I joined Armadillo in November of 2020, very much in the thick of pandemic stress and lockdowns. It was a strange experience starting a new job at such a time. Despite the fact it was an experience I shared with so many others, it felt incredibly lonely and daunting at times. New job nerves are bad enough without not being able to meet your colleagues or head into the office!
Remote onboarding is never going to be easy, but I was lucky enough to work for a company that worked hard to make it as positive an experience as possible. I cannot stress enough how difficult it feels to build relationships and connections with people you’ve never met in person. And yet I’ve absolutely loved my first six months at Armadillo because they did everything they could to make it work.
Here are five things you can do to make onboarding remotely a positive experience:
We’ve all experienced Zoom fatigue, and I completely understand that feeling, but it’s so important to ensure you have cameras on policy during work meetings. Being able to put faces to names was massive for me as a new starter. Video was pretty much the only contact I had with my new colleagues and so it was so important for human connection’s sake that I was able to see faces.
When I started at Armadillo, I had a lot of video meetings with various people across the business. It helped me understand each different aspect of the business better and how it worked as a whole. It was also a wonderful opportunity to meet everyone and introduce myself to the team.
In the office, it’s common to tap someone on the shoulder and ask a quick question or pick their brains at the coffee machine. It’s difficult and nerve-wracking to be new to the business and not be able to ask those questions or get that quick clarification. So, encourage questions! And if that means hopping on a quick call then go for it.
Informal time to build relationships with colleagues is just as important as formal meeting time. As a business, try to help facilitate this. At Armadillo, we have virtual fitness club on Thursdays. I was nervous and reluctant to get involved at first since I didn’t know anyone particularly well, but had such a lovely time when I joined in.
It was a great opportunity to meet people within the business that I wouldn’t get a chance to interact with on the day-to-day, and a unique activity to enjoy while stuck at home.
Armadillo offers staff individual business coaching with the fantastic confidence coach Jo Emerson. This has been an absolutely brilliant resource and I wish I’d taken it up even sooner. Jo not only helps with personal challenges but really supports you in working on your approach to the workplace.
Initially, I didn’t want to book my sessions, telling myself I would do so when I’d settled in, but Jo has been paramount to that process and has helped me take initiative to embrace opportunities to engage with others in the business.
Though working from home can be lonely at times, especially when you’re starting a new job, remember that you aren’t alone. It’s worth looking into if there are any other new starters within the business, or if there is anyone who joined the team fairly recently.
Jo encouraged me to reach out to a member of the client services team and we had a regular weekly catch up together. Yes, we talked about work, but we also got to know each other on a more personal level. When we were allowed, we met up for a coffee and took a walk. I built a friendship with a colleague who understood the strange experience of joining remotely.
I was lucky enough to start at Armadillo during a brief break in lockdown, meaning I was able to spend some of my first days with Armadillo Innovation Director, Rob Pellow. We met in a coworking space, and he ran me through what I needed to know. That initial meeting eased me into the job role and allowed me to properly meet a member of the Armadillo team. It made all the difference to the onboarding process.
It might not always be possible given restrictions and lockdowns, but if you can, it’s definitely worth meeting at least one other person face to face during your first week or so at the business.
First published on Digital Donut June 2021.
By Rachel Pyke.
Since our MBO in late 2017, Armadillo has been through a period of sustained growth, with 21.28% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of fee income in the past three years.
We are forecasting this growth to continue through 2021, and with that consistent growth, we have needed to make a number of key hires. We will need to recruit more skilled professionals to join us as we continue to use our expertise to harness the power of data to change customer behaviour and deliver unrivalled ROI. So here are some things that I have learnt and am still learning that you might want to consider during the recruitment process.
Ensure candidates understand your company’s values
We all know that it’s cheaper to retain customers than win new ones, and the same can be said of employees. High staff turnover can be a killer for culture and the bottom line, not to mention the lost knowledge and relationship bonds which walk out the door every time someone leaves. So first of all, work towards making a team culture where people want to stay, commit and contribute to overall success.
