Today, the evolution of omnichannel is seen as the ‘phygital’ that proposes the integration of both worlds, not only in terms of communication but also creating an optimized experience that eliminates barriers and friction to maximize customer satisfaction by taking advantage of what best of both worlds. The issue is no longer the battle between physical and digital sales, but to recognize the role of each and create experiences for the benefit of customers. shoppers.
Obviously the role of technology plays a leading role in this mission, but as long as we put the consumer at the center and validate the need and added value of incorporating digital tools into the physical and digital experience that are easy to adopt and obviously improve the experience.
Based on this, I would like to comment on five different recommendations to understand and embark, in a practical way, on the path to ‘phygitalize’ our retail operations as quickly and efficiently as possible:
1. Connect: If consumers are not excited to buy your products in stores, you have an important opportunity. The pandemic showed us that the role of physical stores could have been weakened if there is no added value in the experience we provide in stores.
Today is the time to strengthen the connection of brands and products in physical stores by understanding what experiences are necessary to add emotion to the physical interaction with them.
Remember, not all experiences have to do with digital tools. Sometimes a “botarga” of your brand character can connect more with consumers than digital tools with unimportant information.
2. Understand trip. The consumer journey changed forever. A few decades ago, the moment of communication (mainly in the car and homes) and the media (mainly television and radio) was completely separate from the moment of choosing products on the store shelf. Today it is estimated according to studies with consumers that the main source of awareness of new brands and products are digital media and mainly social networks. Before you couldn’t take the TV to the store and now the smartphone is always with us and with the possibility of communicating when choosing products in stores.
3. Apply simple and valuable technology. We have seen the opinions of consumers who, when exposed to technologies such as augmented reality, express discouraging opinions as they find this type of technology complex and not very necessary.
On the other hand, QR codes won awareness and popularity with the pandemic and represent an opportunity to enrich the experience, offering content extended to the packaging that can add to the use, combination with others and experience of the products. Videos of use, recipes, recommendation by experts is the type of relevant information that when scanning this type of codes we can offer at the physical point of sale.