Welcome to the Oracle Modern Marketing Blog:
The latest in marketing strategy, technology, and innovation.

Cross-channel marketing continues to be a primary strategy as customers jump from one channel to another to do their research and complete their purchase. Here’s what you need to know about the role mobile plays, so you optimize your cross-channel marketing efforts for people using mobile devices.

Cross-channel marketing continues to be a primary strategy as customers jump from one channel to another to do their research and complete their purchase. Here’s what you need to know about the role...

Infinity IQ allows marketers to deploy a single tag to unlock the power and functionality to stream your online behavioral data into one unified location. It enables you to eliminate siloed data, apply intelligence to it, and use it to positively impact each stage of the customer journey.

Infinity IQ allows marketers to deploy a single tag to unlock the power and functionality to stream your online behavioral data into one unified location. It enables you to eliminate siloed...

55% of consumers want personalized brand experiences; however, only 12% said their favorite brand does this successfully. This creates a massive opportunity for brands to gain a competitive advantage by adopting omnichannel loyalty programs to leverage personalization and create deep connections.

55% of consumers want personalized brand experiences; however, only 12% said their favorite brand does this successfully. This creates a massive opportunity for brands to gain a competitive advantage...

The first issue of the twice-monthly Oracle CX Marketing Consulting Newsletter launched on Oct. 15, 2019. Since then, we’ve sent 30 issues. We’ve learned a lot from launching it, as well as from running it for a year. Rather than keep these learnings to ourselves, the newsletter team and I wanted to share the highs and lows so everyone benefits.

The first issue of the twice-monthly Oracle CX Marketing Consulting Newsletter launched on Oct. 15, 2019. Since then, we’ve sent 30 issues. We’ve learned a lot from launching it, as well as...

Content marketers should put more thought into what content a particular customer wants to consume and where and how they are engaging with it on their customer journey. 

Content marketers should put more thought into what content a particular customer wants to consume and where and how they are engaging with it on their customer journey. 

Some content creators, writers, and designers submit their work to editors with trepidation. However, editors serve a vital role in the content creation process. Flexibility and openness are keys to working with them and strengthening the end results.

Some content creators, writers, and designers submit their work to editors with trepidation. However, editors serve a vital role in the content creation process. Flexibility and openness are keys...

Are you wondering what type of fuel should be powering your martech stack? The answer is simple: data. Many people think that data is very pricey, and therefore unattainable, but it doesn’t have to be. Data is everywhere for you to identify and harness.

Are you wondering what type of fuel should be powering your martech stack? The answer is simple: data. Many people think that data is very pricey, and therefore unattainable, but it doesn’t have to...

Modular email design offers easier personalization, quicker builds, and more consistency and control. Find out how else your campaigns can benefit.

Modular email design offers easier personalization, quicker builds, and more consistency and control. Find out how else your campaigns can benefit.

The primary benefit of social media for marketing has always been the ability to reach audiences where they spent the most time. Therefore, social media helped achieve traffic and lead generation goals. In reality, though, social media does so much more for marketing than that. Here are six lesser known benefits.

The primary benefit of social media for marketing has always been the ability to reach audiences where they spent the most time. Therefore, social media helped achieve traffic and lead...

Influencer marketing, however is changing almost as fast as it is growing, and these trends are reconfiguring the very basis of what influencer marketing is. In this article, we'll look at how the world of influencer marketing is changing, and how this can benefit your brand.

Influencer marketing, however is changing almost as fast as it is growing, and these trends are reconfiguring the very basis of what influencer marketing is. In this article, we'll look at how...

Advanced Intelligence for Oracle Responsys is a collection of purpose-built tools to improve digital campaign management. Using it can see improvements in open and clicks rates.

Advanced Intelligence for Oracle Responsys is a collection of purpose-built tools to improve digital campaign management. Using it can see improvements in open and clicks rates.

B2B marketers can improve their lead scoring by adding more intelligence, making sure their data is clean, and connecting it to their marketing automation platform.

B2B marketers can improve their lead scoring by adding more intelligence, making sure their data is clean, and connecting it to their marketing automation platform.

When someone signs up to receive your promotional emails, it marks the start of what is hopefully a long and mutually beneficial relationship. Start it off right by sending the most effective welcome email possible with these best practices.

When someone signs up to receive your promotional emails, it marks the start of what is hopefully a long and mutually beneficial relationship. Start it off right by sending the most effective welcome...

Digital marketers, heed these tips from marketing pros about email marketing, content marketing, and how to create better customer experiences during disruption.

Digital marketers, heed these tips from marketing pros about email marketing, content marketing, and how to create better customer experiences during disruption.

BMC Software’s Dani Scherer, Sr Director of Business Operations, and Ankit Sharma, Sr. Manager of Marketing Operations, discussed how to implement successful account-based marketing (ABM) programs and how BMC engages their top tier accounts using Oracle CX and Eloqua.

BMC Software’s Dani Scherer, Sr Director of Business Operations, and Ankit Sharma, Sr. Manager of Marketing Operations, discussed how to implement successful account-based marketing (ABM) programs and...

