Mining Customer Intelligence: A Practical Framework for the Development of a Database Marketing System for the Small Business Ronald Rubin and William Leigh University of Central Florida Introduction In today's world, information is critical for effective business operations (Glazer, 1991). The abundance of information available to business managers grows at a tremendous rate each year, and the technologies available for processing this information are continually changing and expanding. To remain competitive in this informationdependent world, managers must find new ways to manage information about changing market environments - markets are quickly affected by competitors' actions, there are new government policies, changing technologies, shifts in consumer sentiment, and even changes in a company's own marketing mix. These changes make managing information a challenge. Information must be managed in a way that provides guidance for decision making. To carry out marketing activities effectively, the manager needs high-quality information and the tools to process it. One such tool is a marketing information system. Reflecting the many types of marketing activities in a business, the term marketing information system (MKIS) has been used by numerous writers to refer to a variety of computer applications, including sales lead and prospect systems, customer order and invoice systems, sales tracking and reporting systems, customer-information systems, telemarketing systems, sales forecasting systems and customer support systems (Berenson, 1985; Business Week, 1994; Datapro Reports, 1989; Dobrozdravic, 1989; Eisenhart, 1988; Fortune, 1993; Keon, 1987; Moriarty and Swartz, 1989; Pare, 1993; Proctor, 1991; Rice, 1993; Rogers, 1999; Sellers, 1993; Taylor, 1985; Whitford, 1999). The term is sometimes

also used to describe a computer-based approach to market research and intelligence (Churchill, 1999). Also, the term has been referred to as a comprehensive and flexible, formal and ongoing system designed to provide an organized flow of relevant information to guide marketing decision making (Marshall and LaMoffe, 1992). The goal of the MKIS is to provide an ongoing flow of reliable information to support the planning and implementation of the key marketing activities. In recent years, the use of computer-based information systems in developing marketing strategy has gained attention from academic researchers. Decision support systems (DSS) have been developed to assist with the formulation of marketing strategy through the use of quantitative models and analytical techniques (Wilson and McDonald, 1994; Arinze, 1990; Belardo et al., 1994). Efforts have also been made to apply expert systems (ES) in supporting strategic marketing by offering domain knowledge and intelligent advice (Alpar, 1991; Borach and Hartvigsen, 1991; McIvor et al., 1992; Moutinho et al., 1993; McDonald, 1989a). A few studies (Amaravadi et al, 1995; Duan an Burrell, 1995) have been carried out to design knowledge-based or intelligence-based marketing information systems to enhance corporate competitive advantages. These studies tend to emphasis the conceptual design, rather than the practical application. The vast majority of material on the subject, however, deals with information support system needs of large business, citing big business cases and examples (Adcock et al, 1993; Cooper, 1988; McFarlan, 1984; Porter et al, 1985). By contrast, this paper focuses on the development of a particular information system, a database marketing system, as it relates to small businesses. Specifically, it aims to provide an understanding of how the key concepts, tools and techniques of textbook information system development can be

applied in the form of a simplified and practical framework of marketing plan development in the small business. The paper begins by providing the rationale for the proposed framework, followed by a detailed description of each of the seven planning phases it incorporates. We explore this further through the examination of the process that an actual retailer itself took to introduce this information technology system. A Rationale for the Proposed Framework There are three fundamental principles that underpin the proposed information system framework. The first principle is to provide market information that allows the evaluation of each client segment in relation to demand for goods and services. A market consists of all actual and potential customers, individuals who may influence the purchase decision. A small business may currently serve several markets while ignoring other markets based on possible income, competition, and expected growth. Some markets will be in decline while others will be just starting to have high growth potential. Each market is different and thus requires different marketing techniques and different levels of effort. Most small businesses can not afford external market research and analysis, nor do they have the in house resources, either time or ability, to develop their own market intelligence. However, the ability to understand a market comes from researching its participants. Therefore, the development of their own client information provides the most accurate view of the market while also giving them the flexibility of managing the data collection and reporting. A client information system is developed over year not weeks. Its usage, understanding and application are interrelated to understanding their client, their market and their firm. However, given the limited resources of the typical small business the

