Month: September 2023

No advertising channel in the history of our industry has ever grown as quickly as retail media. Global revenue from retail media spending is expected to reach $125.7 billion in 2023. By 2028, retail media spend will surpass TV spending and account for more than 15 percent of total ad spend. 

These days, about 75% of brands have dedicated budgets for retail media networks, and that’s just the beginning. So what do today’s marketers need to know about retail media networks and how to make the most of this tremendous and fast-growing opportunity? 

Table of Contents

• What Is Retail Media?
• Why Did Retail Media Networks Become So Popular?
• Who Are the Dominant Players in Retail Media?
• Why is Retail Media Advertising Important?
• How Do Retail Media Networks Work?
• How Do You Pick the Right Retail Media Network?
• What Will the Future of Retail Media Look Like?
• How Can Retail Media Complement an Omnichannel Advertising Strategy?

 

What Is Retail Media?

At its most basic level, retail media advertising refers to advertising on retailer websites and apps. Perhaps most famously embodied in Amazon Sponsored Products ads, retail media advertising involves the targeted placement of brand ads and promotions to engage shoppers directly at the point of purchase intent. By effectively blending commerce and advertising, retail media enables brands to drive a seamless purchase experience.

Retail media networks serve as the engine behind retail media’s growth. These are the advertising services offered by retail and other commerce brands that enable third-party brands to advertise (and typically directly sell) their products on a retailer’s site or within its app or marketplace. For example, someone searching for “dish soap” on a grocery retailer’s site might see a complete listing of the dish soaps sold on that retailer’s site. But at the top of the page, Dawn might be featured as a sponsored listing, commanding the shopper’s immediate attention with a higher placement and more visually rich treatment. That is an example of retail media in action, and the native integration of these ads into the shopper experience offers value for shoppers and brands alike. 

 

Why Did Retail Media Networks Become So Popular?

Retail media’s growth aligns with multiple trends that have been underway for more than a decade, but it was accelerated in the COVID-19 pandemic alongside the significant surge in e-commerce spending. No longer were people browsing products in store aisles. Rather, that behavior shifted to online retail portals, and advertising budgets followed suit. 

Retail media’s popularity also aligns with current shifts in consumer privacy because it relies on a retailer’s permissioned first-party data vs. third-party sources. That’s why retail media networks have sprung up so quickly: They’re a fantastic way for retailers with large enough customer bases to put their own data to use for added revenue, without having to rely on soon-to-be-irrelevant third-party cookies. 

Finally, retail media also offers advertisers the opportunity to better personalize their offers and ads to the needs of the consumer. Because of the robust first-party data that powers retail media, advertisers can ensure they’re only showing relevant ads to consumers with high intent in their categories — a win-win for brands and shoppers alike. 

 

Who Are the Dominant Players in Retail Media?

The retail media network landscape is becoming more crowded with every passing day, as more and more retailers look to put their first-party data to use as an added revenue stream. However, the space is currently dominated by a small handful of powerhouses, including:

Amazon

Amazon’s retail media network, Amazon Advertising, stands out due to its unparalleled access to a vast and diverse customer base, extensive shopping data, and sophisticated targeting capabilities. Through its industry-leading e-commerce platform, Amazon offers advertisers the opportunity to reach consumers at various touchpoints throughout their purchasing process, from product discovery to checkout.

eBay

eBay’s retail media network distinguishes itself through its dynamic marketplace that accommodates a wide array of product categories and a global user base. eBay offers advertisers a diverse range of engagement opportunities, from its promoted listings to traditional display ads to more immersive and interactive formats. Leveraging the platform’s search and browsing data, advertisers can tailor their campaigns to highly specific consumer segments.

Walmart

Walmart’s retail media network, Walmart Connect, distinguishes itself through its integration of both physical and digital retail spaces, encompassing its extensive chain of brick-and-mortar stores as well as its e-commerce platform. Walmart’s retail media network offers brands the opportunity to engage consumers not only during their online shopping journeys but also during in-store visits, thereby creating a seamless and omnichannel advertising experience. 