The global pandemic has changed nearly everything for CMOs, forcing them to scramble as consumers shift even more to online shopping. Meanwhile, CEOs are pressuring their marketing chiefs to find strategies for recovery.  At our recent CX Virtual Summit for Asia, I had an insightful conversation with Jojo Concepcion, CEO of our customer Concepcion Industrial Corporation (CIC), about the intersection of customer experience software and the need for businesses to make decisions more nimbly. CIC has been incredibly successful at striking the right balance, especially during a very challenging year. The Philippines-based appliance distributor has managed to give customers what they need when they need it while creating new business opportunities.  What’s helped CIC are the “five aces” that CMOs must establish in their companies while leveraging – with intention – critical emerging technologies to modernize their interactions.   The five aces are:  Adaptability: The world has changed, but businesses still need to keep going, whether through finding new ways to reach cash-strapped households or helping customers visualize products from the comfort and safety of their homes. Marketing organizations must become comfortable with change. Accountability: Businesses expect marketers to help deliver quantifiable business impact with the help of modern technology. As the measurement of campaigns has become more sophisticated, CMOs must embrace accountability.  Authenticity: Modern marketers need to know and use data they collect from customers to engage them in highly personalized communications across their devices, print, and broadcast media.  Action: Customers expect companies they do business with to respond quickly and at all hours. Meeting them on their terms helps foster brand relationships.   Alignment: This doesn’t just mean coordination between sales and marketing; it also means aligning the organization so that customers’ needs dictate the businesses’ activities.  Jojo and I agreed that experiences are everything – we know they’re often more important than the product or service we’re delivering. Uncertainty and not knowing how the world will evolve creates a huge opportunity for marketers to define their companies. There’s hard evidence behind the proscriptions. 83% of 260 global CEOs surveyed by management consultancy McKinsey last year said they expect marketing to be a major driver for their companies’ growth. To do so, marketing departments need to move faster, collaborate better, and focus more sharply on customers.  Yet McKinsey estimates making such changes can cut 10% to 30% of marketing costs while adding 5% to 15% to sales growth. And about 23% of CEOs say marketing isn’t delivering on the growth agenda. Often, executives pour time into a few initiatives, “then grow frustrated when the promised value doesn’t appear,” according to the study.  CIC is consolidating sales, customer service, and e-commerce systems with its back-office software to understand its customers better. That’s helping the air conditioning, and refrigeration company simplify online ordering, sell directly to consumers, and forge new business models -- such as renting cool air time “as a service,” rather than selling an appliance outright, Jojo said.  “For 90 days, we had no place to sell our products – stores were closed nationwide,” he said. “Manufacturing, distribution, and most e-commerce stopped for three months during the pandemic’s height this year. CIC adapted by emphasizing products for kitchens tailored to people staying and cooking at home and developing new ones for those who wanted a cool environment without the upfront cost”.  Vince Abejo, chief sales and marketing officer at property developer Filinvest Land, spoke during our conference about capturing data points during and after the sale of a house or condo so the company can retain buyers it sells to over time. Filinvest is holding online house tours, inspecting properties by drone aircraft, and courting prospects to ensure the pipeline stays stocked after the pandemic ends.  Not only is the company attuned to its customers’ needs, but it has also adopted its behavior to stay authentic. “Booked sales are now back to pre-Covid levels,” Abejo said. These are just a few fresh ideas that can be brought to life using the five aces and modern cloud technology. I’d love to hear directly from you about other ideas you might have, so be sure to reach out to me in the comments to let me know how I can help.  To learn more about the trends impacting marketing leadership today, visit the CMO Corner. 

The global pandemic has changed nearly everything for CMOs, forcing them to scramble as consumers shift even more to online shopping. Meanwhile, CEOs are pressuring their marketing chiefs to find...

Measuring the effectiveness of your creative assets tells digital marketers what their audience is responding to and how they can better target and segment when delivering content.

Measuring the effectiveness of your creative assets tells digital marketers what their audience is responding to and how they can better target and segment when delivering content.

Even once travel restrictions are completely lifted, marketers within the travel and hospitality businesses will have the tricky job of messaging to consumers who are reluctant to take trips for either business or recreation. View this as an opportunity to judiciously prioritize opportunities to meet travelers where they are today and where they’ll be tomorrow.

Even once travel restrictions are completely lifted, marketers within the travel and hospitality businesses will have the tricky job of messaging to consumers who are reluctant to take trips...

Marketing automation continues to grow at a rapid pace. Check out new marketing technologies, such as voice search, visual search, and chatbots that you can't ignore.

Marketing automation continues to grow at a rapid pace. Check out new marketing technologies, such as voice search, visual search, and chatbots that you can't ignore.

Oracle CX Marketing recently caught up with Melissa Sargeant, CMO of Litmus.  Our conversation ranged how data changed the world of marketing forever to marketing’s importance to a business to how marketers should seek deep human connections with customers.

Oracle CX Marketing recently caught up with Melissa Sargeant, CMO of Litmus.  Our conversation ranged how data changed the world of marketing forever to marketing’s importance to a business to...

Enhancing marketing performance, better data management, and tighter teamwork between marketing and sales results in better lead generation, management, and nurturing. Better leads result in higher ROI.

Enhancing marketing performance, better data management, and tighter teamwork between marketing and sales results in better lead generation, management, and nurturing. Better leads result in higher...

Certain laws require companies to make their email messages accessible to people with visual and other disabilities or else face significant legal fees and fines. However, rather than seeing this as purely a compliance issue, smart brands view it as an opportunity to expand the reach and impact of their email marketing programs.

Certain laws require companies to make their email messages accessible to people with visual and other disabilities or else face significant legal fees and fines. However, rather than seeing this as...

Excellent customer experiences drive customer loyalty and growth. Find out three ways loyalty programs can build on the customer base you already have.

Excellent customer experiences drive customer loyalty and growth. Find out three ways loyalty programs can build on the customer base you already have.

To attract a larger audience, learn how to use insights from your email marketing program to fuel your cross-channel strategy.

To attract a larger audience, learn how to use insights from your email marketing program to fuel your cross-channel strategy.

Marketing workflows involve matching customer journeys and touchpoints to business processes that can address those. Find out what workflows are must-haves and how they can help your content, lead nurturing, and in gathering feedback.

Marketing workflows involve matching customer journeys and touchpoints to business processes that can address those. Find out what workflows are must-haves and how they can help your content, lead...

Watch this video to see if you should send an apology email and learn best practices on writing one.

