Correspondence: Simone Barratt, e-Dialog EMEA, 247 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 7AX, UK. Tel: +44 (0)203 219 6222; E-mail: sbarratt@e-dialog.com, Web: www.e-Dialog.com

¹is the managing director of e-Dialog and a recognised thought-leader in digital direct marketing. Simone launched e-Dialog in 2001, and from the lows of the dot-com bust has grown the UK business to be recognised by industry analysts as the top-performing Email Marketing Services Provider. Simone provides senior consultancy to clients including British Airways, RBS, Boots and Reuters, and has also expanded the company's expertise into digital direct marketing across Europe, the Middle East and Africa — serving clients such as Dell, Expedia, Nike and HP in some 22 countries.

²was named Executive Vice President, International, for GSI Commerce, and President for GSI Commerce Europe in April 2007. Earlier he served as Senior Vice President, Partner Services, from December 2004 to March 2007. He also served as a consultant from February 2004 to December 2004 and as Senior Vice President of Marketing from January 2000 to February 2004. From June 1996 to January 2000, Mr Davis held a number of management positions at Just for Feet Inc., a specialty sporting goods retailer based in Birmingham, AL, where he last served as Vice President of Marketing.

Received 21 October 2008.

Abstract

Only a handful of brands are providing their customers with highly personalised digital experiences. From their website, to email and mobile messaging, they've put the customer's interests at the forefront of their digital strategy. They've changed the fundamentals of their digital communications with their customers by creating an environment of Connected Commerce. The results have been exceptional customer loyalty, sales growth and profits that outpace those of their peers. The vast majority of companies are, however, still playing catch-up. Many have 'customer-centricity' somewhere in their vision statements, but they've not yet made the necessary commitments to bring customer relevance to the face of their digital brands. Their results reflect this in dwindling loyalty, sales and profits. The good news for these companies is that it's not too late to make the shift and push to the front of their industries. This paper explores what it takes to move from internally driven promotions to customer-centric interactions. This shift requires taking advantage of technology advancements and process improvements, but also a new mindset about one's marketing approach.