A brand is a reflection of what you’ve done in the past, and a promise for the future – Jeff Griffin, Executive Vice President of Retail, inMarket
Adweek staff writer Lauren Johnson moderated a panel this afternoon, our last of SXSW Interactive. Jeff Griffin( Executive Vice President of Retail, inMarket), Chris Borek (Director of Enterprise Digital Marketing, Darden Restaurants), and Michael Stich (Chief Growth Officer, Rockfish) all gave their insights into the personalization of the shopping experience thanks to new mobile technology available to the consumer. Here are some highlights from the session.
Teach Behavior
If you can make it need based, and make it something that has a single, simple message to the user that’s relevant to them, you have a chance at this being a relevant tool. – Michael Stich, Chief Growth Officer, Rockfish
Out of all the Walgreens mobile app users, an incredible 60% have scanned their prescriptions for a refill in the past month (Stich). These customers are going to their mobile phones to repurchase a Walgreens product, not just to discover a new one or activate a promotion. In teaching this behavior, the company has given its customers a direct path to purchase that is not only convenient, but top of mind when they’re ready to buy.
Consider your audience
Mobile is the tie that binds the physical and digital space. – Chris Borek, Director of Enterprise Digital Marketing, Darden Restaurants
Just because a brand is using mobile and digital channels to activate consumers doesn’t mean the conversation is only living online. In-store foot traffic should be considered as an important audience that technology can help reach. Wal-Mart has 150 million shoppers going through its doors each week (Griffin). That’s an audience larger than the Super Bowl, with a far greater opportunity for conversion. What content can be served to them to not only help inform their purchase, but to ensure they return back?
There are endless ways to activate brand advocates in retail, but the overwhelming tactic to do so is personalization. Mobile is an incredible tool when used correctly, and gives brands the ability to build advocacy by taking all angles of customer behavior into consideration.