Watch this video to see if you should send an apology email and learn best practices on writing one.

Oracle has made significant investments in AI, ensuring it is purpose-built to reduce the chronic areas of pain for marketers, such as unsubscribes and email fatigue, and increase the relevancy of communications to better engage customers. Thus, we are excited to announce the launch of Oracle Eloqua’s Advanced Intelligence, a true game changer for B2B marketing.

Oracle has made significant investments in AI, ensuring it is purpose-built to reduce the chronic areas of pain for marketers, such as unsubscribes and email fatigue, and increase the relevancy of...

Businesses expanding their reach still rely on email as a major marketing channel, but this means they must implement their campaigns in multiple languages. Find out how.

Businesses expanding their reach still rely on email as a major marketing channel, but this means they must implement their campaigns in multiple languages. Find out how.

In order to continue to grow and reach potential customers, it is critical to stay on top of each marketing channel. With constantly changing channel ROI, relying on just a few options can be detrimental. Here are seven reasons you may be missing cross-channel marketing opportunities that could really impact your business.

In order to continue to grow and reach potential customers, it is critical to stay on top of each marketing channel. With constantly changing channel ROI, relying on just a few options can...

Join us online Thursday, November 9, at 12:00p.m. PT for our free Oracle Cloud CX Virtual Summit event. Hear from Oracle Chairman and CTO, Larry Ellison, industry thought leaders, and global companies, as they talk about the future of CX and how to harness data to deliver the right message to the right customer at the right time. 

Join us online Thursday, November 9, at 12:00p.m. PT for our free Oracle Cloud CX Virtual Summit event. Hear from Oracle Chairman and CTO, Larry Ellison, industry thought leaders, and global...

Automated campaigns—whether sent via email, SMS, or mobile push—perform so well that they’re often overlooked as not needing attention. However, because of their high engagement and conversion rates, you should be constantly giving automated campaigns extra attention and trying to make them even better, especially during the holiday season

Automated campaigns—whether sent via email, SMS, or mobile push—perform so well that they’re often overlooked as not needing attention. However, because of their high engagement and conversion rates,...

Marketers can use chatbots to create efficiencies, a better experience for customers, and to tighten up their teamwork with sales.

Marketers can use chatbots to create efficiencies, a better experience for customers, and to tighten up their teamwork with sales.

The holiday shopping will start early this season, and email guru Chad White's advice is to lock in sales early and increase the number of your email holiday campaigns earlier in the season.

The holiday shopping will start early this season, and email guru Chad White's advice is to lock in sales early and increase the number of your email holiday campaigns earlier in the season.

The goal of your cross-channel marketing strategy should be to tell all your audience and customers a similar brand story across multiple channels. Learn from these brands with winning cross-channel tactics.

The goal of your cross-channel marketing strategy should be to tell all your audience and customers a similar brand story across multiple channels. Learn from these brands with winning cross-channel...

By moving email to the center of your marketing machine and using efficient workflows and tools, you can turn email into an indispensable source of marketing insights. Find out how with these three pillars of email marketing success.

By moving email to the center of your marketing machine and using efficient workflows and tools, you can turn email into an indispensable source of marketing insights. Find out how with these three...

Oracle was named a 'Leader' in the Omdia Digital Experience Management Universe for 2020. According to the report, “Oracle should appear on your shortlist if you want a one-stop-approach to digital experience management."

Oracle was named a 'Leader' in the Omdia Digital Experience Management Universe for 2020. According to the report, “Oracle should appear on your shortlist if you want a one-stop-approach to digital...

While before, B2B marketing sought a more professional and business-like tone, while B2C could try to be flashier and evoke more emotion. Now, though, the walls between B2B and B2C have come crumbling down. Learn four ways to make your B2B content more like B2C to engage more customers.

While before, B2B marketing sought a more professional and business-like tone, while B2C could try to be flashier and evoke more emotion. Now, though, the walls between B2B and B2C have come crumbling...

Curbside pickup has become a significant new fulfillment channel for retailers, restaurants, and other B2C brands. However, because of the sudden need for this channel, it was sometimes implemented and ramped up hastily. How can it be improved?

Curbside pickup has become a significant new fulfillment channel for retailers, restaurants, and other B2C brands. However, because of the sudden need for this channel, it was sometimes...

Aim for these four keys in your cross-channel content marketing strategy to deliver a consistent experience regardless of where a customer comes across your content.

Aim for these four keys in your cross-channel content marketing strategy to deliver a consistent experience regardless of where a customer comes across your content.

CDPs, CRMs, and DMPs are different tools with different capabilities. It can be confusing to tell the difference between them and understand how they can enhance your marketing with data-driven insights. So, what are these three tools and what can they do?

CDPs, CRMs, and DMPs are different tools with different capabilities. It can be confusing to tell the difference between them and understand how they can enhance your marketing with data-driven...

Using direct email as a part of campaign with tactile marketing automation can make you stand out. See how to do it with Oracle Eloqua while working from home.

Using direct email as a part of campaign with tactile marketing automation can make you stand out. See how to do it with Oracle Eloqua while working from home.

Even the best email marketing programs suffer deliverability problems sometimes. To help you avoid trouble, the Email Deliverability Services team at Oracle CX Marketing Consulting shares the latest news and tips for what to watch out for.

Even the best email marketing programs suffer deliverability problems sometimes. To help you avoid trouble, the Email Deliverability Services team at Oracle CX Marketing Consulting shares the latest...

Precise targeting helps you reach the right customers on the right channel, and tools like Oracle CX Audience aid in the process.

Precise targeting helps you reach the right customers on the right channel, and tools like Oracle CX Audience aid in the process.

Instead of overengineering and deploying everything at once, he recommends using agile methodologies instead.  Ask yourself what would the customer want and go from there to deliver a better digital experience.

