3 ways to create an effective omni-channel marketing...

3 WAYS TO CREATE AN EFFECTIVE OMNI-CHANNEL MARKETING STRATEGY The importance of establishing consistent

cross-channel brand and consumer identities.

A WHITE PAPER BY GIGYA

© 2013 GIGYA ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. | 888-920-1702 | www.gigya.com | @gigya | blog.gigya.com

White Paper: How To Establish a Culture of Consumer Trust

The rise of mobile and social technologies has given way

to more potential touch points for brands to reach and

connect with consumers than ever before.

Last year eMarketer reported that 45% of consumers prefer a combination of online,

mobile, and in-store shopping. Over the past year, this trend has only grown, forcing

marketers to consider how to leverage multiple marketing channels to effectively

reach and convert the always-on consumer. Modern customers want to check

inventory on your website, download coupons from your mobile app, visit your store

and then share their experience on your Twitter feed - and they expect to receive the

same level of experience and move seamlessly across each channel.

While marketers are recognizing the need to adopt an omni-channel strategy, many

are struggling to successfully connect with consumers across all available outlets

while still providing an aligned customer experience. In a recent survey by the Retail

Systems Research Institute, 40% of marketers reported the ability to “create a single

brand identity across all channels” as a significant opportunity to improve customer

satisfaction. 54% of marketers also revealed that the biggest inhibitor in establishing a

consistent cross-channel customer experience is not having a single view of

customers across channels.

This white paper examines three key ways to create a successful omni-channel

experience while establishing cohesive brand and consumer identities through the

following techniques:

Developing a mobile strategy

Streamlining physical and digital interactions

Socializing the customer experience

The Omni-Channel Challenge

45% of customers prefer an omni-channel shopping experience

45% of in-store consumers turn to social platforms on their mobile

devices to influence their buying decisions

54% cite not having a consolidated customer view across channels as

the biggest roadblock to a successful cross-channel experience

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Developing a Mobile Strategy

For the first time in history, time spent on mobile devices will surpass time spent on

desktop in the United States this year (eMarketer, 2013). Consumers are now

demanding a way to instantly connect with their favorite brands via mobile. They

expect the same user experiences and capabilities they are accustomed to receiving

on desktop to translate to their mobile devices, and they are now carrying these

experiences with them everywhere they go.

This mobile revolution has opened a

new world of opportunity for brands

and marketers to connect with

current and prospective customers,

but many businesses are uncertain

how to leverage mobile as an

effective sales and marketing

channel. In most cases, it goes

beyond re-creating a desktop

experience for the iPhone or Android

device – it’s about extending and

amplifying this experience in a way

that connects consumers anytime,

anywhere, and in the context of their

real-time activities.

The Key: Unlocking Identity

To successfully add mobile to your omni-channel mix, you have to first establish user

identity through social login. Social login allows users to log into and register for

websites through existing social accounts like Facebook, Twitter, or Yahoo. Not only is

this faster, easier and more convenient for users, but it also gives brands permission-

based access to valuable information in these users’ social profiles. With insights into

consumers’ locations, frequent check-ins, favorite movies and more, brands are able

to create more personalized mobile experiences, similar if not superior to those on

desktop.







Success Story

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is one example of a brand that is increasing customer

connectivity by implementing a unique mobile strategy with its airport simulation

game, Aviation Empire. Users can register and sign in to the game via social login. To

bridge mobile and physical experiences, Aviation Empire incorporates GPS technology

to reward players virtual game points for checking-in to airports in real life. Finally,

social game elements like a leaderboard displaying the top-ranked gamers and the

ability to share game activity across users’ social channels foster a highly interactive,

engaging multi-channel experience.

Increase Transparency with Permission-based

Did You Know?

72% of mobile users say it’s important that websites are mobile-friendly (Search Engine Watch)







Streamlining Physical and Digital Interactions Today’s consumers post pictures of their meals from inside restaurants, rate movies

from their theatre seats, and check-in at stores to download coupons on the spot.

Digital and physical interactions now happen in tandem, calling for brands to create a

unified experience that enables customers to move seamlessly between these two

realms. Thus, all digital channels need to share a joint, cohesive customer-centric

strategy that puts brand and consumer identity at the core of the experience.

Leveraging customer data and insights to personalize user experiences across

channels creates an authentic, immersive customer experience that is sure to

increase brand loyalty and lifetime customer value.

One example of a brand that has constructed an effective, unified physical and digital

experience is Victoria’s Secret. Victoria’s Secret Angel Card rewards program enables

shoppers to share and earn points by shopping in-store and online. Members receive

personalized e-mail alerts regarding special offers and promotions, get free gifts and

birthday presents, and gain access to special events and exclusive discounts. Card

holders also receive extra rewards for connecting their social profiles, effectively

uniting omni-channel experiences..







The Key: Consumer Management

As consumers interact with brands across a wider breadth of channels, huge

quantities of structured data (e-mail addresses, birthdays, etc.) and unstructured data

(interests, hobbies, etc.) are created. Not only is it important to accurately capture all

of this “big data,” but it is also important to be able to filter through it and identify the

right kinds of insights to create relevant customer experiences across all channels.

This requires a sophisticated database that can reconcile and makes sense of both

structured and unstructured data simultaneously. Successful marketers are

leveraging connected consumer databases that allow them to construct and track

user identities across channels and create streamlined, specialized experiences both

digitally and in-store.

The Data Storage Difference

1) Cloud Storage for Elasticity and Scalability:

When it comes to storing big data, traditional IT infrastructures lack the elasticity

and scalability of cloud storage systems. Cloud storage models allow easy access

to data by multiple users and are equipped to handle massive amounts of

structured and unstructured data.

2) Centralized Storage for Unification:

Businesses with more than one web property or multiple locations for collecting

user data can easily access stored data by keeping it in a centralized location.

Unifying data in this way makes it easier to scale marketing efforts and reach the

right users with the right messages at the right times.







Socializing the Customer Experience

Thanks to the rise of social media, consumers are demanding a more direct,

instantaneous connection to brands, in real-time. They no longer respond to

traditional sales or marketing tactics - they want to have a two-way dialogue with their

favorite brands, and then share their experiences with their social circles, anytime and

anywhere.

Connecting with consumers via social channels enables brands to establish trust and

authentic relationships with them by effectively becoming a part of their social

community. This leads to increased brand awareness, conversion rates and brand

loyalty. In fact, a recent study by the IAB shows that 90% of consumers would

recommend a brand after interacting with it via social (IAB, 2013). Furthermore, 64%

of Twitter users and 51% of Facebook users are more likely to buy the products of

brands they follow online, and 50% of shoppers have made a purchase based on a

recommendation through a social media network (Business2Community, 2013).

The Key: Community Engagement

Adding social features like sharing, ratings and reviews, and comments to your

website allows customers to easily interact with your brand and seamlessly share

their actions and opinions with their networks. Generating an actively engaged user

community and fostering user-generated content boosts SEO and increases referral

traffic, time spent on site, and, ultimately, lifetime customer value.

As marketers learn more about customers through their interactions and social

profiles, they develop a crystal clear view into their social graphs, revealing their

demographics, opinions, likes, dislikes, and feelings. These kinds of insights enable

marketers to extend the social experience outside of social networks and personalize

both digital and physical realms to create an effective, targeted omni-channel

experience.

Did You Know?

40% of consumers buy more from retailers who personalize the shopping

experience across channels

(Internet Retailer)







To help you develop and maintain an effective omni-channel marketing strategy

centered around unique brand and consumer identities, we’ve outlined five steps to

success below:

1. Identify your cross-channel opportunities

2. Develop a cohesive customer-centric strategy that puts brand and

consumer identity at the core of the experience

3. Implement a robust database solution to capture and manage

structured and unstructured data across channels

4. Create a mobile experience that complements and amplifies your

desktop and in-store strategies

5. Start building community engagement by creating opportunities for

consumer interaction

About Gigya

Gigya provides clients with the rich data, intelligence, and tools needed to reach

consumers with the right messages, on the right platforms at the right time. Gigya

drives user acquisition and engagement for 700 enterprises and reaches 1.5 billion

unique users per month, ensuring that today’s businesses stay relevant in the age of

the connected consumer.

For more resources on establishing a culture of consumer trust, visit Gigya.com. To

get started right away, you can speak with a product expert by calling: 888-920-1702

Sources

- http://www.atelier.net/en/trends/articles/retailing-omni-channel-approach-central-strategies-2013_423523

- http://www.emarketer.com/Article/US-Time-Spent-on-Mobile-Overtake-Desktop/1010095

- http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2208496/72-of-Consumers-Want-Mobile-Friendly-Sites-Google-Research

- http://www.thedrum.com/news/2013/07/04/iab-study-finds-90-consumers-back-brands-after-interacting-social-media

- http://www.business2community.com/social-media/15-social-media-statistics-that-every-business-needs-to-know-0418173

- http://www.internetretailer.com/mobile/2013/03/21/shoppers-want-personal-touch





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