Nikon Europe extends its relationship with RightNow Technologies Inc., deploying RightNow Marketing as its outbound customer communication system.
The new deployment gives Japanese camera maker Nikon increased capabilities and capacity for all types of communications including information about the latest offers and promotions, training and seminars, and newsletters, according to Bozeman, MT-based RightNow.
The pan-European rollout of RightNow Marketing is part of a global program that has seen RightNow service and marketing also deployed in the United States.
The solution will enable Nikon’s individual country divisions to be responsible for driving local marketing campaigns and segment the registered user base.
In France, for example, a promotion for Nikon’s new D80 camera is already under way. This entitles newly registered users to a free gift. As soon as they register, the marketing tool sends an e-mail message to each customer with an offer for a free storage data card.
Nikon Germany and Nikon Austria are using RightNow to run a sales promotion to target eligible customers with either a six-month “all risk” insurance policy or a cash-back incentive.
Customers who register a product receive an e-mail containing a link to a Nikon Web page. Once the customer clicks through, adds any necessary additional details and submits the information, the system automatically generates a PDF voucher unique to the contact. This is attached to the customer’s personal account and the details e-mailed to the customer.
The marketing application is providing Nikon with greater campaign control and understanding, RightNow said, with visibility into click-through rates and the ability to create test campaigns before executing en masse.
It is now possible to discern return on investment for Nikon’s direct marketing programs and forecast more accurately the result of these.
By replacing relationships with external marketing agencies, the application places Nikon in the driving seat, allowing marketers to create, time and execute campaigns.
Also, by adding the marketing application, Nikon is standardizing both its inbound and outbound customer touch points on RightNow’s CRM suite. This integrated approach benefits customers by placing knowledge at the heart of service and marketing interactions.
As customers communicate with Nikon during registration or a service incident, relevant information will be gathered and used, with permission, for more targeted campaigns.
Likewise, Nikon’s service agents also will have greater insight into customer histories and preferences, which will assist with the delivery of improved service interactions.
Deployment of the system is still in its early stages. But projections suggest that the original specification of 2 million e-mails per year may fall short of actual usage. Nikon Germany already anticipates that it will send 1.5 million e-mails to customers in 2007.