Instead of overengineering and deploying everything at once, he recommends using agile methodologies instead.  Ask yourself what would the customer want and go from there to deliver a better digital...

Virtual gaming provides digital marketers a whole new avenue to engage with customers, via playable ads, augmented reality, and sponsorship.

Virtual gaming provides digital marketers a whole new avenue to engage with customers, via playable ads, augmented reality, and sponsorship.

What can digital marketers and CMOs learn from Albert Einstein and how can they apply it to their work?

What can digital marketers and CMOs learn from Albert Einstein and how can they apply it to their work?

One of the biggest mistakes a marketer can make is failing to understand the difference between one-tailed and two-tailed tests. Find out which to choose and how it impacts optimization.

One of the biggest mistakes a marketer can make is failing to understand the difference between one-tailed and two-tailed tests. Find out which to choose and how it impacts optimization.

With Oracle Infinity, Oracle Unity can now apply intelligence to real-time digital behaviors to optimize a customer’s digital journey. This should result in improved, more personalized, and relevant customer interactions, in the moments where it counts.

With Oracle Infinity, Oracle Unity can now apply intelligence to real-time digital behaviors to optimize a customer’s digital journey. This should result in improved, more personalized, and relevant...

This post looks at the different types of clicks and how they show what elements of your email, such as copy, the offer, etc, are getting the best response.

This post looks at the different types of clicks and how they show what elements of your email, such as copy, the offer, etc, are getting the best response.

What did Walt Disney know about failure and what can digital markets and CX professionals learn form it?

What did Walt Disney know about failure and what can digital markets and CX professionals learn form it?

A new B2B data schema and integration with Oracle Eloqua streamlines delivery of personalized customer experiences for Oracle Unity.

A new B2B data schema and integration with Oracle Eloqua streamlines delivery of personalized customer experiences for Oracle Unity.

Oracle Unity, Oracle’s customer data platform (CDP), empowers marketers to unify customer data to create hyper-personalized experiences.

Oracle Unity, Oracle’s customer data platform (CDP), empowers marketers to unify customer data to create hyper-personalized experiences.

Retargeting leverages paid advertising to go after consumers who have shown an interest in a product that is similar to yours or who perused that product on your website and left without purchasing. It gives you a second chance to win them over.

Retargeting leverages paid advertising to go after consumers who have shown an interest in a product that is similar to yours or who perused that product on your website and left without...

Marketers can use empathy to add more of a human connection to marketing automation using customer data, personalization, and paying attention to email frequency and customer preferences.

Marketers can use empathy to add more of a human connection to marketing automation using customer data, personalization, and paying attention to email frequency and customer preferences.

Data privacy laws, namely the GDPR and CCPA, are changing how marketers do business. Find out how to adapt, how to build trust with consumers, and what the next frontier in privacy is.

Data privacy laws, namely the GDPR and CCPA, are changing how marketers do business. Find out how to adapt, how to build trust with consumers, and what the next frontier in privacy is.

5G wireless will changes the game for digital marketers and shift consumer behaviors. Expect to see changes with richer email and website design, tighter omnichannel orchestration, more video, and more.

5G wireless will changes the game for digital marketers and shift consumer behaviors. Expect to see changes with richer email and website design, tighter omnichannel orchestration, more video,...

With the current uncertainty, businesses should seek to become more agile and react to customer signals faster by relying on real-time data to create satisfactory experiences. This, in turn, helps strengthen both customer loyalty and retention.

With the current uncertainty, businesses should seek to become more agile and react to customer signals faster by relying on real-time data to create satisfactory experiences. This, in turn,...

Less screen time can help prevent burnout. So, take a break, read something different, and come back to your digital marketing campaigns refreshed.

Less screen time can help prevent burnout. So, take a break, read something different, and come back to your digital marketing campaigns refreshed.

