January 2017

Magazine Features

10 CRM Trends to Watch in 2017

All eyes will be on automation as the lines between humans and machines (and sales, service, and marketing) continue to blur. What else lies ahead?

How to Succeed at Mobile Marketing

Marketers need to meet consumers on the platforms they're already using and connect the dots between them

Anatomy of a Contact Center Expansion

How do you transform a contact center operation, ramping up from 25 agents to 120, in a short amount of time? • A Q&A with Jonathan Nall, director of guest services at Wind Creek Hospitality

Front Office

Did Data Let Us Down?

While data science has tremendous potential to uncover business insights, it is still a new field of endeavor with very few skilled practitioners

Reality Check

Mobile and Government CRM Will Loom Large Long Term

This New Year, let's look past 2017

The Tipping Point

Are Chief Marketing Officers the New Chief Growth Officers?

As disruptive growth becomes a bigger priority, companies have to determine who will be in charge of it

Scouting Report

The AI Revolution in Customer Service

The contact center market is finally ready for virtual bots, and not a moment too soon for self-service

Pint of View

The ROI of Teamwork

Specialists are important, even when roles overlap

Customer Experience

4 Big Barriers to an Integrated Customer-Centric Strategy

The key, as always, is data—and how you use it

Small Biz Buzz

Are Chatbots and Recurring Revenue the Future of Business?

One conference, two big statements

Insight

Are CMOs’ Jobs in Jeopardy?

Research suggests that more than 30 percent of chief marketing officers could soon be out of work

Companies Need to Get Serious About Social Communities

With customer community pages, companies must demonstrate an ongoing commitment

Consumers Prefer Personalization; Businesses Can’t Deliver

Personalized product offerings and services translate to higher sales, but companies are still in the early stages, according to Accenture

Local Ad Revenue Is Expected to Increase

BIA/Kelsey predicts growth, especially for online and digital advertising revenue

REQUIRED READING: Harnessing The 12 Powers of a Marketing Leader

Like it or not, marketing leaders must prove their value

REAL ROI

BrightCurrent Energizes Inside Sales Reps with NewVoiceMedia

The clean-power agency takes on more leads with ContactWorld for Sales

iflix Produces Boffo Brand Awareness with RadiumOne

Although competing in a crowded market, the streaming and video services provider was able to significantly increase its subscriber base

With Interactions, Salt River Project Helps Customers Keep Their Cool

The water and electricity supplier uses the vendor's virtual assistants to keep its contact centers from overheating