{"id":69157,"date":"2016-06-23T12:00:07","date_gmt":"2016-06-23T19:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/techvibes.com\/?p=69157"},"modified":"2016-06-23T15:23:07","modified_gmt":"2016-06-23T22:23:07","slug":"scale-customer-digital","status":"publish","type":"magazine","link":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/magazine\/scale-customer-digital","title":{"rendered":"Engaging With Customers Correctly in a Digital-First World"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hootsuite chief marketing officer Penny Wilson<\/a> points to client AccorHotels<\/a>, a French hotel group, as an example of how companies can use digital to boost their growth and customer engagement. The company, which has 4,000 hotels in 92 countries and recently bought the Fairmont Banff Springs in Alberta and the Le Chateau Frontenac in Quebec, started to build a social desk<\/a> a couple of years ago.<\/p>\n

The desk allows local hotel staff to engage with guests booking a room, and respond to complaints or feedback during or after their stay. According to Wilson, the company\u2019s audience grew by 550 per cent in one year<\/span> to 27 million users.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Accor social desk is a perfect example of digital transformation at scale,\u201d Wilson told the Traction conference in Vancouver<\/a>. \u201cWe need to create customer-centric, scalable businesses.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the theory is no different than marketing strategies in the past, Wilson says the rise of mobile, social and real-time has changed the game.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re accelerating the rate of change faster than we can possibly imagine,\u201d Wilson says, calling mobile \u201cthe defining trend of our age.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe live in a world where our customers are always online, in any location, on any device.\u201d<\/p>\n

She also cites statistics from Twitter showing that 60 per cent of people who complain online expect a response in 60 minutes<\/span>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis expectation of immediacy, this need for an instant response, it isn\u2019t a nice-to-have for a business anymore. It\u2019s a must have,\u201d Wilson says. \u201cIt\u2019s a fundamental shift in our culture,\u201d driven by demographics and generations growing up in the digital world.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also an opportunity for brands to take advantage of the massive audience that can be found on social and develop one-on-one relationships with customers \u2014 online.<\/p>\n

\u201cSocial is personal, where every customers\u2019 voice has an opportunity to be heard in the moment and where there are no geographical boundaries. It\u2019s really the power of the collective,\u201d Wilson says.\u00a0\u201cSocial is an opportunity to communicate with individuals in the right time, at the right place in their journey with you. It\u2019s a two-way conversation.<\/p>\n

Adds Wilson: “Marketers are no longer in \u2018send\u2019 mode. Marketers are in \u2018receive\u2019 mode and we have to be authentic, personal and relevant.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Playing on the word \u201cscale,\u201d Wilson breaks down her advice to marketers like this:<\/p>\n