Avsnitt
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In this latest episode of Hello $Firstname Season 2, I sat down with Nicole France, Chief Evangelist at Contentful, to dig into how brands can truly make personalization work at scale—and the challenges they face in making it happen.
Personalization sounds like a simple concept, right? After all, we all know the importance of getting data sorted and leveraging customer insights in order to speak to our customers in a way that feels personal and relevant. But hey - what about ‘the right message’, I mean the content side of things? What good is the perfect audience if we have nothing relevant and engaging to say? And how do you scale that part of the solution?
Nicole’s insights on content orchestration, headless CMS, and the interplay between data and personalization are invaluable for anyone serious about mastering scalable personalization. But here’s the kicker—some of the hidden gems from our conversation go far beyond what you’ll read here, so I highly recommend listening to the full episode for an even deeper dive into these topics.
The Real Challenge of Personalization at ScaleNicole and I discussed one of the biggest pain points for marketers: scaling personalization. As marketers, we all know content is fragmented across various platforms, and reaching the right customer with the right message can feel like finding a needle in a haystack. Nicole shared how headless CMS platforms like Contentful help manage content at scale and deliver it seamlessly across touchpoints, which is key to ensuring that personalization doesn't become just another buzzword.
The secret? Ensuring a seamless flow of content from the Content Layer to the Personalization Layer—because personalization can’t stand alone. It needs to be backed by solid data and the right content to truly resonate with customers.
Master Content vs. Execution Content: The Key to Actionable PersonalizationAnother fascinating point Nicole shared was the importance of distinguishing between master content and execution content. Master content serves as the foundation, but it’s the execution content—tailored, personalized content—that takes the interaction from static messaging to a dynamic, customer-centric experience. This is where the Personalization Layer truly comes into play.
AI’s Role in Scaling PersonalizationWe also touched on the exciting potential of Generative AI (GenAI) in content creation. Nicole discussed how GenAI can assist with everything from content creation to repurposing across channels—helping brands scale personalization without losing the human touch. But how does it all fit together? That’s where it gets really interesting, and you’ll want to hear Nicole’s thoughts on this in the podcast. Hint: It’s something about a rug…!
Building Emotional Connections through PersonalizationAt the core of everything Nicole and I discussed was the idea that personalization isn’t just about data and content—it’s about emotion. Personalization should make customers feel heard, understood, and valued. It’s about crafting messages that resonate emotionally, even if the message isn’t hyper-individualized.
For a deeper dive into these insights, listen to the full episode where Nicole and I explore how content and personalization work hand in hand to create scalable, meaningful customer experiences.
Based on Rasmus Houlind's book ’Hello $FirstName - Profiting from Personalization’ and in turn the Content Crisis Manifesto.
The Content Crisis Manifesto can be downloaded here.
The full book is available in print and kindle and can be bought here (or your local amazon in case it doesn't work...)
An written abstract of the book can be downloaded here.
The full audiobook can be downloaded here (courtesy of Agillic).
All models and illustrations from the book can be downloaded here.
Book me for a presentation, meeting or talk here!
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A Conversation with Julie Marie Hermann: Personalization at Pandora
In this episode of Hello $Firstname Season 2, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Julie Marie Hermann, Personalization and CX Manager at Pandora, the world’s largest jewelry brand by volume. With over 33,000 employees and a presence in more than 100 countries, Pandora is leading the way in scaling personalization.
Julie shared some insightful thoughts on the challenges and opportunities Pandora faces when it comes to delivering personalized customer experiences. Here are some key takeaways:
1. The Content Crisis: Navigating the OverflowJulie talks about the overwhelming amount of content Pandora manages across markets and platforms. With so many products and customer segments, finding the right content for each touchpoint can feel like looking for a diamond in a sea of options. Julie explains how Pandora is working to streamline content delivery and ensure customers receive relevant, personalized messages.
2. Brand-Led vs. Customer-Led Content: Finding the BalanceJulie makes an important distinction between brand-led content (broad, brand- and campaign-driven messages) and customer-led content (personalized messaging that speaks directly to specific customer needs). The key is ensuring the right mix: not every communication needs to be personalized, but as the customer comes closer to a purchase decision, the content must resonate more and more with the individual and their needs.
