Armadillo, Author at Bristol Creative Industries

Personalization is the zenith of modern marketing, delivering us all better customer experiences, higher conversion rates and increased loyalty. Or is it?

It’s true that by leveraging data and technology, brands can create tailored experiences that make customers feel seen, heard and valued. However, as with any buzzword, there is a danger of overusing and misusing personalization, leading to consumer fatigue and even backlash.

This is why relevancy should be the primary focus of zero- and first-party data marketing, rather than generic personalization.

More than a name at the top of an email

Using personalization has been the most often pitched tactic at every customer relationship management (CRM) conference and pitch I’ve ever heard. But what do people mean by it? Is it personalized to repeat back to someone what they’ve already shared – even when no additional thought has been put into it? I’ve got loads of emails or letters addressed to ‘Mr.’ or saying things like ‘Hey R, don’t miss out on…’. My name is not even included, and, honestly, even if they had gotten it right, does a company I bought a hairbrush from two years ago need to be on a first-name basis with me?

To the average user, personalization has become synonymous with the ever-present third-party cookie, which feels like an invitation to follow me around the internet trying to sell me a sofa I idly glanced at on my lunch break. This blunt tool means people often respond negatively to the idea of personalized digital experiences. Being regularly encouraged to do something that one doesn’t want to do can be so jarring that it will stop people from letting a brand interact with them. This isn’t just part of my campaign to force a ‘reject all’ option on all cookie pop-ups. But seriously, stop making users untick 30 boxes.

Relevancy, on the other hand, is about ensuring a marketing message or experience is useful, valuable and meaningful to the consumer. It’s looking deeper into who customers really are – not just assessing a one-dimensional scrape of their data.

Relevancy is what is useful to the individual

Working in a world of data-led marketing is a privilege. People have given us their trust, but we have to earn the right to keep that trust and keep using that data.

Relevancy builds trust, loyalty and advocacy. When a brand shows that it understands the consumer’s context, intent and value proposition, it can create a positive emotional connection that goes beyond transactional relationships.

A great example to illustrate what I’m talking about here is film trailers. Film trailers shown in theaters sometimes only go as far as to suggest films in the same genre as the ones being shown in the theater at present. But maybe a film would interest a given consumer because of a specific actor – or maybe the consumer likes comedy more than big explosions. But trailers aren’t necessarily tailored to these nuances and preferences. A truly relevant film trailer would tell consumers why they should go see the movie, tell them what time it‘s on at the local theater and then give them an offer to use on the days they might regularly go.

My much wiser friend helped me understand this principle a few years ago by talking about the purchasing cycle of something like skin cream. A personalized journey would entail reacting to someone’s purchase by telling them all about what they’d bought, making recommendations based on what other people who bought that cream bought next and hitting them with friendly nudges to repurchase. It would probably be somewhat successful. But it’s not actually interested in who that customer is or why they bought the product. What if they were trying it for the first time? What if they bought it as a gift? That journey wouldn’t maximize or entice some of those consumers; in fact, it might put them off.

Even the consumers for whom such a campaign was mostly spot-on aren’t getting any sense of real relevance; people are much savvier now. They understand that a digital transaction of any kind has implications beyond the purchase. One of my favorite tweets of the last few years saw a user poking fun at Amazon for re-targeting them for something they surely don‘t need more of – like an air conditioning unit.

What does this mean in real terms? It means looking at more of the inputs a customer provides through their behavior. What are they browsing? What does their purchase history look like beyond the last action they took? When are they likely to purchase (either in a day or as a frequency)?

But – and here’s an option that‘s too often overlooked – a brand can ask its customers specific questions. And – get this – they will probably tell you. People love being excited about the things they like. And they want more of them. And they like being seen as experts.

It’d be lazy not to (if the right tech is on hand)

Advances in marketing technology mean it’s easier than ever before to apply these extra dimensions to a brand‘s communication approach. Tools like Braze make it easy to use data-driven, multi-channel insights to create messages that are relevant and timely, leading to higher levels of engagement and better customer experiences. With the ability to track customer behavior in real-time, across web, app, email and more, businesses can quickly identify trends and patterns that can be used to create personalized messaging.