Instacart

Instacart’s retail media network stands out due to its focus on online grocery shopping. With its platform facilitating the delivery of groceries and everyday essentials from various stores, Instacart possesses valuable insights into consumer purchasing habits, enabling advertisers to target their campaigns with precision. By offering sponsored placements and personalized recommendations within the shopping experience, Instacart’s retail media network has become an important means of capturing consumer attention within the evolving landscape of e-commerce and grocery delivery.

Target

Similar to Walmart, Target’s retail media network focuses on the seamless integration of curated shopping experiences across its physical stores, online platform, and app. Target’s retail media network excels at creating cohesive brand journeys that span the digital and physical realms, enabling advertisers to engage customers at various stages of their purchase journey.

 

Why Is Retail Media Advertising Important?

Advertising via retail media represents an important part of the modern marketing playbook for several reasons. Importantly, it presents benefits to marketers in the face of the following larger industry trends:

 

1. The Pivot to First-Party Data

Retail media has emerged as a pivotal component of modern marketing strategies due to the paradigm shift away from third-party data and toward first-party data. This transition — made all the more urgent by the forthcoming deprecation of third-party cookies in Chrome — has been prompted by growing concerns over privacy, data security, and evolving regulations. Retailers, possessing direct relationships with customers, have become custodians of valuable first-party data, which offers insights into consumer behaviors, preferences, and purchase patterns. By leveraging this data through retail media, brands can tailor their advertising efforts with precision.

2. Consumer Desire for Personalization

Retail media has also gained greater significance as consumer expectations increasingly demand personalized advertising experiences. By leveraging their understanding of individual preferences, purchase history, and browsing behavior, retail media empowers brands to curate advertisements that align precisely with each consumer’s interests. This level of tailored communication not only enhances engagement but also fosters a sense of connection between brands and customers. 

3. The Need to Support a Multi-Stage Buying Journey

It’s also important to note that, while retail media has a reputation for performance due to its proximity to the point of purchase, it’s actually quite an effective tool when it comes to supporting the full-funnel buyer journey. In the early stages, it aids in building awareness and consideration through targeted advertisements that capture the attention of potential buyers. As consumers move toward decision-making, retail media can provide detailed product information, reviews, and comparisons, aiding in the evaluation process. Moreover, by facilitating re-engagement after purchase, it cultivates brand loyalty and encourages repeat business. 

 

How Do Retail Media Networks Work?

Retail media networks operate as intricate ecosystems that enable brands to promote their products and services within the digital spaces of the retailer’s walls. Retailers tap into their extensive customer and behavioral data to identify relevant audiences, offering advertisers the opportunity to showcase their offerings to consumers with a higher likelihood of interest and intent. This can take the form of sponsored content, display ads, native advertisements, or other formats. 

While most advertisers are familiar with retailer media power players like Amazon, Walmart, Target and others, the retailer media network landscape becomes more crowded every day as more retailers get a handle on their first-party data and build the advertising experiences and processes to let advertisers tap into the opportunity to connect with their customers. Because the retail media landscape is still in its early stages, every network’s opportunities look a little bit different. However, there are common features that many offer for advertisers’ consideration, including:

• Homepage ads
• Prioritization in search results and sponsored listings
• Category-level advertising
• Enhanced listings 
• Display advertising, both on- and off-site, driven by the retailer’s data

Going forward, we can expect to see a wider array of advertising formats available across retail media networks, including enhanced video and audio options. In addition, as the landscape becomes more cluttered with individual networks, retailers should expect to see ad tech players roll out offerings designed to simplify and unify the buying process across properties. 

 

How Do You Pick the Right Retail Media Network?

When selecting a retail media network, advertisers must carefully weigh several factors to ensure their campaigns yield optimal results. 

 

By Audience

First and foremost, understanding the network’s audience demographics and whether they align with the advertiser’s target market is paramount. Evaluating the network’s reach, engagement metrics, and the quality of its customer data helps ascertain its effectiveness in driving conversions. Advertisers should also inquire about the network’s technology infrastructure, ensuring it can handle the required scale and offer seamless user experiences.

