[Speaker Interview] With Luke O'Connell, Head of Data & Martech at Danone

Given your focus on crafting tailored, seamless, and connected customer journeys, what strategies have you found most effective in leveraging data and analytics to personalize customer interactions and drive measurable value across a diverse product portfolio?

For me this is all about TML - test, measure, learn. Be it through A/B tests, zero party data or direct customer surveys, it's all about having a strong measurement framework in place to make sure you're not in several rabbit holes at once. The other critical part of measurement is ROI, so working out that reordering the menu reduces bounce is all well and good, but how does that translate to conversion for that customer, for that brand? Tech has provided us with so much opportunity to leverage these customer journeys at scale, but in a way has meant it's often harder to see the wood for the trees.

Considering your role in driving connected customer-centric journeys across diverse product lines, how does real-time data and digital transformation play a crucial role in managing and personalizing complex customer journeys to foster long-term loyalty and brand engagement? Can you share an example from previous projects?

Real-time data does play an important role, but only when businesses have the right data maturity to leverage that data. The question I ask a lot is 'are we hitting a ceiling with our current tech?'. If you've established that you do indeed have that maturity then real time data provides a game changing array of opportunities as you start to personalise dynamically and curate journeys in real-time. With the rise of AI/GenAI this also opens the possibility (with careful governance) of building new content and experiences on the fly. The marketing funnel won't know what's hit it!

What impact can seamless customer-centric journeys, and personalisation, have in driving value across multiple brands in a portfolio?

Every customer is unique, and in this marketing era they'll refuse and balk at being treated generically. There's a strong school of thought that says personalisation is a hygiene factor but it got off to a rough start... 5 years ago it was the hot topic but we didn't have the tech to deliver on the promises. Now that we do, we're seeing a huge difference in the brands that leverage tailored experience vs those that don't, plus the value of 1st party data has increased exponentially as a result.

With your experience in accelerating digital strategies across various teams, how do/would you approach the challenge of implementing scalable AI solutions that deliver personalised, real-time customer experiences while maintaining data privacy and security?

Connection and fast iterable results. For onward teams it's about understanding what they're trying to deliver and how the digital & data strategy can be a powerful enabler of that, and then it's about showing results fast to build confidence and engagement within those teams.

What conversations are you most looking forward to at the Personalisation Summit this November?

With a background in tech I'm looking forward to the practical applications we'll cover in 'Implementing Personalisation Tools and Technologies' and as a data geek it would have to be 'The Role of Data Products in Personalisation' as a close second!

Join Luke and other industry leaders at the Personalisation Summit this November to explore cutting-edge strategies, share insights, and discover how leading brands are leveraging data-driven personalisation to transform customer experiences and drive business growth. Download the event agenda here.

Don’t miss the chance to network with industry experts and gain actionable insights that will help your organisation stay ahead in today’s competitive landscape!

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