In this article, David Edelman explores a few AI tools that can be used fon an AI strategy to scale segment-of-one marketing. Champion versus challenger has been the basis for finding lift and proving marketing value for decades. But we are way past the slower, high-cost operations needed to test direct mail pieces or even direct response TV.  To find the right offer, message, or call center interaction on an increasingly personalized basis for digital channels requires multi-variate testing on…

David Edelman shares an article that explains why sometimes waiting for perfect marketing data can stop progress in creating a better customer experience. As I work with more CMO’s who are wading into broader responsibilities for driving company-wide customer experience programs, I am finding that many are slowing down because they feel they lack good enough customer data.  As one expands from looking at mostly marketing data to taking a broader look across all customer touchpoints, especially those in call…

David Edelman shares an article that explores the marketing data’s limitations when it is applied to improving customer experience. As I work with more CMO’s who are wading into broader responsibilities for driving company-wide customer experience programs, I am finding that many are slowing down because they feel they lack good enough customer data.  As one expands from looking at mostly marketing data to taking a broader look across all customer touchpoints, especially those in call center, physical channels, wearables,…

David Edelman shares an article on the challenges and opportunities of moving towards diversity and inclusivity. Recently, I was fortunate to sit down with CVS Health’s Chief Diversity Officer and Vice President, Workforce Strategies, David Casey, to discuss the challenges and opportunities we face in our journey toward diversity and inclusivity. David is a true visionary on a very important and hot-button topic, and I feel that some of the lessons and takeaways from our conversation could be useful to…

As a new variant hits the streets and the headlines, this article from David Edelman asks if it is time to put health first. Over the past several months, many Americans have put their own health care needs on hold as they care for others, or have delayed care due to fear of contracting COVID-19. In fact, according to a recent survey we conducted among 4,400 Americans in partnership with Morning Consult to identify barriers to accessing care amid COVID-19,…

David Edelman shares an article that extols the benefits of video as an effective business communication tool.   “When you buy a new car, do you really want to learn about it from a 300-page manual, or would you rather have a curated curriculum of two-minute videos that you work through at your own pace, which are not only tied to your specific car, but also reflect learning about your own dealer’s services, the add-ons you personally purchased, and questions…

David Edelman shares insights on segment-of-one marketing and the complexity of marketing in today’s multi-channel, personalized segmentation. A bit over 30 years ago, I published an early manifesto about the need to take Segment-of-One Marketing seriously. It was before the Internet, before smartphones, and just at the start of when advanced analytics were getting applied to consumer data. Yes, it does make me feel old. But while the examples from the article are now dated, the core precepts seem to…

  In this post, David Edelman tackles the issue of data collection for marketers and why the customer experience will lead the way forward. With the much publicized rollout of Apple’s app transparency tracking framework, and the elimination of third-party cookies on Chrome, marketers are about to lose cherished sources of data that have long powered their targeting and attribution initiatives. When you look at most of the advice popping up on what to do though, it tends to focus…

  The future of work, agriculture, education, and even relationships are all areas facing change thanks to AI technology. David Edelman extols the benefits of AI in this post. The digital explosion, accelerated by Covid, has not made life on the front lines of sales and customer service any easier. In fact, when customers are able to do more research on their own, salespeople face tougher unanswered questions, and more of an inquisition about competitive differences, granular product details, or…

  David Edelman explains how having an AI strategy can provide a wide range of new variables that can be personalized to the customer journey, helping to speed and scale and make the concept of agile a reality. Champion versus challenger has been the basis for finding lift and proving marketing value for decades. But we are way past the slower, high-cost operations needed to test direct mail pieces or even direct response TV.  To find the right offer, message,…

  David Edelman explains how the foundations of Theater provide powerful tools for leaders to connect, motivate, and deliver during times of constant dramatic change.  When a theater is empty, the tradition is to keep a lone bulb lit on the stage — a ghost light — really for safety, but superstitiously to keep away the bad spirits lurking in the building. Sadly, most theaters right now are lit merely by their ghost bulb, but in the absence of action…

Umbrex is pleased to welcome David Edelman. After 30 years as a Chief Marketing Officer (at Aetna/CVS) and building consultancy businesses in Digital and Marketing Transformation (with McKinsey, Digitas, and the Boston Consulting Group), I would love to work with others on helping companies in healthcare, fin services, consumer services, and marketing tech/svcs shape their strategic direction, build their teams’ capabilities, and become more digitally agile. I know what it takes from the top strategic level down to the nitty…