By Advertising Formats

The available advertising formats and their suitability for conveying a brand’s message should also be considered. Some networks offer rich options, including video and detailed product listings, while others are more basic in nature. 

By Access to Reporting and Measurement

Transparency in reporting and analytics is vital to assess a campaign’s performance accurately. Advertisers should ensure they’ll receive the data and insights they need to determine whether they’re meeting their KPIs and to optimize future campaigns.

By Budget

Lastly, flexibility in terms of budget, campaign customization, and integration with the advertiser’s overall marketing strategy play a pivotal role in determining the right retail media network partner. Marketers must ensure the retail media networks they partner with are able to deliver meaningful results within the scope of their budget, while reducing wasted spend by avoiding repetitive or poorly targeted ads. 

 

What Will the Future of Retail Media Look Like?

Today, advertising within retail media networks is rife with both opportunities and challenges. On one hand, the ability to connect with targeted, high-intent shoppers with relevant ads at the point of purchase is one that advertisers cannot afford to miss. At the same time, fragmentation and varying standards across the ever-fracturing digital landscape mean that advertisers are having to spend a tremendous amount of time and effort to exploring and activating across a number of networks.

Ultimately, these challenges will be addressed by new players and technologies, and advertisers will have to keep pace with changes in the space. At the same time, the future of retail media networks holds promise as a dynamic and transformative force in the advertising landscape. Areas to watch include the following:

• Personalization: As consumer expectations continue to evolve, retail media networks are poised to evolve into even more personalized and immersive platforms, particularly as they enhance their own first-party data understandings. 
• Enhanced Data Use: Advancements in data analytics and AI will enable retailers to refine their targeting strategies, delivering hyper-relevant offers that resonate more deeply with individual consumers. Similar enhancements will also come to the campaign measurement and optimization space. 
• Emerging Experiences: Integration of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) experiences could offer more interactive and engaging advertising journeys. 
• Deeper Integration: Collaborations between retailers and advertisers may deepen, yielding co-created content that enhances authenticity and engagement. 

Ultimately, the future of retail media networks will be shaped by a blend of cutting-edge technology, consumer-centricity, improved practices, and deeper storytelling opportunities, heralding an era of more meaningful advertising interactions.

 

How Can Retail Media Complement an Omnichannel Advertising Strategy?

As a singular advertising opportunity, retail media is powerful. But this power grows exponentially when retail media is leveraged in the context of a broader omnichannel advertising strategy. 

Retail media networks such as those offered by Walmart and Target enable advertisers to bridge the gap between digital and physical retail environments. Meanwhile, expansive players like Amazon can help connect the dots across not only the brand’s own properties, but also a growing array of off-site partners. Likewise, the retail giant has opened the doors to retail media networks serving as opportunities for both endemic and non-endemic retail media advertising.

Ultimately, though, the omnichannel opportunity extends further. By taking what brands learn about their customers via retail media advertising and extending those insights to other channels, advertisers can better connect with targets across the media landscape. Likewise, by bringing their own first-party data to the table to fuel their retail media strategies, brands can enhance their campaigns and ensure their customer journeys remain seamless, regardless of where a person chooses to purchase. 

 

The Power of Retail Media

In a rapidly evolving digital landscape, the power of retail media advertising shines as a beacon of innovation and relevance. Retail media harnesses the wealth of first-party data and authentic relationships that retailers possess to power dynamic advertising that aligns with the complexities of the shifting data landscape. 

Retail media establishes a bridge between brands and consumers, driving engagement, loyalty, and conversions. As we look to the future, the potential for retail media to reshape the advertising landscape is undeniable, ushering in an era of more authentic, effective, and customer-centric marketing strategies.

As summer winds down, the most wonderful (and busy!) time of year ramps right up. Every advertiser knows the importance and challenges of the holiday shopping season — and the 2023 season will be no different. 

There’s good news on the horizon for retailers. The National Retail Federation projects that retail sales will reach between $5.13 trillion and $5.23 trillion this year, a 4-6% growth from last year. On the flip side, getting a piece of those precious consumer dollars will be more challenging than ever. Ninety-two percent of consumers in the U.S. have cut spending on nonessential goods like home decor and clothing over the past six months. 

