Customer Loyalty Today articles from December 2000

Customer Loyalty Today archives from December 2000

Safeway sees profits soar after scrapping ABC card.(Safeway PLC institutes price-cutting instead)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Safeway has confounded critics who claimed it was scrapping its loyalty card for all the wrong reasons, with the release of its latest set of results. The supermarket has attracted one million more customers a week since launching an...

Emap opts in to SMS.(Emap Performance Network contract with Flytxt)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Emap is to trial a request-based SMS marketing campaign across its flagship teen title Smash Hits. The initiative is the result of a contract with new market entrant, Flytxt which launches in the UK this month. Emap is launching the...

M&G scraps DM drive to focus on CRM strategy.(M and G Group PLC to favour customer relations management over direct marketing strategy)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... M&G has scrapped its blanket marketing drive in favour of a targeted CRM campaign. It is the investment house's first CRM work and is targeted at converting short term investors into lifelong prospects. M&G's parent company, Prudential...

News.
December 1, 2000... * CYBERSPACE TRAVEL Travelscene, the independent city breaks company, has contracted eCommunications, a leading application service provider (ASP), to provide it with e2MailCenter, an interactive e-mail marketing solution. Prior to...

BA launches Internet portal for club card holders.(British Airways PLC)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... British Airways has selected TBWA/London to handle the launch of its Internet portal, which is to be aimed at club card holders. TBWA/London, which already handles the airline's Airmiles scheme, won the account following a six-way pitch...

Eidos boosts customer database by exploiting Lara Croft's assets.(Eidos PLC)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Computer games publisher Eidos is exploiting the high profile release of Sony's PlayStation 2 games console with its first UK-wide text messaging campaign. The company is targeting customers in the run up to Christmas as it seeks to...

Utilities continue to miss the trick.(lack of customer relationship management software implementation)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Despite increased competition in the utilities sector there is still a significant lack of movement toward full CRM. While utilities may have some of the front-end infrastructure already in place, such as the call centre or e-commerce Web...

MoS invests in ICL for sound consumer knowledge.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Ministry of Sound, one of the UK's leading nightclubs, has launched a new web portal (www.ministryofsound.com). The restyled site incorporates CRM software that will enable the company to analyse the behaviour of its on-line visitors. ...

Vodafone invests in profiling software.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Vodafone UK has contracted Quadstone to provide it with customer intelligence software and services for CRM initiatives. Vodafone claims the system will allow it to gain a greater understanding of its customers' behaviour. Vodafone chose...

Thomson invests 100m [pounds sterling] to rationalise customer contact.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... The Thomson Travel group has launched a major 100 million [pounds sterling] cross-selling initiative that will see it boost its relational marketing strategy. The tour operator claims it will achieve this by synchronising customer contact...

Conflicting reports on e-customer satisfaction.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Two new reports have reached dramatically different conclusions regarding interactions between online retailers and their customers. Despite commonly held beliefs, the latest data from BMRB's Internet Monitor shows that the majority of...

Star Internet scoops service award.(Daily Telegraph/Energis customer service award)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Star Internet, one of the leading providers of Internet solutions to SME's in the UK, has been voted `large organisation winner' in the dot.com category of the Daily Telegraph/Energis customer service awards 2000. Star Internet claims it...

Lakeside trials new SMS promotional service.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Lakeside shopping centre has launched a text message-based marketing scheme. The centre, situated in Thurrock, Essex, is to trial a new e-commerce service called ZagMe (www.zagme.com). The system, created by a company called SpotFlash,...

Ford breaks with new CRM-focused Web site.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Ford has boosted its CRM strategy through the launch of an innovative new customer-focused Web site. The move forms part of the automotive company's strategy of targeting its range of vehicles more effectively to the UK market. The...

On-line shoppers say it with chocolate.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... A new Web site is aiming to cash in during the run up to Christmas by offering consumers personalised chocolate bars. The service, which is available at www.groovychocolate.com, allows customers to print a full colour image and message onto...

Market news.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... * GETTING PERSONAL Broadbase Software and eCustomers have announced an agreement intended to help clients create a complete customer-centred personalisation solution. The companies claim their alliance will help e-tailers push the Web...

