Technology can serve as an incredible toolbox, full of things to help your company run more smoothly. But it can also hold distractions—shiny objects with lots of features that aren’t practical because they don’t fit your purposes. Too often, brands get stuck on the how of technology instead of the why.
Instead of focusing on how the technology tackles tasks A, B, and C, ask why you need something to address tasks A, B, and C. Were they part of your original goal? Are they a top priority? Are there other tasks or challenges not being addressed? In short, why will this solution work better than another in moving you and your brand to where you need to be, not just where the technology can point you?
It’s important to look at your approach objectively. (Particularly if you’re a QSR or working in another industry where technology tends to be similarly siloed.) That’s when it’s time to enlist the aid of a partner—someone who will ask you these kinds of questions and help you find the answers that fit your current and future needs.
Where do you start and what do you look for? First, find a partner with deep retail experience. If they don’t know the space they won’t understand the customer journey and the challenges and opportunities that come with it. Next, they should be able to tailor solutions that advance your customer engagement maturity, maximize your martech stack, and transform your ecosystem with best-in-class integrations. Finally, your partner should provide ongoing support as your needs and market solutions evolve.
At Sparkfly we believe in an approach that looks beyond discrete activities and gathers results from all of your tools. Our goal is to help you develop an end-to-end look that encompasses the players and the ecosystem. By looking at the full spectrum of available data we can help you evaluate how to use that information for the benefit of you and your customers.
The right infrastructure enables you to serve customers better, of course. But what else can you do to increase your capacity for engagement and growth?
- Know your point-of-sale system landscape. Is it fragmented? Can it be integrated with other tech?
- (Re)Consider your loyalty program. What can you do to expand, reduce, or get one off the ground?
- Evaluate your CRM efforts. How effective are your customer communications and how are you using data to make needed changes?
- Utilize all aspects of acquisition marketing. Where are your target customers and do you know the best way to engage them where they are?
- Upgrade your app effort. Is your app able to seamlessly facilitate the customer journey, and if you don’t have an app do you know what to consider before building one?
The past two years have felt, at times, like a moving walkway. Are you a brand that’s standing on the right, cautiously waiting for what lies ahead? Or are you a brand that passes on the left to meet challenges quickly and move beyond them?
Get more advice on how to find the right place for your brand in the latest Forbes article by Sparkfly CEO Catherine Tabor.