Mobile Marketing, Business Analytics and Code Halos

In an article I published earlier this week, Digital Transformation, Code Halos, Analytics and Mobility, I provided an overview of the concept of Code Halo™.  The idea is that nearly all organizations, brands, products and people are surrounded by a halo of data.  Companies that recognize the value of code halos will develop new business models and IT systems to utilize these code halos to better engage with customers and prospects, deliver more relevant content and employ precision marketing and support campaigns based upon known interests and desires.

Today I want to explore the role of mobile marketing and how it relates to code halos.  First, let's review the four basic elements of a "logistics of information" system that can derive value from code halos:

1. There must be effective data collection strategies - Often in the form of mobile apps, loyalty programs and online commerce sites that enable a customer to opt-in to various programs, campaigns and deals and share their personal preferences.  This is how you begin to collect and harvest useful data from your customers' code halos.
2. The system must uniquely identify and recognize a user.  This identification is associated with a code halo.  This recognition enables the IT and e-commerce systems to customize and personalize content, which provides a more relevant and positive experience for the customer.
3. The ability to recognize patterns, find meanings, and to spark new ideas and innovation by analyzing, comparing and combining multiple code halos is another important development.  Here is an example - Store number 2 recognizes that a sub-set of their customers all share similar code halos - which includes product preferences, lifestyles, demographics and buying habits.  Store number 2 also closely analyzes the code halos of their suppliers' products, brands and target customer profiles.  As a result, Store number 2 can introduce new marketing campaigns and products that very closely align with the preferences and tastes of their individual customers and sub-sets of customers.
4. Each campaign or program roll-out is continually analyzed and optimized to improve precision and future results.

Point number one above is effective data collection strategies.  In an age of digital transformation, data collection can often be facilitated via mobile apps, social networking analysis and e-commerce/shopping sites.  Mobile apps have the added luxury of being location aware.  Location, preferences, searches, shared opinions, buying history, time of day, etc., can all be collected via mobile app interaction and added to your code halo.

Analyzing a code halo, however, does not drive value or provide a competitive advantage.  The analysis should result in personalized content being sent to the mobile app of the customer or prospect.  This precision marketing, based on analyzed code halo data, will as a result, drive an increase in sales and company value.  

The three biggest challenges now for companies are:

1. Recognize code halos and implement business strategies to utilize them.
2. Implement a logistics of information system to manage and utilize code halo processes.
3. Spark innovation by comparing and combining various code halos and the resulting insights.
4. Utilize the analysis of code halos in ways that add value to your company.

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Kevin Benedict, Head Analyst for Social, Mobile, Analytics and Cloud (SMAC) Cognizant

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Full Disclosure: These are my personal opinions. No company is silly enough to claim them. I am a mobility and SMAC analyst, consultant and writer. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles.