Dive into the complete episode list for Statements of Intent. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.
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Pub. Date
Title
Duration
08 May 2024
18 | You Wouldn’t Treat Your Friends That Way: Customer Experience with Jonny Longden
00:23:34
In this episode of Statements of Intent, host David Mannheim talks to Johnny Longden, Group Digital Director at Boohoo, about the pressures faced by eCommerce companies and how a myopic focus on metrics can undermine the customer experience. They discuss the need to balance short-term business goals with long-term customer needs and nurturing loyalty beyond just conversion rates.
Jonny has years of experience building and scaling experimentation strategies from scratch for large businesses like Visa Europe, Sky, and Journey Further. He has practiced innovation in analytics and testing/experimentation, and knows all about how to marry this with KPI performance.
Topics Covered:
The difference in pressures between agency and client-side roles
Short-term business pressures vs building long-term customer loyalty
The pitfalls of over-relying on metrics like conversion rates
Understanding and optimising for the customer's intent and experience
Moving beyond metrics to a more holistic view of customer behaviour
Key Quotes:
“I’m not a toilet seat addict.”
"Conversion rate is a good example where you can do something to increase conversion rate and you would successfully increase conversion rate, but that would have a detrimental impact on your entire business and you would never know."
"We need to move to understanding more of the total systems that govern how people behave and interact.”
"Imagine if you try to sort of optimise your friendship with one of your friends through metrics, you know, you wouldn't do it, would you? It just would be really, really weird."
Episode Chapters
00:00 Introduction 00:49 Guest Intro: Johnny Longden 03:23 The Pressure In Retail vs. Agency 05:55 Short-Term Pressures vs. Long-Term Customer Needs 08:54 Stop Over-Relying on Metrics 17:18 Customer Intent and Experience 21:35 Jonny's Statement of Intent: Data and Tech vs Customers 22:43 Outro
20 | What’s Wrong With eCommerce: Season 1 Recap with David Mannheim
00:24:36
It’s the end of Season 1 already?! Well, if you happened to miss any episodes, or just didn’t have the time to watch them all, you’re in luck.
In this episode, host David Mannheim reflects on the key lessons and insights gained from the first season of the Statements of Intent podcast. He discusses the common themes that emerged across his conversations with eCommerce leaders, highlighting their shared desire to challenge the status quo and create more human-centric online experiences.
Topics Covered:
What’s wrong with conversion rate
The need for personalisation and genuine human connection in eCommerce
Moving away from short-term metrics like conversion rate toward long-term customer relationships
Practical tips for fostering customer intimacy at scale
Key Quotes:
"We crave some kind of intimacy, we need that within our lives. A website, an online experience, feels the antithesis of that feeling."
"No one metric can capture the health of consumer and customer relationships.”
“You don't need to attribute everything.”
"Conversion rate is a lagging metric. And actually, it's the worst kind of metric because customers could fight tooth and nail and still convert if they are a fan.”
Episode Chapters
00:00 Introduction 01:38 What David Has Learned From This Podcast 05:21 The Journey Towards Customer Centricity 10:20 Redefining Success Metrics in eCommerce 23:09 Final Thoughts 23:57 Outro
19 | Why Website Optimisation Fails with David Mannheim
00:23:08
In this episode, David Mannheim, founder of Made With Intent, advocates for a shift away from optimising for conversion metrics and page templates. Towards truly understanding and catering to each buyer's individual journey and mindset - what he calls "stages, not pages."
Topics Covered:
Reasons why retailers tend think in pages not stages
Why retailers should think in buying stages over website pages.
What is personalisation
Why personalisation fails
David's solution to create more appropriate and impactful experiences
Key Quotes:
"We focus on the 2% that are going to convert and ignore the needs of the other 98%."
"We optimize how we want to sell, not how people actually want to buy."
"Location is not a good indication of when or how a customer will buy."
"When you understand the buying stage, you can tailor your sales pitch. You meet users at the intersection of how they want to purchase."
"Conversion rate is a method of selling, while buying stages reflect how people actually buy."
