It's a Customer's World with Andy Murray

Sam M. Walton College of Business
  • 5.0 (22)
  • MARKETING
  • UPDATED BIMONTHLY
It's a Customer's World with Andy Murray

Equipped with more than 30 years of experience in retail, most recently as the Chief Customer Officer for Walmart Asda in the U.K., host Andy Murray is sharing his expertise through his new role as the founder and executive chair of the Customer Centric Leadership Initiative at the University of Arkansas Sam M. Walton College of Business. Now more than ever, retailers and brands are accelerating their quest to be more customer centric, but to be truly customer centric, it requires both a shift in mindset and ways of working, not just in marketing but in all parts of the organization. Through his initiative and this podcast series, Andy will be talking with practitioners, thought leaders, and scholars to hear their thoughts on what it takes to be a leader in today’s customer centric world.

  1. Nasir Wajihuddin and the Intersection of Mobile Gaming and Retail Media Networks

    MAY 21

    Nasir Wajihuddin and the Intersection of Mobile Gaming and Retail Media Networks

    Show Notes In this insightful episode of 'It's a Customer's World' podcast, host Andy Murray explores the evolving intersection of mobile gaming and retail media with Nassir Wajihuddin, CEO of Engago.   They delve into Wajihuddin's journey from marketing iconic brands like Skittles and Oreo to innovating in the mobile game space, and discuss how mobile games can significantly enhance customer engagement and offer new advertising avenues for retailers.   Key discussions include the impact of Wordle on the New York Times' business model, the vast potential of casual mobile games for user engagement, and the strategic integration of games into retail media to bolster customer loyalty programs and drive significant ad revenue. This episode sheds light on the untapped synergies between mobile gaming and retail, offering valuable insights for marketers and retailers alike.  Questions and Topics:  03:23 Nasir Wajihuddin's Background and Entry into Gaming  06:36 Defining the Mobile Game Market  08:18 The Business Model and Impact of Wordle  17:28 Enhancing Retail Media with Mobile Games  23:01 Challenges and Advantages in Retailer Adoption  30:06 Entrepreneurial Advice and Closing Thoughts

    36 min
  2. Steve Dennis on Navigating Leadership and Transformation in a Customer-Centric World

    APR 23

    Steve Dennis on Navigating Leadership and Transformation in a Customer-Centric World

    Show Notes In this episode of 'It's a Customer's World' podcast, host Andy Murray talks with Steve Dennis, a seasoned leader and author, about the challenges and necessities of transforming organizations to become truly customer-centric. With insights from Dennis' new book 'Leaders Leap,' they discuss the critical leadership mindset needed for such transformations. The conversation delves into Dennis' personal reflections on past experiences, notably his time at Sears, and how moments of crisis can lead to significant professional growth and the imperative for courage in leadership.   Dennis emphasizes the importance of being customer-focused, not just in marketing but across all aspects of an organization, and how fear and ego can impede innovation. They touch on various aspects of leadership and the necessity of adopting new mindsets to succeed in today's rapidly changing retail landscape.   The episode is rich with advice on personal and organizational transformation, highlighting the journey towards more dynamic, customer-centered leadership.  Questions and Topics:  00:00 Welcome to It's a Customer's World Podcast  01:05 Deep Dive with Steve Dennis: Leadership and Transformation  02:27 The Sears Strategy Story: A Leadership Reflection  07:20 Pivoting Perspectives: The Power of Leadership Mindset  11:10 The Courage to Innovate: Overcoming Fear and Embracing Change  26:31 Leadership Leaps: The Seven Mindset Shifts for Transformation  31:19 Personal Journey: Embracing Vulnerability and Courage in Leadership  40:35 Closing Thoughts and the Path Forward  Additional Links Leaders Leap by Steve Dennis

    41 min
  3. Sharon Gai on the Importance of First Party Data for the Customer Experience