With more people shopping online, there’s ample opportunity for advertisers to create timely and memorable touchpoints with consumers to move them down the funnel over the three-month season. Keep reading as we break down everything advertisers need to know to prepare for the busy holiday shopping season. 

 

Timing is Everything – Holiday Shopping Starts Early

December may seem far away, but in 2022, 56% of consumers started their holiday shopping in October. Another 35% started in November. It’s never too early to get consumers familiar with your brand and holiday deals. With this in mind, we suggest a three-pronged approach to move consumers down the funnel over the coming months. 

 

1. Late October

Consider heaving up on awareness-focused channels such as advanced TV (CTV/OTT), pre-roll and native video, and audio. At this stage, the messaging and ad creative itself doesn’t have to revolve around the holidays, but it won’t hurt to get your brand on people’s radar.

2. Week of Black Friday & Cyber Monday

In 2022, 196.7 million Americans shopped either in-person or online over these five days. Embrace a heavy-hitting strategy using high-impact ads to draw in consumers flooded with ads and deals during the shopping frenzy. 

Consider one of the following new and emerging ad formats to stand out from the crowd and catch consumers’ eyes:

• Scratch-Off Promo Offers: Create scratch-off cards that reveal special offers, discounts, or promotional codes. 
• Dynamic Product Feed: Utilize an inventory data feed to create dynamic product ads that automatically update with accurate product information, such as title, price, availability, and images. 

3. Mid-November to Mid-December

During the homestretch, focus on your most valuable audiences to drive them further down the funnel. Continue to run conversion tactics, with a significant focus on retargeting your most valuable prospects.

In summary, this year’s holiday shopping season will require a strategic balancing act from advertisers: launch early but plan the long haul strategy. Media buyers should be prepping and launching campaigns in the coming month to capture those early dollars as holiday shopping starts to creep into everyone’s mind. However, a long-tail strategy will be essential to also capture those last-minute purchases made closer to the holidays. 

Looking for more holiday shopping insight? Check out the previous blog, Three Ways To Reach Online Shoppers This Holiday Season, for insights into key media strategies and tactics to move the needle with consumers this year.

 

Have a Holly Jolly Holiday Season with Digilant’s Holiday Shopping Solutions 

At Digilant, we understand the importance of a solid digital advertising strategy to conquer the holiday shopping season and end the year on a high note. With that in mind, our media strategies are ready to create a custom, tailored solution to achieve your brand’s goals. Contact us today to get started building your holiday shopping media plan. 

Ahead of the upcoming holiday season, it’s helpful to look back at 2022 and understand critical patterns and factors that moved the needle for consumers. When analyzing last year’s trends and data, one thing is clear: online shopping continues to take a leading role.

In 2022, consumers spent $211.7 billion online from November 1 to December 31, growing 3.5% year-over-year. Black Friday alone raked in a record $9.12 billion in online sales. While online shopping grows in importance, consumers are also diversifying where and how they shop online. 

Diversified media habits mean more avenues to reach shoppers and more work for advertisers to find the right tactics to reach shoppers. To help navigate the ever-changing digital media landscape, we’ve identified three key strategies you can be sure will reach online shoppers this holiday season.

 

1. Reach Consumers while they Shop Online with Retail Media Networks

Take advantage of targeting shoppers who are actively browsing and shopping online with Retail Media Networks (RMNs). RMNs use proprietary first-party, deterministic data to reach consumers throughout the online buying journey. 

They provide advertisers with high-quality ad placements making the path to purchase quick and seamless. Even better, most retail media networks will allow their data to be used across multiple formats such as connected TV, audio, banners, video, and native. This allows advertisers to reach their audience throughout the day while they continue to finalize their holiday gifts. 

 

2. Consumers are busy, make it as easy as possible for them

The holidays aren’t just a busy time for advertisers, everyone is flooded with events, parties, shopping, planning, and more. It’s increasingly important for brands to make the shopping experience as seamless and personalized as possible for consumers. In fact, 80% of shoppers are more likely to buy from a company that offers personalized experiences.

