A brand is a brand, online or offline – that’s how your customer sees you. However, many retailers still find it challenging to provide a seamless experience across the virtual and the physical. So as a marketer it is really exciting to see how two brands have recently pushed the envelope to do just this, and in the space of only seven days!

Next are the first in line for the relevant email of the week award. They offer an email that is directly relating to items that I bought in store, clearly making great use of combining both store card data and email data.

Next email

The second I want to talk about is from the National Trust. I recently became one of their members and wanted to use my membership card to visit a local manor house and its grounds. Four days later I received a highly targeted email asking me how my visit was. This provides another great example of how something purchased and experienced offline has blended into an online follow up. Needless to say I was highly engaged and completed both reviews!

National Trust email

As you can see the campaigns above are not complex, but they tick many strategic boxes – Be relevant, meet business goals, build loyalty, surprise and delight. Data integration is essential for this strategy, but simplicity of delivery is key.

I look forward to seeing more of these clever campaigns as brands continue to realise the importance of data integration to ensure they stand out in the inbox. Do you integrate your disparate data sources? If not, it’s time to put it as a top priority before your competitors do!

If you need a little help, our Simplified Guide to Customer Insight can get you started on this journey.