Global Ecommerce Strategy with Charlie Cole
In Episode 14, Charlie Cole, Chief Digital Officer and VP at TUMI and Global Chief eCommerce Officer at Samsonite, explores the global ecommerce strategy with Tyler and Kyle. Charlie has an extensive background in the ecommerce industry; his knowledge and expertise have helped guide the merger of TUMI and Samsonite. Charlie discusses TUMI’s priorities heading into 2018 and also shares how to gain and retain talent, how to build brand loyalty and more.
Charlie begins the conversation by describing how he splits his time between his two positions at TUMI and Samsonite as well as the role of his self-sufficient team in the process. After the acquisition, TUMI needed to maintain their premium status. Charlie explains that maintaining a brand's premium positioning requires cohesion between marketing merchandise and inventory management, a great customer acquisition strategy and an efficient CRM platform to encourage repeated purchases. Charlie goes on to say that Samsonite is a portfolio organization and they need to ensure the balance and collaboration between all of their global brands.
One of Charlie’s goals is to have functional expertise among his directors to ensure that strategies are smoothly implemented. In order to increase functional expertise, Charlie focuses on professional development and accountability. As a leader, he encourages his team to continue developing their skills and he provides that necessary support to aid them in the process. He also explains that the cause of many issues in teams are due to the lack of direct responsibility; teams need accountability and ownership.
Charlie then moves on to discuss the idea that having a good product is no longer sufficient to build brand loyalty among customers. He encourages marketing leaders to ask themselves what it is that customers want from them besides the product or service itself and why customers interact with their brands. Charlie explains that many businesses focus on providing a differentiated product and forget to examine their customer service practices, especially after the purchase. He encourages leaders to differentiate themselves from competitors by offering a great after-sale customer experience in order to establish brand loyalty.
Join us in this conversation about global e-commerce strategy, building and retaining a talented team, building brand loyalty and much more. Listen in to learn more about e-commerce platforms, strategy development and implementation and how to encourage collaboration and accountability among teams.
Time Stamps
00:00 – Joke
00:34 – Episode Welcome
00:47 – Co-hosts Introduction
01:44 – What’s in the News Today | Facebook Offline Events
08:49 – Featured Guest Introduction | Charlie Cole
09:25 – Charlie's Current Role at TUMI
12:53 – In-house Team & Outsourcing
14:17 – Balancing Qualified Team
17:13 – TUMI's Priorities for 2018
19:17 – Building Brand Loyalty
23:28 – Charlie's experience at TUMI's vs previous organizations
28:12 – Attracting & Retaining Talent
34:37 – Biggest Challenges with TUMI & Samsonite
35:27 – Merging Cultures, Developing Brands & Encouraging Collaboration
38:06 – Programatic Ad Placement Challenges & Strategy
40:31 – Factors to consider when selecting e-commerce platform
44:05 – Upcoming Changes in Technology
46:27 – Episode Key Takeaway
47:46 – Stay Connected with Charlie Cole
48:27 – Closing Comments
48:55 – Episode Outro
Featured Guests
Charlie Cole - Chief Digital Officer, VP at TUMI
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/charliecole
Twitter: twitter.com/CharlieCole
TUMI.com
Resources
Facebook - "Track Offline Conversions"
Digital Marketer - "Facebook Offline Events: What This Means for Marketers"
Facebook - Setting Up Offline Conversions
TechCrunch - "Facebook taps GPS, Square to track your in-store visits and purchases"
EntreLeadership Podcast
Lion’s Share Marketing Podcast
Music
Intro Music – Colony House – Buy “2:20” on iTunes
Outro Music – Skillet – Buy “Lions” on iTunes