Yeah! Anne’s back!

OK, so I’ll admit Anne’s writing is sometimes “off-topic” to what I typically address; however, Anne Zelenka is one of the finest writers in the blogosphere. And, frankly, as Anne writes beautifully in her latest (long-awaited) post, “off-topic” is what makes life most interesting.

We, as marketers or e-commerce professionals, tend to think in terms of target consumers and target markets. We segment demographically, psychographically, and ethnographically. We covet cohorts. The problem is that those attempt to distill people solely into various “on-topic” groups. We ignore the “off-topic,” assuming it’s nothing more than outliers in the data. Even those who focus on personalization think of it in terms of behaviorially-targeted or product-focused segments. And, admittedly, marketers ignore data at their own peril. Personas and scenario-based design certainly offer a step in the right direction towards addressing customers as individuals. Anne’s singular point of view and clear voice remind me, though, that individuals are much more than a collection of facts and figures. Think about your customers the right way. Think about them as people.

Thanks for coming back, Anne. I’m thrilled you’re back.