Media Insights

Turning Data into Personalized Experiences

Consumers demand personalization and, despite recent privacy trends, they are willing to share data to get it. According to Accenture, 91% of consumers prefer brands that provide personalized offers or recommendations, and 83% of consumers are willing to share data passively if it means they will receive a more personalized experience.

Brands that have provided opportunities for customers to share are now sitting on massive troves of data. Tapping into this asset allows companies to deliver unique customer experiences that go beyond the transaction. Dominos and Amazon are two great examples of brands that have successfully gained access to customer data by allowing consumers to share their wants and influence their experience.

From the brand that developed the ahead-of-it’s-time “Pizza Tracker” tool, Domino’s built an AnyWare micro-site for customers to create rules about when and how they might want a pizza delivered. The Dominos Easy Order could be for when it’s raining, when their favorite team is playing, or if they’re at work past a certain time. If any of the predetermined scenarios occur, Domino’s will send a personalized text, slack or Facebook message to that customer asking if they would like their Dominos Easy Order. Because of the ease of use and technology innovation inherent to the Domino’s strategy, over 65% of US sales are via digital channels. On top of having an easy place for customers to place orders, Dominos now has data on what events prompt most customers to order a pizza, and they can make certain Dominos is present in those moments.

The second example comes from Amazon. Amazon has built 4-Star Stores, small format retail locations designed to bring top products to the forefront. The products in the store have earned more than 1.8 million 5-star customer reviews. These stores are a great example of a company leveraging the data at their fingertips to sell more products and expand their customers’ influence. According to Amazon’s 2019, Q3 Earnings Report, physical stores account for just $4.1MM of company quarterly revenue; however, expansion into other formats, including the 4-Star Stores and Amazon Go convenience stores, is a major growth opportunity.

In both examples, we can see new ways of gathering and implementing data to drive key business outcomes. The data collected can be used for selling more products but is also valuable for strategic marketing decisions such as audience segmentation, personalized advertising and site experiences. 

To successfully unlock the power of data, every facet of marketing performance and beyond (merchandising, customer experience and personalization, brand positioning and creative design, etc.) should be supported by centralized data assets and viewed through the lens of fostering consumer interaction with the brand. 

Ovative is a digital-first media and measurement firm seeking to transform the measure of marketing success. At Ovative, we help brands move the needle. We are curious. We value your brand. We want to see you succeed. Connect with us to learn more!


Lillian Smith

Senior Analyst, Paid Social

About the Author

Lillian is a Senior Analyst on the Paid Social team at Ovative.

Dale Nitschke

Dale Nitschke

CEO & Founder

About the Author

Dale is the Founder and CEO of Ovative. After years of operating a large omni-channel business and leading a customer data initiative, Dale knew there was an opportunity to create a marketing firm that helped clients become more customer centric and drove better performance outcomes. A gap existed between business consultancies and advertising agencies that modern marketing approaches demand. He also believed that a strong, healthy culture could attract and develop smart, talented team members. In 2009, he formed Ovative to bring media, measurement, and consulting together under one roof to enable an enterprise approach that drives more revenue and grows clients’ customer base.

Prior to founding Ovative in 2009, Dale spent 23 years at Target Corporation where he served as President of Target.com and grew the ecommerce business from start-up stage to a $1 billion+ business and established the foundation of Target’s Guest database capabilities. Previously he served as SVP Merchandising at the Department Store Division of Dayton Hudson. Dale has advised retailers and brands globally on business, growth, marketing, and measurement transformation strategies.

Outside of Ovative, Dale is a leader on topics including business strategy, change management, and team leadership. He serves on the board of Allergy Amulet and on the Dean’s Advisory Board of the Wisconsin School of Business at UW-Madison.  He enjoys spending time with his family, up north in northern Wisconsin, playing golf, and cheering on Wisconsin sport teams.

Seth Brand

Senior Manager, Consulting

About the Author

Seth is a Senior Manager on the Consulting team at Ovative.

Amanda McCann

Senior Manager, Consulting

About the Author

Amanda is a Senior Manager on the Consulting team at Ovative, specializing in Retail Media Networks.

Jenny Reinke

Senior Analyst, Measurement Solutions

About the Author

Jenny is a Senior Analyst on the Measurement Solutions team at Ovative.

Annie Zipfel

Executive Vice President, Media

About the Author

Annie is the Executive Vice President of Media at Ovative. She oversees delivery and growth across paid and owned media (digital, traditional, and retail media) and creative services.

Annie has more than 30 years of experience in media, brand management, insights/analytics, marketing, and product. She has also developed large, high-performing teams and built new measurement capabilities. Annie led the marketing team at Andersen Windows & Doors, leading the digital, social, content, customer insights, and creative functions. Prior to that, Annie served in multiple marketing leadership roles at Starbucks, REI, Target, and General Mills, with a keen focus on brand, media, insights, analytics, and measurement.

Annie is an industry leader in brand management, customer insights, e-commerce, social media, and analytics. She enjoys hiking, traveling, cooking, fishing, and spending time with her sweet dog and two sons.

Bonnie Gross

Executive Vice President, Talent Services

About the Author

Bonnie is the Executive Vice President of Talent Services at Ovative. She is responsible for attracting and retaining top talent and creating a culture in which our team thrives personally and professionally. Under Bonnie’s leadership, Ovative has defined an industry leading leadership and development program and transformed our approach to talent recruitment with a focus on diversity, equality and inclusion. Prior to her current role, Bonnie led Ovative’s Client and Business Development team overseeing client satisfaction and new growth opportunities.

Before joining Ovative in 2014, Bonnie spent 13 years at Target Corporate as the VP of digital and Digital Marketing where she led the launch of Cartwheel, an industry-leading social shopping application. Bonnie was the VP of Marketing for Fingerhut for 15 years prior to joining Target.

Leander Cohen

Analyst, Consulting

About the Author

Leander Cohen is an Analyst on the Consulting team at Ovative.

Will Silva

Analyst, Measurement Solutions

About the Author

Will is an Analyst on the Measurement Solutions team at Ovative.

Sarah Chang

Sarah Chang

Analyst, Consulting

About the Author

Sarah Chang is an Analyst on the Consulting team at Ovative.

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