As we at DEMETER continue to empower our clients in transforming their Customer Experience (CX) journey, one truth becomes clearer with every project we implement:
You cannot deliver great customer experience without owning your customer channels and customer data.
This is the foundation for every successful CX transformation — and the reason so many brands struggle to convert “awareness” into “loyalty.”
The Common Problem: Relying Too Much on Marketplace Channels
Many retail brands we work with invest heavily in marketplace advertising and third-party platforms. They boost visibility but often lack control over their customer data. At the end of the day, they gain brand awareness — not relationships.
Without data ownership, they cannot identify who their customers are, how they behave, or how to engage them effectively across channels. When a customer reaches out, the support team has no context — no purchase history, no preferences — making personalization impossible.
Why Owning Your Channels Matters
Owning your channels means owning your data — and your customer relationship. Channels like your e-commerce website, official WhatsApp, Facebook Page, LINE account, or offline store are assets that belong to you, not a third-party platform.
And the ROI speaks for itself.
- Zendesk’s CX Trends 2024 reports that 81% of customers say a positive support experience makes them more likely to repurchase. Conversely, 50% will switch to a competitor after just one bad experience. (Zendesk CX Trends 2024)
- Appier’s 2024 Customer Engagement Insights found that AI-driven personalization across owned channels increases click-through rate by up to 78% and conversion by 45% compared to non-personalized campaigns. (Appier Insights Report)
- Braze’s Global Customer Engagement Review 2025 shows top-performing brands are 31% more likely to use in-app messages and 23% more likely to adopt dynamic content personalization — resulting in a 123% higher retention rate. (Braze 2025 Review)
- According to PwC’s Strategy&, companies that harness first-party data across their own channels can achieve 50–60% higher operating margin through more effective upselling, cross-selling, and pricing optimization. (PwC Strategy&)
These numbers prove that owning your data channels is not a cost — it’s an investment in long-term profitability.
Without Customer Data, There Is No CX
Without owning your customer channels and data, your teams face critical limitations:
- You can’t personalize experiences or target customers with relevance.
- You can’t connect service, marketing, and sales data to provide consistent experiences.
- You can’t identify high-value customers or forecast retention and churn.
- Your Customer Engagement Platforms (CEP) can’t operate effectively because there’s no data foundation.
It’s like trying to build a relationship while blindfolded.
The CX Enablement Framework: Build – Integrate – Activate
1. Build your own channels
Invest in your e-commerce site, owned chat channels (WhatsApp, LINE, Facebook Messenger), and offline systems that collect identifiable customer data. These are assets you control.
2. Integrate with CRM and CDP systems
Use a Customer Data Platform (CDP) to centralize all touchpoints — web visits, orders, campaigns, service tickets — into one single customer view. Then connect that to tools like Zendesk (for service), CXBOX, Braze or Appier (for engagement), and Asana or Freshservice (for internal collaboration). Flexible APIs and ready-made integrations accelerate deployment — helping brands go live faster and scale efficiently.
3. Activate your CX strategy through data
With connected data, you can segment audiences, automate engagement, and deliver real-time personalization:
- Zendesk equips support teams with full context to respond faster and empathetically.
- Braze enables personalized, cross-channel messages (email, in-app, WhatsApp, push).
- Appier optimizes timing and audience targeting using AI, improving conversion.
The outcome? Unified, intelligent, and human-centered experiences.
The Impact on CX and ROI
- Faster responses & better satisfaction: Zendesk data shows that real-time contextual support increases CSAT by 35%.
- Stronger engagement: Braze clients using personalized campaigns see up to 3.6x higher retention.
- Smarter decisions: Appier’s AI audience modeling reduces ad waste by 40%.
- Higher ROI: PwC’s Strategy& found brands that own data across channels enjoy up to 2x ROI improvement in digital transformation programs.
Our Reflection
At DEMETER, we’ve seen time and again that Customer Experience starts with ownership — ownership of data, technology, and strategy.
When a brand integrates its own channels, CRM ecosystem, and data-driven CX tools, it transforms from reactive to predictive, from transactional to relational.
It’s no longer about being visible on marketplaces — it’s about building value and memory in the minds of your own customers.
If your goal is long-term brand loyalty and ROI, now is the time to invest in your own data, your own channels, and a connected CX ecosystem.
About the author
Dr. Varanyu Suchivoraphanpong is currently the Founder & CEO of DEMETER ICT, a Premier Partner of Google and Zendesk in the APAC region. The company has the largest customer base for Google and Zendesk services in APAC including Greater China, with a combined total of more than 4,600 business customers. Dr. Varanyu has over 25 years of experience in information technology, having previously held senior executive positions in major organizations including banks, IT service providers, and business consulting firms. Dr Varanyu obtained his PhD in Computational Mechanic from Imperial College London.