Providing personalized experiences to customers has become essential for building brand loyalty and driving growth. However, many businesses struggle to deliver relevancy in their CRM efforts, which can lead to disengaged customers and lost revenue. Ultimately, customers won’t feel like their privacy is invaded if a brand is providing real value – and that happens through relevancy.

The article was first published on The Drum, 15 May 2023

Written by Rob Pellow, Executive Technical Director

o Smart clothing: I’m a sucker for a good pink suit

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Article originally published on Little Black Book on 21/04/23

Jeremy Bourton, Armadillo’s Account Director, recently spoke to Little Black Book about building relationships, finding ways to connect and utilising your skills.

LBB: How did you first get involved in account management and what appealed to you about it?

Jeremy: I found my way into account management by accident. I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, but knew I wanted a fast-paced role that allowed me to have a creative input without being creative. That’s how I stumbled across the idea of working in client services. Once I looked into it more, I knew it was the right direction for me.

LBB: What is it about your personality, skills and experience that has made account management such a great fit?

Jeremy: Building relationships is key to the role. My ability to work with different people and make sure they all feel heard is what I think makes me successful. I like people and finding ways to connect, which is definitely useful in account management!

LBB: What piece of advice would you give to someone just starting their career in account management?

Jeremy: Ask questions. I think you need to question everything in order to fully understand it and help deliver the best work. Whether it’s the internal processes, the client’s brief, how it can be achieved technically… ask questions, listen and absorb. You’ll be working with experts in various disciplines, so learn from them.

LBB: Thinking back to some of your most challenging experiences you’ve had in your career, what do you think tends to lie at the heart of the more tense or difficult client-agency relationships?

Jeremy: Most issues come from not interrogating what it is you’re doing at the start. If you start a project without everyone being clear on what they’re looking to achieve, client-side and internally, then nobody will get what they want from it. And that will lead to a difficult conversation with the client sooner or later.

LBB: And what are the keys to building a productive and healthy relationship?

Jeremy: I don’t think you can build a healthy relationship without being honest and reliable. Clients would rather have a difficult conversation than have you try and tell them what you think they want to hear. If you’re open and honest, you’ll gain the respect of your clients as they believe you’ll deliver.

LBB: What’s your view on disagreement and emotion – is there a place for it and if not, why not? If so, why – and what does productive disagreement look like?

Jeremy: Of course. We’re trying to change consumers’ behaviour, so how can we do that without emotion? If that emotion leads to disagreement, it’s not a bad thing as long as there’s a positive outcome. Focusing on solutions is key, and remaining professional within the emotional side.

LBB: Historically, account management has been characterised as the mediator in an adversarial client and creative relationship – what do you make of that characterisation, is there any nugget of truth in that or is it wildly inaccurate?

Jeremy: Historically this may well have been the case, however I feel it’s changed. At Armadillo, our creatives, developers, and strategists are involved in conversations with clients. We ensure that there’s open dialogue between our wider team and client stakeholders so that relationships can be built everywhere, not just in client services.

LBB: These days, agencies do so much beyond traditional campaigns and as account management you’re pulling together creative, experience, data, e-commerce, social and more – and that complexity can often be mirrored on the client stakeholder side too? What’s the key to navigating (and helping the client navigate) that complexity?

Jeremy: The key to this is teamwork. As I’ve mentioned, there are experts in all these disciplines working within a business. If an account manager is trying to do all this themselves, they’re not utilising the skills around them. We work best while collaborating and all pushing in one direction, drawing on each other’s skills.

LBB: What recent projects are you proudest of and why? What was challenging about these projects from an account management perspective and how did you address those challenges? What was so satisfying about working on these projects?

Jeremy: Rather than one specific project, I am always proud of the way my team works together to get through a campaign.

