2nd Day of Christmas

2nd Day of Christmas = Two Sources of New Customers.


These, of course, would be Google, and your favorite Co-Op.


Now, be honest with your answer to this question:

1. What do you know about the names offered to you via Google, and via your favorite Co-Op?

The average catalog brand generates maybe 75% of all new names from Google and from Co-Ops.  You'd think we would know more about these names, given that over the course of the past five years nearly our entire twelve-month buyer file has been sourced from Google / Co-Ops, right?

Honestly, we don't know anything.  Algorithms are now in charge of our business.  The only thing we control is the merchandise we offer, and too often, we adjust the merchandise assortment based on response of Google / Co-Op names.

That's a problem.

In 2012, we're going to better understand how algorithms now control our business. Too often, in 2011, you told me that Google / Co-Ops were swinging business performance in ways that were out of your control.  

We're going to have to learn how we can take control back from the algorithms.