development of a simple, but comprehensive database marketing system can be integrated with the company’s advertising, sales and other marketing activities. The second principle is to provide a means of delivering and assessing client communications that will improve client relationships. Through a combination of database marketing and desktop publishing software, a small business can create letters, product literature, response forms, and other materials customized to meet the specific needs and interests of small target audience segments and personalized to each person. Many companies can include a mailing address, telephone number (regular or 800), fax number, response card or e-mail address in their print or broadcast materials to generate inquires from interested prospects. A small business also wants to know the return-on-investment for the communications dollar the company is spending. One of the big advantages of database marketing is to enable the firm to test two or more alternative lists, offers, messages, mailing packages or specific elements among a small group of people. The most effective variations can then be used among a larger audience. This saves money and results in more effective marketing communications. The third principle is to “keep on” marketing planning. The fast-changing nature of the modern business environment means that marketing planning should be a continuous, ever-evolving process, which seeks to exploit these changes to the company’s best advantage (Brooksbank, 1991). Thus a database marketing system is intended to provide continuous effective support for the process of marketing strategy development. Marketing theory provides a wealth of plans, blueprints, diagrams and charts that outline how to achieve these objectives. However, marketing strategy development is difficult and complex at best. They require both systematic analysis and a synthesis of

relevant information. Having identified several needs of a small business it should be possible to develop a computer-based information system needed to satisfy a small business manager’s perceived needs for support. This paper proposes a database marketing support system using Microsoft Excel’s database module as one approach to assist the process of marketing strategy formulation. The Excel database module provides for a simple yet effective client management system. The implementation of the database can provide the small business with the following benefits: • • • • • • • • • •

Communicate with the clients by service/product. Evaluate revenue by user defined properties (demographic or psychographic) for a specified time period. Evaluate revenue of new clients. Provide a means of communication which allows the firm to easily communicate, advise and inform a set of clients are user definable. Provide awareness of clients that have not used the firm's services over a given period of time. Provide a profile of new clients by demographic and service/product characteristics. Provide follow up dates for services/products, promotions and communications. Provide a historical report on promotions and client communications. Measure the effectiveness of marketing programs. Reduce client communication costs while increasing effectiveness. The above outlined benefits form the basis of a firm’s marketing strategy. The strategy

will evolve by simply recording client information in the database system and accessing that information for market communications and market analysis. What is Database Marketing? Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary (1986) refers to a database as a “collection of data organized especially for rapid search and retrieval (as by a computer).” Data is referred to as “factual information…” Here, however, we will use the word in a more precise sense, “A structured collection of data held in computer storage; especially one that incorporates software to make it accessible in a variety of ways”. The term

"database marketing" is used by different people to refer to a variety of activities. Although no single definition is necessarily more correct than another, Edward Nash (1993) has developed a definition we believe works well for most companies: Creating a computer file of a company’s customers and/or best prospects and then marketing to those people as individuals. But the term goes beyond this definition. For most company’s, the existence of a very large database with critical information is not new, and pulling out the data that is needed, when it is needed, has been an age-old challenge. Detailed data about customers, prospects, potential markets, and other key performance indicators are waiting to be exploited. These assets have gone mostly untapped because of the high cost of hardware and software needed to effectively sort and analyze the large volume of data. But now, thanks to the availability of powerful and affordable desktop computers, combined with new and simple database software, mining customer intelligence is a viable approach for even the smallest business. The term mining refers to analyzing data in large databases to identify trends, similarities, and patterns to support managerial decisionmaking (Zorn et al., 1999). In the definition of “database” above, the key words are “structured”, referring to how the data is conceptualized, and “software”. Let us consider these two terms in reverse order. Figure 1 represents the basic parts of a typical database management system. Figure 1: Structure of a Database System

