Personalization has become the new buzz, just like artificial intelligence (AI), but using the two simultaneously for data analytics sets you apart from competitors.
E-commerce and marketing strategist Ishneet Kaur has told Locate2u that AI-powered analytics can give you “deep insights into customer behavior, which is important because you can then pivot your strategies accordingly.”
Kaur uses technology for operational efficiency and repetitive tasks herself. “If I’m able to automate them, better. Not only am I reducing the cost, I’m also increasing my productivity,” she says.
Investing in AI vs marketing
Startups can be in different phases in their journey to success. Depending on the stage can determine whether AI technology should be used or traditional marketing.
“If the startup is at a very early stage where they are looking at marketing validation, they need the essential features for their minimum buyable product and validate the marketing needs. They need to put a little bit more focus on marketing,” advises Kaur.
Kaur has worked alongside big brands like Lenovo and Johnson & Johnson over the past few years. She believes in a structure where both technology and marketing play a big role in startups’ early years.
It’s all about a balance in strategy that will provide a platform of opportunities for scalability. “We need both technology and marketing because while we want to enhance the product experience and customer behavior, we also want to acquire more consumers,” says Kaur.
Tech: Handy for scalability
Let’s be honest: It’s hard to get to everything at the beginning of a startup when only the founders and one or two people can afford to help.
“From a scalability perspective, tech can be very handy. If it allows you to scale up fast while sustaining your marketing efforts,” says Kaur.
It’s also about being conscious of the balance between marketing and technology investment. “If you make an over-investment on the one side [it shouldn’t] compromise on the other side.”
Analyzing your audience
When managing an international company, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Different countries have a variety of customers, expectations, and needs.
Kaur has worked for India, Southeast Asia, Middle East Africa, the US, and the UK. “Everywhere, the customer’s behavior is quite different.”
While e-commerce remains the same, economic factors, culture, and moral values could vary vastly from country to country.
Some customers are more “sensitive toward affordable value for money,” while in other countries, “premium products would be valued higher.”
This is also applicable to their spending behavior. “There are some economies which [focus] more on spending versus some economies more on saving,” says Kaur.
The question now is: “How do you position your products accordingly? And how do you use the appropriate channels for your product in those markets?”
“There are some countries that are very high on cash on delivery, whereas some countries do not understand the concept of cash on delivery.”
Share this article
About the author
Mia is a multi-award-winning journalist. She has more than 14 years of experience in mainstream media. She's covered many historic moments that happened in Africa and internationally. She has a strong focus on human interest stories, to bring her readers and viewers closer to the topics at hand.
