This research shows the relationship between customer information management and ultimate firm performance. While data quality is key, strategy trumps data every time.

1. © Copyright by Debra Zahay 2013
My Hero's Data Odyssey: A Deep Dive into Customer Data
Management and Performance Measurement
Dr. Debra Zahay Blatz
Professor of Marketing at St. Edward’s
University, Austin, TX

2. © Copyright by Debra Zahay 2013
The Hero’s Framework
Apologies and proper respect
to Joseph Campbell
The Call to
Adventure
The Refusal of
the Call
Supernatural
Aid/Mentor
The Quest
The
Trial/Ordeal
The Boon
The Return

3. © Copyright by Debra Zahay 2013
The Hero’s Journey
Apologies and proper respect
to Joseph Campbell
The Call to
Adventure
The Refusal of
the Call
Supernatural
Aid/Mentor
The Quest
The
Trial/Ordeal
The Boon
The Return

4. © Copyright by Debra Zahay 2013
My Quest about
Customer Information
Management Led to
Academia…
Informatio
n Systems
Sales/Mar
keting/Da
tabases
IMC &
More
Databases
????
Ph.D.

5. © Copyright by Debra Zahay 2013
Starting Question: What is the
relationship between Customer
Information Management and
Firm Performance?

6. © Copyright by Debra Zahay 2013
The Call to Adventure

7. © Copyright by Debra Zahay 2013
The Refusal

8. © Copyright by Debra Zahay 2013
Supernatural Aid/Mentor

9. © Copyright by Debra Zahay 2013
The Quest

10. © Copyright by Debra Zahay 2013
Research Scope 1998-2023
• Over 400 companies
• Over twenty years of research
• B2B and B2C
• Qualitative and Quantitative
• Over 30 academic papers

11. © Copyright by Debra Zahay 2013
The Trial/Ordeal

12. © Copyright by Debra Zahay 2013
Research Issues Covered
• Customer data management practices and
measurement
• Data management/performance relationship
• Customer data quality
• Organizing for data quality
• Personalization and customization
• Transactional vs. relational data, differences,
contribution to performance

13. © Copyright by Debra Zahay 2013
Martech for 2023: The (Really) Big Picture
10,383 vendors!

14. © Copyright by Debra Zahay 2013
Takeaways 1: Strategy Trumps Data
• There is a data management (get store, move and
use), performance relationship
• Relational data fuels customer growth metrics as
well as business growth
• Transactional data is tied more to business growth
• Customer growth metrics connect data and
business growth
• But strategy trumps data, every, every time
• Data management is ‘table stakes’ and really
measures the ability of the firm to learn
• Personalization and customization activity shape
day to day data management practices

15. © Copyright by Debra Zahay 2013
Data Quality is Key: I hope AI can help

16. © Copyright by Debra Zahay 2013
Takeaways 2: Data Quality Rules
• Customer data quality is the most important
aspect
• Top-down support drives data quality, and just
about every other successful technology
adoption process
• Mission and Vision are Key
• Middle management must be supported to
achieve data quality

17. © Copyright by Debra Zahay 2013
The Boon

18. © Copyright by Debra Zahay 2013
• Professor of Marketing
• Digital Marketing Strategy Specialist
• Author
• Blogger
• Consultant
• Conference speaker
• Innovator in curriculum and course development
Which Further Led to…..

19. © Copyright by Debra Zahay 2013
https://bit.ly/ZahayGoogleScholar

20. © Copyright by Debra Zahay 2013
Over 3400 Citations

21. © Copyright by Debra Zahay 2013
Editor: Journal of Research in
Interactive Marketing 2011-2021

22. © Copyright by Debra Zahay 2013
The Return

23. © Copyright by Debra Zahay 2013
My Hero’s Tale Is Beginning
The Call to
Adventure
The Refusal
of the Call
Supernatural
Aid/Mentor
The Quest
The
Trial/Ordeal
The Boon
The Return

24. © Copyright by Debra Zahay 2013
Number of Days to Adopt New
Technologies

25. © Copyright by Debra Zahay 2013
Be the Hero of Your Own Journey!

