Que faites-vous si vos stratégies de marketing de détail prennent du retard à l’ère numérique ?

Change is the only constant in the ever evolving world of marketing. As more and more user behaviour changes, we have moved from thumb-stopping static creatives to long form videos to now, distraction-worthy reels over a short span of time, we are just playing catchup. The only way to make your retail marketing deliver is to keep an eye on the pulse of your target audience, speak to them where and how they want to be spoken to (mainly online now). What is key is to stand-out (be outstanding?) in delivering your message. Embracing technology to craft unique experiences would go a long way in making your marketing monies work for your company.

In the face of ever-evolving digital trends, retail marketing inevitably has to embrace the change. In my opinion; 1. There is need of re-evaluation of the target audience in order to understand their online habits and preferred channels. 2. Integration of online and offline channels while making sure that there is consistent brand message across all channels. 3. Embracing digital marketing strategies while using customer data to personalise marketing messages and offers. 4. Track the performance of marketing efforts and make necessary adjustments.

The only thing constant is change, and important thing is keeping a pulse on big changes. It's great to find a few publications, podcasts and people you trust in retail spaces that may face similar challenges. Be sure to carve out time to stay networked and informed of industry changes, because it can cost far more to play catch up, at these breakneck speeds! Also, follow your own intuition, using what you know about your audience and where they are gathering online.

Take proactive measures such as conducting a digital audit to assess your current digital presence, including your website, social media channels, and online advertising strategies. This will help you identify areas that need improvement. You can also invest in digital transformation by embracing technology to enhance the customer experience, streamline operations, and increase sales. This could involve implementing AI, machine learning, and automation tools. By following these steps, you can revitalize your retail marketing strategies and position your business for success in the digital age.

Change is a HUGE one. Especially in old-fashioned industries sometimes a bigger more radical change really shakes up the team and the audience. In my experience a rebranding for a rather old-fashioned but established brand can make a huge positive impact at trade shows, on the website and on the social media platforms. I recommend a unique and bold color and a change in the tone of voice and the way of conveying messages and the company looks 100 times more modern and updated.

What I find helpful is looking at the key audience on Social Media but also on what competitors or other creators in the field are doing and getting inspiration from there. Creating marketing personas and targets is a powerful tool to understand what your customers want and what they don't want. So you know how to talk to them and what will bore them. Finding a purpose in your niche is absolutely crucial so you can keep working in alignment with that purpose towards your company's goals.

Knowing your audience is more than just knowing their preferences and shopping habits from online and offline data. With seemingly endless sales channels and buying triggers, predicting behavior is challenging. However, by leveraging automation, AI, and ML, you can effortlessly engage diverse audiences with personalization accuracy. Understanding these technologies and integrating them into your strategy will help you remain competitive and relevant in today's ever-evolving retail marketing landscape.

You may have known your audience (past tense), but do they still behave the way they used to? Especially in the digital realm, tastes changes, apps come and go, and trends move quicker. Identifying if your customer's mindset has evolved can provide a foundation for re-tooling your message.

I think Retail Media has lot to offer in this matter, because each action is an opportunity to get closer to the customers. There are lots of options that may fit in every stage of the conversion funnel. But attention: we all must be prepared, because each answer will bring us (hopefully) more and more questions about our clients :)

Be real on social media: show the struggles of your company, be transparent, show customers, share customer stories, employee success stories,... There is so much content to be leveraged! As a B2B company: empower and motivate your team to share insights and stories on their LinkedIn. Target the right people with Social Ads. As a consumer brand use user generated content for social Ads. As a B2B brand use LinkedIn Ads focusing on the solutions your business provides. Don't bore people with too much technical information. Create high quality content.

Data is the measurement of digital marketings success. Not always but almost always. An ad that performs well is a good ad, no matter what other people in the company say ;) Letting an ad run for a test period and then adapting by switching off some campaigns or changing the CTA or creatives, is a powerful tool. "Analyze and Adapt" also applies to organic content, customer service, and even everyday life and interactions with colleagues.

Training changes everything: It gives the team member the feeling of being valued, trusted and "worth the investment". It also encourages the team member(s) to take more risks within the company and trust themselves and their abilities. In my opinion it also helps with imposter syndrome because you continuously evolve and get better at your craft. Being in the student mentality is always a positive personality trait and I definitely make sure to keep surrounding myself with people that can train me in different aspects of business.

Data is a new language, we're surrounded by measurements, averages and KPIs. Capabilities of visualization must be encouraged in order to facilitate the decision making process. Data visualization is beautifull and usefull, as well as a tool to develop other skills, like empathy.

Exploring data insights whether they are market trends, consumer preferences or competition analysis help one to reset strategy to be more relevant to world today. Learning to identify a problem statement with the retail strategies and how to deep dive into the various insights is the key to uncover new perspectives and drive the changes you need in business strategy. A test and learn mindset is important to have so one is always seeking new and creative ideas. It is a constant update of strategy when it comes to business as demand and consumer preferences constantly evolve.