While not every brand can afford to offer personalized discounts, coupons, and free shipping, consider how you can tailor ads to make your consumers feel valued. Here are some ways we suggest personalizing your ads:

• For businesses with brick-and-mortar locations, consider a hyperlocal approach. Ad copy such as “pick up yours at our Springfield Store location” or “20% off purchases made this weekend at our Downtown Smithfield store” streamlines the path to purchase. Shoppers appreciate a personalized ad experience tailored specifically to them, but it also reassures them that you carry the exact product they are looking to purchase.
• If targeting more than one audience, include the specific audience in the creative. Don’t rely on generic copy and imagery, rather catch their eye with relatable creatives. If you target families, include the proper images or video. If you are targeting Gen Z, use language that speaks directly to them. Slight variance in ad creative can make a drastic difference in catching the right consumer’s attention. 
• Because consumers are shelling out major dollars during this time of year, they’ll be looking for deals and savings wherever they can find them. If your business is able to, offer a discount code or special offer for your audience geared specifically for the holiday season. This helps assure consumers you sympathize with the economic impact the holiday season can have on their wallets. 

 

3. Measure your Campaigns and Tailor Your Strategy Along the Way

The holiday season spans much longer than the Black Friday to Cyber Monday weekend. With three months of browsing and buying, one of the most important strategies advertisers can implement are quality measurement solutions. 

These tools enable advertisers to track data such as impressions, conversions, in-store foot traffic, online sales, offline sales, and brand lift. With access to live, up-to-date data, you can quickly shift attention and budget toward strategies and audiences of the most value and move away from strategies that aren’t working as well. There’s no use in continuing to invest in a channel or tactic that isn’t seeing the results you need, so a measurement solution gives you the insight to ensure you’re getting the most bang for your buck. 

 

Have a Holly Jolly Holiday Season with Digilant’s Holiday Shopping Solutions 

The right combination of media tactics can make all the difference in reaching consumers during the holidays or missing the mark and losing out to the competition. Interested in learning about how to tailor these digital media strategies to make an impact this holiday season? Our media strategists are ready to create a custom, tailored solution to achieve your brand’s goals. Contact us today to get started building your holiday shopping media plan. 

We live — and marketers work — in an omnichannel world. As the digital landscape becomes more complex, today’s consumers are navigating it seamlessly, slipping from one channel to the next without missing a beat on the goal they’ve set out to accomplish. In fact, an impressive 86 percent of shoppers regularly hop across two or more channels while shopping. 

To consumers, cross-channel activities aren’t given a second thought. But from the marketing and brand experience standpoint, the omnichannel reality is a lot more complicated. Let’s look at what omnichannel success requires in the modern marketing era. 

Table of Contents

• What is Omnichannel Marketing?
• What Is an Example of an Omnichannel Marketing Strategy in Action?
• Why You Should Use Omnichannel Marketing
• Omnichannel Marketing Best Practices

 

What Is Omnichannel Marketing?

In the simplest of terms, omnichannel marketing is an approach to marketing that addresses the customer experience on each channel — everything from desktop browsers and mobile apps to social media, podcasts, and more — as well as how customers transition among channels to make purchases. The importance of this comprehensive approach to marketing — one that prioritizes the consumer journey and maintains consistency across it — cannot be overstated. 

Customers are more likely to remember brands, view them favorably, and make purchases with them after being exposed to an integrated omnichannel marketing campaign. So, what does it take to build and execute such a strategy? Keep reading to learn more.

 

What Are the Four Pillars of Omnichannel Marketing?

While the concept of omnichannel marketing is a grand one, the implementation of such a strategy is, in fact, highly tactical. In general, there are four major pillars that support omnichannel marketing: data and insights, strategic planning, channel selection, and reporting and measurement. Let’s dig into each one in more detail. 