3. GenAI: Personalization's Digital AssistantJulie is particularly excited about how Generative AI can help Pandora scale personalization efforts. From automatically tagging content to adapting it for different channels, AI can enabling Pandora to work more efficiently and deliver highly relevant, personalized experiences for their customers.
4. Balancing Short-Term Wins with Long-Term StrategyJulie offers valuable advice for marketers: balancing short-term tactical wins with long-term strategic goals. At Pandora, her team is focused on laying the foundation for sustainable personalization that delivers long-term value while still generating immediate results.
Based on Rasmus Houlind's book ’Hello $FirstName - Profiting from Personalization’ and in turn the Content Crisis Manifesto.
The Content Crisis Manifesto can be downloaded here.
The full book is available in print and kindle and can be bought here (or your local amazon in case it doesn't work...)
An written abstract of the book can be downloaded here.
The full audiobook can be downloaded here (courtesy of Agillic).
All models and illustrations from the book can be downloaded here.
Book me for a presentation, meeting or talk here!
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Saknas det avsnitt?
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The Content Crisis in Personalization and the Content Layer
In the season premiere of Hello $Firstname Season 2, I had the privilege of sitting down with my co-author, Frans Riemersma, founder of MartechTribe and a global thought leader in marketing technology.
Frans is working closely together with Scott Brinker on the MartechMap.com that most marketers are familiar with (hint: crazy map with an ever increasing list of vendors).
Together, we introduced the theme of this season: how to solve the content crisis for personalization.
The content crisis has become the key bottleneck for scaling personalization. In this episode, Frans sheds light on:
The Content Layer Vision: Much like the Data Layer revolutionized marketing, Frans predicts the emergence of a Content Layer, enabling seamless content flow from master files to personalized messages. Together - Frans and I - have been putting a lot of work into demystifying this layer and how it works.
GenAI’s Role: Generative AI isn't just a tool; it’s a game-changer for creativity, localization, and scalability. Frans introduces the idea of Brand LLMs—custom AI models trained on a company’s unique assets, values, and tone.
Personalization as Dialogue: Frans reframes personalization as a human-like conversation between a brand and its customers. Imagine talking directly to the essence of a brand’s founder—deeply personal and deeply effective.
Metrics That Matter: Personalization must drive real business value. Frans emphasizes ROI and innovative metrics like return on content to optimize marketing efforts.
We also explored how GenAI and the Content Pipeline can fix common pitfalls, like brands overselling (or over-personalizing!) irrelevant products.
Watch the full Episode with video on Youtube here.
The full book is available in print and kindle and can be bought here.
(or your local amazon...)
An abstract of the book can be downloaded here.
All models and illustrations from the book can be downloaded here.
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This is the last episode of this season of the 'Hello $FirstName' podcast. It consists of an audio book chapter - well two actually - namely...
CHAPTER 22: ACHIEVING ORGANIZATIONAL MATURITY FOR PERSONALIZATION - with the points:
The glass ceilings and how to break themBreaking the glass ceiling between the Hack and Pack levelsStabilize the performance of your core platformsTransition your team of builders to a team of executors (Makers to Marketers)Secure resources for both campaigns and marketing automationSecure data quality and format for marketing automationSwitch from a project-based to a hybrid operating modelChange from a simple ESP to a real MAPBreaking the glass ceiling between the Pack and Stack levelsEstablish cross-functional teamsCentralize data and insightsCentralize production and orchestration of contentRealign your incentives and personalization accountability around customer-centricityand
CHAPTER 23: CONCLUSION
ConclusionAbout the authorsThe full book is available in print and kindle and can be bought here.
(or your local amazon...)
An abstract of the book can be downloaded here.
All models and illustrations from the book can be downloaded here.
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In this week's episode of the 'Hello $FirstName' podcast we'll be discussing chapter 21: ’GOVERNANCE.
Our special guest this week is Tina Lambert from Danish Industry. Tina is currently working as Head of CRM after many years within the political organization. Stakeholders wanting to inform all clients are many and the need for balancing priorities within CRM makes it necessary to rely on fixed processes and governance.
