Executive interview with Rachel Bicking, EVP Innovation Kobie Marketing

The Importance of Customer Data in 2025

Among the most discussed topics in C-Suites during 2024 is customer data. According to Gartner, the number of companies appointing Chief Data Officers has surged by 57% over the past five years. This shift underscores the growing recognition of data as a core business asset rather than just an operational necessity. Moreover, 78% of executives now view data as a critical element for driving business growth, and 72% of organizations report that data plays a pivotal role in developing and innovating new products.

Why is customer data such a hot topic? Companies that use data to enhance customer experience are 23x more likely to acquire new customers and 70% of companies prioritizing data as a strategic asset report higher profitability than their peers.

We spoke with Rachel Bicking, EVP Innovation at Kobie, to understand why businesses are shifting from treating data as a byproduct to making it a central element of their strategy. Bicking emphasized, “Data is an asset that can unlock new revenue streams, enhance product development, and provide a serious competitive edge.”  Retail media networks, which rely heavily on loyalty program data, are an outcome of this trend.

This evolution reflects a broader movement toward data-centric business models, powered by high-fidelity data that drives growth and differentiation.

Why is Managing Customer Data like Herding Cats?

Brands have historically been better at collecting data than at managing, protecting, or optimizing it for meaningful results. Data silos, incomplete datasets, and poor integration often prevent companies from converting raw data into actionable insights.

Bicking remarked, “Data is frequently treated as an afterthought rather than integrated into core business strategies. The implications of not properly leveraging data are much more than a simple hygiene issue. There are enormous levels of tangible and opportunity cost including revenue loss, poor personalization, and operational inefficiency. Collectively this leads to subpar personalization efforts, inconsistent CX, and even an erosion of trust between customers and the brand.”

It has been documented that poor data management can cost companies up to 20% of their potential revenue. Kobie addresses this challenge by creating ecosystems that enable seamless and intelligent data exchange between customers, brands, and partners. Solving these “data riddles” can unlock deeper customer engagement and loyalty.

Solutions for Lining Up the Data “Cats”

One solution is to develop Data Products – specialized tools, platforms, or services that transform raw customer data into actionable insights, driving both business revenue and enhancing customer experience. In loyalty programs, Data Products should include, at minimum:

• Recommendation engines
• Personalized offer platforms
• Customer segmentation tools
• Predictive analytics

These tools enhance campaign effectiveness, reduce churn, and increase customer lifetime value (CLV). Bicking has helped Kobie develop an approach that maximizes the financial benefits of a well-designed loyalty program for any business, balancing revenue generation with cost reduction. She cautions, “A comprehensive approach to data should consider more than transactional information, to encompass behavioral patterns and emotional aspects of customer interactions with an eye towards understanding customer intent.”

By focusing on contextual data rather than broad benchmarks, businesses can gain a more sophisticated understanding of customer motivations, leading to more effective loyalty strategies.

The Role of Zero-Party Data in Customer Value Optimization

Zero-Party Data (ZPD) – information customers willingly share – has always been a cornerstone of opt-in loyalty programs. The global pandemic changed how consumers interact with brands, making them more intentional about aligning values and expectations.

When asked about the best use of ZPD, Bicking explained, “Kobie aims to take a differential approach to ZPD, going beyond profile augmentation to uncover attributes of customer intent. This allows brands to predict behavior more reliably.”

Recent studies show that 74% of consumers would share content and channel preferences if it means gaining more control, and 60% would share this data for less than $50. Compared to traditional acquisition costs, this represents a compelling financial argument for investing in a robust ZPD strategy.

Methods to Accelerate Zero-Party Data Collection

Gamification and machine learning have emerged as effective methods to accelerate the collection of authentic and valuable ZPD. For example, Kobie uses dynamic mobile games with customized questions and incentives to gather high-quality data.

Machine learning empowers data brokers to determine the right ZPD to capture, the optimal number of questions in the game, and how to best incentivize customer response. “Kobie’s approach acts as a force multiplier for customer data collection,” Bicking said. “We prioritize quality data that serves both the customer and the brand.”

Every data point collected should have a purpose: to improve customer service, deliver value, and build trust. This approach fosters Emotional loyalty, an outcome where customers truly reserve mental space for a brand, translating into increased share of wallet and long-term advocacy.

Kobie’s Data Product Suite Blueprint

While Bicking couldn’t reveal all the “secret sauce,” she shared that Kobie’s guided approach ensures client data initiatives are always tied to measurable business objectives. By prioritizing data collection and insights at every stage of the customer journey – enrollment, shopping, redemption, and beyond – Kobie transforms data into actionable opportunities.

Further highlighting the business potential of a well-designed Data Product Suite, Bicking pointed to examples like Amazon, where 35% of revenue stems from its recommendation engine, underscoring how the right data tools can fuel both customer loyalty and substantial revenue growth.

With that, Bicking concluded, “Our work is focused on creating precision-built assets that generate multiple benefits across the ecosystem. This transforms loyalty programs into engines of value creation for the entire business.”