 

1. Data and Insights

The backbone of omnichannel marketing relies on a data-driven, strategic approach to properly identifying, interacting with, and engaging consumers. The end goal is to understand your customers and prospects — particularly as it relates to how and where they shop and engage with content — and to deliver targeted, relevant ad placements, creative, and messaging. 

Proper execution of an omnichannel strategy typically requires both first-party data (what you know directly about your customers) and third-party data (information from outside sources that reveals new dimensions of these customers). However, collecting this data is just the start. Marketers must then put in the work required to interpret and understand what the data means as it relates to real-world behaviors. 

 

2. Strategic Planning

With a solid foundation of audience data and insights, marketers can then go about making a strategic plan for reaching those audiences across channels. A key part of this step is to solidify your budget and prioritize who to target with your ad spend and in which channels. 

Omnichannel marketing is, by definition, a strategy that aims to reach target audiences across the many channels that comprise their customer journey. However, it’s unrealistic to think that a brand can reach all audiences across all channels all the time. This is why the data and insights discussed above are so vital. Approached correctly, they will reveal the most valuable audiences— both existing customers and prospects — for a given brand, as well as their most impactful touch points. 

 

3. Channel Selection

With an understanding of a brand’s target audiences and their customer journeys, it’s time for marketers to decide how to allocate their budgets across channels. A strong omnichannel marketing strategy can include email marketing, social media, search, digital display, digital video, CTV and OTT, out of home, print, mobile, a brand’s own website, affiliate, social influencers, and more. It seems like the list never ends.

The logical question arises: Does my brand need to be present on all of these channels? The answer depends on the brand, its customers, and its resources. While the goal of omnichannel marketing is to create a seamless, unified customer journey across all channels frequented by a brand’s target audiences, it’s important to establish priorities. The goal should be to cover as many channels and platforms as possible, assuming your audiences are on them, but to still be able to do so in an impactful way. 

There are a tremendous number of channels from which to choose, and ensuring a diverse marketing mix is valuable, as it helps engage customers wherever they are in their customer journeys and on the platforms that matter to them. Furthermore, including a variety of touchpoints, platforms, and tactics in your plan can help ensure no single channel becomes oversaturated. Ultimately, however, plans will need to operate within the reality of a brand’s marketing budget, which is why strong data and targeting are so important out of the gate.  

 

4. Reporting and Measurement

Finally, we come to reporting and measurement — as vital a pillar of omnichannel marketing as any of the others, but the one that’s perhaps most likely to be overlooked. Proper reporting and measurement enable advertisers to evaluate the execution of their campaigns in a holistic way to understand which tactics and channels are performing well (and which aren’t). 

Omnichannel marketing is an always-on endeavor, and that means reporting and measurement should be too. By understanding how different channels are performing and interacting with one another, marketers can shift budgets and efforts accordingly, even while campaigns are still live and running. By committing to continual reporting and measurement, marketers can unlock a cycle of continuous improvement that enables greater efficiencies and the ability to test new audiences, channels, and tactics that might be of interest but perhaps weren’t included in earlier planning. Furthermore, proper reporting and measurement enable marketers to identify shifts in consumer behaviors, marketplace realities, and channel performance before they can significantly impact a brand’s omnichannel results. 

 

What Is an Example of an Omnichannel Marketing Strategy in Action?

From a consumer standpoint, we rarely spend time thinking about how we become aware of and start purchasing from a brand, nor do we think about the many ways in which our favorite brands communicate and interact with us. Omnichannel marketing, at its best, is seamless in that regard. 

Let’s consider how a modern fashion brand might employ an omnichannel marketing strategy to provide a unified and personalized experience to its prospects and customers across various platforms and channels.