Episode Chapters
00:00 Templates 00:00 Introduction 01:41 David's Statement: Stages Not Pages 03:11 Why Retailers Focus on Page Templates 10:06 Why Retailers Resist Implementing Personalisation 16:12 The Solution 22:02 Outro
16 | Why treating customers as numbers can damage brand with Martin Sheerin
00:29:11
In this episode, David Mannheim sits down with Martin Sheerin, Director of Digital Product at N Brown Group.
Martin explains how brands will gain more reward by prioritising decisions based on customer needs rather than lagging metrics like conversion.
After working for brands like Moneysupermarket, The Co-operative Bank, and Phones4u, Martin has over 16 years of expertise in eCommerce, user experience, and conversion rate optimisation. In this time, he has not only transformed businesses but also fostered teams to excel in creating innovative digital products and touchpoints that significantly improve customer journeys.
Topics Covered:
Martin’s role as a Director of Digital Products at N Brown Group
Understanding the difference between leading and lagging metrics
The importance of customer-centric testing and optimisation
N Brown's "Run, Grow, Transform" model for balancing short and long-term goals
Advice for how to keep the customer at the heart of business decisions
Key Quotes:
"If you think about customers as numbers, you'll drive the number up now, but it's very short-lived."
"We're not only looking at the sale, but the whole loop - before you come to our websites through to how do I make you want to make a second purchase with us?"
"If you just do conversion optimisation, you'd minimise the content and push people through. What we found was by making it a slightly longer process and helping people understand the product, we got more sign-ups and retained more customers."
Episode Chapters
00:00 Introduction 01:06 Guest Introduction: Martin Sheeran 01:43 The Role of a Director of Digital Products 03:36 Understanding Leading vs. Lagging Metrics 06:41 The Importance of Customer-Centric Testing 17:15 The Three-Speed Model: Run, Grow, Transform 24:20 Martin's Advice For Other eComm Leaders 28:18 Outro
Season 2 of the Statements of Intent Podcast brings bigger guests, more drones, and hilarious bloopers.
The host, David Mannheim, will be travelling around the UK to visit senior eCommerce leaders to talk with them about how we might change the perspective of eCommerce for the better. How we measure and treat our customers. How we optimise their experiences. And how we make it all a little more human.
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Episode 6 | "No Purpose Left Behind." - Paul Prior | Statements of Intent Podcast
00:26:34
In this episode, Host, David Mannheim, chats with Paul Prior, Head of Digital at Three, about bringing humanity back to the world of eCommerce.
Topics Covered:
Paul's guiding principle of "No Purpose Left Behind"
Why eCommerce focuses too much on technology over people
The role of courage and bravery in eCommerce
Practical ways to focus on each customer's unique purpose
Key Quotes:
"Online isn't really about technology, it's about the people that are sitting behind technology, and we are complex mofos."
"People are scared in general. Like, so you only really have two basic emotions. You have fear and joy."
"It takes a lot of courage to ask the big questions, when it's much easier to just ignore them and carry forward."
Episode Chapters:
00:00 Introduction 00:56 Guest Introduction: Paul Prior 02:23 Paul's Statement: No Purpose Left Behind 07:15 The Role of Technology in eCommerce 14:53 The Importance of Courage and Bravery in eCommerce 21:43 Practical Application of 'No Purpose Left Behind' 25:35 Outro
Episode 9 | "Progress Over Perfection" - Nik Fletcher | Statements of Intent Podcast
00:23:08
In this week's episode, we chat with Nik Fletcher, Head of Digital Experience at Rapha, about the importance of progress over perfection in eCommerce. We discuss why brands fail to authentically connect with shoppers, and how to rebuild trust by embracing vulnerability.
Topics Covered:
The passion gap between eCommerce practitioners and customers
Short-term thinking that overlooks long-term loyalty
Why ego and perfectionism hinder customer centricity
The role of vulnerability in driving change
Key Quotes:
"It takes two people to start a movement, the lone outsider and the first follower. But you've got to be vulnerable to be that first or second person."
"It's about progress, knowing that vision of where you want to be and holding that true. It's about keeping that justice."
“Sometimes it’s like, ‘What would this be like in the real world?’ in a store. That’s the most foundational, human, common sense way of looking at things.”
