Thanks to microchips, companies in developed markets routinely collect and store huge volumes of information about their customers. Thanks to continuous-relationship-marketing (CRM) tools, this valuable resource doesn't lie inert but is instead used to fashion sample customer segments that can be used to test new offers. The winning ones are then turned into full-scale marketing campaigns.
It seems unlikely that CRM would work this well in emerging markets, where accurate customer data, advanced IT systems, and marketing experts are all in shorter supply. …