Regardless of whether there are challenges, the most satisfying thing for me is being able to step back and recognise the effort we’ve all put in to achieving the end goal. As an account director I’m not the one writing the copy, bringing a concept to life in design or figuring out how to make it work in development, but seeing everyone work as a team to achieve something great is what makes me want to get up on a wet Monday morning to do my job.

At Armadillo, Darbon will bring her skills and experience to bear, helping clients use data to drive businesses forward. Working as a bridge between strategy and data teams, she will use tools such as data visualization and analysis to democratize data, activating first-party data and driving ROI.

Meanwhile, Sargent joins from 12 years at Wood For Trees, the charity and non-profit data insights agency, where he was director of analysis. Fresh from working with major charities such as British Red Cross, Marie Curie and British Heart Foundation, at Armadillo he will focus on getting strong insight through data from its global clients.

Heading up a team of six, Sargent will provide in depth analysis across the agency and will work closely with the creative teams to enable data to inform creative strategy.

CEO James Ray comments, “Intelligent use of data is at the heart of everything we do at Armadillo, and Lucy and Andrew joining will give us a fantastic opportunity to further upweight our capabilities.

“As we continue to leverage first-party data for brands, the appointments will help move creative and data even closer together, allowing insights to inform creative strategy and output, and driving ROI across all our campaigns.”

Darbon adds: “Since my very first role at BT I’ve been inspired to work with data, and this position feels like it fits my capabilities perfectly. I could see immediately that Armadillo had very impressive technical expertise and data science skillsets, as well as the appetite to push things further.”

Sargent said: “I’m joining at such an exciting time for data and analysis – there’s never been more scope, with tech enabling even more access to insights. I also loved the culture of Armadillo from my first interview – it’s agile with a can-do, punchy mindset.”

I recently wrote about how data and creativity work together. When I shared that post on LinkedIn, one of the comments from someone in my network really struck me.

I shared the post with a quote from towards the end, “Data isn’t just the remit of the analysts and accountants. If we leave it with them because ‘it’s just numbers’, we give away the opportunity to analyse that data through a creative lens.”

In response, a contact shared his favourite quote, “”Data is just people in disguise”.

We may look at our data as a collection of information, an amalgamation of data points, a huge mass of stuff. But when you zoom in, every single data point represents an element of an individual person. Basically, data is just people – well, data about people is, and that’s what we’re talking about here.

We can think of that data in different ways – it might be demographic data that tells us about an individual, or behavioural data that tells us about decisions they’ve made, for example their purchases or shows they’ve watched.

We don’t tend to look at individual data – partly because it’s too granular for what we do as a business, and more importantly because it starts to feel a little intrusive. We look at cohorts of people who have either got the same demographics or have made the same decisions.

But when we look at big groups of data, it’s easy to forget the fact that we’re looking at people. Lots of people.

The idea that data is just people in disguise is a nice sentiment, but does it really matter? Especially if we’re not looking at information on an individual basis.

Well, when any brand makes decisions based on data, it’s important to recognise that individual people will be affected.

When a bus company drops a route, for example, because the data doesn’t support keeping it running, there are people who will be affected. If the comms announcing the closure don’t recognise that there are individual humans at the other end, the message may not be as sensitive as it needs to be.

When communicating with any large group of people, we need to recognise that they’re not a monolith. They may be in the same data segment, but they’re still different. Take this example:

This is data that describes both King Charles and Ozzy Osbourne. If we forget that data is just people, we can expect our segments to be too homogenic and not recognise how wildly different the people within them could be.

No one wants an email that’s so hyper-personalised that they feel stalked. Equally, no one who’s a vegan wants to receive emails about beef burgers. There’s always a balance to be found when segmenting and personalising emails.

When we craft copy, for example, we have to think about how different individuals will receive it. A little while ago I wrote a headline for an email that I really liked. It linked back to the origins of a beloved character and had a nice nod to the past.

When a couple of younger colleagues read it, they didn’t know that history, so the headline didn’t land with them. Once I explained, they thought it was great – but we can’t go and explain the context of an email to everyone who receives it!