Cultural fit is so important for long term success of a candidate or employee, so ensure your values and all those little things you do come across in your job adverts. As well as trying to convey the company’s values, during the recruitment process it is important to draw out from candidates if they share those, or if not, whether they are likely to stay in post for long. However, try to be mindful of subconscious or unconscious bias – for example affinity bias; the subconscious thought that might make one candidate more appealing because you share something in common with them; it could be a former workplace, university or even something as trivial as following the same sports teams. Each of those things do not mean one candidate would be more qualified or suitable for the role than another, but it might affect your decision making. Be watchful for biases such as these and consider a wider range of other biases too (I find this list helpful). Having diversity of thought, experience and background within a team will create opportunity for healthy challenge and new ideas.
Think of different ways of bringing out skills at interview stage
Find ways to test for skills or values which are most important for the job, and not just discuss previous experiences. For more junior roles, consider asking ‘what if’ questions to give candidates a chance to explore how they would approach a challenge in the future, which could be more revealing than asking them what they have already done.
I once had an interview for a Finance role where I was provided with the Group’s management accounts, statutory accounts and next year budgets on arrival, and given 45 minutes to prepare a presentation for the Group FD. Amongst other things, they were testing my ability to work under pressure, time management, my accounting knowledge, my numerical and analytical skills and my presentation skills. Fortunately for me I was offered and accepted the job, and we went on to implement and address four out of my five recommendations.
Software can help you streamline the process
Working in a business like Armadillo, it won’t come as a surprise that another recommendation I’d offer would be to utilise software and data management. Regarding software, there are some great SaaS tools (like Workable for example) which can help you securely (and compliantly) store applicants’ information and documents, share access (on a per candidate or per role basis) to relevant colleagues without compromising the privacy and control of the candidates’ personal data. Especially for businesses currently working remotely or from home, interviewing candidates on screen with one or more interviewers can prove a challenge, whether it’s managing a large volume of candidates, not having CVs and applications in inboxes, or losing track of that data.
Someone might not be right for this role now, but could still be a good fit
Get GDPR-compliant permission from candidates to keep their details on file. A candidate who was a cultural fit but did not quite have the right experience may be right for a different role, or in time may have gained the experience they previously lacked. Keeping a record of their details and application could be a component of an “always-on” approach to recruitment.
In summary, communicate the cultural values of the business, and how you value employees. Try to be mindful of unconscious biases in both job adverts and interviewing. Test for key skills as well as facilitating discussion. Especially when recruiting for a number of roles, or at scale, consider using cloud-based software to practically help and keep a (GDPR compliant) database and records of strong candidates who you may want to speak to again in the future for ‘always on’ recruitment.
This article first appeared on Ambition, May 2021.
By Andy Brown, CFO
This article first appeared on Marketing Gazette, May 2021.
Written by Yusuf Muhammad.
As Ramadan has drawn to a close, I’ve been reflecting on how the pandemic and consequent lockdowns have changed how agencies approach supporting their staff, particularly during the sacred time of Ramadan.
Working from home was a blessing for me through my fast this year and I believe the lockdown has taught us a great deal about understanding flexibility and blend. These values have allowed me to offer my best self in both important aspects of my life, my religion and my work, and moving forward I hope that these values are upheld by businesses for many Ramadan’s to come.
Before exploring these values in-depth, I would like to share a bit about the celebration of Ramadaitself. Ramadan is celebrated during the 9th month of the Islamic calendar. It’s based on the lunar cycle, and as a consequence, Ramadan migrates throughout the seasons. We fast from the beginning of sunrise to sunset (around 2am to 9pm at the moment) which means abstaining from food, water and drink throughout the day.
One of the reasons to fast is to experience the thirst, hunger, and weakness of those who don’t have luxuries we take for granted, such as unlimited supply of clean water from a tap and food from the supermarket whenever we need it. At the end of the fast we have cold water to quench our thirst and delicious food to indulge in, so we have light at the end of the tunnel and something to look forward to that keeps us going throughout the day.
However, those less fortunate than us don’t have that. What we feel during our fast is just a little taster of their experience and it makes us feel so grateful for the things that can often be taken for granted. For a small period of time, we are putting ourselves in their shoes, and it puts life into perspective. It is incredibly humbling and reminds us to think about the bigger picture, what is really important in life.