SOFTWARE INPUT

Data Input Form

Analytical Techniques

OUTPUT

Reports

DATABASE Sales Product Customer Competitors Promotion Distribution Market

Here you can see the essential role played by intermediating software, which takes care of all manipulation of the data. The user of the data never sees what is stored directly. The chief advantage is that for storage and retrieval purposes the information can be held in the form most convenient for the software to work on, and at the same time provided to the user in whatever format he or she requires. As for the input section of the system, a userfriendly means of entering data can be devised so that the manual work is as painless as possible. In fact, with a modern database system a certain amount of error-checking can be built in. There are two major kinds of database systems represented by current software: “flat-file” and “relational”. A so-called flat-file database system is one that causes data to be structured as a single, two-dimensional table of rows (records, individual instances of what you are recording) and columns (fields, parts of each instance). Flat-file databases are far more commonplace than relational, because they are inherently much less complex, and so easier to produce and to use. One common type of flat-file database system currently in widespread use is spreadsheet software such as Lotus 1-2-3, QuattroPro, and Excel. These spreadsheet software are structured in terms of “cells”, i.e. the intersections of rows and columns; a cell may contain numbers, formulas for computing numbers from the contents of other cells, or alphanumeric data. Although the mathematical, numbercrunching functions of a spreadsheet are most prominent, its utility as a flat-file database system is highly underrated. On the other hand, a modern relational database system allows you to interlink two or more tables automatically rather than work with one at a time – or provide the interlinking manually, by moving from one table to another for

additional data. The relational model and the software that implements it are specifically for kinds of data too complex for the flat-file techniques to be effective. Several examples of relational databases are dBase, Paradox, Oracle and Access.

Steps in the Development of a Database Marketing System The database marketing process for most small business people will usually consist of a series of steps similar to those described below. However, each company will, by necessity, handle things differently. Although the following steps are written in terms of creating a database system of end-user customers and prospects, the steps also apply to building a database of dealers or other intermediaries. Step 1: Whether any kind of database system is suitable to your needs The first issue to face is whether any kind of a database management system is suitable for your information needs. If the data consist of numerous pieces that you need to sort in many different ways, then database management is worth considering. The data should be sufficiently voluminous and complex that a simpler, manual method, such as the conventional 3-by-5 card, will not do. At the beginning of the development phase, a good rule-of-thumb is to work through a prototype of the whole project, using only a fraction of the data but following each stage with the simplest technology you think might work. If it runs into trouble, or you can see that it will constrain you later, then try a more sophisticated approach. A beginner may not, of course, be able to tell what the eventual limits of a technology may be or what particular advantages more sophisticated software may offer. An experienced individual can help a great deal here. Database management at any level offers, in addition to convenience, a rigidly disciplined approach that can be of considerable benefit in itself. Many database management systems, and all relational

systems, begin by forcing you to describe the structure of the data – which at the beginning of the project, you may not understand well at all. Immediately basic questions of categorization (how the data are to be modeled or conceptualized) are raised and cannot be avoided if you wish to proceed with the software. At this time, you are offered a tool that allows you, relatively easily, to play with the model until you get it right, or as close to right as you can. Whether you use a flat file or relational database depends on the nature of your data and how you have conceptualized it. This paper discusses an approach for a small business using a flat-file database system that is built into Microsoft’s spreadsheet Excel. Step 2: Identify customers and or prospects. Customers and prospects may be identified through several methods. The company may be able to compile names through internal sources such as invoices, returned warranty cards or registration cards. Dealers, distributors or sales representatives may be willing to provide names of customers and prospects, too. Another source for customer and prospect names is media advertising. Advertisements placed in newspapers, radio, television or local magazines, the World Wide Web or other media can invite readers to respond via a coupon, response card, telephone, fax or electronic mail to receive additional information. A third source of customer and prospect names is a rented list of people or companies who fit the profile of the target audience. Associations and publications in the industry may make such lists available for rental purposes. Step 3: Store names and other information in a computer database and then enhance that data. Once customer/prospects are identified, their names, addresses and other available

information should be entered into a database. However, a company will probably need more information regarding customers and prospects in order to have a very effective database. Basic name and address data may be enhanced by collecting additional information from customers and prospects. Such information might include competitor products used, purchase volume, opinions regarding products or particular customer/prospect needs relating to a product. Surveys and direct questioning are the two most popular ways of doing this. Data may also be enhanced by overlaying the company database with information from other sources. For example, a company may be able to match its own database with that of an association or publication in the industry. Whenever a name on the company’s database is matched by a name from the other database, the additional information from the second database can be appended to the company's database. Table 1 illustrates the basic types of information to include in a customer database. The numbers in the brackets indicate the standard/recommended length of each field. Table 1: Information to Include in a Marketing database Field Name FIRST NAME LAST NAME SALUTATION TITLE COMPANY STREET ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP CODE DAY TELEPHONE EVENING TELEPHONE ALTERNATE ADDRESS ALTERNATE CITY ALTERNATE STATE ALTERNATE ZIP CUSTOMER # CUST/INQ CODE KEY CODE

