In the world of marketing and advertising, omni-channel is a term that gains constant recognition. In regards to shopper, it is the difficult task of seamlessly marketing across all mediums to create an experience where the brand is never far away. It allows companies to broadcast everything constantly, allowing people to experience the brand rather than the channel. It involves marketing across mobile, internet, television, radio, direct mail, and experiential campaigns, as well as brick
cks and mortar stores.
When successfully executed it provides brands with a way into the daily lives of consumers.
Yet many retailers and agencies are still leaving the point of purchase out of their omni-channel considerations.
The most crucial time for decision making is when the customer standing at the shelf and is getting ready to pick one product over another.
No matter the capacity of a campaign, there’s no point in time more vital to the shopper than when they are instore and looking at shelf prices.
Research has proven the effects that shopper marketing has when combined with traditional advertising formats.
A person affected by an omni-channel marketing campaign is more likely to spend money on the brand by between 15 and 30 per cent, according to the US market research company, BizReport.
This is an incredibly important point for grocery stores and supermarkets in Australia, where the majority of buying decisions are made instore.
Retailers leading the pack
In recent campaigns, particularly the instore campaigns I’m seeing in the lead up to Christmas, brands are integrating the messages from their broader mainstream campaigns into instore displays.
The constant presence of the brand message throughout the entire shopping experience creates stronger top of mind awareness for the shopper and links back to the benefits that they have seen across other mediums.
The option to advertise instore is not an opportunity often taken in Australia, but it has seen great success overseas.
Australia has been slow to adopt these types of formats despite success in Europe and the US, where Coca-Cola, Kraft, and Colgate-Palmolive rely on these formats to succeed in very cluttered environments.
To truly take advantage of the omni-channel concept, brands need to take a serious look at the channels available.
While the obvious channels of digital, television, and print may seem like safe bets, the shopper isn’t always interested in the commercials and sometimes has already made up their mind.
But with 76 per cent of decisions made instore and 90 per cent of shoppers buying off a category specific list, instore advertising formats are one of the most efficient ways of reaching shoppers.
Kirsty Dollisson is the GM of TorchMedia; an Australian shopper and transit media specialist that holds the exclusive rights to Woolworths’ instore media. Contact her on kirsty.dollisson@torchmedia.com.au or (02) 8404 3900.