Of course, there are exemptions for those for whom it would be dangerous to fast. Children are not required to fast before puberty; however, they are often excited by the celebration going on around them and want to join in for shorter periods of time. My children have been taking part with their own miniature fasts, but health comes first.
It’s because health comes first that the values of understanding, flexibility and blend are so incredibly important at this time.
Understanding
There’s so much more to Ramadan than just fasting, such as giving to charity and other acts of kindness, but yes fasting is an important part of the celebration. Until you’ve experienced it, it’s difficult to understand how fasting effects the body and mind. Fatigue makes it difficult to concentrate or focus and it might be uncomfortable to speak for extended periods of time with a dry mouth. Not only is your body weary from lack of food and drink but often you will also get less sleep due to the timings of Suhur and Iftar, the beginning and ending of the fast. Working from home has been a blessing for me this Ramadan. Things that seem small, such as the commute to work, can be extremely tiring when fasting and I have found it a massive relief to not need to worry about travelling and the impact that will have on my body and mind.
Flexibility
Flexibility is absolutely key during Ramadan, particularly at work. I believe the past year or so has taught us all a great deal about flexible working and the necessity of flexibility as a whole. It’s incredibly helpful for those of us who are fasting to have flexibility in our schedules to allow time to pray and time to begin and end the fast etc. Some people may find they want to come into the office earlier, for example, as they are already awake due to Suhur, but then may prefer to leave early due to fatigue as a consequence in the afternoon. The opposite may also apply.
Blend
My work is very important to me, as is my religion, and having flexibility during Ramadan means I can offer my best self in both aspects of my life. We have all experienced an unusual blending of work and personal life throughout the pandemic. We all have different things going on in our lives and Ramadan is yet another reminder to think of those around us and provide them with support and kindness, remembering that they are neither just work colleagues or just parents etc, but both.
Ramadan is the most special time for my family, my community and me. It’s a time to reflect and work to be a better person. A time to help others and a time to grow closer with God. There are so many beautiful things about the celebration of Ramadan – the community and the giving, the special time dedicated to family, the lack of judgement; the knowledge that everyone’s journey is a personal experience shared between them and God alone.
Ramadan is yet another reminder to think of those around us and provide them with support and kindness. Following Ramadan, I hope you can reflect on how you can offer a bit of flexibility and care to those around you, including your employees or colleagues.
Article first appeared on Marketing Gazette, May 2021.
Written by Yusuf Muhammad.
After the year or so we’ve all had, the mental wellbeing of employees is increasingly concerning. As human beings, our state of mental health is always in fluctuation but the pandemic and consequent lockdowns, working from home and homeschooling have all had a serious impact on mental wellbeing across the globe.
The statistics are shocking. According to the Nuffield Trust, at any time, one in six adults has a mental health condition and one in 100 has a severe mental illness.
The reality is that one could be anyone.
Including your employees or members of your team.
The pandemic has exacerbated our everyday stressors and concerns. Loneliness, in particular, has become a big issue as we’ve been separated from our loved ones and colleagues and asked to work from home. It’s becoming increasingly evident that we won’t necessarily be returning to the office life we knew before, and while there are of course a number of benefits to home working, there are plenty of people out there who are struggling with the change.
With the introduction of this new normal, it’s not enough for businesses to simply throw in a few new procedures and call the job done. It’s time to change the culture completely and destroy the taboo surrounding mental ill-health. Businesses owe it to their employees to take responsibility for its role in their well-being. And you, as an employee, owe it to your colleagues to ensure no one suffers in silence.
So how can you ensure that?
It starts with the culture. Have you created a safe and supportive environment for your employees and colleagues? Have you made it clear, leading by example, that mental wellbeing is a priority? Have you provided channels of support or steps that can be taken by any employee who may be struggling, and do you promote a positive and supportive digital culture?
It’s important to strive towards an environment in which any member of the team feels comfortable coming forward with their concerns and sharing their feelings. This starts with being willing to share your own and being honest about your own difficulties.