Episode Chapters
00:00 Introduction 01:28 Guest Introduction: Nick Fletcher 04:08 Nik's Statement: Progress Over Perfection 06:39 The Balance Between Progress and Perfection 17:32 Ego and Vulnerability in E-commerce 21:22 Outro
Episode 3 | "It's All About Context" - Matthew Lawson | Statements of Intent Podcast
00:25:05
Host David Mannheim chats with Guest Matthew Lawson, Chief Digital Officer at Ribble Cycles. With over 20 years in eCommerce, Matthew shares his insights on the industry's evolution from capability to efficiency, the tension between short-term and long-term goals, and why the context of wider business objectives and market conditions should inform how brands treat their customers.
Topics Covered:
The evolution of eCommerce from innovation to efficiency
Balancing business KPIs like marketing costs, sessions, and conversion rates
Adapting strategies and tactics based on wider business goals and market conditions
The tension between short-term and long-term objectives
Treating customers appropriately throughout their purchase journey
Key Quotes:
"Conversion rate is a barometer of what you're willing to, or what you can afford in regards to driving sessions and marketing."
"It's harder for someone to say let's go for the long term investment."
Episode 7 | "Move From Customer Service to Customer Care" - Martin Newman | Statements of Intent Podcast
00:22:41
In this episode, host David Mannheim chats with Martin Newman, one of the world's leading authorities on customer centricity, about bringing more empathy and care to customer interactions in eCommerce. Martin is the Founder of The Customer First Group and has worked with brands like Burberry, Ted Baker, Intersport, and Harrods. He also scaled and sold global eCommerce agency Practicology. He is a global speaker and author of 2 books including ‘The Power of Customer Experience’.
Topics Covered:
The importance of personalised experiences in eCommerce
Moving from customer service to customer care
Giving frontline staff autonomy and independence
The lack of empathy in many organisations
Key Quotes:
"The front line of any organisation...that front line are the difference between success and failure."
"Every single business selling anything can start the process of turning a customer into a fan, but it's the process of how you talk to them, how you engage with them, how you personalise the experience."
"I really believe that one of the reasons why a lot of big high street brands that are no longer around basically...fundamentally believe at the heart of that was a lack of empathy."
Episode Chapters:
00:00 Introduction 01:06 Guest Introduction: Martin Newman 06:44 Martin's Statement: Move From Customer Service to Customer Care 10:42 Independence in Customer Service 16:05 A Lack of Empathy in Organisations 21:39 Outro
Resources:
The Power of Customer Experience: How to Use Customer-centricity to Drive Sales and Profitability by Martin Newman → https://amzn.eu/d/9jffMqM
100 Practical Ways to Improve Customer Experience: Achieve End-to-End Customer Engagement in a Multichannel World→ https://amzn.eu/d/1SWszht
Episode 10 | "Reinvent Customer Journeys and Metrics" - Sienne Veit | Statements of Intent Podcast
00:21:33
In this episode, David Mannheim sits down with Sienne Veit, Founder & Chief Product Officer at Invisible Stuff.
Through 20 years in global and UK retail and technology sectors, Sienne has helped notable brands grow like Kingfisher, John Lewis & Partners, M&S, Morrisons, Samsung, and Sony. Constantly utilising new tech, she is passionate about customer centricity and building a brand the right way.
Sienne and David discuss the importance of reinventing customer journeys and metrics. They delve into the shortcomings of relying solely on conversion rates and explore alternative metrics that better capture the customer experience. Sienne emphasises the need to understand the reasons behind changes in conversion rates and tailor strategies accordingly, especially in the era of mobile shopping.
Topics Covered:
The limitations of conversion rate as a metric
Understanding the reasons behind fluctuations in conversion rate
The importance of measuring customer journeys and behaviour
Advocating for customer lifetime value as a key metric
The value of mobile apps in capturing omnichannel data
Balancing immediate ROI with long-term customer value
Key Quotes:
"Conversion rate to me is a lag metric. And it means a number of people have, have gone about their shopping journey and been successful in my book. You can have a ton of grumpy customers that have kind of fought their way tooth and nail through your website to get what they want."
"I think better metrics are metrics that are allied to their mission."
"If you notice what I do, then I probably haven't done my job. If you don't notice what I do, then I am doing my job really well."
