Now that we’re well into the second half of the year, many retailers are beginning to formulate their marketing plans for 2018. In particular, I’ve observed two approaches take shape that I think retailers can immediately act on that will have a major impact in retail marketing next year. First, in a time of stagnating app usage, it’s critical that retailers implement more of a cross-channel mobile marketing approach to engage customers. Second, the ability to use big data to improve customer experiences is finally close to becoming reality. However, brands must achieve the right balance in what data they request from customers and the enriched experiences they offer in return.
Mary Clark
After much talk about it over the last few years, the use of big data and mobile to improve consumers’ lives seems to finally be poised to become reality, and this is opening a new level of relationships between brands and their customers. The amount of data we have the capability to collect now is…
Retailers need to think beyond Mobile Monday by putting the mobile channel at the center of their digital strategy year-round. More than any other channel, mobile offers real-time access to shoppers in a highly personal manner through a device that consumers increasingly have with them at all times. Mobile can provide near-real-time insight into consumers’ shopping behavior on their phone, their proximity to stores and their preferred channel of mobile communication, whether that's through a mobile-optimized website, branded app, email or text message.
Nearly every shopper bounces from store to store with two personal items at the ready: their wallet and mobile phone. While some traditional retailers might only focus on the first part of that equation, savvy brands must realize that the latter is of near equal importance. Here's what I've learned about retailers using mobile to build brand loyalty, improve the customer experience and boost sales:
