Consumers today extend their identities across a vast network of physical and digital objects, devices and spaces, and they expect their shopping experience to be part of that unique network. IDC Retail Insights has predicted that within just five years, consumers will expect retailers to engage them with personalized and contextualized interactions. Brands that can deliver on that expectation not only to recognize each customer as an individual; they also stand to differentiate their brand in a way that generates engagement, sales and loyalty.
A truly personalized experience seamlessly combines personalized products and services to create an immersive brand experience that is unique to each consumer. That could be, for example, a shoe bar where customers can handle the physical product and get digital information or recommendations about the right sports shoe for them, choose pattern, color and embroidery, share their design across social media and have their shoes delivered to their chosen address. Or, it could be somebody sending a friend a drink with a personalized label and sharing the experience online. There are endless possibilities, all with one thing in common: the seamless integration of products and services to create an interactive network with the consumer at the center.
Personalized experiences like these create an emotional connection between the brand and the consumer, speaking directly to the consumer’s needs, wishes and values to become part of their personal story. Providing a consistent brand experience across all channels is an important element in that story, building a foundation for ongoing interaction that continues this personalized narrative. As several successful campaigns have shown, online communities such as social networks can be pivotal to driving consumers’ emotional connection with a brand. They provide a platform for consumers to share their unique designs and to express their views on new products, services and experiences through tools such as ‘likes’ on Facebook and Instagram or conversations on Twitter. In stores, a growing number of tools such as electronic product codes, context-awareness technologies and interactive screens and mirrors are providing mood lighting, ambient sounds, video, information and recommendations to immerse consumers in their personal brand experience. In addition, biometric technologies are helping some retailers to identify shoppers’ emotions so they can provide offers and recommendations that suit their mood.
As these examples show, technology is a great enabler – but people are at the heart of a personalized experience. Research by TimeTrade highlights this demand for a personal touch, revealing that 90% of consumers are more likely to buy when helped by a knowledgeable in-store associate. It is, therefore, essential to provide retail staff with the technology that gives them real-time access to all the information they need. That means terminal, tablet and mobile devices supported by an infrastructure that can collect, analyze and present real-time information in a way that is relevant and actionable. The customer might have looked at an item online before heading to the store to see it and look for accessories. Perhaps they’ve bought similar items before, or asked a question about the range through social media or online chat. Empowering staff with a 360-degree view of the customer, and with real-time knowledge about stock and delivery options, enables them to provide everything the customer needs to continue their journey with the brand. Face-to-face with the customer, staff can fine-tune the service they deliver in response to cues such as facial expression, tone of voice, and body language, to deliver a truly personalized experience.
A consumer’s personal shopping journey might include a diverse assortment of digital channels and mobile devices, visits to bricks-and-mortar stores and interactions through social media. In order to deliver a personalized experience, retailers need to make sure the consumer is free to purchase at any point in that journey, and that they can receive their items quickly. Up-to-date insight on inventory is a key component of this experience – indeed, IDC Retail Insights predicts that alongside consumers’ demands for personalized interactions in the next five years, retailers will need to improve real-time inventory accuracy to 98% or better, or they will struggle to close online or click-and-collect sales. Leading brands in this area are investing in infrastructure than can support data collection, analysis and decision-making based on that knowledge, and in providing next-day delivery, click-and-collect and hub delivery options that can satisfy consumers’ demands for immediacy and convenience, wherever they choose to purchase.
Brands that have led the way in creating personalized experiences are reaping the benefits, with increases in sales figures often credited to their digital strategy. As shoppers’ expectations of personalized products and services continue to grow, many more brands are now looking at how they can enable the knowledge, integration and interaction that combine to put each consumer truly at the center of their own brand experience.