Episode Chapters
00:00 Introduction 01:01 Guest Introduction: Sienne Veit 03:49 Sienne's Statement: Reinvent Customer Journeys And Metrics 08:37 The Mobile Shopping Shift and Its Impact on Metrics 12:22 The Power of Apps in Enhancing Customer Journeys 16:36 Balancing Immediate ROI with Long-Term Customer Value 20:11 Sienne's Last Words 20:46 Outro
12 | Why Personalisation Requires More Than Surfacing Content with Tom Bailey
00:23:41
This week on Statements of Intent, we dive into how personalisation is really about supporting customers' desired intent. Our guest Tom Bailey, VP Product Analytics at Made With Intent, shares his perspective on moving beyond surface-level targeting to truly understand each individual's needs. Tom is an expert when it comes to data and isn’t afraid to ask the tough questions to find practical solutions.
Topics Covered:
The evolution of personalisation in eCommerce - from Boots loyalty cards to real-time intent signals
Why conversion rate alone paints an incomplete picture
Using natural language processing to interpret customer intent through on-site language
Creating cross-functional teams focused on the customer experience
Key Quotes:
"Personalisation is not necessarily always about giving something away monetarily. You just need to be suiting people based on what their needs are."
"A website is fundamentally made up of pieces of text. Underlying the website is text we can interpret to understand intent."
"We have to start listening beyond the noise of sales data and start tuning into the real people we're trying to serve."
"True loyalty comes from making your customers feel seen, heard, and understood as individuals."
Episode Chapters:
00:00 Introduction 01:10 Guest Introduction 06:20 Discussion on Personalisation in eCommerce 08:18 Statement of Intent: Personalisation Isn't Surfacing Content, It's Supporting Intent Effectively 14:09 Technicality of Inferring User Intent 22:17 Outro
Welcome to the Statements of Intent podcast, the show that's dedicated to breaking the status quo gripping eCommerce.
21 Feb 2024
Episode 8 | "Don't Be Short-Term Focused" - Sean Ellis | Statements of Intent Podcast
00:23:15
In this episode of Statements of Intent, host David Mannheim talks to Sean Ellis, author of 'Hacking Growth' and founder of Qualaroo and Growth Hackers, about improving long-term growth in eCommerce. They discuss the importance of customer satisfaction and delivering value to ensure sustainable growth, the necessity of setting the right objectives, and the balance between focusing on revenue and growth. Ellis emphasises the need for cross-functional team alignment and the shift from short-term to long-term focus. The conversation sheds light on strategies for maintaining a strong customer base and the dangers of over-reliance on short-term success metrics.
Topics Covered:
The problem with prioritising short-term metrics like signups over long-term value
Balancing quantity and quality - getting the right users to the right experience
Setting objectives that reflect authentic value to drive impact
The challenges of cross-functional alignment in action, not just theory
Focusing the entire organisation on delivering core value
Key Quotes:
"Anything that doesn't lead to customers being extremely happy and coming back is probably not worth doing."
"You may end up losing a lot of people who just, 'Oh, well, I'm not interested in that.' And so they, they don't end up converting, but now you're converting the right people."
"Theory without habits, that doesn't get you anywhere."
Episode Chapters
00:00 Introduction 00:55 Guest Introduction: Sean Ellis 03:02 Sean's Statement: Don't Be Short-Term Focused 06:06 Understanding Conversion Rates 09:34 Balancing Quality and Quantity 17:23 The Challenges of Implementing Customer-Centric Growth 21:12 Outro
Episode 2 | "Put People Before Process" - Ed Deason | Statements of Intent Podcast
00:23:30
“Put People Before Process”
In this episode, former head of customer experience Ed Deason shares his perspective on how businesses lose sight of customer needs amidst internal processes and efficiency drives. He recounts real-life examples of companies prioritising procedure over empathy—and one that gets it right. The key takeaway? Put people before process.
Topics Covered:
Why companies become process-centric rather than customer-centric
Specific examples of poor process-driven customer service
The negative impacts of commercialism and efficiency obsession
Ways to foster human connections in e-commerce
Balancing team productivity with customer satisfaction
Key Quotes:
"They lose sight of what their customers are trying to achieve and trying to get done. And therefore they provide a really crappy customer experience as a result."
