The Problem You Can't See
You can’t overstate the grandness of Patagonian climbing. Sky-piercing spires, sweeping snowfields, everywhere you look a soaring and forbidding and uncaring brand of mountain ferocity. Just the kind of place to find out who you really are. The problem in Patagonia is that the climbing usually starts on the east side of the Andes, but storms come screaming in from the west, boiling over the mountains out of a clear sky, descending on you without warning.
It’s a common story: You’re missing information, and it gets you in a ton of trouble. We hear the same thing from merchants every day here at Kard. They know everything that’s happening within their four walls, on their side of the Andes! Clear skies, repeat sales, a comfortable stream of purchases. But they’re struggling to attract and retain new shoppers, and without insight into the broader purchasing behavior of their customers, they don’t know how to solve the problem. They recognize a blind spot and they know they need better data.
As it turns out, we have better data.
The Answer is an Eye in the Sky
In the early 2000s, climbing in Patagonia went through an interesting sort of renaissance, spurred by the same technological advances that were changing the rest of the world. Tired of sitting behind the veil of the mountains, climbers started to seek out sophisticated weather forecasts. Storms still tended to whip up with little warning, of course. But having access to the internet and a meteorologist friend meant that you could identify good weather windows with much better accuracy. All it took was someone who could see west of the Andes.
In the same way, for merchants who want to look outside their own four walls, Kard is a gold mine. Our relationship with banks and card issuers gives us unique insights into the actual purchasing behavior of millions of cardholders in our network. How are they shopping? Which of your competitors sees the most business? Are there seasonal patterns? Do your best customers spend more, on average, at other stores? Integrating the “outside” view of how potential customers are buying (and what makes them buy more) means your data gains an extra dimension — you get a more holistic view of the problem.
Obviously, with better information, it’s much easier to make better decisions. Your execution might end up looking like targeted ad spend, time-limited offers, or a more aggressive brand awareness push. There’s no telling where you’ll end up. But in an industry where the prevailing joke starts with “half of my advertising dollars are wasted,” you need to know where to start.
It Starts with Kard
Advertising and customer loyalty are both going through monumental changes. It’s getting harder and harder to determine whether your brand is making progress with its advertising dollars. At Kard, we’re building the new paradigm from the bottom up: Easy offer management, powerful data insights, a simple and elegant customer journey, and a rapidly growing network of millions of Millennial and Gen Z cardholders. There’s a reason so many brands are getting on board.
If you’re ready to get started, reach out to our sales team. We’ll tell you how the weather looks in your blind spot.