A New Year, A New You, and New Digital Marketing Too

With 2015 already underway it’s the perfect time for retail marketers to reflect on the digital marketing advancements made in 2014 and to prepare themselves for what 2015 has to offer.

If 2014 had to be remembered for one thing, it might be the crescendo of interest around beacons (and location-based marketing), rather then their actual implementation in the shopping experience. This interest is part of the bigger marketing push to connect the physical with the virtual, and the on-line to the off-line. It also reflects the constantly evolving ways that consumers discover, research and shop for products, and the subsequent retail marketing response to those behaviors.

The ongoing transformation of digital shopping means that retailers need to effectively communicate to their varied audiences in a bespoke way, and at scale; retail marketers need to become all things to all people. Retailers shouldn’t neglect those digitally savvy Baby Boomers nor can they choose to ignore the insatiable appetite of some 80 millions Millennials.

So, what are retailers doing in 2015 to meet, and exceed, these diverse consumer expectations?

For starters, retailers will continue to stay on top of trends in omni-channel. As we’ve noted in past posts, Walmart, Target and Macy’s are all well ahead of the curve here. They’ve put their customers’ needs and expectations at the forefront and built strategies to meet and exceed them. That’s why these companies remained on top in 2014 – they’ve worked to create a consistent experience whether the customer is in their store or accessing the brand from their phone.

Along with that, the activation of customer data will continue to be the key to marketing success. Each of the demographic audiences referenced above exhibits very specific behavior – all of which can be activated programmatically. It’s incumbent upon retailers to analyze this data and understand how and why each of these audiences shops. What is their path to purchase? What is their mission? Why do they choose your store and your products? Are they loyal to your store and your brand, or are they simply shopping for the lowest price? Do they love you because you’re local, or have they only ever shopped online?

Building seamless and relevant experiences, from first interaction through purchase and beyond, for each customer is the goal – and that’s regardless of how each customer accesses the store. The connection between retailer and shopper should feel as genuine on a mobile device as it does in the store.

As shoppers evolve and become increasingly reliant on their digital devices for shopping, one thing will remain constant: they will tell retailers what they want, and they will expect retailers to listen. This year, half of all online purchases on Black Friday were made on a mobile device. Retailers that didn’t optimize for mobile shopping in 2014 will focus on incorporating the channel into their omni-channel strategy for the year ahead.

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