Length of Field [12] [18 [4] [15] [30] [30] [20] [ 2] [10] [19] [19] [30] [ 20] [ 2] [10] [ 8] [ 1] [ 8]

Comment

Mr/Mrs/Ms/Miss/Dr/Sir/etc. Where available Company name, if applicable

Get Zip+4 when available Format: 000-000-0000 X 0000 Address other than above

Assign a customer number C=Customer I=Inquirer Which key code response is from

DATE OF BIRTH HOBBY/INTEREST LAST PURCHASE PURCHASE AMOUINT NUMBER OF ORDERS

[ 8] [20] [ 8] [ 5] [ 3]

Where appropriate Where useful Date of last purchase Amount of last purchase in dollars Number of individual orders

DATE PRODUCT # AMOUNT DESCRIPTION

[ 8] [15] [ 5] [30]

Date of each purchase Company product/item number

EXTRA CODE S

[depends]

To be added as fields for future use

Purchasing History

Product description

Step 4: Analyze the Data. Data can be analyzed in a variety of complex or simple ways depending upon what information is in the database. At this stage, it is important to identify clusters of customers and prospects who are likely to have similar needs that the company can profitably address. Among its customers, a company may want to analyze specific purchase patterns in terms of timing, frequency, recency and volume. Step 5: Communicate directly with customers and /or prospects Specific database marketing programs should be developed as a result of analyzing the data. Among customers, you may initiate loyalty or frequent buyer programs, relationship building programs, cross-selling programs, customer service programs or other efforts. With prospects, product trial programs, image or preference building programs or customer referral programs may be implemented. Appropriate communications should be created as part of the programs. The key is to deliver the right message with a good offer to the right audience. While there may be some communications that can be sent to all customers and/or prospects, the majority should be delivered only to certain groups of customers or prospects. The communications should be as individualized as possible to address the specific needs of each person.

Database marketing permits communications to be delivered via direct mail, telephone, fax, electronic mail or in person in a personalize manner. Step 6: Analyze the results One of the key features of database marketing is that the results from nearly all programs can be measured and analyzed. In fact, specific mailing or other communications can usually be measured. This enables database marketers to test different programs or communications to determine which approach is most cost effective. Then the best approach can be used among larger audiences. Regardless of whether advanced testing is done, the results of specific communications or marketing effort can be analyzed so that future efforts can be improved. Step 7: Repeat steps 1 – 6 as needed Database marketing is not a process that simply goes from start to finish. It is an ongoing process. New prospects are constantly being identified and incorporated into existing database programs. Hopefully, some of these prospects will become customers. These new customers will then become part of the customer database marketing program. Rather than simply sending out a constant stream of communications, database marketing should be though of as a two-way process in which the company continuously collects new information from customers and prospects. This new information should be reviewed and used to improve the effectiveness of each new program or communications effort. The Case Study: A Small Jewelry Store The retailer is a small jewelry store located in a Statistical Metropolitan Area incorporating three counties of a population of over 1,500,000. Besides competing with large chain jewelry stores such as Mayor’s, Zales, Kay, and Gordon’s, it also has within

the SMA over 400 other jewelry stores of various size. The store is basically a full service store offering a wide variety of custom-design jewelry, including rings, necklaces, bracelets, and watches. It also provides the customers with such services as jewelry appraisal and repairs. Currently, the business was unable to adapt to customer needs due to target market, time and financial constraints. Challenges Facing the Company The retailer faced a number of challenges: 1. Thus far, the store has been relying on the word of mouth advertising method to attract new customers. Although this method has been working, The owner believes that she needs to utilize other methods in order to improve sales drastically. 2. With her current mailing method, the owner researches every household located in a targeted zip code, regardless of the income level or other demographic characteristics deemed appropriate as her target market. 3. Based on demographic research between 1989 to 1994 it was discovered that the month of June, on average, ranked the highest in the number of weddings in the SMA. Furthermore, based on the owner’s experience, couples usually purchased engagement and wedding rings approximately eighteen months prior to the weddings. Assuming that these two trends continue into the future, displaying engagement rings, bridal sets, and trios during the month of November or December will be rewarding. The owner should establish with her suppliers a “showing” at this time which should generate several benefits. First, it will improve revenue and profits: both from the sale of her own jewelry and from the share of the suppliers’ profit margin. Second, it will increase the store’s name recognition. And third, the owner can incorporate the names of those