Equally, you can’t always expect others to come to you. You must make it a priority to check in with employees and colleagues proactively. Working from home can be isolating and it’s not as easy to get a sense when something may be wrong. While you may notice a colleague looking a bit down or stressed grabbing a coffee in the breakroom, it’s much less likely you’ll notice the same subtleties during an online meeting. Make time to chat on an informal basis. It will be just as crucial to the success of your business as any other meeting, if not more so.
Normalise dealing with poor mental health before it reaches crisis point. Make mention of the mental health support available part of the everyday conversation and put an emphasis on the normalcy of asking for help. At Armadillo we provide a dedicated employee assistance programme through Health Assured. They provide both emotional and practical support through qualified and experienced counsellors and legal advisors. Not only do they offer 24/7 confidential support through telephone counselling, as a one off or a reoccurring structured service, but can support employees through things such as writing a will, immigration information and divorce procedures. They also provide the ‘My Healthy Advantage’ app which holds a range of valuable materials for employees such as videos and podcasts with celebrities on dealing with anxiety, stress and traumas, 4-week well-being plans and the opportunity to live chat with their support team.
It’s so important that staff know the services that are available to them and are encouraged to take advantage of what’s offered. There can be a stigma around things like calling a helpline when feeling overwhelmed but it’s important to make it clear that your business does not endorse that kind of thinking. A great way of showing this is by leading from the top and ensuring your senior management team are promoting what’s available and using it themselves.
Crises happen. Are you prepared?
As an employer you owe it to your employees to know how to help and support them when help and support is needed. And as a colleague (and hopefully friend) the same applies. We don’t want to think of crisis situations happening, but the truth is, sometimes it’s largely out of our control. But that doesn’t mean you can’t do something about it if it should happen.
Again, it comes down to creating a work culture that cares. At Armadillo we’ve offered mental health first aid training to ensure staff feel equipped.
Krisztian Szabo, Account Manager at Armadillo, is one of the team members who attended a two-day, mental health first aid training course run by Mental Health First Aid England. A mental health first aid training course is a wonderful way to empower staff and the business as a whole to feel confident taking action in a variety of mental health related crisis situations. The first aid training covers a variety of topics such as suicidal ideation and self-harm. All participants are briefed before the course begins to ensure their own mental health is protected and are also provided with an action leaflet at the end of the course to support them should they ever need to put their learnings into practice.
We really try to emphasise the course as an opportunity for Armadillo staff to learn valuable skills and techniques to protect their own mental health and support and nurture that of others.
Kris is passionate about making discussions surrounding mental ill-health as normal as those around physical ill health and ultimately that’s where you need to be as a business. You can only achieve this by making massive changes to work culture. Without this, amazing support procedures like phone lines and mental health first aid training go to waste because if your culture suggests mental health isn’t important, your staff won’t value it or feel it’s valued either.
We’re living in a new world. It’s time for a new attitude towards mental health in the workplace.
This article first appeared on Business Leader, May 2021.
By Holly Sorensen, Finance Manager.
This article first appeared on Thrive Global, May 2021.
Written by Andy Brown.
We live and work in an ever-changing environment and 2020 was a harsh reminder of this reality. We are constantly coming up against new challenges and demands and this especially applies to those of us in leadership roles. It has never been truer that leaders are having to adapt and adjust their leadership styles to reflect the constantly shifting world around them.
Modern leadership requires a willingness to continually adapt and change your approach. The world is moving at a faster pace than it ever has before. Technological advances, shifting markets and fast-paced social and economic changes mean it is absolutely necessary for modern leaders to keep their finger on the pulse and be ready to pivot whenever necessary.
But how can we do this as leaders? How can we always be ready to adapt and what does good modern leadership look like?
It is worth mentioning immediately that while the role of a leader is always evolving, the skills and basic principles will always remain the same. Yes, a modern leader has modern life to contend with, but the basic principles of leadership are timeless and can always be used as a solid foundation upon which to build.
Communication is an essential part of leadership and modern leaders must be willing to communicate with transparency in order to earn and maintain the respect and trust of their team. People want to understand why a decision has been made and providing the primary data that has influenced your decision can help people to contextualise and understand the reasoning behind it.
When things are constantly shifting and changing it is vital that you are able to communicate with clarity and transparency in order to get your team on board with the necessary changes as quickly as possible. This is especially the case when we are working remotely, as many of us are at this time.