    MAR 12

    Sharon Gai on the Importance of First Party Data for the Customer Experience

    Show Notes This episode of It's a Customer's World podcast focuses on the shift towards customer centricity in retail and the broader implications for brands and advertisers. Andy Murray talks with Sharon Gai, an expert in e-commerce, digital transformation, and AI with significant experience at Alibaba, to explore how China-based companies prioritize customer experience in developing their platforms.   They discuss the importance of first-party data and closed-loop reporting in creating more relevant consumer experiences and the challenges brands face in accurately defining and achieving these experiences.   Sharon shares insights into the 'golden triangle' framework of product, merchandise, and context used by Chinese e-commerce companies, emphasizing the role of hyper-personalization and the use of extensive consumer data in crafting targeted marketing strategies.   The conversation also delves into the potential impact of generative AI on e-commerce and the need for brands to experiment and adapt to remain competitive.   Questions and Topics:  0:00 Episode Introduction  2:38 Introducing Sharon Gai  3:26 Discussion on China’s E-commerce Approach  13:01 Exploring the Future of Consumer Experience  17:46 The Role of Reviews in E-commerce  22:39 The Impact of Data Privacy on Consumer Experience  26:03 The Future of E-commerce and AI  Additional Links Sharon Gai's website Sharon Gai's book

    38 min
  4. Andy Murray, Molly Rapert, and Rod Thomas on Retail Media Networks with special host, Brent Williams

    10/27/2023

    Andy Murray, Molly Rapert, and Rod Thomas on Retail Media Networks with special host, Brent Williams

    Show Notes In this episode of It's a Customer's World Podcast, Andy Murray takes on the role as guest alongside Molly Rapert and Rod Thomas. Special host, Brent Williams, leads the trio through a lively conversation over their latest whitepaper on Retail Media Networks.  The Retail Media Networks whitepaper discussed in this episode is the second release of academic research on the topic, conducted by the Sam M. Walton College of Business's Customer Centric Leadership Initiative and research team.  Join Andy Murray and the Walton College research team as they discuss significant developments in Retail Media Networks over the last year and how crucial strategic clarity, alignment, and standardization will be vital for future success.  Questions and Topics:  0:00 Episode Introduction  1:15 Guest Introductions  3:26 Macro view on the changes in Retail Media Networks from last year  6:21 How do you distill all the expert interviews and insights  7:59 What did you find: a bullish or bearish perspective on Retail Media Networks?  13:33 Where have gaps closed vs where they have not in terms of strategic clarity  15:48 How value is created and whether it has changed from the previous year  19:58 The way forward

    25 min
  5. Chris Riegel on the Rising Importance of Digital Signage in Physical Stores

    06/13/2023

    Chris Riegel on the Rising Importance of Digital Signage in Physical Stores

    In this episode of It’s a Customer’s World Podcast, Andy Murray is joined by Chris Riegel. Founder and CEO of STRATACACHE. Chris is an expert in emerging technologies with 20 years of experience in systems and networking technology ventures, including acquisitions of technologically advanced companies to build the STRATACACHE family. STRATACACHE offers retail transformation and exceptional customer experiences through advanced marketing technology solutions. In their conversation, Andy and Chris trade thoughts on the current state of in-store digital signage, the future of retail technology, the evolution of retail media networks, how retailers can become more customer-centric, and much more. Questions and Topics00:00 Episode Introduction 01:00 Guest Introduction 03:00 Viewing digital signage from the perspective of the consumer 09:33 What is driving the pendulum swing back to in-store digital displays?  12:28 What shoppers using a phone in-store tells us about the customer experience  20:12 The importance of customer data 25:00 Where is the line between relevant ad personalization and “creepiness”? 27:52 What have you learned about executing Retail Media effectively? 32:37 Looking at European trends  34:10 Forecasting the evolution and growth of RMNs 36:06 The benefit of a customer-centric approach when entering an emerging space 43:58 Why retailers need to stay true to their core mission of serving customers

    45 min

  6. 05/30/2023

    Katie Hotze on the Future of Grocery Shopping

    In this episode of It’s a Customer’s World Podcast, Andy Murray is joined by Katie Hotze. Katie is the CEO & Founder of Grocery Shopii, a Charlotte-based tech startup that uses machine learning to fuel online grocery shopping. With over 20 years of experience in digital marketing, data analytics, and business strategy, Katie was able to turn a personal frustration with online grocery shopping into a nationally-recognized retail tech disrupter that’s rapidly expanding in North America. In their conversation Andy and Katie explore the problem she is solving for consumers and retailers, the power of shoppable recipes, the impact of generative A.I., what is next in the world of retail technology, and much more. Questions and Topics 02:25 What led to the creation of Grocery Shopii? 06:10 How did you know you had a customer problem worth solving? 11:00 How big is the space for shoppable recipes? 15:30 What makes Shopii standout? 21:38 Special use cases for Shopii 24:40 What impact has this had for retailers? 31:24 How do you see generative A.I. shaping the future of shopping? 37:22 What is next for Grocery Shopii?

