Due to the growth of online retail consumers crave shopping experiences in the real world more than ever
Consumers are always looking for ways to bond, share and foster a feeling of belonging. They are interested in innovations that simplify their lives. They want more value for money products that suit a broader sense of social and environmental purposes. The secret to successful innovation is developing relevant solutions for consumers’ greatest needs.
Due to recent recession, consumers became more economical, responsible and demanding. However, studies on behavioural economics demonstrate how human decision making is not always rational. Consumers seek more purposeful gratification, but they also pursue innovative and original products or services that can make their lives easier and more satisfying. In addition, as social media is increasingly recognised as a platform of information where people share their own experiences, these communities have a great impact on many aspects of consumer behavior, including buying behavior.
Recent developments in mobile technology are also generating new opportunities for consumers to quickly adopt mobile as a part of their shopping experience. More and more consumers look for ways to save money and with new apps being developed to offer exciting in-store deals and discounts, you need to ensure your mobile efforts are as well placed according to your overall plan.
What’s more, in order to ensure that your brand has the authenticity that consumers are looking for, marketers need to think outside the box and create more enticing ways to lure in shoppers. Using multi-sensory and experiential strategies to create an emotional connection between your brand and your consumers, you can cultivate loyalty and deliver a more personal brand experience based on customer’s profile and preferences.
The influence of experiential at the point-of-sale
Experiential marketing can help you gain a deeper insight into consumers activity. As we discuss in our blog article “Key Trends in Experiential Marketing that affects consumer behaviour”, when consumers are out shopping, they are looking for entertainment; they expect more engagement and relevant offers from brands and retailers. This is why experiential marketing is becoming increasingly important to provide the right information and offer a product experience to enhance consumers’ buying decision. It is about the amount of time we spend with your customers to help them understand you better.
Shoppers can use multi-sensory cues with which to evaluate and select or reject products. The way you communicate with your consumes or expose your product can have a big influence on their buying decision. Experiential activities provide a two-way communication between brands and consumers where you have a chance to start conversations and get a more direct response from your target audience.
When offering an experience with a product demonstration or sample to test and try, you can trigger consumer desire for your brand. The use of experiential at the point of sale can enrich consumers’ shopping experience and offer you the chance to approach the right audience at the right time and in the right place.
Here are our top five tips to create a remarkable shopping experience for your consumers
1) Spend time: Time is the greatest thing you can offer your customers.
2) Be consistent: Be available to them and show them you still exist and you’re not just a fading memory.
3) Entertain: use the five senses to enhance your brand experience.
4) Simplify your messaging: consumers want to understand you quicker than ever before.
5) Innovate: digital and mobile technologies can trigger people’s imagination.
Hotcow is a multi-award winning brand engagement agency specialising in experiential marketing. Our mission is simple: to help brands understand the power of “experience-based marketing” and offer expertise in how to develop, plan and execute campaigns in the right way to get the right results, while showing that every pound spent is measurable. If you want to learn how to use senses in your marketing campaign, contact us.