No matter your chosen leadership style, transparency is an essential part of the process and a modern leader is aware of this.
Modern leaders understand that asking a team to do as they do is far more effective than asking them to do as they say. Lead by example. It’s a classic principle that remains as relevant as ever.
It is also vital to remember that as a leader you are likely also a follower. Demonstrate what it means to be a good follower. Ask the right questions and show a positive and proactive attitude towards mutual goals. This will be especially important as we navigate the uncertainty of this coming year.
The balance of risk and innovation is delicate, especially coming out of a year as turbulent as the one we’ve just seen. It is absolutely vital that as a leader you communicate the levels of risk and innovation that are acceptable and expected within the business, and if they are different in certain areas.
Too much of either can be incredibly damaging to any business. Too much restriction and the business cannot soar, too much freedom and the business may run out of control and sink. As a leader, you are responsible for making sure this delicate balance is understood across the business and on every level.
We’re all motivated by different things: money, autonomy, flexibility etc and these motivations are constantly changing throughout our lives are our circumstances and situations change.
Modern leaders must be in tune with what motivates their team both as a single entity and as individuals. Don’t waste your time offering financial gain to someone in need of more autonomy or flexibility for example, and vice versa.
2020 saw a complete shift in how we communicate and socialise as beings. We were forced to adapt to digital means of interaction and business leaders must figure out how to maintain social connections across the business despite obstacles such as the pandemic.
The modern leader is not perfect and is very aware of that. They also do not try to be, for they understand that perfection has never existed and never will. Throughout history, there have been countless great and inspirational leaders, many of whom have become role models and phenomenal examples to me. And yet they too were flawed.
Trying to be a perfect leader will ultimately restrict you from being the leader you need to be. Modern leadership requires the willingness to fail, to make mistakes and to pick oneself back up again. Modern leadership is about understanding that both you and your team will sometimes have to learn lessons the hard way, but ensuring that you are equipped with the skills, the tenacity and the resilience to face those challenges and emerge the other side stronger, wiser and ready to take the next step.
This article first appeared on Thrive Global, May 2021.
Written by Andy Brown.
This article first appeared on MarComm News May 2021.
By Catrina Law, Armadillo.
To say it’s been a turbulent year for the travel industry (and us all) is an understatement. But with the end of lockdown insight and the travel ban looking to be lifted, the industry is beginning to reawaken and make plans for the future.
But attitudes and behaviours have changed as a result of the last 12months. So, to plan for our best comeback, as marketeers we must recognise and reflect the changed landscape.
Go Big or Stay Home
The latent demand for travel is unquestionable, with ABTA stating that 70% of UK holidaymakers plan to travel in 2021.
And it makes sense. After this year we are all looking for some escapism. A chance to leave our homes and now repetitive lives, and see something new, experience some excitement and reconnect with those we care about.
But with so much lost holiday time, UK holidaymakers are wanting to come back with a bang. This is the time for bucket list style holidays and experiences. Whether that be trekking in the Andes (once we can), a round-the-world cruise or treating ourselves to 5-star luxury closer to home.
With money saved from staying at home, holiday credit banked and credit cards looking light, those not financially affected by Covid are set to travel in style as soon as they are able. And as marketeers, we need to show them we have that extra special experience for them.
Try parking the budget holiday message for a change and dial up the wow factor you can offer. Use communications to inspire and excite. Show them how to go that extra mile, whether it be exotic long-haul or a luxury glamping site in Devon. Use the time now to build the anticipation, so when the world opens up, they are revved up and eager to travel with.
Slow Fast Slow
In the UK with the vaccination programme going well, not surprisingly it’s the over 50’s who are most likely to have booked a holiday so far – they know when they will have been vaccinated and feel most free to take time out.
But for families and under 50’s the story is different. Whilst the demand is just as strong, the unknowns are greater. Will they need a vaccine to travel? What about children’s vaccines? And what about summer school?
Whilst now this is leading to stagnation, as soon as these questions are answered holiday planning for families and under 50’s will quickly turn into bookings.