In the episode we cover the following points:
Tina's background and careerThe importance of Governance in CRM and MarketingHow data processing, privacy regulations, and consent management play into the CRM strategies at Danish IndustryHow the CRM department connects with both Legal, Procurement and ITHow the CRM department interplays with other departments to get the client communications rollingWhat stakeholder strategies they use to align internally on customer communications and lastly...Tina's own favourite example of personalization that he has experienced personallyBased on Rasmus Houlind's book ’Hello $FirstName - Profiting from Personalization’
Watch the full Episode with video on Youtube here.
The full book is available in print and kindle and can be bought here.
(or your local amazon...)
An abstract of the book can be downloaded here.
All models and illustrations from the book can be downloaded here.
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This week's episode of the 'Hello $FirstName' podcast consists of an audio book chapter, namely...
CHAPTER 21: GOVERNANCE
How does governance apply within marketing?What is subject to governance when it comes to personalization?Governance topics imposed by lawData processing, privacy regulations, and consent managementGovernance topics imposed by other departments IT GovernanceProcurement processesHR policiesBrand guidelinesGovernance topics you should consider imposing Personalization accountabilityData operationsMarketing operating modelContact and suppression policiesRetail media policiesMartech governanceMaturity levels for governanceThe full book is available in print and kindle and can be bought here.
(or your local amazon...)
An abstract of the book can be downloaded here.
All models and illustrations from the book can be downloaded here.
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In this week's episode of the 'Hello $FirstName' podcast we'll be discussing chapter 20: ’MARKETING TECHNOLOGY.
Our special guest this week is Martin Wammen. Martin is the founder of the boutique Martech consulting agency Marchitechs. And he has extensive experience from both SaaS, the agency side and even from classic direct marketing and is currently working with several high end brands in the Nordics.
In the episode we cover the following points:
Martin's background and his aim with founding MarchitechsWhat the most common challenges companies face when choosing marketing technology areWhich key criteria he recommends that brands consider in this processHow representative the considerations by Norsk Rikstoto (who are in the book) are across the boardWhat the need is for a central customer profile and how that fits with Customer Data PlatformsHow companies should deal with the fact that the 3rd party cookie is dying and how they should focus on 1st party dataHow Martin sees the order of which technology should be applied for personalized customer experiencesHis view on what he calls the 'Content Crisis' and how that is tied closely into GenAIHow he sees the two martech trends 'Atomization' and 'Aggregation' that we cover in the bookWhich trends he sees in the futureMartin's own favourite example of personalization that he has experienced personallyBased on Rasmus Houlind's book ’Hello $FirstName - Profiting from Personalization’
Watch the full Episode with video on Youtube here.
The full book is available in print and kindle and can be bought here.
(or your local amazon...)
An abstract of the book can be downloaded here.
All models and illustrations from the book can be downloaded here.
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This week's episode of the 'Hello $FirstName' podcast consists of an audio book chapter, namely...
CHAPTER 20: MARKETING TECHNOLOGY
Systems of recordWill a customer content platform (CCP) emerge?Atomization and aggregationGo for best-of-integrationGrowing your stack’s maturityRightsizing your martech stackUsing atomization and aggregation to rightsize your martech architectureMaturity levels for marketing technologyThe full book is available in print and kindle and can be bought here.
(or your local amazon...)
An abstract of the book can be downloaded here.
All models and illustrations from the book can be downloaded here.
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In this week's episode of the 'Hello $FirstName' podcast we'll be discussing chapter 19: ’PEOPLE AND SKILLS FOR PERSONALIZATION’.
Our special guest this week is Christian Peter. Christian has vast experience as a leader in CX from several large banks in the financial sector in Germany. He even has the award statuettes to prove his success in the field. Last year I saw Christian receive an EDDI Award from DDV, German Dialog Marketing Association for his and his team's work at CommerzBank. He's also an author at Sulona.com and has written the book ‘It Depends on the Ands’ that sums up his experiences in bite sized advice.