26. © Copyright by Debra Zahay 2013
Questions?
• debra@zahay.com
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/drzahay/
• Google Voice: (630) 448-2444

27. © Copyright by Debra Zahay 2013
Customer Information Management
Capabilities Based on he Learning
Organization

28. © Copyright by Debra Zahay 2013
Strategy Trumps Data

29. © Copyright by Debra Zahay 2013
Customer Information Management
• Zahay, D., (2021). Advancing Research in Digital and Social Media Marketing,The
Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 29(1), 125-139. Published online March 8,
DOI: 10.1080/10696679.2021.1882865
• Banerjee, S., Sen, A. & Zahay, D. (2023), The effect of in-store electronic word of mouth on
local competitor spillovers in the quick service restaurant industry, Electronic Commerce
Research, July 28 online. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10660-023-09742-0
• Johnson, D., Muzellec, L., Sihi, D. & Zahay, D. (2019). The Marketing Organization's Journey to
Become Data-Driven. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, 13(2), pp. 162-178.
• Zahay, D., Peltier, J., Krishen, A. & Schultz, D. (2014). Organizational Processes for B2B
Services IMC Data Quality, The Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, 29 (1), pp. 63-
74.
• Peltier, J., Zahay, D. & Lehman, D. (2013). Organizational Learning and CRM Success: A Model
for Linking Organizational Practices, Customer Data Quality and Performance, Journal of
Interactive Marketing, 27, pp. 1-13. Winner of Journal Best Paper, 2014.*
• Peltier, J., Zahay, D. & Krishen, A. (2013). A Hierarchical IMC Data Integration and
Measurement Framework. The Journal of Marketing Analytics, formerly Journal of Database
Marketing and Customer Strategy Management, 1 (1), 1, 32-48.
• Zahay, D., Peltier, J., & Krishen, A. (2012). Building the Foundation for Customer Data Quality
in CRM Systems for Financial Services Firms, Journal of Database Marketing and Customer
Strategy Management formerly Journal of Database Marketing, 19 (1), pp. 5-16.
• Zahay, D., Mason, C. & Schibrowsky, J. (2009), The Present and Future of IMC and Database
Marketing, International Journal of Integrated Marketing Communications, 1(2), 13-30.
(Invited Piece, peer reviewed).
• White, T., Zahay, D. L., Thorbjornsen, H., & Shavitt, S. (2008). Getting Too Personal:
Reactance to Highly Personalized Email Solicitations. Marketing Letters, 19 (1), 39-50.
•
*Best Paper

30. © Copyright by Debra Zahay 2013
Customer Information Management
Continued
• Zahay, D. L. (2008). Successful B2B Customer Database Management. Journal of Business &
Industrial Marketing, 23 (4), 264-272.
• Zahay, D. L. & Peltier, J. (2008). Interactive Strategy Formation: Organizational and Entrepreneurial
Factors Related to Effective Customer Information Systems Practices in B2B Firms. Industrial
Marketing Management, 37 (2), 191-205.
• Peltier, J., Schibrowksy, J. A. , Schultz, D. E. , & Zahay, D. L. (2006). Interactive IMC: The Relational
Transactional Continuum and the Synergistic Use of Customer Data. Journal of Advertising
Research, 46 (2), 146-159.
• Payton, F. C. & Zahay, D. L. (2005). Why Doesn't Marketing Use the Corporate Data Warehouse?
The role of trust and quality in adoption of data-warehousing technology for CRM applications.
Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 20 (4/5), 237-244.
• Zahay, D. L., Peltier, J., Griffin , A., & Schultz , D. (2004). The Role of Transactional versus Relational
Data in IMC Programs: Bringing Sales and Marketing Data Together. Journal of Advertising Research,
44 (1), 3-18.
• Zahay, D. L. & Griffin, A. (2004). Customer Learning Processes, Strategy Selection, and Performance
in Business-to-Business Service Firms. Decision Sciences (Journal of), 35 (2), 169-203.
• Payton, F. & Zahay, D. L. (2003). Understanding Why Marketing Doesn't Use the Corporate Data
Warehouse for CRM Applications. Journal of Database Marketing, 10 (4), 315-326.
• Zahay, D. L. & Griffin, A. (2003). Information Antecedents and Consequences of Personalization
and Customization in Business-to-Business Service Markets. Journal of Database Marketing, 10 (3),
255-271-326.