When I introduce myself to new people, I make sure to include the phrase born and raised in Chicago as I’ve always felt pride in saying that. It acknowledges that I’ve grown up knowing what makes a pizza superior, and I never complain about 94-degree weather in August because I know what a negative 30 windchill feels like in winter. And I also know, without a doubt, that the 90’s Chicago Bulls remain the greatest sports dynasty with the greatest basketball player of all time. I recall being a youngster cramming on the couch next to my siblings with a 2 liter bottle of Mountain Dew, a bag of Flaming Hot Cheetos, and turning on our family TV to watch Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen score outlandish amount of points against the Utah Jazz. I relished Dennis Rodman dominating the paint, sporting hot pink hair. These childhood memories have infiltrated my wardrobe even as a 30-something woman as my inner voice says, “another day, another Bulls jersey.” Let’s just establish that if I ever do randomly run into Dennis Rodman, the odds that I’ll be wearing his jersey are very high. When I joined the Oracle CX team and found out the Chicago Bulls, were a customer through Chicago Bulls Kid Nation, my heart skipped a beat! This excitement led to finding out why and how the Bulls are using Oracle CX Marketing. Bulls Kid Nation leverage Oracle CX Marketing in a very similar fashion that the 90s Chicago Bulls played, and here’s how. Aside from collecting championships, the 90’s Chicago Bulls were known for 3 things: 1. Differentiation Before Michael Jordan joined the Chicago Bulls in 1984, they had faltered as a team and as a franchise. From 1975-1984, the Bulls had only made the playoffs twice. They had never won a championship title before Jordan. At the time that “Mike” Jordan was drafted after leaving UNC early, the NBA was dominated by players who played center. The big guys ran the show. Jordan was a guard, so there were many who questioned his abilities before they saw him play. There’s no question that drafting Michael Jordan was instrumental in differentiating the Chicago Bulls into franchise greatness. Just watch this compilation video from his rookie season. Before using Oracle CX Marketing (Eloqua), Bulls Kid Nation realized that many teams had “too playful” of a design that was geared more towards kids than parents. Now they use Oracle Eloqua to deliver differentiated content and experiences. Their design is clean, information is easy to enter, and for parents signing up their kids, it’s quick and efficient. Oracle Eloqua gives their marketing team full control on how items function and it’s been a win-win for both customers and internal users. 2. Personalization Every individual on the Chicago Bulls team had a specific gift that elevated the team’s play as a whole. Dennis Rodman didn’t care about the glory that the offense got. He was a true believer that defense won the game. He often sacrificed his body to win a rebound. Scottie Pippen is an all-time great along with Michael, but he was always seen as Jordan’s right-hand man. He put himself in Jordan’s shadow for the greater good of the team. Steve Kerr’s decisiveness at point-guard was pivotal in shooting and scoring the winning shot that earned the Bulls their 5th title in 1997. The marketing team knows that their fans all have distinct talents and likes. Therefore, building unique ways to communicate with them is critical. When gathering data from their fans to access in Oracle Eloqua to better understand their likes and interests, they go beyond asking the simple and mundane questions such as name, birthday, and gender. They also collect insights from answers by asking fun questions such as favorite player, do they play basketball, have they attended the United Center - all to communicate with them more effectively. This helps deliver a stronger message that adapts and grows with the child as they continue in the youth fan funnel. 3. Branding We’ve talked about the distinct players for the Bulls, their attributes, and what they brought to their team in terms of talents. But what we can also establish is the unique ability that each player contributed to the very brand of the team. The Bulls franchise went from being valued at $18.7 million to over $105 million in 1985. Forbes has estimated the Chicago Bulls value to be over 3 billion dollars. Much of this can be attributed to the 90’s Bulls, the championships they won, and the characters on those teams. Branding isn’t merely a logo but is the perception of the sum total of every interaction a brand has with its customers. Feelings, thoughts, and insights that are evoked when someone in a room speaks your name is the true worth of your brand. If you were a Chicago-suburban kid in 1996, you’d venture into the city via the Kennedy Expressway. As you entered the city limits, you’d be greeted by a 75-foot mural that often featured Dennis Rodman’s distinct hair color of choice. This mural caused so many motorists to brake, that traffic jams stretched for miles, sometimes causing accidents. As traffic increased on the expressway, the mural had to be taken down, only to be brought back up after the Bulls clinched their fourth title.  Rodman and the Bulls built the brand from the ground up. They were exceptional at what they did, which was more than just play basketball. They had a level of authenticity that was inspirational. Who else had leopard print hair in the NBA in 1997? Who else starred in a little-known movie featuring Bugs Bunny and the other looney toons? Speaking of Space Jam, check out their website that hasn’t changed since 1996, in anticipation of the sequel coming in 2021. In marketing, the customer doesn’t care about the tools being utilized when interacting with a brand. They care about the experience. And that experience with the customer is what builds the brand. Falter with the experience, you’d just as easily lose your customer. Continue to progress with your organization’s brand, the more you’ll see your pipeline expand, which is exactly what Chicago Bulls Kid Nation leverages Oracle Eloqua to do for them -  deliver a constant and seamless customer experience, from when the parents first sign up their kids and input their information to when they get their first Kid Nation package in the mail. This experience is heightened, individualized, and customized making their brand of singular importance to their fans and members. The next time a youngster tries to tell you about an up-and-coming new player being drafted in the NBA, make sure you remind them of the greatest NBA franchise of all time. Want to learn more about Oracle CX Marketing? Find out more here.

When I introduce myself to new people, I make sure to include the phrase born and raised in Chicago as I’ve always felt pride in saying that. It acknowledges that I’ve grown up knowing what makes a...

Earning and retaining customer loyalty comes down to offering hyper-personalized experiences, which a wise marketer relies on data to do.

Earning and retaining customer loyalty comes down to offering hyper-personalized experiences, which a wise marketer relies on data to do.

This post will examine email open rates, which are easily the most misunderstood email marketing metric—by a long shot. We’lll explain the proper context in which to look at them and gauge success.

This post will examine email open rates, which are easily the most misunderstood email marketing metric—by a long shot. We’lll explain the proper context in which to look at them and gauge success.

With growing acceptance and the focus on automation, customer experience, and enhanced communication, this may be the right time to consider incorporating a chatbot in your marketing. Consider the pros and cons.

With growing acceptance and the focus on automation, customer experience, and enhanced communication, this may be the right time to consider incorporating a chatbot in your marketing. Consider...

Steve Curtin clarifies the differences between customer service, the customer experience, and customer experience management in this short video about how to delight and retain customers.

Steve Curtin clarifies the differences between customer service, the customer experience, and customer experience management in this short video about how to delight and retain customers.

With more consideration in your email pre-send process, you’ll see more efficiency with each step and realize greater insights. How do you bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be? It starts by assessing each step in your pre-send workflow. Look at these six steps to help.

With more consideration in your email pre-send process, you’ll see more efficiency with each step and realize greater insights. How do you bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to...

We take a look at a number of ways brands can engage customers & incentivize them by choosing more sophisticated, multichannel, layered loyalty programs.

We take a look at a number of ways brands can engage customers & incentivize them by choosing more sophisticated, multichannel, layered loyalty programs.

Get answers for pressing email deliverability questions abut BMI, Gmail's Primary tab, double opt-in, and more.

Get answers for pressing email deliverability questions abut BMI, Gmail's Primary tab, double opt-in, and more.

Find out an integration between Oracle Infinity and Responsys provides more of 360-degree view of customers to help with reporting, targeting, and personalization.

Find out an integration between Oracle Infinity and Responsys provides more of 360-degree view of customers to help with reporting, targeting, and personalization.

After being evaluated among a group of 15 vendors, Oracle has once again been named a Leader in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for CRM Lead Management 2020. Oracle was recognized as a Leader for both our completeness of vision and ability to execute for our customers.