• Online store and mobile app: The brand has a user-friendly online store and mobile app that offer a wide range of clothing and accessories. Customers can browse the products, add items to their cart, and create wishlists. Their activity and preferences are tracked to provide personalized recommendations.
• Personalized and retargeted display advertising: The fashion brand employs data-driven advertising campaigns across various platforms. Some ads leverage contextual data to reach likely targets. In other instances, a person who recently viewed a specific dress on the website might see retargeted ads featuring that dress on other websites they visit. 
• Social media advertising: The brand also runs targeted display advertising campaigns on platforms like Instagram and Facebook. The ads direct users to the brand’s online store or encourage them to download the mobile app.
• Location-based mobile ads: The brand might also use location-based advertising to send targeted offers and promotions to potential customers’ mobile devices when they are near one of the company’s store locations. 
• SEO and paid search: The fashion brand optimizes its website for search engines to ensure that it appears in relevant search results when potential customers are looking for fashion products. The company also employs paid search ads to attract potential customers actively searching for fashion products online. 
• Video advertising: The brand amplifies its omnichannel marketing strategy by incorporating video ads across YouTube and other online platforms that showcase its latest collections, styling tips, and customer testimonials.
• Email marketing: The company also sends personalized email campaigns to its subscribers. These emails include abandoned cart reminders, personalized product recommendations based on browsing history, exclusive offers, and updates about upcoming sales or new arrivals.
• Social media: The company maintains active profiles on popular social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. It regularly posts high-quality images of its latest collections, style guides, and user-generated content. 
• In-store experience: The brand ensures its physical stores are aligned with its digital efforts. In-store tablets allow customers to browse the online catalog, check product availability, and even place online orders for items that might not be in stock.

In this omnichannel marketing example, the fashion brand leverages multiple platforms and channels to create a seamless and integrated customer experience. The goal is to provide convenience, personalization, and engagement at every touchpoint, ultimately driving customer loyalty and increasing sales. 

As extensive as the above list is, it’s really just a starting point. Additional consumer touchpoints leveraged by the brand could include user-generated content, print, direct mail, OOH and DOOH, TV advertising, chatbots and customer support, loyalty programs and more. 

 

A Real-World Omnichannel Marketing Case Study

Every brand should be thinking about their prospects and customers in an omnichannel capacity. So, what does that look like when it comes to campaign planning, execution, and results? Consider the example of a power tool company that was recently looking to drive sales during two campaign flights — one right before Christmas and one during springtime. To do this, the company employed a mix of full-funnel tactics to create awareness among new prospects and drive individuals to purchase its tools at a major retailer.

With its campaigns, the brand reached potential customers across the U.S. through video, OTT, social media, and display ads. Specific tactics included: 

• Video retargeting: The brand placed a pixel on its landing page and retargeted anyone who visited with a video.
• Pre-roll contextual advertising: The brand placed ads within content categories focused on homeowners, DIY projects, home projects, crafters, and outside yard work.
• Social to display ads: The brand leveraged its existing social assets from Facebook to create display ads in a seamless execution.

The combination of tactics and channels enabled the brand to exceed campaign goals, driving more than 11,000 conversions and a 0.20 percent click-through rate. The results were a testament to the company’s unified omnichannel approach to aligning its efforts with the full customer journey. 

 

Why You Should Use Omnichannel Marketing

Omnichannel marketing enables a seamless purchase journey for consumers every step of the way. Furthermore, with proper planning and execution, omnichannel marketing allows advertisers to quickly adapt their marketing tactics and advertising campaigns without losing contact with consumers and ensuring continued access to the data and insights needed for continual optimization. 

The importance of omnichannel marketing within today’s highly fragmented digital world cannot be overstated. Consider:

• Increased customer retention: Businesses that adopt omnichannel strategies achieve an average 89 percent customer retention rate, compared to a 33 percent rate for those without omnichannel approaches.
• Higher lifetime value: Customers engaged through omnichannel strategies have a 30 percent higher lifetime value than those who engage through only one channel.
• Consumer demands for consistency: Roughly 75 percent of consumers expect consistent experiences across channels.
• Growth of mobile influence: Mobile commerce has been a significant driver of omnichannel strategies, with more than 40 percent of e-commerce transactions taking place on mobile devices in 2023.

Let’s delve deeper into why omnichannel marketing is so successful in driving improved campaign results, marketing ROI, and customer relationships. 

 

Today, Shopping Is Omnichannel

Today’s marketing must be omnichannel because, quite simply, today’s shopper experience is omnichannel. Consumers no longer adhere to the traditional distinctions between online and offline shopping. Rather, they seamlessly navigate a multitude of interconnected touchpoints. 