31. © Copyright by Debra Zahay 2013
New Product Development
• Hajli, N., Shanmugam, M., Papagiannidis, S, Zahay, D. &
Richard, M.-O. (2017). Branding Co-creation with Members
of Online Brand Communities, Journal of Business Research
(Online August 30, 2016) , 70 (January), pp. 136-144.
• Zahay, D. L., Griffin, A., & Fredericks, E. (2011). Information
Use in NPD: An Initial Exploratory Empirical Test in the
Chemical Industry, Journal of Product Innovation
Management, 28 (4) 485-502.
• Zahay, D. L., Griffin , A., & Fredericks, E. (2004). Sources,
Uses, and Forms of Data in the New Product Development
Process. Industrial Marketing Management, 33, 657-666.

32. © Copyright by Debra Zahay 2013
Branding and Strategy
• Zahay, D. Schultz, D., & Kumar, A. (2015/2016). Reimagining
Branding for the New B2B Digital Marketplace, Journal of Brand
Strategy, 3(4), pp. 257-372.
• Zahay, D. L. & Griffin, A. (2010). Marketing Strategy Selection,
Marketing Metrics and Firm Performance, Journal of Business &
Industrial Marketing, 25 (2) 84-93.
• Zahay, D. L. & Handfield, R. (2004). The Role of Learning in
Adoption of B2B Technologies. Industrial Marketing Management,
33, 627-641.
• Zahay, D. L. & Handfield, R. (2003). Using the Value Chain Concept
to Improve Interactive Marketing. Interactive Marketing, 4 (4), 343-
354.

33. © Copyright by Debra Zahay 2013
Marketing Pedagogy
• Reavey, B. & Zahay, D. (2022), Teaching Conceptual Models: Using Direct Interaction to
Enhance Metacogniton, Marketing Education Review, 32(4), 311-328.
https://doi.org/10.1080/10528008.2022.2059686
• Zahay, D., Pollitte, W., Reavey, B. & Alvarado, A. (2022). An Integrated Model of Digital
Marketing Curriculum Design, Marketing Education Review, 32 (3), 205-
223,https://doi.org/10.1080/10528008.2021.1947856*
• Reavey, B., Zahay, D. & Rosenblum, A. (2021), Updating the Marketing Research Course to
Prepare the Marketing Generalist. Journal of Marketing Education, Special Issue, 43(3), 333-
353. https://doi.org/10.1177/02734753211043925
• Zahay, D., Altounian, D., Pollitte, W. & James, J. (2019). Effective Resource Deployment in
Digital Marketing Education. Marketing Education Review, 29 (3), pp. 182-192.
• Zahay D., Scovatti, C., Peterson, R. and Domagalski, S. (2010). Identifying and Assessing
Fundamental Competencies: What Does it Mean to be a Direct and Interactive Marketer,
Journal for the Advancement of Marketing Education, 17 (Winter), 52-62.
• Zahay, D. L. & Fredericks. E. (2009). Podcasting to Improve Delivery of a Project-based
Internet Marketing Course, Marketing Education Review, 19(1), 57-63.
• Caravella, M., Zahay, D., Jaeger, C., & Ekachail, G. (2009), Web 2.0: Opportunities and
Challenges for Marketing Educators, Journal of Advertising Education, (Spring), 58-63.
*Best Paper