If you are lucky enough to have an official loyalty programme this should be part of your marketing bread and butter.
 
It needs to be visible in every comms and even segmented by their value. The old adage ‘speak to your customers and prospects differently’ is no less relevant than with your loyalty club.
 
Nurture those lower value customers and massage the egos of your die-hard spenders. No loyalty programme? The exact same applies. Create those customer lifecycle segments and make sure you talk to these key groups with a different tone and message.

Lastly, don’t forget your prospects

 
They have intent and are your future customers so don’t ignore them. Just because they didn’t click through on your welcome email does not mean they are a lost cause.
 
You possibly didn’t make that welcome email relevant to them (see first point about content automation). Segment and use their browsing history to present products and offers relevant to them as soon as the very first contact as this will secure engagement from the beginning of your relationship.
 
We are still at the beginning of summer and forecasts suggest we will have more to battle in the autumn. Therefore, while the sun does shine this is the time to automate, review your channels, segment and personalize accordingly.
 
 

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