Data Alone Will Not Save You: Q&A With 1-800-Flowers’ Digital Guru
Amit Shah, senior VP-online, mobile and social media at 1-800-Flowers.com, is tasked with managing the gifting brand’s digital touchpoints. Over the course of his six years at the Carle Place, N.Y.-based retailer, Mr. Shah has seen data and technology transform the brand into a cutting-edge retailer that even boasts its own artificial intelligence concierge. Ahead of his appearance at the Ad Age IQ Conference on Jan. 17, Mr. Shah talks about the company’s transformation and the role of data.
Advertising Age: The company has several brands beyond flowers — Popcorn Factory, Cheryl’s Cookies and Harry & David to name a few. How has technology helped you integrate your brands?
Amit Shah: It has been a very important part of our DNA to make sure we are moving with our customers in adopting, ingesting and then leveraging not just the right technology but the right experience built with the right technology. What the customer ultimately is looking for is consistency of experience. We have a multi-branded portal where you can easily toggle between each of our brands. We want to make sure that as your recipient set changes, we provide fluidity and ease of expectation also consistency.