NCR enters the CRM market thanks to Ceres.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... NCR, best known for its data warehousing and analysis tools, has unveiled a new suite that will incorporate much of NCR's existing analytics capabilities with CRM functions it acquired from Ceres Integrated Solutions in April. The NCR CRM...

Harte-Hanks launches Allink Agent in UK.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Harte-Hanks has introduced Allink Agent, its one-to-one customer management software into the UK. The software has already been deployed at a number of American financial services providers, including Webster Bank and Sun Trust Bank. John...

Intrinsic creates Europe's largest EMA developer.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Intrinsic has acquired France-based Marketic, creating Europe's largest enterprise marketing automation (EMA) software company. The deal gives Intrinsic a reach into France, Spain, Portugal and Benelux working across 120 sites. The company...

Wireless support system goes live for e-point 5.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Point has developed and launched a new wireless support system for the industry's first channel independent e-CRM solution, e-point 5. The development means that companies can now take business processes already developed for wired sales...

AIT Group with Prophit Share.(AIT Group PLC partnership with Prophit Share)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... CRM specialist AIT Group has announced a partnership with Prophit Share, a developer of customer analytics software. AIT claims the partnership will enable both companies to offer a combined proposition for true customer relationship...

Stirling launches new consultancy.(Marlborough Stirling)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Marlborough Stirling, e-commerce software vendor for the financial services industry, has created a new consultancy. The company claims that the division will help clients streamline and integrate their activities by offering "one-stop,...

From retention to reincarnation.(customer relations and re-recruitment)
December 1, 2000... There are two reactions to churn: you can stick your head in the sand or fight for customer win back. Michael Lowenstein argues the case for second lifetime value. Most companies lose between ten and 40 per cent of their customers each...

Employee relationship management.(enables effective customer relationship management)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... It is time to realise that your staff are an integral part of the CRM mix. Robin Clark argues the case for regarding your employees as your company's internal customers. It's the end of another year and once again time to reflect. Clearly,...

Calling out for the human touch.(call centre management)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Despite the relentless rise of the Internet, call centres have retained a central role in business. Bill Holt argues they should be exploited as a valuable customer service tool. British businesses may still be obsessed with ensuring they...

Integrating CRM for loyal supporters.(customer relations management)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Support staff and help desks sit at the front line of customer service. Matt Ayers reports on the key issues arising from the SSPA's recent Executive Forum in Amsterdam. At the Software Support Professionals Association Executive Forum...

Is your Web site damaging loyalty?(web site management)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... The Trading Standards Institute recently found retailers guilty of dire on-line customer service. Tom Reid, of Morpace, reveals how to get the right results. The rush for an on-line presence means having a Web site is something of a...

Caution: handle customers with care.(excerpt from Ron Swift's book, Accelerating Customer Relationships)(Excerpt)
December 1, 2000... Ron Swift, vice president of CRM solutions at NCR, calls the customer in from the cold in an exclusive extract from his new book, Accelerating Customer Relationships. The term customer was first coined at the beginning of the twentieth...

Avoiding cyberspace's blackholes.(electronic customer relationship management)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Everybody knows that the Internet has shifted business paradigms but does everybody know how to deal with the new market? John Bryant investigates e-crm. Everywhere you look these days you see `everybody.com' and `e-everything'. Customer...

Technology to get your teeth into.(Bluetooth radio technology innovations and applications)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Bluetooth is being touted as the next major technological revolution, but what will its impact be for CRM? Jim Schoenenberger, of Cambridge Consultants, reports. Occasionally a new technology breaks free of the development labs and makes...

Sports loyalty kicks off in football.(Glasgow Rangers and Bolton Wanderers football clubs automate customer relationship management)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... For years the loyalty of football's fanbase has been taken for granted but with declining attendances it is time for a rethink. Matt Ayers investigates sporting strategies. When it comes to loyalty schemes, the sporting sector lags well...

Energising the customer contact.(SalesPage Technologies Inc. provides customer interface solution to Scottish and Southern Energy PLC)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... When Scottish and Southern Electric formed following a merger it required a CRM solution that could cope with the new demands of a deregulated utilities industry. The merger of Scottish Hydro-Electric and Southern Electric means Scottish...