A new route around the retail environment

Adidas Storefront Display Shopping missions are changing as consumers gain more choice, access and power across channels. Offering them a smooth and engaging experience is key to deliver the value and convenience that they’re looking for.

The most important part of a successful shopper marketing strategy is in understanding the customer in different segments, and finding out what really influences them to purchase. According to Hotcow’s recent shopper research, 62% of consumers plan their shopping list before going in to buy, whilst 26% decide on the spot. Shoppers are constantly looking for inspiration and guidance on what to buy, so how can we turn the planned shopping mission into something that will disrupt behaviour and engage consumers to make them feel inspired to buy?

In the retail world, shoppers can interact with a multitude of channels. From in-store, to online commerce, or via an app on their smartphone, consumers move instinctively across retail brands and their channels of preference. To captivate these savvy shoppers, retailers need to create a seamless experience across different channels that will keep them engaged and connected to the brand, either online or in the real world.

Although online shopping can offer an easy journey for consumers to locate the best deals and find product information, shoppers still want to be able to touch, try, test and feel the product before they buy. For consumers, physical stores are where they go to look for inspiration, advice and product experience in order to make a purchase decision. Consumers will be in-store but they will also be online, connected to their mobile devices. To make an impact on this journey, retailers must find new ways to connect with shoppers and trigger an emotional response for a new consumption occasion.

Influencing decisions

 

As highlighted in Hotcow’s research around product trial and purchase, 87% of consumers feel inspired to buy after a sample or product experience. The key to achieve significant reach and impact is in creating something interesting that will grab consumers’ attention and encourage them to stop, listen and engage with your brand.

A great example of engaging out of store campaign is the virtual shoe fitting from German brand Goertz. Using a digital billboard powered by Kinect technology, the brand created an interactive retail installation where consumers could choose any model and see how the shoes fit in real time. The experiential campaign was cleverly integrated with social media and their online store, allowing participants to scan the QR code on screen and have their shoes delivered on the next day.

Mobile technology is definitely blurring the lines between online and offline retail. Adidas have recently launched an interactive storefront display in its NEO Nuremburg store in Germany. Fully functioning as a 24/7 virtual store, shoppers can interact with the digital display by touching different hotspots on the window to find additional product details, and by entering a simple URL into their smartphones they can purchase items directly from the window.

Creating a seamless shopping experience is an enterprise challenge that requires ongoing commitment to making every touchpoint exceptional. Brands need to provide consumers with a smooth and consistent experience, either online, in-store and out of the store, that reflect their values and expectations.

Hotcow’s top tips for integrating experiential into your retail marketing strategy:

 

– Make shopping smarter and entertaining: Experiences must be interactive, socially integrated and personally tailored.

– Be consistent in every channel: Shoppers expect to find information quickly in multiple sources.

– Offer the ultimate customer service: Ensure knowledgeable staff are available to show why the product is great.

Experiential and field marketing tactics can cause great intervention to the shopping missions, which is predominantly linked to a purchase. With an unexpected, hassle free approach, you can have the opportunity to truly engage and inspire consumers with a range of experiences that will satisfy shoppers needs with great communication and interaction.

 

Hotcow is a multi-award winning Experiential Marketing agency. We get brands in front of consumers in ways that persuade them to buy. We fully implement our ideas; nothing needs to be farmed out. If you are looking for an experiential partner with a history and commitment for building brands and launching products, speak to Hotcow.

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