Temporalities in general modify strategies always on from marketing and advertising. In general, we all know, planning is done in advance to set a higher or lower budget depending on the strongest and historical periods. So far there is no news.
A few months ago, one of our clients at the agency asked us why it was no longer sold in the same way. e-commerce than during 2020. Words more, words less. The same thing I always say: it’s not that the campaigns are more or less effective than before, we just have to understand a simple phenomenon: at that time the physical stores were closed -speaking of retail in general- and all the weight was charged to the e-commerce.
Although I’ve talked a lot about this topic in these columns, it still amazes me how quickly everything changes from one year to everything. Let’s take a look at Christmas 2019 in general. Before the appearance of the face mask in our daily lives. At that time, a very high percentage bought everything in retail. According to my statistics that I read somewhere, it was almost 90 or so percent of people who went to retail for your gifts.
We were seeing the highest percentage of traffic in department and convenience stores and we didn’t know it, by the way.
I recently read an article about the new rush hour in Mexico City: between 2 and 3 pm is when there is the most traffic, at least here. The changes are in something as simple as city traffic, for example.
Now, what happens in general in the journey of the consumer to 2022? The answer is very simple: their consumption habits changed in just 3 years (triggered by a global pandemic, of course, important not to forget this). During the week I read the IAB consumer studies, mainly on the subject of retail and, although we already had some digital behaviors, now they have become more pronounced. For example, the crossing of information between prices and product research between the physical and digital has become essential. What they call the omnichannel journey.
In this sense, I insist a lot, this phenomenon was already appreciated before, especially in the Auto industry, where the decision was made on the Internet to reach the dealer and make the final determination there. But we had not seen such a strong cross between on-line–offline.
Let’s go to the data: for example, 94% of people research online to then buy offline. This is the highest percentage. But it doesn’t happen the other way around. Only 83% investigate in a physical store to later buy digitally. This behavior is found in practically all users (at least in the sample). Which leaves me thinking that you have to use the omnichannel theme to make a comprehensive strategy.
Nor recharge the whole hand to the e-commerce Not everything to the store. It must be knowing very well the strategic point between the two.
In addition to this, we must take into account something important that I have also written ad nauseam here: users are returning to physical stores. According to a study by Kantar México published in El CEO, 67% of Mexicans will/went to department stores for their gifts. At this point we must understand the context of consumption very well to close the strategy very well.
Yes: I was also surprised by the change that exists in terms of this trend of returning to physical stores. But I don’t really know when it “levels off” between offline and online. That is to say: I believe that we will return to the “comfort” of ordering everything from the living room of our house, via a web page and what we ask for will arrive the next day. I don’t really know how long it will take us, but we will continue with the almost irreversible trend of the disappearance of the “malls”, just as the trend was in the United States.
While that happens, we have to adjust “omnichannel” (I like that neologism) to our investments, strategies and cross them very well with the very strong sales seasons for the next 12 months.
While that happens, I want to send a hug to all the readers of these lines. May we have a new year full of marketing, advertising and a lot of ROI.
Up there, 2023 hugs.