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From situationships to real relationships: insights from the CRM Roundtable in Oelde

Customer Experience

CRM Roundtable
Customer loyalty
Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

Fabian Bologna

November 13, 2025

CRM Roundtable: discussions on customer retention, CLV, churn, and personalization in Oelde

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On October 23, 2025, CRM experts, marketers, and CX professionals from the OWL region and beyond gathered at the Simplicity headquarters in Oelde for a special format combining inspiration, exchange, and lunch: the CRM Roundtable, initiated by valantic, Simplicity, and Bloomreach.

What does “relationship” even mean today – in times of shrinking attention spans, growing complexity, and changing customer needs? Or, to say it tongue in cheek: Have modern brand-customer relationships become the situationships of marketing?

Large CRM presentation slide with the words “Customer Relationship Management” at the CRM roundtable, with a blurred person’s silhouette in the foreground. — The goal of the day: rethinking the “R” for relationship in CRM.

Relationship management requires attitude – not just technology

The keynote already made one thing clear: Customer retention is becoming more complex and can’t be solved by systems alone. Retention, relevance, recognition, reward, reciprocity, and representation – six dimensions that show how successful relationships are built on mutual awareness and appreciation. The “R” in CRM is anything but one-sided: It’s multi-layered. But how can this mindset be translated into a CRM reality that is increasingly data-driven? What’s already working well, and which challenges are still the toughest nuts to crack?

These and many other questions were discussed by around 20 participants in a World-Café-style setting.

Two people are presenting at the CRM roundtable in front of a black pinboard while participants listen in the foreground.

From data to relationships: But how?

Three tables, three perspectives, one shared goal: understanding, measuring, and shaping customer loyalty. The following discussions dominated the exchange and inspired participants long after the event.

A speaker is presenting at the CRM roundtable in front of three pinboards covered with coloured sticky notes, while participants listen in the foreground.

A format that connects

What made the CRM Roundtable special was the blend of depth and genuine human connection. Inspiring conversations, new contacts, and a shared lunch in an atmosphere that was open, calm, and focused.

The discussions made it clear how relevant the exchange on modern customer loyalty has become – especially in times when brands need to build and maintain trust more than ever. The CRM Roundtable in Oelde was just the beginning, and the next session in spring is already being planned.

Anyone who wants to join next time or gain further insights is welcome to reach out directly to Selen, Marco, or Sebastian.

Because: CRM 2025 isn’t just about more campaigns and KPIs, it’s about stronger relationships. Otherwise, customer relationships might just turn into situationships after all.

Photo of four valantic colleagues taking a coffee break at the office bar.

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