That’s not to say that every piece of creative has to be universal, but if the copy relies on knowledge not included in the email, it’s important to think about whether or not it will still work for the people who don’t have that prior knowledge. Clever copy can reference something while still working on its own merits.

Bearing in mind that every data point is a person reminds us that they don’t all have the same knowledge or experience. They may be in the same segment because of demographics or behaviours, but they’re still unique individuals. We can’t lose sight of that just because we’re looking at them through cohorts of data.

Natalie Howells, Armadillo’s Senior Conceptual Copywriter, recently spoke to Little Black Book about being creative within constraints, opportunities to make customers feel loved and why they don’t mind helpful use of their data.

LBB: What’s the number one question that clients are coming to you with when it comes to how they can better use data to enhance the creativity of their content and experiences?

Natalie: How to use data to enable connected, relevant customer experiences across channels and throughout the funnel. And how to use that data in a creative and compelling way to enhance the brand experience.

LBB: How can you make sure that data is elevating creative rather than forming a windtunnel effect and knocking all the interesting or unique edges off that make something distinctive?

Natalie: This is one of the areas I’m especially passionate about. I know some creatives worry that the data will create homogeneity and pull us away from the more interesting and unique parts of creativity. I disagree.

Data will absolutely give us a direction, but so will plenty of other things – clients will have a direction they want to follow, and laws and regulations impose barriers to what we can and can’t do. So, we should all be used to being creative within some constraints. But, more importantly, data doesn’t actually constrain us – if we’re clever in how we use it, it can spark new ideas, breathe life into old ones, and validate approaches we may not have been able to try before. It’s up to us as creatives to let the data inspire us rather than discourage us.

LBB: Can you share with us any examples of projects you’ve worked on where the data really helped boost the creative output in a really exciting way?

Natalie: We created an anniversary campaign for McDonald’s, where app-users would receive a personalised email celebrating their use of the app for the prior 12 months. We used data to identify the times of day that people preferred to order, the channels they used the most, and their most popular menu item.

Then we presented this is an interactive email where the user could expand content panels to find out how their results compared to the rest of the UK. An individual might receive an email dubbing them a ‘Night owl orderer’ and a ‘Drive-thru and thru-er’, along with an offer and personalised menu suggestions.

LBB: More brands are working to create their own first party data practice – how can a brand figure out whether that’s something that is relevant or important for their business?

Natalie: I think the question is ‘what brand wouldn’t want a first party data practice’? It’s relevant to everyone. Think about it – if you could create an audience of your most engaged and most valuable customers, what could you do with it?

First party data gives us an audience that have explicitly indicated their interest in a brand. The data gives us opportunities to make those customers feel loved and appreciated. It enables us to make media, across all areas, more focused and efficient. And it helps us develop relationships by giving real value to our customers.

LBB: “Lies, damned lies, and statistics” – how can brands and creative make sure that they’re really seeing what they think they’re seeing (or want to see) in the data, or that they’re not misusing data?

Natalie: One way to have faith in the data is to continually test it. In fact, it’s one of the things that we at Armadillo have a whole workstream covering. We test our assumptions constantly, and often find the data comes out differently than we predicted. The more you experience that, the less likely you are to see what you’re looking for rather than what’s there. Plus, it adds the fun of trying to figure out what’s really going on and why your assumptions were wrong. Another key thing is to start with the data or at least start with a question, rather than trying to find data that supports an idea you want to pursue. That way, you’re looking for an answer that will tell you whether that idea works or not, or using data to spark an idea, rather than misusing the data to your own ends.

LBB: What are your thoughts about trust in data – to what extent is uncertainty and a lack of trust in data (or data sources) an issue and what are your thoughts on that?

Natalie: One of the great things for us about working in CRM is that our audience is made up of people who have opted to give us their data. The important thing after that is treating their data with security and respect. If data is misused or used in ways not agreed, then of course consumers will lose trust (as they should).