As marketeers we’ll need to be ready. Keeping travellers inspired, excited, and keeping us front of mind whilst the unknowns exist. Then bamm! – ready to drive bookings when the moment is right. And if things change, back again to slow – inspiration and front of mind.
The same is true for the destinations we promote. Just two weeks ago Greece was pipped as a “safe” bet for 2021 holidays, but with case numbers across Europe on the rise, and France entering its 3rd lockdown, even 2020 travel corridors are looking uncertain for 2021.
Planning for a 2-speed approach will allow to adjust your message quickly as external factors change. Adjust your speed and sales focus to take advantage of opportunities as they arise, then dial back and refocus on inspiration and information as new challenges emerge. Plan for it now, as one thing is certain, it will not be a straight road out of this crisis.
Trust and Familiarity Triumph
Trust has always been a key factor for travellers choosing a holiday company to book through and/or travel with. But over the years, with independent travel confidence growing, low-cost holidays emerging and online operators sprouting, travellers have been increasingly happy to choose untrodden paths for the sake of saving money or to experience something new.
That’s changed, at least for now.
Keeping me safe and getting me home are huge influencers now for travellers choosing who to book with and where to travel. As such, companies and destinations that are tried and tested will win. Whether it be a household name travel operator or the same cottage in Cornwall they’ve visited before. Don’t underestimate the power of the familiar and safe at present.
Therefore, as marketeers we need to focus primarily on our past customers, now more than ever, over winning new business or growing market share.
We have already an element of trust with these travellers but building upon this will help to ensure they choose us, over other familiar brands they have travelled with, when the timing is right.
Don’t just sell a holiday, but also sell you. Ensure your past customers are left feeling you are still right for them, and you are right for right now.
This article first appeared on MarComm News May 2021.
This article first appeared on Feefo, April 2021.
What is a customer journey map?
A customer journey map visually brings your customers’ journeys to life, making it much easier to see how their experiences flow across your brands’ touchpoints. It’s a strategic approach to optimising your customer experiences – far more effective than trying to understand and improve individual touchpoints at a tactical level.
Your customers don’t see your touchpoints as separate entities – for them, their experience with you should be seamless. The only way you’ll truly understand your business from the perspective of your customers is to take a step back and review their journey from end to end. Armadillo Innovation Director, Rob Pellow, spoke with Feefo about customer journey mapping and why it’s key:
“The key is to understand what to do when you have the information, especially around personalisation. The journey needs to be holistically joined up. It’s good to know that your customer is moving from email X to website Y and then seeing social post Z, but the real key is making those journeys as consistent as possible.
In our CRM-focussed world, this is always the most important thing to us – someone who has identified themselves by hard data gathering or observed behaviour will always have that reflected back to them. This regularly presents tech challenges as very few brands have the oft-sought after single customer view powering every bit of their tech stack. So, while you are creating these user journey maps, you should also have an eye on optimising your data flows so that at worst, customers aren’t seeing conflicting messages and, at best, you use every touchpoint to leverage relevance and engagement.
Quite often, that means we build connectors – ways for us to gather the data and then distribute that to wherever it’s needed in order to deliver the best possible ROI on all campaigns, short and long term.”
When and why is a customer journey map used?
Customer journey maps can be used to meet many objectives. It’s a good idea to have a clear set of goals for your mapping project before you begin, to make sure that you maintain focus and mine the most relevant data. Some of the most popular examples of when and why a customer journey map might be used include:
How to create a customer journey map
Now you know what a customer journey map is, why it’s important and how it can help your business, it’s time to create your own.
To see the full article and hear from other experts go to Feefo.
Recently, Armadillo Chairman, Chris Thurling, spoke to South West Business Insider on the topic of choosing your marketing agency. When dealing with creative abstracts such as brand, message, creative strategy, digital engagement and design, it can be difficult to know what exactly it is you should be looking for. Chris provides his advice on what to consider when seeking out a marketing agency that’s suitable for your business.
Should you look for sector specialisms?
Even though there can be good reasons to select a sector specialist agency, there are strong arguments the other way. One of the main benefits of using an agency with broad sector experience is its ability to bring fresh perspectives compared to in-house teams or agency specialists. Generalists have learnings from brands in different sectors that they bring to a brief, and ultimately the skills are transferable. Partnering with an agency that works across various sectors also decreases the chances of merely rehashing your competitors’ work and increases the likelihood of innovation.