In the episode we cover the following points:
Christian's career path and his work for multiple German banksWhat it was that drove him towards becoming an authorWhat the state of Personalization is in Finance today and how it has changedHow much of the Customer Experience that Marketing owns in FinanceHow the mix of Outbound vs Inbound channels is in FinanceThe importance of Tech vs. People in Personalized Customer JourneysScott Brinker's 5M Model and Marketing Technologist RolesThe necessity of T-Profiles in Smaller TeamsChallenges in Hiring and Retention vs. the Utilization of External Consultants and AgenciesChanges in Operating Model with Increased MaturityAutomated Lifecycle Communication vs. CampaignsProject vs Process based operating modelsThe Impact of Generative AI on Personalization in the FutureChristian's own favourite example of personalization that he has experienced personallyBased on Rasmus Houlind's book ’Hello $FirstName - Profiting from Personalization’
Watch the full Episode with video on Youtube here.
The full book is available in print and kindle and can be bought here.
(or your local amazon...)
An abstract of the book can be downloaded here.
All models and illustrations from the book can be downloaded here.
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This episode of the 'Hello $FirstName' podcast consists of an audio book chapter, namely Chapter 19: People and Skills for Personalization
CHAPTER 19: PEOPLE AND SKILLS FOR PERSONALIZATION
Enter the marketing technologistHow about the creative skills?How the 5M model applies to personalizationApplying these skills to the Pyramid of PersonalizationShifts in focusShifts in compositionShifts in operating modelSize mattersInsourcing vs outsourcingMaturity levels for people and skillsThe full book is available in print and kindle and can be bought here.
(or your local amazon...)
An abstract of the book can be downloaded here.
All models and illustrations from the book can be downloaded here.
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In this week's episode of the 'Hello $FirstName' podcast we'll be discussing chapter 18: ’MODELS FOR ORGANIZATIONAL MATURITY IN PERSONALIZATION’.
Our special guest this week is Frans Riemersma. Apart from being a co-author on a very important part of ‘Hello $Firstname’, Frans is driving a lot of interesting research out there with MartechTribe.com and is really getting to the bottom of Martech and Martech Ops. This also includes the work on MarTechMap.com with Scott Brinker from ChiefMartec. So who better to take this discussion with?
In the episode we cover the following points:
Frans's career path and his work MarketingTribe.com and the Martechmap.com with Scott BrinkerWhat the term Marketing Ops means?How big personalization is in Martech these days and how that has changed over the yearsWhat a maturity model is - and how it can be used by e.g. a CMOThe CMMi maturity frameworkWhat the Hack, Pack, Stack steps mean for marketing and how it fits with Marketing ProductizationHow to break through the glass ceiling from one maturity level to the nextHow GenAI affect personalization and finallyFrans's own favourite example of personalization that he has experienced personallyBased on Rasmus Houlind's book ’Hello $FirstName - Profiting from Personalization’
Watch the full Episode with video on Youtube here.
The full book is available in print and kindle and can be bought here.
(or your local amazon...)
An abstract of the book can be downloaded here.
All models and illustrations from the book can be downloaded here.
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This episode of the 'Hello $FirstName' podcast consists of an audio book chapter, namely Chapter 18: Models of Organizational Maturity in Personalization.
CHAPTER 18: MODELS OF ORGANIZATIONAL MATURITY IN PERSONALIZATION
The Omnichannel HexagonA realistic view on organizational maturity within personalizationProductization in marketingThe back end of the Pyramid of PersonalizationThe full book is available in print and kindle and can be bought here.
(or your local amazon...)
An abstract of the book can be downloaded here.
All models and illustrations from the book can be downloaded here.
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In this week's episode of the 'Hello $FirstName' podcast we'll be discussing the third and last chapter in part 3 of the book: THE PREREQUISITES FOR PERSONALIZATION. Chapter 17 is called ’CONVERSION RATE OPTIMIZATION AND PERSONALIZATION'.
This week’s guest is a special friend of mine who's also known as 'The Queen Of CRO' (.com). Marianne Stjernvall has her own consulting and speaking business which is hard earned from her succesful history of CRO work at COOP Sweden and Tele2.