As technology has advanced, the concept of omnichannel has redefined the way consumers interact with brands. From browsing products on mobile apps and websites to engaging with brands on social media and exploring physical stores, the modern shopper expects a cohesive and unified experience. An omnichannel approach ensures that customers can effortlessly transition among platforms, digital interactions, and in-person experiences while enjoying consistent branding, personalized recommendations, and convenient options tailored to their needs, like click-and-collect or home delivery. 

 

Omnichannel Data Provides a More-Complete Understanding

A properly executed omnichannel marketing strategy provides brands with a unified 360-degree view of how consumers engage with them across every step of the customer journey. Importantly, the data and insights gleaned from an omnichannel marketing approach serve to improve brand experiences that extend well beyond just marketing and advertising. Customer engagements, transactions, and feedback provide valuable information that can help a company improve its customer service, technical support, brand initiatives, and even its product design. 

 

Omnichannel Marketing Improves Personalization

Research has shown that 80 percent of consumers are more likely to make a purchase when brands offer personalized experiences, and as younger generations acquire more buying power, that imperative becomes even stronger. Omnichannel marketing, given the more comprehensive approach it takes to understanding and engaging customers and prospects, enables brands to better customize their efforts to individual consumers based on where they are in their journey, the product they’re seeking, and the relationship they have already established with the brand. 

 

Omnichannel Marketing Best Practices

Omnichannel marketing requires a significant amount of planning. Here’s where marketers need to be focusing their efforts: 

 

Have a Deep Understanding of Your Customer’s Journey

Understanding the customer journey is paramount to achieving success in omnichannel marketing. By comprehending the intricate path a customer takes from awareness to purchase and beyond, businesses can tailor their strategies to align seamlessly with each touchpoint. This knowledge empowers advertisers to deliver consistent messaging, relevant content, and personalized experiences, regardless of the channel or device a customer uses to engage a brand. 

In the dynamic landscape of omnichannel marketing, a deep comprehension of the customer journey serves as the compass guiding advertisers toward building enduring relationships with consumers and achieving their goals. By harnessing the right data and insights, businesses can identify customer pain points, optimize transitions, and ensure a cohesive narrative that resonates with customers. This ultimately helps build trust, foster loyalty, and provide the convenience and satisfaction that modern consumers demand. 

 

Pick the Right Channels

Omnichannel marketing doesn’t mean being everywhere. It means being where your customer is — and ensuring your messaging and image are consistent in those places.

Selecting the appropriate channels for an effective omnichannel marketing strategy demands a strategic approach. Begin by understanding your target audience and their preferences. Research which platforms they frequently use and how they engage with content. At the same time, analyze your product or service to determine the best opportunities to showcase its features. Likewise, consider the nature of your brand message; some channels are better suited for visual content, while others excel in delivering in-depth information. Choose wisely. 

 

Stay on Top of the Data

When a brand is running different creatives across different channels, the data begins to pile up quickly. Before you even get started with these campaigns, be sure to outline a plan for data collection, organization, integration, and optimization. With multiple incoming data sources, it’s easy to get lost quickly in an avalanche of spreadsheets. Selecting a data analytics solution that works for your brand will help avoid this fate.

Be sure to collaborate across departments to ensure a holistic approach that aligns with your brand’s business goals. Continuously monitor channel performance and adapt based on results to focus resources on channels that yield the highest engagement and conversions. In the end, a meticulous blend of audience insights, campaign results, and data-driven decisions will allow your omnichannel strategy to thrive.

 

Hire an Expert If You Can’t DIY

Omnichannel marketing is not for the faint of heart. If you don’t have a team that can make all the steps of omnichannel marketing a priority, you’re better off not doing it all. Hiring experts makes sense for teams that don’t have the time or expertise to connect the dots across the many touchpoints of the customer journey.  

Are you ready to unlock the full power of strategic omnichannel marketing for your brand? We’re here to help. Let’s talk about what Digilant can do for you.