To Andrew Koven, the practice of retailing is “both a science and an art.” From his retail beginnings in a warehouse to his current gig as President of E-Commerce and Customer Experience at Steve Madden, Andrew Koven’s career goal has never changed. He still aspires every day to “surprise and delight customers.”
In advance of NRF’s Retail Marketing and Innovation Conference – INNOVATE 2011 – next month in San Francisco, we reached out to Koven, a veritable expert on all-things-mobile, with a few questions on customer experience and the role technology plays within it. At INNOVATE, Koven will share his views on the obstacles and enablers of mobile commerce, but as a preview to his session, read on for a few insights on his philosophy on customer experience, how e-commerce and m-commerce can impact the ways consumers experience brands, and which brands are getting customer communications right.
With hundreds of stores selling Steve Madden in the U.S., a budding global presence, strong online and mobile channels, and expansion into the apparel and accessories vertical, what steps have you taken to ensure a seamless consumer experience for the iconic Steve Madden brand?
It all starts with exceptional product and people, and Steve Madden is like no other in terms of both the time we spend and investments we make in these areas. We’re a listening oriented company and when it comes to engaging with consumers and customers alike, we are highly accessible, very proactive, creative and consistent in our mission. We employ what I like to call a holistic approach which incorporates several departments. This allows us to capture and analyze the voice of the customer, share ideas and develop actionable opportunities throughout the business. The model of retail from a customer engagement standpoint has changed in terms of higher expectations and faster response levels. The major step I have taken with my peers is to provide visibility and encourage and empower responsiveness with my teammates.
You’ve talked before about the importance of ‘opening conversations with consumers. In your opinion, what brands excel at executing a two-way conversation with their customers?
Definitely Steve Madden. We are culturally invested in having conversations throughout all of our channels with a great team of people who really embody it. I think that Best Buy, Apple, Four Seasons, Starbucks, Southwest Airlines, Nordstrom, Whole Foods, Ford Motors, Geico and Trader Joe’s are doing a great job.
Tell us a little about the Steve Madden ‘Favorite Things’ campaign, which connected with customers through email, in-store video, mobile messaging, Facebook and Twitter. What was the goal of this campaign and what did you learn from it?
This campaign was our first attempt to connect all of the points of customer engagement together in an effort to inform and inspire our audience about products we felt very strongly about. The goal was to present exceptional products, not discounted goods. What we learned is that a great brand is about products first and foremost, not discounts.
What is the most significant learning you brought with you to Steve Madden from your experience as an executive in the online grocery sector?
The most significant learning I brought was to love and respect customers, never confuse activity with results and focus on being where the ball is going to be thrown. Interestingly, I started my career in warehousing. From there, I received a greater understanding of the back-end of the business, the technology and operational challenges faced in making great ideas come together. Getting an almost infinite combination of products from the computer screen to a customer’s home takes time to do it right, as well as a lot of work and great people to keep doing it right. Most importantly, I learned to always put myself in the customer’s shoes and encourage my peers to do likewise. We had a saying in the online grocery business that “what you put in your body is very different than what you put on your body.” What it means in a greater sense is being sensitive and receptive to the specific needs, wants and thoughts of your consumers and customers relative to the business one is in. For food it might be health and nutrition, for footwear it could be fashion and function. It’s critically important that someone in the company be the voice of the customer and at Steve Madden we have many that embrace this perspective.
Have you always want to work in retail? Or did your original career plan involve something different altogether?
From food to footwear, I have always worked in businesses that provided products and services to consumers. I embraced enabling technologies and innovation very early on. My grandfather owned a yardgoods shop in Brooklyn and my original career plan has been consistent from day one: to surprise and delight customers. To me, retail is both a science and an art. Steve Madden has provided me with the opportunity to execute my master plan, and I love every second of it.