What's Next! with Tiffani Bova

Personalization Done Right with David Edelman

Dec 5, 2024

David Edelman, a senior lecturer at Harvard Business School and co-author of the bestselling book "Personalized: Customer Strategy in the Age of AI," shares his expertise on effective personalization. He delves into the Five Promises of Personalization and how AI can transform customer experiences. Edelman highlights challenges companies face, such as measuring ROI and aligning executive compensation with performance metrics. He emphasizes the need for collective responsibility in customer experience and provides actionable insights for organizations of all sizes.

32:38

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David Edelman

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Personalization requires a strategic approach with measurable business outcomes rather than abstract metrics for effective implementation.

Collaboration across departments is crucial to delivering cohesive customer experiences and overcoming the challenges of operational fragmentation.

Deep dives

The Role of AI in Personalization

AI presents significant opportunities for enhancing customer experiences, particularly in the realm of personalization. By leveraging AI, Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) can transform how businesses engage with customers, beyond simple tactics like modified content that only addresses names. The technology facilitates innovative approaches, such as ideation and testing, which can significantly boost both operational efficiency and creative potential. This empowers CMOs to adopt roles as catalysts for growth within their organizations, driving the strategic integration of AI into customer experience initiatives.

Intro

2min

Innovations and Personalization in Business

16min

Navigating Personalization Challenges

7min

Aligning Executive Compensation with Business Performance Metrics

2min

Collective Customer Experience Responsibility

5min

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova.

I have the pleasure of welcoming David Edelman to the show today. He is a senior lecturer at Harvard Business School, an executive advisor and board member to brands and technology providers, and an advisor to BCG. Previously, David was chief marketing officer at Aetna and has worked with dozens of companies on personalization, AI, and agile marketing at BCG and Digitas. Forbes has repeatedly named him one of the Top 20 Most Influential Voices in Marketing and Ad Age has named him a Top 20 Chief Marketing and Technology Officer. David is also the co-author of a new book called Personalized: Customer Strategy in the Age of AI, which has recently become a USA bestseller.

THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… anyone who wants to learn how to deliver true personalization at scale.

TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE… customer experience is imperative to business success, but personalization remains elusive for many organizations. In this conversation, David offers his playbook on making personalization a core business strategy for organizations of any size. He also shares a detailed walkthrough of the Five Promises of Personalization.

Key Takeaways:

If you consider personalization a strategic goal, you need to be able to measure it. Compensation is often too abstract of a metric. Instead, David recommends using measures of business performance.

If you can’t make your product simpler, you need to educate your customers.
The customer experience should be getting better and better over time.

WHAT I LOVE MOST… David’s points about thinking about the flow of company interaction. Remember that when customers get bombarded, they tend to tune out. David says, “Less is more, but less that’s smarter is even more.”

Running Time: 32:37

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David’s Book:

Personalized: Customer Strategy in the Age of AI