Developing an Omni-channel Strategy with the Consumer in Mind

Developing an omni-channel strategy with the consumer in mind.Alex Blaney, Creative Director & Co-founder. Session Digital

“Omni-Channel Retailing is a seamless approach to the consumer experience through all available shopping channels...”

Wikipedia says…

Simple?... No.

In an omni-channel world the consumer alone decides where a brand can meet them.

Brand, People& Context

Stage 1: The Omni-channel Trinity

To truly succeed the brand must build & maintain a relationship.

The Omni-channel trinity / Brand, context & people

Relationships are at the heart of brand advocacy.

The Omni-channel trinity / Brand, context & people

Relationships can only happen in the right environment & conditions.

This is context.The Omni-channel Trinity / Brand, context & people

Context is human-centric not user-centric.

Context must be experienced first-hand.The Omni-channel Trinity / Brand, context & people

Context=

People+

Touchpoints

The Omni-channel Trinity / Brand, context & people

Understand, research & analyse.

Stage 2: The Human-centric Approach

Understand context=

Research people+

Analyse touchpoints

The human-centric approach

Research people.

The human-centric approach

• Demographics (MOSAIC).• Customer segmentation.• Current traffic.• Existing market research.• Vox pops (internal/external)• Brand awareness.• Buy/commission/create

reports.

Analyse brandTouchpoints.

The human-centric approach

• Engage with all channels.• Store & factory visits.• Brand collateral.• Get “The brand message”.• Assess omni-channel capability.• Method act!

Understand brand values, capabilities & goals.

Understand what the brand can do & is doing.

Trust of the brand.

As an eCommerce professional…

As a brand consumer…

Why?...

Measured your values & goals against the brand’s.

Understand what the brand shouldn’t do.

You’ve experienced context.

Every consumer is different. Everyone is an individual.

The human-centric approach

But...

Use your research to develop realistic customer profiles.

Enrich them with relevant scenarios & contexts.

The human-centric approach

Invent realistic - yet hypothetical - objectives with ‘omni-channel journeys’ to satisfy them.

Take note of missing or under-developed channels

The human-centric approach

Many consumers. Many journeys. Many devices.Many goals.

… and a lot of relationships to consider.

Effective Omni-channel Magento.

We now have a problem…

Impact MappingStage 3: Effective Omni-channel Magento

Start with why?

Why are we doing this?

Define agoal.

“We will increase revenue by 20% by

June 1st 2014 & improve brand advocacy 10%”

Give your goal measurements, specific metrics & timeframes.

GoalWhy are we doing this? What is the goal?

Actors

How can the actors help or obstruct the goal? How should their behaviour change?

Impacts

Who can help achieve or obstruct our goal?

What can we do to support the impacts?Deliverables (inc. features)

Inertia to

ward

s go

al

You will get a lot of features!

Don’t panic.

It’s a good sign.

Locate your ‘sweet spot’.

The optimum context where you and your consumers can meet to most effectively impact your goal.

Map the impact of that activity outwards from your ‘sweetspot’ … and back.

Digitally, consumers engage with brands via companion devices.

JourneyDestination <

Brands can’t choose the destination

Brands can improve the journey

Prototyping.Stage 3: Effective Omni-channel Magento

The Scientific method of enquiry

1. Create a hypothesis based on an educated guess.2. Express it & your assumptions clearly.3. Look to prove or disprove your hypothesis.

Hypotheses Findings

Research

Ideas Prototype

Design

Diverge

Grow

Options

Converge

Prioritise

Choose

Diverge

Grow

Options

Converge

Prioritise

Choose

Minimise the core features. Relate them to your ’why’.

Create & test them.

Release regularly, rapidly & on device.

‘The Battenburg analogy’.(or elephant carpaccio)

Adopt an Agile approach.

Augmenting the consumer experience

Stage 3: Effective Omni-channel Magento

“The PurchasePathway”

• Break promises.(e.g, make offers on one channel you can’t fulfil on another).

• Misuse a channel for the sake of it. (e.g, QR codes on moving objects?)

• Disappoint your consumers. (the consequences are HUGE!)

Don’ts• Disturb their brand

journey. (e.g, don’t bombard them with communication).

• Be inconsistent. (e.g, in-store message differs from online)

• Attempt to artificially control their feedback. (e.g, via social channels or reviews)

Top 5 techniques for success.

Conclusion: Principles of effective omni-channel conversion

Simplify your message.

5 principles of effective omni-channel conversion

Have one clear action.

One clear goal.

Stick to it.

1

Maintain a consistent visual code across all channels.

5 principles of effective omni-channel conversion

If you’re confused then your customer

definitely is. Confusion kills conversion.

2

Create clear & appropriate content.

5 principles of effective omni-channel conversion

Create a brand tone of voice. Use

language that EVERYONE understands.

(Your words might not make sense).

3

Remove any unnecessary barriers.

5 principles of effective omni-channel conversion

Consider what you’re asking the customer

to do. Could it be done later or through a

more applicable channel?

4

Reward frequently

5 principles of effective omni-channel conversion

Be appreciative. Establish a relationship

by rewarding your customers in any way

you possibly can. Even just a ‘thank you’.

5

“a new era of opportunity”

The Social media

diaspora

Low-energy Bluetooth

One-click payments

Click & collect ‘Fitlifting &

showrooming’Loyalty &

personalisation

Many many more…

In-store advances

The Internet of Things

Thank you.

@sessiondigital @inviqa @hitono