who purchase from her suppliers into her customer database for future marketing effort. 4. Approximately one week after a sale, someone should call the customer for a follow up. The call should express gratitude for the purchase as well as to welcome the customer into the company’s family circle. The call should also include questions as how satisfied the customer is with the purchased product and with the services provided. The call is intended to ensure the customer’s satisfaction and to build a relationship with the customers for future sales and for word of mouth advertising. Introducing Technology Within the Retailer In 1999 the company introduced a database marketing system using the steps outlined in the earlier database marketing process section of the paper. An Excel spreadsheet was determined to fit the needs of this retailer. Some of the factors underlying the decision to use the Excel database module follows: First, one of the trickiest parts of data management is getting the data into the database. The process is tedious and prone to error. Excel’s data form command provides a solid way to enter, view, validate and filter data. Figure 2 shows one such form. Using this form, we can edit or delete the existing records, add new fields or add new records. With this simple system, there is no form-design and form-management issues to worry about. The flexibility removes a lot of the headaches that come with more sophisticated form management.

Figure 2: Excel’s Built-in Data Forms for Data Entry

Second, if you structure the data in an Excel worksheet as a list (the term is interchangeable with the term database in Excel), a variety of analytical techniques become available. You can arrange the list’s data in an order that you can choose by sorting the records. Usually, the order in which the records are sorted is ascending or descending. But there are also some custom sorting orders that can be applied. For example, if a list contains the names of the months of the year, you can sort it so that “September” records precede “October” records, even though alphabetic order calls for the reverse. Excel can extract records from the database, and display them in-place or in a different location. This action is called filtering, and there are various ways to filter a database: •

Visually, so that certain records are hidden and others are visible

•

Structurally, so that selected records are copied to a new location

•

According to a criterion such as the highest ten values, or the highest ten percent, or some other criterion that is specified One can summarize the values in one column according to values in another column.

For example, you might want to view the total sales revenues according various zip codes. Excel’s Subtotal functions are handy for this, and you can create some very sophisticated summaries by using the lists as inputs to pivot tables. The analysis of data in the list is also simplified by using Excel’s Scenario Manager, the View Manager, the Analysis ToolPak and other tools and worksheet functions. Results from Using the New Database Marketing System The following are among the most important benefits derived from using the new system: •

Marketing funds are spent cost effectively because they are concentrated on the stores current customers and very best prospects.

•

By directing their marketing efforts to current customers in a more timely manner the store improved it relationship with its customers thereby increasing customer loyalty.

•

The results from most database marketing activities undertaken by the store were measurable. The owner was now able to say, “We spent $1,360 on our recent database marketing communications effort and we sold two engagement rings, and the profits for these sales covered the communication expenses.”

•

Alternative offers and communications approaches were tested to determine which are the most cost effective. Knowledge gained from one test was used to improve subsequent efforts

•

The marketing database system provided valuable information regarding customers and prospects. In this respect, it served as a research tool as well as a communications tool.

•

The information in the database marketing system enabled the store’s communications effort to be personalized to individual customer and prospects is such a way that those communications spoke directly to the needs, wants and interests of each individual. This is believed to have increased the appeal and effectiveness of the communications.

•

Specific promotions and offers were directed to certain customers and prospects without having to make the same offer to everyone.

•

The database marketing system helped to identify potential cross-selling and sales increase opportunities. Conclusion

The marketing database system presented in this paper demonstrates the potential to address some of the pressing concerns facing small business managers today. There is no doubt that without IT the jewelry retailer would have been unable to keep its position in the market. In Excel, a list is a fundamental structure on a worksheet, one that forms the basis for many different data management capabilities. Although the database functions of Excel lack the many features for a more sophisticated relational database system, its strength lies in its ease of use and it does an admirable job for many small businesses. The easiest software to use is the software you already know. Since many small business people know how to use Microsoft Excel, they already know almost everything they need to utilize the database functions of this program. Whether you want to sort, extract, summarize, or analyze data, the Excel tool is there when you need it. It is

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