"I blame commerce for that. I blame greed, I blame the need for more is more, I blame VCs, investment, shaping people's perception away from the customer and more towards growth and scale."
"What they want is their problem solved first time. What they want is the answers they were looking for. What they want is a bit of empathy."
Episode 11 | "Put Yourself In The Customer's Shoes" - Cameron Goldie | Statements of Intent Podcast
00:25:57
In this episode, host David Mannheim sits down with Cameron Goldie, Head of eCommerce at Grenade.
Cameron has 8 years experience of driving profitable acquisition growth and retention strategies across the UK, Switzerland, and the US. His expertise in leveraging technology to build sustainable infrastructures and his people-first approach have significantly contributed to his ability to navigate complex platforms, optimise customer journeys, and spearhead international marketing campaigns.
Cameron shares his core values centred around presence, health, and well-being, which shape his approach to customer experience. He unpacks the "Jobs to Be Done" framework and its role in delivering value aligned with customer needs. Grenade's use of AI for customer service is explored and their plans for elevating the shopping experience in 2024 through technology upgrades.
Topics Covered:
Cameron's core values of presence, health, and well-being
Applying the “Jobs to Be Done" framework to eCommerce
Cameron's statement of intent: Putting yourself in the customer's shoes
Using AI for customer service: Grenade's balanced approach
Catering to diverse customer needs and journeys
Grenade's 2024 strategy: New front-end UX, customer data platform, and mobile app
Key Quotes:
"Let's add value from the ground up and give customers what they need."
"If you've got the presence to recognise what the customer needs, it's then asking them what they need and continually asking them what they need."
"If you're 5 percent everywhere, how'd you be a hundred percent in one place? It's very difficult."
Episode Chapters
00:00 Introduction 00:47 Guest Introduction: Cameron Goldie 01:39 Cameron's Core Values 06:30 The Jobs To Be Done Framework 07:18 Cameron's Statement of Intent: Put Yourself In The Customers Shoes 10:00 AI and CX: A Grenade Case Study 13:48 Catering to Diverse Customer Needs 21:32 Grenade's Strategy for 2024 24:26 Outro And Football Predictions
Episode 1 | The Person In Personalisation | Statements of Intent Podcast
00:20:46
In this debut solo episode, host David Mannheim lays out the premise and purpose behind the "Statements of Intent" podcast and shares his own statement of intent.
Topics Covered:
David’s statement of intent: "We've lost the person in personalisation."
Why David started this podcast and who it's for - a place for eCommerce professionals to share their guiding principles and beliefs (their statement of intent) that challenge the status quo - prioritising growth and metrics over customer care.
David's personal background - he has 2 young sons, founded and sold User Conversion (now Brainlabs), and wrote the book "The Person in Personalisation". After past business struggles, he now finds purpose in his mission of rebalancing business metrics vs. customer satisfaction. He founded Made With Intent, a platform that helps retailers be more personal with their customers through understanding and predicting intent.
David's perspective that the "person" has been lost in personalisation due to over-commercialisation, lack of care and intimacy, and the inability to properly attribute those human elements. He discusses the concepts of competence vs care from the book "The Human Brand."
Key Quotes:
"It feels as though we’ve forgotten that there are people behind this screen."
"Personalisation for me is all about, you know, the act of being personal, really, it's a relationship mechanism, it's a communication principle.”
"At what point does something turn from segmentation to personalisation? There's 50 shades of grey."
Episode Chapters
00:00 Introduction 00:58 The Concept of Statements of Intent 03:28 Personal and Family Life 08:07 The Person in Personalisation 10:24 The Personalisation Facial 14:36 Care and Competence 19:09 Outro
13 | How eCommerce Neglects 40% of Society with Janis Thomas
00:23:09
In this episode, host David Mannheim sits down with Janis Thomas, Managing Director of Look Fabulous Forever.
Janis has 25 years experience in delivering multi-million pound marketing and eCommerce projects in high-growth businesses. She has grown diverse brands from The Times Educational Supplement to Playboy.
Janis discusses how eCommerce often neglects a significant portion of society—those over 50 years old, who make up 40% of the population. Janis shares her perspective on the importance of truly understanding and catering to customers, regardless of their age or demographic.