After being evaluated among a group of 15 vendors, Oracle has once again been named a Leader in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for CRM Lead Management 2020. Oracle was recognized as a Leader for both...

Some of the first forms of branded advertising were flowers and fruits. Even in digital marketing, we still use food-related language — hoping audiences will “consume” our products if we match their “taste" in content and branding.

Some of the first forms of branded advertising were flowers and fruits. Even in digital marketing, we still use food-related language — hoping audiences will “consume” our products if we match their...

Double opt-in (DOI) permission practices are often seen as unnecessary and harmful to list growth. However, when used correctly, they can improve your email program’s results by protecting your sender reputation, which keeps you from having deliverability problems.

Double opt-in (DOI) permission practices are often seen as unnecessary and harmful to list growth. However, when used correctly, they can improve your email program’s results by protecting your sender...

How do you make each experience relevant? With the sudden increased reliance on digital channels to singlehandedly drive revenue and sales, one should look to invest in optimization tools that utilize A/B and multivariate testing as well as digital analytics.

How do you make each experience relevant? With the sudden increased reliance on digital channels to singlehandedly drive revenue and sales, one should look to invest in optimization tools that...

Successful in content strategy comes down to your content strategy, says Robert Rose of the Content Advisory. What roles do scalability and measurement play? Watch the video to find out.

Successful in content strategy comes down to your content strategy, says Robert Rose of the Content Advisory. What roles do scalability and measurement play? Watch the video to find out.

Use customer data platforms to make the most of your customer data and turn data into actionable insights. Look at research from Forrester to see how to maximize your efforts.

Use customer data platforms to make the most of your customer data and turn data into actionable insights. Look at research from Forrester to see how to maximize your efforts.

Marketers should video in their campaigns to catch more eyes and appeal to visual learners. They can even use a smartphone to record. Learn three tips to help you make amazing video with it.

Marketers should video in their campaigns to catch more eyes and appeal to visual learners. They can even use a smartphone to record. Learn three tips to help you make amazing video with it.

You need to cater to your subscribers’ needs and wants throughout the entire subscriber lifecycle in order to nourish and grow an email relationship. That means developing tactics to address the major subscriber moments from beginning to end of the email subscriber lifecycle.

You need to cater to your subscribers’ needs and wants throughout the entire subscriber lifecycle in order to nourish and grow an email relationship. That means developing tactics to address the major...

Empathic marketers put themselves in their customers' shoes to try and better understand them. After empathy, immersion comes next, and both inform your content and how you work with data.

Empathic marketers put themselves in their customers' shoes to try and better understand them. After empathy, immersion comes next, and both inform your content and how you work with data.

Customer demand has shifted quickly and dramatically in the last few weeks. Now is the time to gather real-time feedback to see how you can help your customer base.

Customer demand has shifted quickly and dramatically in the last few weeks. Now is the time to gather real-time feedback to see how you can help your customer base.

Maximize your investment in marketing automating by understanding these five integral keys to the process.

Maximize your investment in marketing automating by understanding these five integral keys to the process.

Text messaging marketing can open new avenues for connecting with customers and getting them to interact with your brand. But before embarking on a mobile marketing campaign, marketers must comply with the law and embrace six best practices for success.

Text messaging marketing can open new avenues for connecting with customers and getting them to interact with your brand. But before embarking on a mobile marketing campaign, marketers must comply...

‘The Hierarchy of Subscriber Needs’ is your roadmap for understanding the various components that create relevance in your email marketing and also measuring it.

‘The Hierarchy of Subscriber Needs’ is your roadmap for understanding the various components that create relevance in your email marketing and also measuring it.

Virtual reality provides an immersive experience for customers that marketers should take advantage of to improve their storytelling, enhance the experiences they provide, and stand out from the competition.

Virtual reality provides an immersive experience for customers that marketers should take advantage of to improve their storytelling, enhance the experiences they provide, and stand out from...

Melanie Deziel thinks that the most valuable content to produce right now is instructional content. See what she has to say in this short video.

Melanie Deziel thinks that the most valuable content to produce right now is instructional content. See what she has to say in this short video.

Bringing the content delivery and agile sides of your marketing team can deliver dividends with a stronger knowledge of your products that leads to a stronger content marketing process and results.

Bringing the content delivery and agile sides of your marketing team can deliver dividends with a stronger knowledge of your products that leads to a stronger content marketing process and results.

Voice assistants give marketers a chance to reach more audiences and multiple users at once, but there are also disadvantages to pay attention to, especially when it comes to sounding personal and genuine.

Voice assistants give marketers a chance to reach more audiences and multiple users at once, but there are also disadvantages to pay attention to, especially when it comes to sounding personal...

In our 19-minute webinar, The Questions to Ask Instead: Email Marketing ROI, we look at common questions about email marketing ROI and what questions you should be asking to achieve success.

In our 19-minute webinar, The Questions to Ask Instead: Email Marketing ROI, we look at common questions about email marketing ROI and what questions you should be asking to achieve success.

Oracle CX Marketing recently had the chance to catch up with Julia Stead, CMO of Allocadia. We discussed how CMOs should view their roles as a driver of business growth, define what success is in that role, and what they should focus on.  

Oracle CX Marketing recently had the chance to catch up with Julia Stead, CMO of Allocadia. We discussed how CMOs should view their roles as a driver of business growth, define what success is in that...

With buyers and consumers spending more time than ever consuming content, marketers should take this opportunity to invest in their blogs. Create helpful content that reaches, engages and eventually converts your readers to customers. 

With buyers and consumers spending more time than ever consuming content, marketers should take this opportunity to invest in their blogs. Create helpful content that reaches, engages and...