Who better to discuss the inter-relation between CRO and Personalization with? At least I only see a few other options that come close (and that haven't already been on the show).
In the episode we cover the following points:
Marianne's career path and her work within CRO at COOP, Tele2 and her own business from the CRO communityWhat CRO really isWhat her biggest achievement in CRO has beenHow the whole CRO community worksHow Personalization and CRO converge? (if they do)When to shift from CRO to PersonalizationWhat Direct Marketers can and should learn from the CRO tribe and finally...Marianne's own favourite example of personalization that she has experienced personallyWhich interestingly enough leads into a discussion about whether the best personalization is something that is clearly and explicitly personalized or that merely removes friction and makes things go smoothly... What do you think?Based on Rasmus Houlind's book ’Hello $FirstName - Profiting from Personalization’
Watch the full Episode with video on Youtube here.
The full book is available in print and kindle and can be bought here.
(or your local amazon...)
An abstract of the book can be downloaded here.
All models and illustrations from the book can be downloaded here.
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This episode of the 'Hello $FirstName' podcast consists of an audio book chapter, namely Chapter 17. It is the third and last chapter in Part 3 of the book - The Prerequisites for Personalization and the chapter is called: Conversion Rate Optimization & Personalization.
CHAPTER 17: CONVERSION RATE OPTIMIZATION AND PERSONALIZATION
Prioritizing between CRO and personalizationShifting from CRO towards personalizationWhen to shift from CRO to personalizationSo, who is personalization not for?The full book is available in print and kindle and can be bought here.
(or your local amazon...)
An abstract of the book can be downloaded here.
All models and illustrations from the book can be downloaded here.
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In this week's episode of the 'Hello $FirstName' podcast we'll be discussing the second chapter in part 3 of the book: THE PREREQUISITES FOR PERSONALIZATION. Chapter 16 is called ’DATA AND PERSONALIZATION'.
This week’s guest is no-one but Chief Consulting Officer from the DACH based agency Nexum AG, Michael Bietenhader. Michael has extensive experience from both within consulting, from working ‘client-side’ at COOP Switzerland and from his long time hosting of ‘the loyalty podcast’.
In the episode we cover the following points:
Michael's career path and his work at COOP Switzerland and NEXUM AGHow the adventure of 'the Loyalty Podcast' beganHow personalization fits with customer loyalty (seems to be a popular topic these days!)How the DACH region is doing in terms of personalization in generalHow much data a company needs for profitable personalizationWhat the trade-off is between having enough data and having the right dataIf more data is always better?If too much data can become a problemHow fast data becomes obsoleteWhat brands should do, if they have too little data... and...Michael's own favourite example of personalization that he has experienced personallyBased on Rasmus Houlind's book ’Hello $FirstName - Profiting from Personalization’
Watch the full Episode with video on Youtube here.
The full book is available in print and kindle and can be bought here.
(or your local amazon...)
An abstract of the book can be downloaded here.
All models and illustrations from the book can be downloaded here.
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This episode of the 'Hello $FirstName' podcast consists of an audio book chapter, namely Chapter 16. It is the second chapter in Part 3 of the book - The Prerequisites for Personalization and the chapter is called: Data & Personalization.
CHAPTER 16: DATA & PERSONALIZATION
Is your data clean?How much data is needed to make personalization profitable?Re-evaluate often!How to scale permissions and dataPersistent customer log-insThe full book is available in print and kindle and can be bought here.
(or your local amazon...)
An abstract of the book can be downloaded here.
All models and illustrations from the book can be downloaded here.
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In this week's episode of the 'Hello $FirstName' podcast we'll be discussing the first chapter in part 3 of the book: THE PREREQUISITES FOR PERSONALIZATION. Chapter 15 is called ’THE BASIC FOUNDATIONS FOR PERSONALIZATION'.
To help us getting to the bottom of this, I've had the opportunity to spend a really good time discussing matters with Jesper Damsgaard, SVP of Ecommerce at the world famous jewelry company Pandora.
