The proof is in the pudding.

High-touch customer outreach for a financial services giant

First Data Corporation is the global leader in electronic commerce and payment systems for businesses and consumers worldwide. The Fortune 300 company operates in over 200 countries and territories, serves millions of consumers daily and handles over 35 billion transactions a year.

Cerebellas was hired by First Data to build upon a foundation of customer intelligence and brand development led since 2000 by Cerebellas' founder, prior to her launch of the company. First Data wanted to integrate objective, third-party customer outreach into its normal business practices; it engaged Cerebellas for a series of customer and prospect interviews at various trade shows around the country. Cerebellas designed each 'pulse check' to address a range of topical business issues, both strategic and tactical:

• What new choice drivers are influencing customer purchasing habits?
• What is the impact of our latest acquisition on customers, prospects and partners?
• How are new marketing messages being perceived?
• What do our customers envision for the future and how can we be a part of it?

Results and action-oriented recommendations were shared with senior operations and marketing executives across the enterprise. For many, the insights were the most tangible, up-to-the-moment snapshot of the company's performance in key business segments and provided decision makers with valuable data to implement initiatives, pilot new projects and adjust future marketing activities.