Appropriate data governance is vital – as is delivering on the promise you gave when you were granted access to that data in the first place. There’s a value exchange at play, and it’s absolutely imperative that any brands meets the expectations of that exchange to ensure consumers don’t lose trust.

LBB: With so many different regulatory systems in different markets regarding data and privacy around the world – as well as different cultural views about privacy – what’s the key to creating a joined up data strategy at a global level that’s also adaptable to local nuances?

Natalie: The key here is doing nothing in isolation. Most companies need an infrastructure that is joined up, but we have to always keep in mind that one size fits one, not all. Starting with a minimum viable product that works broadly, allows you to then use local experts indifferent markets to adapt that starting point to the needs of each activation market. Localisation is essential and working with local experts is key to getting it right. Never assume anything.

LBB: What does a responsible data practice look like?

Natalie: Secure, transparent, fair, ethical. The core of any data practice is security – best in class security systems from a technological point of view, and excellent data management from a personnel perspective. People should only have access to the data they need and nothing extra. Transparency is crucial, especially when consumers are rightly concerned about what is being done with their data. An easy to find and easy to read data or privacy policy is really important part of this.

LBB: In your view, what’s the biggest misconception people have around the use of data in marketing?

Natalie: That people hate their data being used at all.

There’s a line between being helpful and being intrusive, and when marketing uses data well, consumers aren’t against it as many think. If a consumer is interested in something on an ecommerce website and gets a discount code for that item, that’s using their data in a way that benefits them. People don’t hate that. What they hate is their data being sold to other companies, being spammed with irrelevant communications, and feeling like a commodity. The trick is in finding that balance. As I’ve mentioned, it’s about a value exchange. If someone gives you valuable data – like their email address or buying habits – they expect something equally valuable in return.

LBB: In terms of live issues in the field, what are the debates or developments that we should be paying attention to right now?

Natalie: The ongoing developments in regulations, particularly around privacy. Given that they’re continually changing, understanding what consent means at any given time is a development that needs to be monitored constantly. We know that passive opt in and implied consent are no longer enough, and that ‘legitimate interest’ is constantly being tested. Keeping up with these developments is vital, and each change to the regulations makes it clear that it’s becoming more and more important to have first party data.

We’re pleased to officially welcome Joanna Penn, Managing Director, to the Armadillo board of directors. Our board is the backbone of our business, overseeing all strategic and operational decisions as well as ensuring the company meets its statutory obligations.

Joanna was promoted to Managing Director in 2022, to lead the day-to-day management of the agency, ensuring excellence as we grow and scale. She excels at nurturing a high-performing, motivated team, leading from the front in delivering the best work for all Armadillo clients. She continues to push the boundaries of CRM helping our clients use data to change behaviour to drive ROI for their iconic brands.

She joins James Ray, CEO, who spearheads the agency’s growth and development. With Joanna at the helm of operations, James focuses on strategies to continue Armadillo’s momentum. His expert knowledge and drive have been the force behind Armadillo’s evolution into one of the UK’s most successful independent CRM specialist. James is also City Head for Bristol, Cardiff and the South West for the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (the IPA).

Chairman Chris Thurling and CFO Andy Brown complete our executive board. Andy and Chris have both recently been awarded Chartered Director status; with fewer than 2,000 Chartered Directors worldwide, the qualification demonstrates their commitment to investing in continual development, as well as the business’s dedication to corporate and social governance.

Chris Thurling is also Chair of Bristol Creative Industries and, having founded one of the UK’s first digital design agencies in 1995, has maintained a keen interest in the intersection between marketing and technology throughout his career bringing a unique perspective to the board.

Andy Brown equally offers an invaluable view due to his position as CFO not only at Armadillo but two other agencies, empowering him with significant experience as a finance Director in Marketing and Technology businesses.

We are very lucky to have Ann Hiatt as our Non Executive Director. Ann is former Executive Business Partner to Google CEO, Eric Schmidt and ex-EA to Amazon CEO, Jeff Bezos having worked in Silicon Valley for 17 years. She works alongside the board on strategy, growth and leadership development for maximum impact, and is particularly focused on finding the best ways to apply the lessons she’s learned about innovation and creativity to Armadillo.