The importance of ROI
An agency’s ability to indicate potential ROI ahead of the project depends mainly on how much information you are willing to divulge. The more transparent you are, the more accurately an agency can indicate the potential outcome. However, without detailed insight upfront, this can be difficult.
Think long-term
Crises such as the one we are living through often see brands choose to abandon strategy and go into panic mode. For example, brand building activities get dialled down in favour of budget savings or short-term customer acquisition approaches. Smart and confident companies tend to hold their nerve and continue investing in their brands with the long-term in mind.
These comments originally featured in the South West Business Insider, April 2021. Follow the link to read the full article, including comments from a variety of other business leaders and industry professionals.
Back in the day (and by the day, I only mean a few years ago), your email address used to be the passport to the internet; now it’s your mobile number, your mobile and apps that unlock everything. The average global Android user spent 27% of waking hours on mobile in April 2020, up from 20% in 2019 (App Annie).
A mobile is in peoples’ hands every day – in lockdown we’re carrying it into every room! It’s actually harder to keep people off mobile than driving them to it. Therefore, we need to ensure we’re making the most of the various ecosystems that brings with it. Brands need to start thinking of mobile as a way of life, not just a device or a screen size.
CRM is at the core of apps
Customer relationship management (CRM) is at the core of apps – a good app becomes a customer’s focal point for interaction with a brand. For example, apps like Amazon and Sainsbury’s Nectar etc used to be an evolution of a website. Now they are the default destination for looking up anything to do with your history with the brands, as well as the easiest way to use their services.
In today’s day and age, it’s the easiest way to start and build personalised conversations, so brands can use it for rewards; changing behaviour; keeping users sticky; building trust; and getting a good understanding of the user’s needs and order history. I say easiest. You can’t just bosh out an app and assume some Field of Dreams magic will happen. You still have to prove the value to your audience; you have to put their needs ahead of your own gains.
And those gains are plentiful! As well as making your customers more sticky, more likely to keep using your service over others, you will start unlocking insight into their spending patterns, their hard transactional data and their behaviour and preferences.
Prove your app deserves space on their phone
Customers are so much more likely to use an app if it’s good. If it’s seen as a bit rubbish, they won’t want to interact with it or share it. Same with a mobile website – don’t immediately force people to get your app or ram it down their throats. Deliver them a great experience on the site first, prove your app deserves the space on their phone and that it will be useable. The worst thing you can do is put more barriers between your users and the content they want.
The key is to make sure you’re understanding the user’s ecosystem. Align your needs with customers and don’t put any barriers in the way. People want a frictionless experience – sending you from an email to an app where passwords are already stored and customers can use single sign on, etc. Customers expect the mobile experience to be seamless and relevant. It’s your job to facilitate that. Helping them is ultimately going to help you. A good customer experience means your customers will spend more. According to a research from PWC, 86% of buyers are willing to pay more for a great customer experience.
Don’t do it just because you can
We do a lot of cool stuff with mobile, in email particularly. People on their mobiles are more likely to be able to see all the interactive innovative coding. That being said, we make sure to never do it just because we can. Time and again I see people using ‘in-email’ technology because it’s available, not because it improves the user journey. It’s about the fundamentals of the next course of action for a user, and if that’s using mobile then great. Every interaction a customer has with your brand will inform their experience, regardless of which channel this interaction occurs on.
It’s also easy when thinking about mobile experiences to ignore or forget about the journey for desktop users. People want to be able to have the experienced tailored to them wherever they are. In email that means not scrimping on designing a less interactive experience; play to the strengths that a bigger screen has. For web-based journey’s, make sure the right tools are in place for people to effectively complete that journey outside of the app you’ve spent so much time developing. Whether that’s making sure the login process is as smooth and frictionless as possible or that the service you are offering is just as easy and exciting, don’t keep forcing people down the channel you’ve chosen.
Mobile devices and apps have quickly become a huge part of our everyday lives. It’s a wonderful opportunity for businesses to strengthen brand loyalty, recognition and streamline the customer experience. Just remember, while mobile is an exciting and worthwhile avenue, as with everything, you need to do it well.
