Brands should provide access to integrated data to all stakeholders to allow various business units from the brand to contribute to enhancing the user's journey.
As technology advances, our lives become perpetually more integrated with the digital world. The modern customer's purchasing journey encompasses multiple touchpoints across offline and online platforms. With this shift in customer behaviour, marketers and merchants should rethink their strategies to meet new expectations.
Multi-channel is NOT omni-channel
The multi-channel model aims to deliver a coherent brand message across all possible channels. The more channels to reach out to the customer, the better. Over the past decade, brands have scrambled to conquer the digital space and make use of novel platforms to maintain a strong presence. Another principle of the multi-channel model is exemplifying a “coherent brand message". Whether the customer is looking through the catalogue of items on the brand*s website or browsing items in the brand's retail store, the ambience, look and feel should be the same
Under the multi-channel model, brands would segment their target audiences based on their interaction levels with each channel. From a management perspective, channels are viewed individually. Each channel is appointed with channel-specific goals and structured to provide a rigid customer experience. The omni-channel model perceives all channels as one social experience for the customer. Brands need to understand that not all customers will follow the designated user journey.
This means that a paradigm shift should occur to adhere to this change in behaviour. Omni-channel is essentially a customer-centric strategy** that facilitates the purchasing model around the behavioural patterns of the customer. Customers are more tech-savvy nowadays. They are demanding personalisation and the brand to present them with a range of product/ service options. Personalisation formulas should be accurate in predicting what the customer wants and display the right options in a timely, yet non-intrusive way.
An omni-channel example
Creating a seamless retail experience is often confused with simply creating more channels. Marketers and merchants should think from the customer's perspective and determine what is effective and what isn't. Brands should analyse a customer's digital footprint and in teg rate the patterns with operational data to better predict a customer's needs. Brands should provide access to integrated data to all stakeholders to allow various business units from the brand to contribute to enhancing the user's journey. An omni-channel store experience would begin before the customer arrives at the store. When a customer browses through the catalogue of the brand's website, their digital footprint is analysed in real-time, and the pre-programmed online ads will then lock on the target and amplify their interest in purchasing. Upon arriving at the store, the sales representative could identify the customers and their unique needs since the collected data has been shared across business units. With the information on the customer's past purchases or participation in previous brand campaigns, the sales representative can determine which items to cross-sell or upsell to the customer. Upon checking out, the customer will also receive options to have it delivered to their home or picked up at another store if the item isn't immediately available.
Future remarks for omni-channel
When brands shift their marketing operations to encompass an omni-channel model, a few fundamental changes need to be thoroughly examined. Integrated platforms: To deliver a true omni-channel experience, the brand needs to be able to predict each customer's purchasing journey and identify where they are in the sales funnel. Each channel's database and supporting systems need to be centralised and effectively communicated with each other to provide on-demand information. For example, when customers search any channel, they can access real-time information on the product's availability and schedule convenient pick-up locations. Management philosophy: The customer will jump between channels in their purchasing journey. The channel the customer began his/ her research may not be the same channel they end up making their purchase. Sales conversion may become difficult to trace if each channel's performance is viewed individually. Instead, brand managers can consider constructing their sales predictions on the conversions among channels. Staff training: While an omni・channel model is a customer-centric strategy, the brand's staff are the ones who are involved in delivering its execution. An organisation should provide adequate training and preparation for staff across business units to adapt to the omni- channel mindset. Sales representatives should learn to think from the customer's perspective. Instead of directing the customer down a specific channel, the sales rep should advise on channels that are convenient and have potential opportunities for cross/upselling.
品牌應向所有利益相關者提供綜合數據,讓品牌的不同業務部 門能為提升顧客旅程作出貢獻
隨著科技進步,我們的生活與數碼世界變得更密不可分。現代消費者的購物旅程涵蓋離線及網上平台 的多個接觸點,隨著消費者行為轉變,市場推廣人 員及商家應重新思考其策略,以迎合新的期望。
多渠道不是全渠道
多渠道營銷模式旨在於所有可能的渠道上提供一 致的品牌訊息,接觸消费者的渠道愈多愈好。過去 十年,品牌爭相在數碼空間南征北討,並運用新穎 的平台來保持優勢。 多渠道營銷模式的另一個原則是「一致的品牌 訊息」,無論消費者是在品牌的網站上查看商品目錄,還是在品牌的零售店內瀏覽商品¹他們所感受 到的氛圍' 外觀及感覺應該是一樣的。 在多渠道營銷模式下'品牌會根據目標受眾與 每個渠道的互動情況來對他們進行細分。從管理 的角度來看'每個渠道是獨立的個體■各有具體的 渠道目標•並提供精確的客戶體驗。 全渠道營銷模式視所有渠道為一個整體的消 費者社交體驗-品牌要明白並非所有消费者都會遵 循指定的用戶旅程•因此要因應消费者的行為變 化而作出調整j全渠道是一個「以顧客為中心的策 略」,以加快消費者進入購買模式。 消費者現時更精於科技-他們要求品牌為他們 提供一系列個人化的產品/服務選項。個人化公式 應準確預測消費者的需求■並在適當的時候以非侵 擾的方式展示合適的選擇。
全渠道例子
很多人會誤以為創建更多渠道就能打造無縫的零 售體驗,市場推廣人員及商家應從消費者的角度出 發,以判斷怎樣才是有效的方式。品牌應分析顧客 的數碼足跡•並將其行為模式與營運數據相結合- 以更好地預測顧客的需求。品牌應向所有利益相關 者提供綜合數據•護品牌的不同業務部門能為提升 顧客旅程作出貢獻。 全渠道店內體驗從顧客踏進商店之前已經開 始,當顧客瀏覽品牌網站的商品目錄時,系統會 即時分析他們的數碼足跡-然後鎖定目標受眾■ 向他們發送預先設定的網上廣告■以刺激其購買 意欲。 由於收集到的數據會分享至不同業務部門-因 此當顧客到達商店後■店員便可識別出顧客及其 獨特需求。根據顧客以往的購買紀錄,或者以往的 品牌活動參與■店員可以確定應向顧客推銷哪些 商品。 在付款時-如果商品即時沒有現貨•顧客可選 擇送貨服務,或在另一門店取貨。
全渠道建議
當品牌將全渠道營銷模式結合至其市場推康策略 時,必須留意一些根本的輒變。 綜合平台:為提供真正的全渠道體驗•品牌必 須能夠預測每位顧客的購買旅程-並確定他們在銷 售渠道的位置。每個渠道的數據庫及支援系統都 需要集中管理及互相有效交流,隨時提供所需的 訊息。例如 ' 當顧客從任何渠道進行搜索時-他們 可以即時查看產品的存貨量,並選擇方便自己的取 貨地點。 管理理念:顧客在購買旅程中,會穿梭於不同 的渠道。顧客一開始進行搜索的渠道■未必是他們 最終完成購物的渠道。如果單獨檢視每個渠道的 績效-便難以追蹤銷售輒換情況。相反-品牌經理 可以根據渠道之間的轉換來進行銷售預測。 員工培訓:全渠道營銷模式是以顧客為中心的 策略■而品牌的員工是當中的執行者。企業應為不 同業務部門的員工提供充分的培訓及準備,以適應 全渠道營銷思維。店員應學習以顧客的角度思考■ 不應將顧客引導到特定的渠道,反而應建議方便、 並有潛力刺激交叉/追加銷售的渠道。
Marketing Hong Kong AUGUST 2017