For a few years now, distributors have created sales strategies by developing different online and offline channels. Until recently, these channels did not converge and online or in-store sales did not allow the creation of a unique customer repository in order to identify them.
Why create a unique customer identity?
Each distributor faces its own objectives when implementing its marketing strategy. These objectives can be many and varied, however customer loyalty remains a major challenge common to all of them. With the help of digital tools, retailers can develop customer relations. Indeed, the latter make it possible to generate data on the profiles and behavior of consumers which will then be used to offer personalized offers and services. In this way, it will be possible to start a loyalty strategy.
Online, retailers follow the navigation of Internet users. Purchasing behavior is scrutinized: time spent on each page, products viewed or added to the basket, promotions viewed, etc. Thanks to all the data collected, it is then possible to deduce consumer profiles. Using these profiles, the goal is to create personalized services to bring customers back to the e-commerce site.
In the same way, in stores, the different consumer journeys are observed using, for example, geolocation and wifi. This data combined with data from loyalty cards makes it possible to have valuable customer knowledge and thus, for example, to send personalized promotional notifications when one of them is in a particular department. In this situation, however, be careful to obtain the consumer's authorization beforehand.
In stores, more and more terminals and connected screens are also deployed. A new way to highlight promotions or simply to offer additional information to consumers such as product reviews.
All of these techniques make it possible to obtain a large amount of information about customers. Valuable information in order to always better get to know them and always better satisfy them. Centralizing the customer experience and access to information is now essential for your omnichannel strategy !
The objective: to combine digital and physical for a single customer journey
Once a set of data is collected on the various distribution or communication channels, it is a question of using them intelligently. Indeed, the objective is now to satisfy these new consumers who order online and have them delivered to the store, for example. For this, the data collected on the different channels can help. It is a question of grouping the data of these different customer journeys to make a single repository. In other words, it is about adapting to new consumer habits by pooling their data from all channels to achieve a kind of "meta" customer knowledge. Combining data from the e-commerce site and the point of sale will make it possible to assign a unique identity to each customer and thus to obtain much more complete consumer profiles. It will be possible to know if Mr Dupond has purchased online, what are his favorite products on the website but also what he bought in store, on what date and finally, this will allow all of this data to be cross-checked to better understand the needs of Mr Dupond.
It is obvious that achieving such customer knowledge involves rethinking its entire strategy and reviewing the organization of its distribution. All channels must communicate in order to offer unique and centralized customer knowledge
Artificial Intelligence to better know its customers
Artificial Intelligence is now used in distribution for example with chatbots on websites. On the other hand, some major players such as the Amazon or Cdiscount marketplaces use Artificial Intelligence to offer consumers products that will certainly interest them. In order to achieve this personalization of the offer, it is no longer previous purchases that are analysed, but rather predictions that are made based on what individuals are likely to like. How are these predictions made? By analyzing data about other customers who have similar profiles and whose purchases and tastes have evolved. Artificial Intelligence systems make it possible to make such predictions and above all to learn from themselves. For example, if a customer indicates that a suggestion that has been made to him is not interesting, the system will no longer offer him this type of product and will make new, even more precise suggestions.
Artificial Intelligence represents a real challenge for retailers in order to create even more precise customer knowledge. However, ethical questions arise. The new regulations regarding personal data will also soon be put in place and will oblige companies to ensure the erasure of data, to offer the right to be forgotten, etc. From 2018, all of these elements (and much more) will be mandatory. It's up to you to play, all in transparency!
