Technology has transformed consumer habits. We shop online while browsing in-store, order taxis the same way we order pizza, and choose life partners with a single swipe to the right. As a result, today’s consumers expect relevant content when they want it, where they want it, and on the device of their choosing.
To keep up with the always-on consumer, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies need to embrace the new market reality and provide an unmatched customer experience.
Digital transformation has been the word on the lips of many marketers over the past few years. Simply put, it’s a restructure of how companies use technology to create a consistent customer experience, wherever and whenever they interact with them.
Major brands like Coca-Cola struggled to connect with a generation that doesn’t see the line between “the online and the offline, the reality and augmented reality”.
With their new digital transformation plan, Coca-Cola is planning to engage consumers on a more personal level by using data and technology to “beat the real thing, using augmented reality”. People understand the value of their data and, in exchange for improved experiences, they are willing to share it.
Case in point - the introduction of Uber. The taxi industry failed to identify the growing frustration for both users and drivers, but the tech company didn’t.
Uber identified all the pain-points of taxi takers – from hailing a taxi, to never finding a working cash machine – and answered it with a mobile app that provides an unmatched customer experience. By providing immediacy, accessibility and simplicity Uber transformed the way we travel.
To accommodate the new, digitally-conscious buyer your organisation needs to think digital first.
Here are 3 steps to a digitally savvy strategy that will win consumer’s hearts and minds.
Times may have changed, but the customer is still King. Perhaps even more so now, with bad reviews just a click away, and a tendency for them to spread like wildfire far and wide. A single bad interaction with your brand could drive a customer away or, worse, gain a troll.
To fireproof your brand from any damage, be proactive online and on the platforms customers most often reach out for support. Social media channels, forums, and online reviews are all part of the customer service ecosystem now.
80% of consumers admit they are more likely to buy from a company that knows their purchase history and treats them as individuals.
As a result, consumers are happy to entrust brands with their data in order to receive offers that are tailored specifically to their needs. To take advantage of this opportunity companies need to invest and engage in CRM.
With the consent from their consumers, companies that use CRM can analyse customer-related data and then use those insights to create highly relevant messages, to reach the right people at the right time.
Start your journey of transformation by identifying the channels your customers frequent the most and the devices they use. Once you find out where they hang out and how they shop, decide which touch-point are most valuable to you and make them shoppable.
If you have a presence offline, bridge the gap between the two worlds by ensuring there’s a smooth transition between transactions taking place on both channels. For example, allow online shoppers to collect items in store, and enhance their customer experience by saving precious time.
The modern consumer often rates the organisation based on their digital customer experience first. The companies that are ready to offer immediacy, personalisation, and accessibility will win their consumer’s loyalty, and the ones that don’t, risk becoming irrelevant.
So, how are you keeping up with digitally-conscious consumers and their ever-rising expectations?
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