Topics Covered:
Janis' diverse career journey, from marketing at Playboy to building eCommerce brands
Her statement: eCommerce neglects 40% of society.
The need for diversity in organisations to better represent and understand customers
Why we shouldn’t assume customer preferences and behaviours
Look Fabulous Forever's approach to building long-term relationships and trust with customers
Key Quotes:
"If we concentrate our organisations with people in that 25 to 39 age group, how can we possibly ever hope to understand and fully represent the remaining 80% of the population?"
"We can't just put a picture of our blusher on Google search. You are never gonna buy our product. You need to understand about it and why we exist."
“Over time, we'll build a relationship, we'll build trust.”
Episode Chapters
00:00 Introduction 01:02 Guest Introduction: Janis Thomas 05:18 Janis' Statement: eCommerce Neglects 40% of Society 12:00 Get to Know Your Customers 18:19 The Long Journey to Purchase: Building Trust and Engagement 21:47 Janis' Final Advice 22:22 Outro
Episode 4 | "Losing Purpose As You Scale" - Chris Sheard | Statements of Intent Podcast
00:21:03
In this episode, host David Mannheim chats with Chris Sheard, eCommerce Director at Castore, about the challenge of maintaining your company's purpose and values as you rapidly scale and grow. Focusing too much on cost efficiencies and revenue growth can slowly erode the customer intimacy and care that attracted people to your brand in the first place.
Topics Covered:
Balancing business growth with staying true to your original mission and intent
The impact of scaling up on customer and employee experience
The role leaders play in upholding company values across large organisations
Connecting your internal culture to external brand communications
Key Quotes:
"Purpose is really the only thing you’ve got unless you’re completely innovating in that space."
"Suddenly the purpose can get diluted and lost. And you suddenly realise the teams underneath you don't reflect those true values that made the brand what it is."
"As the business and organisations gets bigger and bigger and bigger...the owners become that little bit further away from it. They're the core people of this purpose."
Episode Chapters
00:00 Introduction 00:52 Guest Introduction: Chris Sheard 03:00 The Challenge of Maintaining Purpose While Scaling 07:01 The Impact of Scaling on Customer Experience 07:37 Balancing Efficiency and Purpose in Business Growth 11:20 The Role of Senior Management in Maintaining Purpose 16:11 The Influence of Brand Purpose on Customer Attraction 20:16 Outro
15 | How to Keep Your Brand Relevant with Matthew Gratze
00:24:40
In this episode, David is joined by Matthew Gratze, Director of Customer at Signet Jewellers.
Matthew shares his perspective on the importance of being relevant to each customer's unique shopping journey and how to deliver personalised, contextual experiences.
Matthew holds experience across several sectors from baby & child to jewellery. His leadership in driving major business transformations and digital strategies for brands like Halfords, Ann Summers, and Mothercare has earned him a spot on The Retail Week Etail Power List 2016 top 50.
Topics Covered:
The lessons Matthew learned about customer-centricity during his time at Apple
Balancing the pressures of new customer acquisition versus retention strategies
Making experiences relevant and appropriate to each unique customer journey and mission
Why relevance trumps one-size-fits-all marketing
Key Quotes:
"If you can design a journey or a product or a mission perfectly with the customer in mind, it's very difficult to go wrong from that stance."
"How do you become more relevant for each of those shopping journeys or shopping missions? That's where retailers could really win."
"Being relevant is about how we become more relevant for that shopping experience there and then based on signals, browsing intents, etc.”
"We get stuck with short-term views and try to fix very small things rather than looking at the bigger picture."
Episode Chapters
00:00 Introduction 01:16 Guest Introduction: Matthew Gratze 03:21 Matthew's Lessons In Selling 13:18 Balancing Acquisition vs. Retention 17:38 Matthew's Statement: Be Relevant 23:12 Matthew's Last Words 23:46 Outro
17 | Personalisation Is Nothing Without Relevance According to Tim Ryan
00:23:33
In this episode, David Mannheim chats to Tim Ryan, Director of Digital at Seasalt, about his thoughts on how eCommerce has evolved over the past 15 years - both the good and the bad. He emphasises the importance of driving relevance over pure personalisation and making online shopping experiences as frictionless as possible for customers.