With Oracle Eloqua Sales Tools, marketers can provide these tools to their sales teams to ensure that everyone is working in harmony to drive lead progression across the sales cycle.

With Oracle Eloqua Sales Tools, marketers can provide these tools to their sales teams to ensure that everyone is working in harmony to drive lead progression across the sales cycle.

To help you navigate change and seize this opportunity to rethink the role of marketing in your organizations, we have introduced a series of updates to Oracle CX Marketing within the Oracle Cloud Customer Experience suite to help you learn more about your customers and make every interaction matter.  

To help you navigate change and seize this opportunity to rethink the role of marketing in your organizations, we have introduced a series of updates to Oracle CX Marketing within the Oracle...

Choosing the right email campaign days this holiday season will be challenging and will require the support of other departments across your organization. In this 37-minute webinar, we share insights into trends during the 2019 holiday season as well as our predictions for the 2020 holiday season.

Choosing the right email campaign days this holiday season will be challenging and will require the support of other departments across your organization. In this 37-minute webinar, we share insights...

Agility allows digital marketers to keep up with change and then adjust or pivot when the need arises, based on what your metrics say. The key is empathy–putting yourself in your customers’ shoes to know how you can help them. Smart marketers learn that if they can address their customers’ needs in ways that meet their expectations with speed, then their brands will have earned their customers’ business going forward.

Agility allows digital marketers to keep up with change and then adjust or pivot when the need arises, based on what your metrics say. The key is empathy–putting yourself in your customers’ shoes to...

Welcome to episode 27 with A.J. Wilcox, LinkedIn Ads expert and founder of B2Linked.com. LinkedIn ads have become indispensable for B2B marketers to build awareness and drive lead generation. In this video, A.J teaches you how to optimize your LinkedIn ads using LinkedIn's free analytics solution.

Welcome to episode 27 with A.J. Wilcox, LinkedIn Ads expert and founder of B2Linked.com. LinkedIn ads have become indispensable for B2B marketers to build awareness and drive lead generation. In...

Maturing an email marketing program involves nurturing existing clients and gaining new ones by demonstrating the value a brand can bring to their organizations as well as connecting various systems. How does marketing automaton like Oracle Eloqua fit in and what steps do you take? Read on to find out.

Maturing an email marketing program involves nurturing existing clients and gaining new ones by demonstrating the value a brand can bring to their organizations as well as connecting various...

Cross-channel marketing means meeting customers where they are at on the channel they prefer, be it email, social, mobile, or display. Customers expect you to keep up with them when they cross from channel to channel or device from device. Data will help you personalize touchpoints in order to engage them and make conversions. Find out how.

Cross-channel marketing means meeting customers where they are at on the channel they prefer, be it email, social, mobile, or display. Customers expect you to keep up with them when they cross from...

Oracle CX Marketing's Clea Moore catches you up on the latest in email deliverability so you can take appropriate action in this 43-minute webinar.

Oracle CX Marketing's Clea Moore catches you up on the latest in email deliverability so you can take appropriate action in this 43-minute webinar.

How do prospects become leads and leads become customers? What role does marketing automation play in the process and how does it help? Read on to find out.

How do prospects become leads and leads become customers? What role does marketing automation play in the process and how does it help? Read on to find out.

Our featured expert this week is Karen Talavera – founder and president of Synchronicity Marketing. Karen is a digital and email marketing expert and brings us tips to optimize our email marketing.

Our featured expert this week is Karen Talavera – founder and president of Synchronicity Marketing. Karen is a digital and email marketing expert and brings us tips to optimize our email marketing.

Good content needs good, sharp writing. But what is good writing? What separates it from mediocre or bad writing? While no hardfast rules of writing exist, content marketers should keep these seven rules of thumb in mind.

Good content needs good, sharp writing. But what is good writing? What separates it from mediocre or bad writing? While no hardfast rules of writing exist, content marketers should keep these...

