Tjeerd Brenninkmeijer, Executive Vice President EMEA and Brand & Communications at eCommerce experience platform Bloomreach runs us through the best piece of advice he’d give newcomers in the industry.

What are the biggest challenges facing eCommerce retailers heading into Q4 and peak season?

Customer Experience and Personalization: Modern consumers expect highly personalised shopping experiences. Retailers must prioritise that this year and leverage AI and data analytics to provide relevant product recommendations and personalised marketing messages across all channels, including email, SMS, and social media. And making sure that there are seamless and cohesive experiences across all online and offline touchpoints will be just as important. This includes integrating in-store and online data to provide a unified customer experience.

Increasing LTV: As CAC continues to rise and retailers need to focus on profitable top-line growth, it will be important to learn how to leverage your existing customer base. Creating loyalty, understanding your customers, and focusing on brand advocates will be crucial.

What is most exciting to you about the eCommerce and digital marketing industry right now?

I mentioned this before, but how AI is influencing a digital marketer’s everyday tasks and how their job has been shaped by AI over the past year is really interesting to me currently. AI tools are being used to automate various aspects of marketing, from email campaigns to social media engagement. I know from experience that this has increased efficiency and allowed for more precise targeting and personalisation, leading to better customer retention and higher conversion rates. I am looking forward to how marketing will continue to evolve and we’ll be able to focus more on strategy with developing AI.  

Why is it important to bring the industry together at events like eCommerce Expo and Technology for Marketing?

In such a virtual world, there are very few times when our industry can come together like this. It’s such a special time for us to collaborate, meet up with colleagues we’ve known for years, and share what we’re working on and what we’re most excited about. Events like this are where ideas are born and I am excited to see all that comes out of this week.

What’s the best piece of advice you would give to new people joining the industry?

Do not be afraid to lean into how quickly the industry changes. It can be daunting at times, but we are at the centre of today’s greatest technological innovations and have the ability to really make it our own. Taking on that challenge and being open to learning is what will make you an amazing marketer.