The Algorithms that Help You with Branding

Algorithms are useful for creating an offer of personalized services for the individual customer, but they also serve for branding, to give substance to the values of social commitment around which a brand has been built. Providing tailor-made services is important for all sectors, especially for the telecommunications sector where many services such as messaging and digital security have been added to the main service of voice communication, progressively over time. This is how modulated offers were born, with different benefits from user to user but also the promotions for special occasions such as Valentine's Day. It is not always said, however, that "thanks to the data we can also calculate how much carbon dioxide we get to save, up to that precise moment, for example through our European network powered only with electricity from renewable sources since July 2021," explains Laura Battini, Head of Digital customer experience and engagement, Vodafone Italia. "We communicate that information to consumers thanks to a digital meter, so that they know how much we do every day, together, for the environment. With algorithms, therefore, we are able to put comprehensible and concrete content into statements that otherwise would risk seeming only theoretical."

Let's start from the services. When do you start profiling the user with algorithms?
It is a process that follows the entire path of the user as our customer. So we can proactively respond to your needs as they grow. Starting from onboarding, we suggest to users answers to the needs and services that may interest them specifically, to complete and improve their experience. For example, while always respecting privacy, if it emerges that someone does not consume all their traffic, perhaps we offer them experiences and gifts more suitable for a person who leads a more "offline" life. Artificial Intelligence allows us to quickly process and optimize a large amount of data, thus extracting more detailed information on what the individual customer expects from us.

What is another concrete contribution of new technologies to shape the society of the future?
According to a recent study by Vodafone (The Connected Consumer 2030), connectivity and smart technology will radically transform the way we live and have a strong impact on various sectors, from healthcare to smart cities to sustainability. And it is precisely with technology that it is possible to drive this transformation.

And how does the consumer experience the use of algorithms?
As for the interaction with forms of Artificial Intelligence (AI), I would say well when, for example, our Digital Assistant Tobi manages to quickly solve a problem. But, even when Tobi does not know how to respond and passes the communication to a human operator, they are satisfied because Tobi shows the operator what the nature of the problem is, so the user does not need to repeat everything from the beginning. However, I would stress that the application of AI always opens up new scenarios, new fields of application and relationships with consumers. It is a challenge also and first of all for us who work in marketing and we must keep our skills up to date.

BIO
Laura Battini graduated from Bocconi University in Milan in International Management. During her period of study she appreciated above all the international environment, the networking opportunities and the possibility of combining her academic studies with involvement in other initiatives, such as the birth of Bocconi TV. Among the tools she acquired during her studies are analytical and problem solving skills that have allowed her to adapt effectively to different and challenging situations, and the awareness that you must never stop working on your education.