My colleagues and I have recently been writing about “The Path to CX Excellence,” and the importance of brands thinking differently about their customers’ experiences (CX). One point of view we share is that brands today need to think about customer experience as the key point of differentiation to successfully attract, retain, and grow long term customer relationships. How every brand can have best-in-class experiences and set itself apart is unique for each organization. Leading the product marketing team for Oracle’s B2C CX Marketing solutions, I spend a lot of time speaking with marketers about how to improve their customer experiences and their ability to outcompete. Brand Evolution in the Experience Economy As business trends change and evolve, so do the expectations and reactions of the modern consumer. In today’s Experience Economy, customers expect brands to know them better than they know themselves! Customers expect seamless and personalized digital experiences across any channels at any time of day. Brands have always understood the value of deep customer relationships but more recently, they’ve been understanding how important a consistent, relevant, and timely experience is to retaining and growing their best customers. From the consumer point of view, the experience itself likely matters more today than the product or service being sold when deciding which brand to do business with. Customer data is the foundation of delivering a differentiated customer experience and boosting the brand’s revenues. The question for a brand is, “Where to start?” Marketing is highly complex and made up of dozens, if not hundreds of systems and touchpoints. If every engagement must be improved, how do you break down the problem so a successful plan can be built and executed? We understand how overwhelming this can be, and Oracle and our partners are dedicated to helping our customers navigate these complex paths and plans. One of our recent innovations is a maturity model that helps marketers assess the current state of their marketing, and create a defined vision for how to improve.  This “Path to Marketing Excellence” is the unique journey we see all marketers take when trying to achieve their goals by improving their customer engagements. Stage 1-  B2C Broadcast Marketing Every marketing practitioner wants to drive the best results for their business in the most efficient ways. Some of the highest returns for marketers beginning this journey is to increase their marketing efficiency through automation. Most marketers start out trying to increase their audience reach in well-established channels such as email. This leads to “batch and blast” one-size-fits-all emails with volume as the primary goal.  Many brands that exist in this state still find success in their campaigns because email outreach remains a primary and productive means of engaging consumers, and they can use marketing automation to increase their production efficiency and ROI. Marketers at this stage commonly experience difficulty scaling broadcast marketing initiatives over time.  Focusing only on increasing production efficiencies and growing your lists, leads to issues with sender reputation, opt-outs, and SPAM reports. As volume increases but relevancy doesn’t improve, more consumers are turned off by your messages and engage less over time. For this reason, marketers who have been operating at this level look to improve their results by moving to the next stage. Stage 2-  B2C Responsive Marketing Today’s consumers drive innovation and for them, every moment matters. Marketers must strive to build customer relationships in the narrow windows of time that consumers engage with your brand. Customers live on email, social, web, and offline channels, providing marketers multiple opportunities to increase engagement, improve conversions, and shorten the buying cycle. An email-only outreach method falls short with customers when you limit your engagement to only this single facet of their lives. Your customers expect you to engage with them across any channel of their choosing. Once you improve your baseline efficiencies in your primary marketing channels, you must branch out to engage in all possible channels a consumer might choose. In Responsive Marketing, a team evolves beyond simple marketing automation and begins to focus on improving conversion rates and optimizing customer journeys. The winning marketing teams I speak to find multiple paths to making marketing more responsive and in tune with consumer needs. One of the first ways is to add segmentation to transform batch and blast marketing. Segmenting target audiences allows marketing to tailor experiences that fit more closely with the specific interests of the consumer, rather than a one-size-fits-all engagement approach. CX can improve by making those segmented campaigns adaptive, and allowing different paths for different consumers based on their activities and interests. Expanding the outreach across all of the channels that matter helps consumers feel closer to getting exactly what they need at the right time and channel. Triggered marketing and behavioral re-targeting can be deployed to re-engage the consumer at the moment they show interest, and respond in a relevant and beneficial way. Many successful marketing teams at this level are engaging consumers across the channels that matter, and run sophisticated tests to optimize experiences. So, what motivates a marketing leader to continue pushing forward? The consumer and their expectations remain the motivating force. Consistency is a big factor for customer satisfaction with their brands. Consumers expect their experiences to be ever more tailored and relevant over time. Finding different offers, advice and information as they traverse email, mobile and web, leads to disconnected experiences and dissatisfied, less trusting consumers. The potential for disjointed messages across time or channels is the primary reason for marketing to keep pushing forward. “Customers don’t care if you claim you have omni-channel or multi-channel capabilities. They only care that they can connect with you, the way they want to connect with you, and when they want to connect with you. They go through the channel that’s easiest and most convenient for them.”  (Shep Hyken, Forbes) Stage 3 – B2C Relationship Marketing Relationship Marketing is the level where the success of consumer engagements are judged by how well they promote or detract from building long-term customer relationships. A chief part of the challenge at this stage is how to scale up the personalization already underway. This is where humans may struggle to keep up with the scope and speed of the information needed to understand and adapt to consumer behavior and context. Marketing begins to view success not just with KPIs such as ‘open’ or ‘conversion rates’, but in more holistic, consumer-specific metrics such as ‘repeat purchase rate’ and ‘customer lifetime value.’ Consumers expect brands to know them across every interaction and channel. Therefore, marketers need real-time data streams and solutions such as AI and machine learning to process and activate data fast enough to keep up with consumer expectations and actions. Brands that execute at this level understand the best consumer marketing experiences will determine which brands retain and grow their valuable customers. So, what would motivate a marketer to keep progressing? The answer, once again, lies in consumer expectations. Consumers don’t understand or care how the structure of your organization impacts their experiences. They just expect that whatever the context of their interaction with your brand, they’ll receive a consistent, relevant, and beneficial experience. If they engage with your support teams, they expect your marketing messages will reflect the context of their engagements. If they buy from your web site, they expect your loyalty program to be in tune and aware of their actions. Marketing must continuously evolve and improve, connecting across marketing, sales, loyalty, and service to fully understand the individual consumer experience and optimize it in real-time to changing customer conditions. The brands that  do this best will maximize revenue and customer lifetime value and build long-term customer loyalty. “To the customer, it’s all one big team: Customers don’t care which department they talk to when they need help. They just want to get their questions answered and their problems resolved.”  (Shep Hyken, Forbes) Stage 4- B2C Lifecycle Engagement Delivering a unified brand experience across all consumer touchpoints is the ultimate goal for almost every organization. This reduces customer churn and maximizes customer lifetime value by delivering a relevant, consistent, and timely experience at every interaction. Central to this stage of the journey is a data-first approach to understanding each individual consumer across every part of your organization. You must bring together information from their front office digital footprints, with other relevant information within your back-office systems. This data-centric, lifecycle focus, enables brands to continuously optimize experiences by gaining a deeper understanding of each person through all of the data signals they leave behind. To achieve this lifecycle awareness requires a complete and comprehensive customer profile, seamlessly connected in real-time across all touchpoints. An advanced orchestration layer must activate this information in real-time to deliver the most personalized, relevant, consistent, and timely experiences at any time or place a consumer wishes to engage. Brand loyalty is built not from short-term offers or discounts, but from a collection of beneficial experiences that add value to a consumer’s life. The most advanced marketers and business leaders understand this shift and the need to be at the leading edge of how brand differentiation and distinction is changing. The winners will be the brands who build trusted and loyal customer relationships where the customer experience itself sets the brand apart from the competition. “Delivering a meaningful and effortless CX can create and sustain customer satisfaction, loyalty and advocacy. It also increases customer lifetime value and improves profitability because it can cut customer acquisition costs and boost revenue.” -Gartner    

My colleagues and I have recently been writing about “The Path to CX Excellence,” and the importance of brands thinking differently about their customers’ experiences (CX). One point of view we share...