As consumers interact more frequently through text messaging, calls and online channels, savvy marketers – particularly communications service providers – are considering the importance of this “social aspect” of decision making when developing strategies. Simple demographics fall short. Responding to demand for customer insights, SAS, the leader in business analytics software and services, introduces SAS Customer Link Analytics.

SAS Customer Link Analytics – comprising award-winning SAS analytics, visualization, dashboards and reports – lets decision makers leverage previously unknown connections between leaders, followers, and others in social communities. A further extension of SAS Analytics offerings, SAS social network analysis technology enables SAS Customer Link Analytics.

“Social network analysis lets communications service providers not only prevent customer churn, but also personalize marketing messages for greater cross-selling and up-selling opportunities,” said Jon Paisner, Senior Analyst, Yankee Group.

“We needed to gauge influence among customers,” said Dr. Carlos Andre Reis Pinheiro, a customer analytics expert at the School of Computing, Dublin City University. “SAS Customer Link Analytics will be invaluable in revealing customers’ influence in virtual communities inside telecom networks. This should allow companies to better meet evolving customer needs and retain relationships.”

By incorporating role-based variables into segmentation models, SAS Customer Link Analytics help marketers create more cost-effective campaigns, reduce customer attrition, and make messages more relevant. When marketers understand how products and ideas diffuse through social networks, they can determine how and when to target influencers, test campaigns and introduce new products and services.

“Communications service providers need to better understand how customers are using their products and making buying decisions,” said Ken King, Director of SAS Telco and Media Convergence. “Marketers knew some customers had significant influence over others, but now, with SAS Customer Link Analytics, they can finally quantify that influence and leverage those insights for competitive advantage.”