Whether it’s the marketing department for a mammoth retail brand created by a consolidation of one or more companies or a product marketer for a single SKU, marketers are working harder than ever to transform the way we shop. With brands such as Amazon appearing in stores like Whole Foods and same-day delivery becoming the norm, marketers for physical retail spaces as well as online outlets are putting our wallets and likes at the heart of their campaigns.
Multi-Platform Not Omni-Channel Retailing
Being customer-centric is proving to be the focal point of marketing more than ever, with canny marketers creating multiple touchpoints for each customer profile rather than thinking about channels of communication.
Marketers for offline retailers are increasingly looking to turn a retail space into a place where customers want to hang out rather than a place to visit because they need to. Tying in with the trend for experiences rather than owning more material items than the next person, retail marketers are giving their brands a personality which appeals to consumers on many levels.
A simple way to achieve this is through the use of in-store music. Experts such as https://moodmedia.co.uk/in-store-music-for-business/ are increasingly being asked for playlists specific to a target audience group.
Budget Predictions
With a slowdown in marketing budget growth predicted for 2018, as this article highlights, marketers are increasingly using digital marketing and direct marketing in order to personalize their campaigns as much as possible.
Consumers are becoming more savvy in their expectations of the brands they buy, and clever retail marketers are tapping into this with campaigns which showcase their brand identity. Consumers are looking to engage with brands, so they want to be told a story as well as what’s in it for them if they make a purchase. Retail marketers who recognize this trend and adapt accordingly will transform the way we shop. If a brand has a heritage which is aligned with its USP, marketers are going to build on this to create a touchpoint for consumers.
Word-of-mouth recommendation has always been the gold standard in marketing, so those marketers who interact with their customers will gain the biggest share of their wallets – and consumers will benefit from a more positive and more enjoyable shopping experience.