    42 min
  7. J.K. Symancyk on Customer-Centric Leadership

    05/16/2023

    J.K. Symancyk on Customer-Centric Leadership

    In this episode, Andy is joined by J.K. Symancyk, CEO of PetSmart. J.K. has spent the last two decades as a senior leader for large retailers such as PetSmart, Academy Sports + Outdoors, Meijer, and Sam’s Club. In each of these leadership positions he has relied on a customer-centric mindset that stems from his unique background as a Theatre student at the University of Arkansas. In their conversation, Andy and J.K. discuss how to truly listen to customers through store walks, identifying customer problems that are worth solving, advice for students and young professionals, the power of human connection in a tech-focused world, and much more. Questions and Topics 00:00 Show Introduction 06:21 How do you view customer-centricity in your role as CEO at PetSmart 14:01 Does your customer-centric approach apply to all of retail or specifically the pet category? 17:06 What role does Omnichannel play in such a CX based retailer like PetSmart? 20:53 How do you identify what customer problems are worth solving? 22:25 What to look for on a store walk 28:26 How to navigate moving to a new place 31:00 What commonalities and differences have stood out across roles in your career? 33:37 The power of asking questions and interview advice 37:40 The path from a Theatre degree to CEO 41:40 The value of human connection in career development 47:11 What gives you hope about the future?

    52 min
  8. Customer Data Strategy with Despina Kokkaraki

    04/18/2023

    Customer Data Strategy with Despina Kokkaraki

    In this episode, Andy Murray is joined by Despina Kokkaraki, CMO at strategy Tonic. Despina has spent decades in the customer experience and customer data space. In their conversation Andy and Despina explore characteristics of a successful customer data strategy, the upskilling deficiency in retail today, ethics surrounding personalization and data privacy, the future of data privacy in the United States and how retailers can prepare for a cookieless world, and much more. Despina also fields a few questions from senior marketing students at the University of Arkansas. Topics & Questions 01:32 Guest Introduction 04:03 What experiences built competencies to be successful in this space? 06:51 Why is there such a movement towards first party data? 10:06 How can retailers obtain actionable and valuable first party data? 13:49 What role does upskilling play in this evolving space? 15:58 What makes up a successful customer data strategy? 18:09 Understanding personalization and boundaries that need to be addressed 21:17 What is a RFM model? 24:30 The power of segmenting customer data 25:47 What US retailers can learn from European retailer’s approach to customer data strategy  29:52 Questions from Walton College Marketing students 30:23 How can companies measure emotional reactions in a privacy appropriate manner? 32:28 How can marketers better understand ethical boundaries related to data privacy? 34:46 How students and young professionals can build competencies in the customer data space 36:17 The importance of having a specific strategy for the data you are collecting 38:10 What gives you hope for the future of customer data? Show LinksConnect with Despina: https://www.linkedin.com/in/despinakokkaraki/ Connect with Andy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewlmurray/ Follow CCLI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/customer-centric-leadership-initiative-sam-m-walton-college-of-business/ Check Out Strategy Tonic: https://www.strategytonic.com/

    41 min
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5
out of 5
22 Ratings

About

Equipped with more than 30 years of experience in retail, most recently as the Chief Customer Officer for Walmart Asda in the U.K., host Andy Murray is sharing his expertise through his new role as the founder and executive chair of the Customer Centric Leadership Initiative at the University of Arkansas Sam M. Walton College of Business. Now more than ever, retailers and brands are accelerating their quest to be more customer centric, but to be truly customer centric, it requires both a shift in mindset and ways of working, not just in marketing but in all parts of the organization. Through his initiative and this podcast series, Andy will be talking with practitioners, thought leaders, and scholars to hear their thoughts on what it takes to be a leader in today’s customer centric world.

Information

  • Creator
    Sam M. Walton College of Business
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2024
  • Episodes
    48
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2021 Walton College Customer Centric Leadership Initiative
  • Show Website
    It's a Customer's World with Andy Murray

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