In the episode we cover the following points:
Jesper's career path and his work at PandoraThe business of Pandora, business model, concept, the scaleWhat the charms mean to the company - and to the customersWhich types of personalization that Pandora is usingIf you can start too early as a company ... or as a marketing practitionerWhat needs to be in place before doubling down on personalizationThe balance between brand building, Top-of-mind awareness and PersonalizationThe balance between Owned and Paid mediaWhich data, that Pandora collectsHow personalized their customer journey is and finally...Jesper's own favourite example of personalization that he has experienced personallyBased on Rasmus Houlind's latest book ’Hello $FirstName - Profiting from Personalization’
Watch the full Episode with video on Youtube here.
The full book is available in print and kindle and can be bought here.
(or your local amazon...)
An abstract of the book can be downloaded here.
All models and illustrations from the book can be downloaded here.
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This episode of the 'Hello $FirstName' podcast consists of an audio book chapter, namely Chapter 15. It is the first chapter in Part 3 of the book - The Prerequisites for Personalization and the chapter is called: The Basic Foundations for Personalization.
In the chapter we discuss the things that need to be in place in order for personalization to be worth doubling down on as a company. This is closely related to different go-to-market models.
CHAPTER 15: THE BASIC FOUNDATIONS FOR PERSONALIZATION
Three areas to manage well before investing in personalizationSolid core offeringBrand trust and demandAccess to plentiful customer dataData typesSpecial considerations for FMCGValue propositions with frequent engagement create more and better dataThe full book is available in print and kindle and can be bought here.
(or your local amazon...)
An abstract of the book can be downloaded here.
All models and illustrations from the book can be downloaded here.
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In this week's episode of the 'Hello $FirstName' podcast we'll be discussing chapter 14: ’TYING IT ALL UP IN THE BOWTIE’ with Håvard Hovdahl, SVP of Loyalty at the Nordic hotel chain, Strawberry.
It's a conclusive episode of the series - almost a season finale (except there will be a new season starting next Wednesday already) - as we're concluding on the Bowtie of Personalization - but also adding a twist of Customer Loyalty.
Håvard seems to know all about the intersection between Hospitality, Loyalty and Personalization - so do take the time to listen to this one!
In the episode we cover the following points:
Håvard's career path and his work at StrawberryWhat is so special about working in HospitalityHow personalization fits into Loyalty and HospitalityHow personalized a customer journey could actually become (if suddenly all challenges were gone and there were no roadblocks)How personalized the AVERAGE customer journey in hospitality is and what the reasons for the gap isHow they measure the results og loyalty and personalization at Strawberry - eg. balancing CLV and 'Proxy metrics'How he sees the general maturity of personalization in hospitality and last but not least...Håvard's own favourite example of personalization that he has experienced personally (Yes - at a Strawberry hotel! - and I agree it is such a good example!)Based on Rasmus Houlind's latest book ’Hello $FirstName - Profiting from Personalization’
Watch the full Episode with video on Youtube here.
The full book is available in print and kindle and can be bought here.
(or your local amazon...)
An abstract of the book can be downloaded here.
All models and illustrations from the book can be downloaded here.
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This week's episode of the 'Hello $FirstName' podcast is a BONUS episode and we'll be discussing Moments of Truth and the role of CDPs within Personalization. To help us become wiser on this topic we have Founder and CTO at Tealium, Mike Anderson in the studio.
In this episode we cover the following points:
Mike’s career and how Tealium was born before the term CDP was even inventedHow important Personalization is in the world of TealiumWhat ‘When’ and ‘Realtime’ mean for personalizationHow Tealium can help marketers uncover both Segments and Moments of Truth with their customersWhich companies can benefit from a CDP? How Martech-mature do they need to be?Who doesn’t need one… (tricky one there but Mike manages to answer quite good!)What the biggest value-add normally is for CDP clientsWhat Mike’s best advice is for companies wanting to evaluate or implement a CDPMike’s own favourite example of personalization that he's experienced personally.Based on Rasmus Houlind's latest book ’Hello $FirstName - Profiting from Personalization’
Watch the full Episode with video on Youtube here.
The full book is available in print and kindle and can be bought here.
(or your local amazon...)
An abstract of the book can be downloaded here.
All models and illustrations from the book can be downloaded here.
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