Tim has over 16 years experience working in eCommerce for brands like The Walt Disney Company, Direct Line Group, Lidl GB, Karen Millen… The list goes on! Tim has a wealth of skills from digital marketing and SEO to product strategy. If anyone knows how to maximise sales onsite, it’s him.
Topics Covered:
How eCommerce has changed, from a lack of personalisation to assumptions based on limited data
The balance between personalisation and allowing customer choice
Using data to become a customer-led business
The limitations of broad customer personas
Key Quotes:
"Personalisation is only as good as the on-site journey the relevance that you're actually pushing through, so it can't just be personalising a bit of content or product offering.”
"You want the customer to be able to choose things, otherwise everyone would just push all their money through PMAX driving customers to a random product.”
"It's about making the journey as frictionless and relevant as possible. It's not just about purchase, it's about understanding the customer's drivers.”
Episode Chapters
00:00 Introduction 01:09 Guest Intro: Tim Ryan 04:25 How eCommerce Has Changed Over 15 Years 09:56 Pro or Anti Personalisation? 13:24 Tim's Statement: Driving Relevance Over Personalisation 19:07 Tim's Personalisation Experience And Advice 22:37 Outro
14 | What Online Retailers Can Learn From Physical Retailers with Richard Chapple
00:24:34
In this episode, host David Mannheim talks to Richard Chappell, Chief Growth Officer & Co-founder of The Growth Foundation, about the importance of replicating the in-store experience online. They discuss Richard's career journey from working on the shop floor to becoming a retail consultant, and why brands need to "walk the store" digitally to better connect with customers.
As former Head of Marketing at play.com, Founder & CEO at THG Ingenuity and CMO at Gymshark, Richard helped grow all three into unicorn companies. With 20 years of experience in DTC eCommerce, he is an expert at unlocking huge, profitable and sustainable growth for start-ups, scale-ups and established businesses.
Topics Covered:
Richard's background working at major retailers like Sainsbury's Homebase, Play.com, and Gymshark
Translating physical retail strategies to the online environment
Using AI and personalisation to recreate two-way communication
Overcoming barriers like living in the CMS and not "shopping the store"
Why eCommerce brands need to stay close to their customers
Key Quotes:
"I think often people just live in the kind of eCommerce CMS in the background and actually never shop their stores."
"It's thinking about…testing things like arriving on homepages and saying 'are you a new or returning customer?' Almost like signposting as you would do in a physical store."
"Actually reaching out to those top customers...getting founders, owners, and team members to talk to their customers directly...the amount of insight you can gain is phenomenal."
Episode Chapters
00:00 Introduction 01:11 Introducing Richard Chappell: A Retail and eCommerce Veteran 01:26 Richard's Statement: Act Like a Physical Retailer 04:58 Richard's Career Path 06:42 Bringing Physical Retail Strategies to Online Stores 17:11 Overcoming Barriers to eCommerce Success 22:46 Richard's Final Advice 23:47 Outro
Episode 5 | "Cultivate Connection And Shared Moments" - Thibaut Pugin | Statements of Intent Podcast
00:23:19
In this episode of Statements of Intent, host David Mannheim speaks with Thibaut Pugin, VP of Software Engineering at Gousto, about cultivating human connection and shared moments in eCommerce.
Topics Covered:
The challenge of balancing data and human connections in business
Creating shared experiences and a sense of community
Catering to diverse individual preferences
Empathising with customers and meeting them where they are
Key Quotes:
"But for the time being, I think the main difference between us and a set of algorithms and data is something akin to emotion."
"We want to belong, right? We want to have that sense of we're in it together."
“You have to be curious. You have to want to get to know others. You have to want the best for others.”
"How do you create and cultivate those experiences and shared moments? That's really just thinking about that customer, what do they want? Are you meeting them where they are, but also sometimes anticipating their needs?"
Episode Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:11 Guest Introduction: Thibaut Pugin
02:38 Thibaut's Statement: Cultivate Connection And Shared Moments
04:00 The Challenge of Balancing Data and Human Connection
08:58 Creating Shared Connections and Moments
18:34 The Gousto Experience: Catering to Individual Preferences
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