SMEs/SMBs with offline businesses models can still utilise digital marketing
You would be forgiven for thinking that the days of bricks and mortar stores are numbered due to the rise of Internet shopping and dramatically increased usage of Smartphones to make purchases when on the move. Certainly, online shopping is fast becoming the norm as UK shoppers are expected to spend over £52 billion online by the end of 2015; an increase of over £7 billion on the 2014 figure.
Yet this only represents 15.2% of retail sales in the UK which is a clear indication that in-store shopping is still the consumer’s #1 choice. Even better news is that you can use digital marketing to boost your level of in-store customers! According to a Deloitte report, digital technology influenced approximately 33% of in-store retail sales in the United Kingdom during 2014; this equated to over £100 billion.
No matter how advanced…
Using the right technology is key to optimising multi-channel retail strategy
Understanding the full impact online activity is having on offline sales has become something of a holy grail amongst marketers. Online advertising platforms, whilst bringing far greater measurability for those customers who click and convert online, cannot yet integrate all offline sales that have been influenced by web activity.
It’s certainty a pressing issue. According to a Forrester study, more than 50 percent of U.S. offline retail sales will be influenced by the Internet by 2017; a practice known as webrooming. Those web-influenced sales will also rise to $1.8 trillion, up from $1.2 trillion in 2012 – to put that into perspective, total ecommerce sales alone are set to reach $370 billion by 2017.
Another study also charts the rise of the showroomer: those who browse in-store before making a purchase online. There are multiple reasons why consumers might engage in…
The key trends and channels for travel marketing in 2015
This seasonal infographic created by our partners JBH Marketing gives an interesting overview of travel marketing. Of course, digital marketing is now an important channel for marketing different types of destinations and packages. Holidaymakers are increasingly turning to digital to book their holidays rather than using high-street travel agents. This infographic looks at consumer behaviour in selecting holidays and the channels that are important.
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Five examples of how retailers and brands are using iBeacons for marketing campaigns
Apple iBeacon gives great opportunities to develop innovative marketing campaigns, particularly for retailers. Beacons are small wireless sensors to connect the online with offline worlds. Their main purpose for a retailer is to enhance the customer experience by offering a new form of proximity marketing which can link to boosting product sales. Apple explains the the approach this way:
"Your iOS device can alert mobile apps when you approach or leave a location with an iBeacon.iBeacon uses a Bluetooth low energy signal, which iOS devices detect. In addition to monitoring location, an app can estimate your proximity to an iBeacon (for example, a display or checkout counter in a retail store)".
Let's now look at five interesting examples of how brands are using Apple iBeacons to create an advantage and added value for their customers.
1. Famous Antwerp Museum uses beacons as…
Wearable technology trends and the future of digital selling
Until what seems like very recently, wearable technology has remained on the fringes of consumer consciousness, with most people unsure what to make of it. 'What’s the point in moving the user interface two inches from my pocket to my wrist?' people rightly ask. 'But I’m terrible at multitasking, those glasses will just be another distraction…' Although wearables still have yet to gain widespread popularity, interest is stirring and 2015 may just be the year it turns a corner.
According to a recent report from Juniper Research, wearable advertising spend is estimated to reach just $1.5 million this year, but by 2019 is expected to hit a slightly more impressive $68.7 million. That’s a huge new market, and one that online marketers would do well to embrace.
Source: …
How do American consumers rate their level of multichannel CX?
For the 5th year running, the Temkin Experience Ratings has been compiled by researching 10,000 American consumers who have interacted with almost 300 retailers in the US. This survey breaks down by industry sector, how they evaluated their CX across a range of factors including Success (how companies are meeting the needs of their customers), Effort (Customer ease and accessibility) and Emotion (personal views on the customer experience at relevant touchpoints).
The top three companies providing a positive experience included Aldi, Publix and H-E-B and 5 out of the 12 top companies were from supermarkets. Whereby, those serving low customer experience were Coventry Health Care, Fox Rent a Car, Comcast and Fujitsu.
Source: Temkin…
How do consumer purchases vary by age and product - new UK statistics
We know the overall popularity of online use and purchase with 38 million adults in the UK (78% of the population) now using the Internet and 75% of us have bought goods and services online. We have all seen the shopping landscape evolve over the years, as we see more charity shops lining our streets and vacant properties - is this due to the accessibility of information, technology, convenience, changing demographics as older generation are using the internet, or consumers looking for a bargain.
So what are consumers buying online?
The popularity of product purchase will naturally vary based on the need for consumers to touch and view products, but how big an impact does this make? The Office of National Statistic's report sheds light on this highlighting that Clothes were the most popular online purchases by 49% of adults,…
It’s Christmas Ad Season – but what emotions are leading brands playing on?
Yep, it’s that time of year again, that time when in true festive style we all become a little child-like, eagerly awaiting this year’s fresh batch of Christmas ads to see what beauties lie in store for us. You know it’s true don’t you? These Christmas themed ads give us a warm, cosy feeling inside, making us feel a whole range of different emotions right across the spectrum… happiness, nostalgia, thankfulness, warmth, protective, loving…..the list goes on.
However, despite watching and experiencing some of the above mentioned emotions, the question that we never stop to consider is simply, why do we react in this way? What, precisely, is it that makes us feel the way we feel when watching these ads, and what is it that makes us want to watch Christmas ads, when we quickly skip over any…
Retail store techniques to meet shopper expectations
What are consumers expecting from experiences created by retailers in the UK and USA, and how are retailers satisfying their needs for the ultimate sale? Consumers in the UK and those across the pond are looking for the best offers, a rewarding in-store experience and a high level of customer, which is what we would expect.
It's interesting though that the differences are around stock/production information; 52% of American consumers feel let down compared to 28% in the UK.
So what should retailers be offering their consumers, if it's not already in place? The research highlights tactics such as consistency of prices across channels to reinforce trust and displaying real-time information.
The full In-store retail report can be accessed from Displaydata.
For more on creating in-store digital retail experiences see this post on …
Interview with Ollie Bath, co-founder of CloudTags
In our recent guide by Tery Spataro on integrating customer-facing digital technology into retail stores we looked at lots of examples of how retailers are planning to Wow customers with in-store digital tech. One of the most interesting technologies which combines customer engagement with linkages through to CRM and sales is CloudTags. Jill Quick, another of our Expert commentators had been telling me about the example of Made.com who had given customers at its London showroom tablets that they can use to read NFC / RFID tags to learn about each product, while giving the retailer access to data about shopper behaviour and preferences. It's one example of the Internet of Things being applied in retail today.
So, I was interested to interview Ollie Bath, the co-founder of CloudTags to find out more about the technology, how different retailers…
