Welcome to the Referential Blog!

As a team of consultants embedded in dozens of unique customer advocacy programs at any given moment, Referential is constantly exploring, implementing, and improving on strategies and best practices.

Join us as we discuss the latest tips, tricks, and techniques in customer advocacy and customer marketing.

See a topic you’d like to learn about in greater detail? Contact us! We’d love to start a conversation.

Customer Marketing and Advocacy Blog | Referential Inc.
From Metrics to Community: The 2025 Advocacy Landscape
From Metrics to Community: The 2025 Advocacy Landscape

In 2025, expect increased emphasis on data-backed metrics to justify program value, the blending of advocacy and marketing roles, and the rise of personalized outreach powered by AI. Community-building initiatives, enhanced employee advocacy, and innovative formats like video storytelling will redefine how businesses engage advocates. These trends highlight advocacy as a business-critical strategy that fosters deeper connections, drives growth, and extends customer lifespans.

The Road to Advocacy Program Optimization
The Road to Advocacy Program Optimization

Jennifer Doyon, a Principal at Referential, shares insights from her 15 years in customer advocacy. In this Q&A, she discusses the key considerations when selecting a Reference Management System (RMS) or Customer Advocacy Platform (CAP), and how Referential helps clients justify their advocacy program budgets, optimize platform performance, and implement best practices.

From Process to Precision: Essential Insights on Process Documentation and Data Management
From Process to Precision: Essential Insights on Process Documentation and Data Management

In this insightful Q&A, a seasoned customer advocacy consultant with over eleven years of experience shares best practices for managing process documentation and data in customer reference programs. The discussion covers essential data points to prioritize, strategies for ensuring consistency and accuracy, and the importance of continuous process improvement. The consultant also highlights how critical it is to adapt documentation to an organization’s unique needs and goals while keeping it dynamic and accessible to the team.

Looking for something specific?

Recruitment, Best Practices, Program Management The Referential Team Recruitment, Best Practices, Program Management The Referential Team

Recruitment and Trust Go Hand-In-Hand: Employee Highlight Series

In this Q&A, we delve into insights shared by Referential's Advocacy Consultants, Kristian Gallego and Rob Lisama, on the challenges and strategies involved in customer recruitment for advocacy programs. They discuss overcoming common hurdles like database management and client engagement, emphasizing the importance of trust-building and leveraging technology effectively to drive successful recruitment outcomes.

Read More
Metrics and Reporting Denise Taylor, Senior Advocacy Consultant Metrics and Reporting Denise Taylor, Senior Advocacy Consultant

Employee Highlight: A Look Inside the Numbers Is All You Need

The best way for a customer advocacy program to survive long-term is to establish metrics and reporting functions early on that prove – to stakeholders and upper management – the value of the program, both at a high-level and in-depth. Read through this Q&A with Sr Advocacy Consultant Denise Taylor to learn more!

Read More
Data Management, Metrics and Reporting, Program Management, Technology Ryan Quackenbush, Principal Data Management, Metrics and Reporting, Program Management, Technology Ryan Quackenbush, Principal

Leveraging Tracked Content in RO to make Monthly Recruitment Metrics Easy, Part 2 of 3

In part one of this series, I spoke about a way in which I put together a recruitment report for my clients using RO Innovation (formerly ReferenceView) that is both easy to assemble and to understand…

Read More
Metrics and Reporting, Program Management, Technology, Advocacy Platform Overview Ryan Quackenbush, Principal Metrics and Reporting, Program Management, Technology, Advocacy Platform Overview Ryan Quackenbush, Principal

Leveraging Tracked Content in RO to make Monthly Recruitment Metrics Easy, Part 1 of 3

Customer marketing and advocacy, like all other departments, needs to demonstrate its value to the larger organization. When Referential works with clients, I and my colleagues strive to ensure the quality of work we deliver is timely and, most importantly, impactful. What’s the quickest way to demonstrate this?

Read More
Data Management, Metrics and Reporting Saravanan Sakthivel, Advocacy Consultant Data Management, Metrics and Reporting Saravanan Sakthivel, Advocacy Consultant

How to Create a Pivot Table in Excel

Pivot tables are one of Excel's most powerful Microsoft tools. A pivot table allows you to extract the significant data and trends from a large, detailed data set. When analyzing your customer advocacy program data, pivot tables can be excellent tools for efficiently gathering insights on your customer advocates and advocacy assets.

Read More