As board members, the team is focussed on serving Armadillo, supporting sustainable, long-term growth. It aims to provide strong leadership, governance and strategy, and enhance Armadillo’s effectiveness.

With a team of over 70 people, Armadillo blends data, insight, and strategy with talent, personality, and craft to deliver unrivalled results for global brands, including McDonald’s, Disney and Carnival UK. Effective work is also award-winning work, and we were pleased to pick up five DMA Awards at the end of 2021, including a gold and two silvers.

A number of us at Armadillo recently attended an interesting webinar, “Beyond Beauty: L’Oreal’s journey to Data Driven Creative”. As a company, we’re absolutely committed to the use of data across everything we do, so it was a great opportunity to see how other big brands tackle the same topic.

Watching the webinar, it was great to see another company talking about how data accelerates creativity – something I firmly believe, and champion. But there are plenty of creatives that still feel like data is a hindrance rather than a help. So, I was inspired to explore the topic…

If what you want to create is art, then it’s true that data might not be that relevant. However, if you want to make creative content – design, copy, concept – then data takes what you’re doing away from being simply artistic into being useful, relevant, and impactful.

When you create something, there’s always a purpose. If you’re creating within any kind of marketing context, that might be to educate, inspire, inform, or engage. But ultimately, your end goal is to make a sale.

Using data is a fundamental part of creating within this context. You could craft the most beautiful, lyrical piece of content, but if it has no impact on your intended audience, it’s not successful in achieving its purpose. The data tells you if you achieved what you set out to achieve, if you met or exceeded the results you were looking for, and if you generated any tangible value from what you created.

Creatives can be afraid that data will get in the way of a great campaign, or that the numbers won’t match up to the idea and promise of that campaign.

And it absolutely can be disheartening to see a piece that you’ve worked on not generate the results you were looking for. But how much more disheartening would it be if your creative never generated great results? Or if you sometimes hit the nail on the head but never know why, or how to do it again?

When creatives embrace data, it allows us to see what worked, what didn’t, how the things we create turn into value, and what boundaries we can push.

Wouldn’t you rather know if the great idea you had resonated? Data tells us that our intended audience of consumers found our creative engaging. Admiration from the industry and our peers is brilliant, but results from our true audience is what matters in the end.

If you did get the green light for something experimental, the data will validate whether or not it worked. Did it increase average spend or brand awareness? If it did, you have more evidence to support your next idea, or a continuation of this one, or a change to the framework. If it didn’t, you can dig deeper into the data to try and find out why.

When you bring data into the mix, you can free yourself from some of these limits. Data enhances creativity by validating it. It takes the subjectivity away, it proves the return on investment, and it drives the conversation towards getting a result.

When you’re working within a data-driven framework, you have to stretch your creativity further. You come up with new ways to shine within that framework. Just like you can’t throw out all of the brand guidelines because you’ve had a cool idea, you can’t throw out the framework. If you’re creative enough, you can find a way to make that idea work within the boundaries you have.

Whether you’re convinced by any of this or not, it’s still time for creatives to start embracing data. Our world is so connected, so tracked, and so digital that we have access to increasing amounts of data every day. If you’re not looking at it, you’re leaving a huge advantage on the table.

Every agency is beholden to the bottom line. No matter how creative or inspiring your campaigns, ultimately our clients all need to make money. When you could be using data to drive your creativity to be the most effective it can be, leaving that information behind for fear that it will get in the way of ideas is not going to cut it.

Data isn’t just the remit of the analysts and accountants. If we leave it with them because ‘it’s just numbers’, we give away the opportunity to analyse that data through a creative lens.

If we take ownership of that data, we can not only build it into what we do, we can build stronger relationships between creatives and other disciplines, both internally and with our client partners.

Original Article on Little Black Book: https://www.lbbonline.com/news/magic-numbers-natalie-howells-on-letting-the-data-inspire-creativity

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