A New Chapter in Customer Engagement

Transcription

1 A New Chapter in Customer Engagement Insight into what omni-channel really means for retail marketers An Executive Snapshot of Global Retail Disruption Sponsored by: VISIT THE REMODISTA SANDBOX:

2 The story begins Imagine a brand as a story told through the many channels that we, as marketing leaders, weave together to make a marketing strategy. Just like a novel from a best-selling author, your story needs to be cohesive. The arc needs to span the chapters, and the characters need to be fully fleshed out. Many marketers attempt to be captivating, relatable storytellers, but it too often feels as if they skipped something important from print to screen, or from store to tablet. Today s consumers, no matter where, when, or how they connect with your product, expect stories to be personalized and consistent. Strategizing a marketing approach can be as simple as reconsidering the journey of your main character the consumer.

3 As the steep technology curve continues to produce unexpected plot twists in the marketing technology narrative, we feel compelled to label these changes so as to better understand them. In this case, the market has dubbed the merging of the online and the offline as an omnichannel. Founder and Chief Networking Officer of Remodista, Kelly Stickel, thinks it s too simplistic to define this as omnichannel. After talking to over 300 brand leaders, it is clear the points of entry are quickly expanding; we need to be looking at how people are getting to us, coming in. She [the customer] taught us a lot about who we are too She wants to be able to move with ease through those different touch points. -Lauren Croke, EILEEN FISHER It s time to look at the customer and And although we use the term omni-channel in this paper, you ll see it being used interchangeably with customer experience. As the dust settles on the technology changes, we think you ll agree that they are one and the same. her behavior, not the marketer and her behavior.

4 Customers today dictate the route they take with a product or a brand experience across channels (much like a Choose Your Own Adventure book). Thus, marketers thought processes should shift so that customers are at the center of the strategy. As Lauren Croke, Director of Web and E-commerce at EILEEN FISHER, explains, She [the customer] taught us a lot about who we are too, in terms of the service that we provide, the type of culture that we want to cultivate, and where we want to be on the edge of customer experience She wants to be able to move with ease through those different touch points. Barriers to integrating online and offline experiences A successful customer experience merges the storylines of innovation and technology; this forces companies to reassess their approaches and take risks for rewards that aren t easily quantifiable. For these reasons, many companies are falling behind and failing to meet the consumer s growing expectations. they will not be able to maintain their company culture. But true harmony lies in merging all the channels. As Lauren posits, How do you take the aspects of the culture that are aligned with the design principles and then layer that into the customer experience? Another significant hurdle is that omni-channel marketing can create needless competition within a company, which compartmentalizes the processes rather than embraces the fluidity of working together toward a shared goal. As a result, companies may allocate funds and resources to the channel that appears most successful at any given moment, without anticipating future developments. These isolated departments are referred to as silos, and they should be dismantled to focus on profit as a whole enterprise. When we move toward the customer experience, it s going to create all net new business processes. They aren t defined until we do that. Now is the time to shift our thinking and reorganize internally; we need to connect to groups that influence the brand because they will ultimately influence a largely self-guided customer experience. Integrating technology can be a risky investment, especially when the results are relatively slow to realize. Many fear that if they embrace the digital approach,

5 3 How key ways customers have changed have customer expectations changed? How should businesses take action to meet these new expectations? Customer Change #1: Sophisticated Buyers Today s consumer is more sophisticated and is accustomed to a flow of technology. Customer Change #2: Expectations Delight will become expectation innovation will always become the norm. TAKE ACTION: Involve a designer in any and all initiatives within the business - technology, operations, and process - so that the customer perspective is at the core of the experience. TAKE ACTION: Leverage shifts in technology to seek and implement ways to surprise the consumer. Interested in sponsoring content like this? Contact us: kelly@remodista.com

6 3 key ways customers have changed (cont.) Customer Change #3: Personalization The customer seeks a more personal retail experience. TAKE ACTION: Focus on customer service in all aspects of the business, from e- commerce virtual support to retail store teams that are equipped with the necessary tools and knowledge to deliver a cohesive and seamless customer experience. Interested in sponsoring content like this? Contact us: kelly@remodista.com

7 One customer, one brand, many points of entry. As any good writer will tell you, the details of the plot are difficult to see until you start trying to piece the story together. This is particularly true for marketers who work with the theme of shifting technology. We still compartmentalize changes in technology, in our customers and in the way we deliver messages. -Kelly Stickel, Remodista Get involved! Are your teams prepared to tackle these challenges? Learn, grow and interact with other brand leaders in our COMMUNITY SANDBOX: Reworking our vision for the future to start with the customer and work backward will be the key to success. We know it s not a new concept. But, when consumer technology plateaus (even for a moment) and we have a chance to catch our breath, what will emerge is a better understanding of how the organization can deliver a cohesive customer experience. VISIT THE REMODISTA SANDBOX: Again, as a reminder, When we move toward the customer experience, it s going to create all net new business processes...

8 ABOUT THE AUTHOR Remodista RETAIL & MOBILITY DISTILLED Remodista is a social think tank examining disruption in global retail. Our mission is to provide insight, education and innovation to global brands through collaborative research and analysis. R E S E A R C H T E A M Alexandra Wilkis Wilson, CEO, GLAMSQUAD Chau Banks, EVP, CIO & Channel Integration, NY&CO Heather Harris, President, CycleBar Jessica Karle, Lead Product Manager, Paperless Post Kelly Stickel, Chief Networking Officer, Remodista Kyla Robinson, Mobile Products, OppenheimerFunds Lauren Croke, Director of ecommerce, EILEEN FISHER Lalena Luba, VP PR, Aritzia Lois Herzeca, Partner, Gibson Dunn Maureen Jann, Director of Marketing, Point It Rosalie Sutherland, Mobile Strategist Rose Hamilton, EVP, CMO, & GM, Pet360 Shawna Hausman, VP of ecommerce and DM, giggle Valerie Keast, Merchandising + Direct Marketing, Sears Veronika Sonsev, CEO, insparq REMODISTA FOCUS AREA Women Executive Insights This focus area looks at how we work together and shape our business channels that weave all touch points together through technology. Women leaders were largely missing in the first wave of online technology development in the 90's and early 2000's, and it seems like a gift, for both men and women, to hear how female executives are thinking about innovation and digital transformation.