e4m Screenage 2020: Mehrotra, CEO (designate) of Mahindra Ford Automotive Pvt Ltd., delivered the keynote address on ‘Mobile Marketing: From Handset to Mindset’ on the first day

At the third edition of e4m Screenage Mobile Marketing Virtual Conference, Anurag Mehrotra, Chief Executive Officer (designate) of Mahindra Ford Automotive Pvt Ltd., spoke about the importance of data being collected from multiple devices of a consumer. He was delivering the keynote address on ‘Mobile Marketing: From Handset to Mindset’.

Mehrotra commenced his session by underscoring how the access to data makes marketing possible and valuable.

“Handset has become a beacon for marketers because of the data it offers them to segment, target, message and ultimately convert. But why stop at handset or mobile phone alone?” said Mehrotra.

How should marketers derive value from this data?

There were three factors that he focused on specifically to assess the value creation: convenience, efficiency, and personalization.

Convenience plays a big part in the adoption of products and services so when a marketer is thinking of delivering value from the data, they must ask themselves—how can we use data to help simplify things for our customers?

He cited the example of Practo as going to a doctor’s clinic is an arduous chore. There is a queue and the consultation never starts on time.

“During Covid-19, there is a risk of infection which always play on your mind and here comes Practo which delivers a consultation at the click of a button while the customer is sitting at home,” Mehrotra stated. He added that one cannot only consult but also buy medicines making the whole process very convenient.

He spoke about the pain points for consumers when they walk in a store and stand in the queue for billing. With Amazon Go as an example, Mehrotra explained the value of simplifying processes for customers.

He then broached the subject of his own company and what they have done to bring convenience to their users. He revealed that nearly 10 per cent of Ford’s car servicing is done at home or the office of the driver.

“Vehicle servicing at a workshop takes 30-45-60 minutes and sometimes you have to come home before it is even finished and then again pick it up. It is extremely inefficient,” he said.

With the help of data from all connected devices including a car, he said, a wide range of services can be offered to the user. Cars’ software can be updated like a mobile phone with the help of connected vehicle data.

Combining data sets can help make driving safer. For example, with the help of outlook calendar and Google Maps, your car can send a notification to your colleagues whom you are scheduled to meet.

Emergency assistance feature can detect if air bags are deployed or fuel line is cut so it can transmit your location data to a centre from where a person calls and checks if you are all right and sends ambulance if not without any delay.

Operational efficiency is the responsibility of a marketer as it is significant in delivering value, according to Mehrotra.

He cited the example of shipping company Maersk which supplies fresh produce at 343 ports in 121 countries.

“A complex and a crucial supply chain to manage, Maersk resorted to real-time monitoring across their entire fleet with 300,000 refrigerated containers transmitting vital stats such as temperature, location, power supply via satellite to a cloud and analyzed by the central office. Once issues develop, they can be rectify immediately,” he said. It also ensures more safety and less manual work for the port staff.

Personalization is the Holy Grail for marketers

Mehrotra said that Ford has swung like pendulum as it first had a lot of communication with no personalization and then dabbled in highly customized, highly personalized communication.

The CTR was 12 times that when the communication was not personalized, he said stressing the importance of personalization.

“Personalization can help brand curate experiences but the only word of caution— please strike a balance,” he averred.

He spoke of the “trilemma” to ensure no hiccups in data-gathering process. If it is a three-legged table then the two legs are the amount of data and the speed at which it is gathered. Privacy is the third leg.

He advised the delegates to have a sound privacy policy in their respective companies as it is how one can earn the trust of their consumers.

“Empathy is needed in communication as the marketer is the voice of the consumer. Without security or any breach can erode trust from the organization,” he stated.

A marketer has to champion this effort keeping three tenets in mind—transparency; choice; and value.

“One must convey to the consumer how their data is collected, whether they can opt out of the process, and if they are getting any value for parting with their personal information,” he concluded.

This year’s e4m Screenage conference is based on the theme ‘Mobillion’: Connecting the Next 500 Million.