Put the customer experience first, prove that you have something to offer and remember to prioritise those personalised conversations.
As joint leader of an independent agency, 2020 has meant sleepless nights. But it has also provided opportunities to inspire others and galvanise our team.
There never has been and there still won’t be perfect leaders in 2021. Throughout 2020, leaders have been pushed and tested in completely new ways. Moving forward it’s important to focus on our strengths as leaders, rather than our weaknesses. Reach out and work alongside other leaders to delegate some of your leadership tasks and remember that in areas you struggle, someone else will excel. It is a positive thing to learn from this. We as leaders are always learning. In an effort to continue our development and competence in this area, with my fellow Director, Chris Thurling, we recently took part in a two-day course run by the Institute of Directors entitled Leadership for Directors. Be open to new information and to adapting your preferred methods and means as necessary.
As a leader you are also a follower, likely following other leadership team members within the business. Demonstrate what it means to be a good follower through asking the right questions and having the right attitude towards a mutual goal. Praise and reward good following within the business and cultivate an atmosphere of support and trust. This will be crucial in tackling the upcoming year.
Staff will need to know what level of risk is acceptable within the business, especially coming out of the complex year that was 2020. It’s important that as a leader you communicate if risk and innovations are rewarded or if in the current period the aim is to avoid risk within the business.
We’re all motivated by different means: money, autonomy, flexibility etc. These motivations also change throughout a person’s life. Many of our motivations have changed in 2020 in particular as our lives have shifted emphasis. It’s vital that moving forward you have empathy with your team and ask individuals what it is that motivates them. Don’t waste your time offering flexibility to an individual who is focused on financial gain for example.
Sir Alex Ferguson got it spot on when he said this. Good leaders can inspire people simply by being around them, and often have an energy that people want to follow. This has increased in difficulty this year as a leader’s presence is significantly diluted on screen. The minute I as a leader press that ‘leave meeting’ button online, my presence has gone. This is an obstacle that needs to be overcome and one of the reasons I believe that, to misquote Mark Twain, the death of the office has been greatly exaggerated.
Understand, share and coach people through the change management process, and Elisabeth Kubler-Ross’ change curve, so they appreciate the emotional journey they are likely to go through when faced with change, especially big or unexpected sudden change. We might go through stages of shock, denial, then anger and frustration, through to uncertainty or depression, before starting to feel more positive with acceptance, problem solving and finally commitment. Following the difficult year that has been 2020 it is vital that as we move forward, we are able to do so together.
It’s important to see connections and relationships develop across different levels and skill sets within the business. This is why, in normal times, colleagues enjoyed lunches and trips to the pub together. These obviously haven’t happened in 2020 and businesses will need to figure out how to maintain social connections whilst the virus still rages and how to rebuild them post lockdown.
With communication, people want to understand WHY something has been decided – as much as possible, if you can share the raw or primary data that has influenced decisions, people will find it easier to contextualise and understand the reasons for decision-making. We’ve learned this year, when we haven’t felt the support of our team in a direction we propose, it might have been because we haven’t been transparent enough with what we were seeing, and why we thought the proposal was the best solution. Clear language is vital moving forward as the conversations that usually happen between staff in the office to provide clarity aren’t always happening remotely. Leadership styles are also contextual so bear in mind that what worked in the office may not work online. Perhaps a more direct approach will be needed. A greater emphasis on clarity will be necessary no matter what your chosen leadership style.
In 2020, we have seen more than ever before the truth in the saying “Repeat yourself so often, you get sick of hearing yourself. Only then will people begin to internalise what you’re saying”. With so many changes, and also real or perceived threats, people want to know what that means for them. Even if there is no-change, communicating that gives reassurance. This remains crucial as we move into the uncharted territory that is 2021.
Leadership principles go back centuries in history and remain relevant today. Moving forward, leaders will continue to build on these principles alongside an ever-evolving culture.
A lot has changed in 2020 but good leadership principles have not. Leaders have simply had to adapt.
This article was written by Andy Brown, Chief Financial Officer at Armadillo, and first appeared on Business Chief.
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