Data driven Marketing Process in Telco Industry

In conversation with Prisila, correspondent, Asia Business Outlook Magazine. Charoenporn shares her views on statistical techniques or models used to analyze and interpret customer data for segmentation purposes.

1. How do you approach market research and analytics to gather insights and drive data-based decision-making for international marketing initiatives?

Market research answers “why” while analytics tells you “what happens and what will happen”. Both market research and analytics cannot be utilized well without having the right business questions at the starting point. My holistic market strategy leveraging market research and customer insights  is usually composed of these steps as follows:

• Management interviews. I have set of preliminary questions to ask Chief Marketing Officers, head of product, head of segment, head of distribution, head of brand, head of pricing, head of channel to understand their key business objectives and how they derive their go-to-market strategy for the next two years. What are key business questions they like to answer?
• Kick-off meeting or workshop between head of department and middle management level in marketing department.  The moderator shall be customer insight team. The purpose is to align expectations with those decision makers about what questions can be answered and what cannot. In addition, statistical techniques and work process will be discussed in this meeting too.
• Market research fieldwork using the local market research agency.
• Regular meetings to show progress of segmentation models during a month period of segmentation process. 2 meetings a week with decision makers to see the result of segmentation models and discuss on possible variables that should be used as key segmentation factors
• Final workshop to select the final segmentation model.
• Align on two key target customer segments that the company will focus on for executing marketing strategy, brand communication, and tactical campaigns.
• One single communication framework. That final segmentation model and the key target segment will be widely distributed and repetitively utilized by the whole marketing department throughout their two-year go-to-market strategy and execution.

I have used this common process in 15 markets across continents of Northern Europe, Eastern Europe, South Asia, and Southeast Asia to drive the whole marketing team's decision-making process. Indeed, it’s very effective and I can compare performances of different markets with this single approach. The set of questions was standardized while some questions were customized to tailor with each local market.

2. How have you customized market strategies that cater to the unique needs and preferences of different countries and cultures?

Using the right Market research methodology together with leveraging the local marketing expert/local domain industry expert can cater to differences. The set of standardized questionnaires shall be composed of demographics, behavior and psychographic values. In Asian countries, demographics play a significant role in segmentation while psychographic values matter more in Northern European countries.

"Implementing new approaches is never a challenge as long as they are still able to answer key business questions"

3. What statistical techniques or models have you used to analyze and interpret customer data for segmentation purposes?

I have used various techniques such as K Means, Multinomial Logistics Regressions and Latent Class Analysis to explore and compare results . However, the most convenient approach for me is Multinomial logistic regression because it’s easy to explain the result to business teams.

4. How do you stay updated on the latest statistical techniques and methodologies in the field of marketing analytics? Can you provide examples of how you have implemented new approaches in your work?

I have participated in multiple online community groups that bring  in data scientists, researchers, data analysts together. Lots of findings, use cases, and techniques are discussed and exchanged.

Implementing new approaches is never a challenge as long as they are still able to answer key business questions. What matters is if those new approaches are accurate and precise and most importantly easily explainable to business people.

5. How do you ensure consistent branding and communication across different digital campaigns while catering to specific target audiences and campaign objectives?

I have the holistic go-to-market framework (one version that is distributed and shared among marketing team, CMO, CEO) which is composed of:

• The Final Market Segmentation model
• Key target segments with customer persona profiles
• Quantitative and qualitative market and customer insight findings of the market segments and key target segments
• One single strategic and tactical campaign framework. We have the brand house with sub-brand umbrellas. Each brand has clear communication strategies (core messages, color, mood and tone). Campaigns and media plans were identified and matched with  those brands.

On a bi-weekly basis, the marketing (product and segment) team will update campaign schedules regularly to align with brand and mar-com teams to ensure newly launched campaigns (both strategically and tactically) are consistently and holistically communicated.