Despite all the attention given e-commerce, the vast majority of consumer spending this holiday season will be made in-store.
Aisles everywhere will have endcaps with product information. There will be “shelf-talkers” conveying particulars about some of what will be before shoppers.
At least theoretically there will be salespersons around to answer questions.
But the smart marketers like Macy’s know that there is more to be done, especially given the fact that there will be a mobile phone in the hands of virtually every customer.
Enter high-resolution video, viewed in greater numbers each month by consumers more rapidly adopting smartphones. Mobile now accounts for 22% of overall digital video consumption, according to KPCB analyst Mary Meeker’s 2014 Internet Trends report. And that number continues to grow.
Macy’s has used video and Vehicle’s platform as critical support to the retail experience.
In one program, shoppers respond to “Backstage Pass” calls to action in more than 30 departments. The customer is asked to text the keyword of a product designer or brand to Macy’s short code. A video is then immediately delivered back to the user’s phone, pushing the shopper closer to a purchase.
A mixture of entertainment and fashion, the 30-second films provide fashion inspiration, advice and tips. Following the initial feature, users have the option to select longer-length content that take them further backstage with each designer or brand. Featured designers and experts have included Bobbi Brown, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Tommy Hilfiger, Michael Kors, Greg Norman for Tasso Elba, Rachel Roy, Irina Shabayeva for I.N.C., and others.
With Vehicle, Macy’s additionally gathers point of interest information for each participating customer as well as the location where the response to the call to action is made. The brand uses this data to push targeted offers back to users.
Macy’s sees the initiative as helping it fulfill its mission of getting closer to the customer and his or her interests.
And it has done it in a way that both differentiates Macy’s from other retailers and caters to the increasing expectations of shoppers who want a unique in-store moment.
This trend is likely to continue. By 2016, 89% of companies expect to compete mostly on the basis of customer experience, versus 36% four years ago, according to Gartner.