While life has been different over the last seven months thanks to Covid-19, we're afloat together in an ever-shifting present of unpredictable change. It is ironic, however, how some points of the evolution remember the"what's old is new again" adage. Honing in on a few of these established approaches could be the salve that connects your brand with skittish customers --and helps pull you through to the other side of the pandemic.
Consider that American consumers in the first part of the 20th century relied upon delivery solutions for matters like milk, groceries and prescriptions. For some reason, those conveniences largely disappeared for decades. But the beginning of the pandemic saw millennials and Gen Z customers --as well as Gen X, baby boomers as well as the Greatest Generation--paying premiums for delivery of everything from alcohol to Band-Aids, because of companies like Drizly, Amazon Prime and Instacart.
Another redux? Drive-in movie theaters. When it was impossible to sit in an air-conditioned multiplex, malls got creative and turned their parking lots into pop-up drive-ins. For older audiences, it was nostalgic. For the younger group, it was a cool, new adventure.
The unrelenting pandemic has meant traditional retail has become more creative, flexible and responsive than ever before. But one thing that remains timeless is that the consumer need for human connection and interaction.
Drawing Them in--Directly
While sequestered at home, the customer's primary connection with shopping has been online. And while their retinas are growing tired, their desire to interact in a tangible way is starting to supersede the immediacy of clicking a secret.
Shops and brands must not underestimate the impact digital burnout can have on customers. Needless to say, emails, texts and social websites have their place. But according to McLean Hospital, a Harvard Medical School Affiliate,"The issue of digital burnout specifically describes feelings of fatigue, anxiety, depression, or diminished interest in a project stemming from an excessive amount of time on electronic devices. Physical signs include sleep disorders, diminished energy, and even chest pains." The pandemic has compounded using displays, whether for Zoom meetings, Facetiming, social media usage or unlimited texting.
Remember the good'ol days when you really"felt" an ad? If you enjoyed these concrete pieces of email, apparently you're not alone. Research reveals younger generations really feel the exact same way and are receptive to ads via direct mail. Findings demonstrate that they trust it and connect it with crap than they do email. Nowadays, physical mail is not typical for Gen Z'ers, so when they do get it, it is equally memorable and something they could hold on to (literally). And it is also shareable, with an average life span of 17 days, based on some U.S. SBA article.
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After all, direct mail has its own benefits over the electronic world and is something worth exploring again for retailers and brands. Particularly, it's able to generate a direct and haptic impression on the receiver through a concrete form--something that has been missing while our electronic inboxes have grown larger and larger.
After in-Store--Keep Them Informed, Engaged and Curious
Consumers now are so used to purchasing online the in-store experience can appear almost perplexing. This was really a quandary before the pandemic. Now, it's probably been exacerbated, particularly if insides are changed to adapt social distancing protocols. Retailers will need to be sure in-store signage and displays aren't just visible and easy to understand, but also expand on a customer's online experience. Bring your omnichannel retail platforms closer by making certain products are simple to find with aisle signage or clearly marked sections. Let your shopper know you have made changes as it might have been some time since they last visited. Give new releases some love with specialization signage that stands out--much like you might have done in your opening site page. But first and foremost, make the most of reintroducing yourself to your shopper and make their yield a fresh and memorable one.
"Necessity is the Mother of Invention" (...and Possibly the Mother of Quick Pivots)
Many businesses have found they've had to reinvent themselves very quickly. Take, for example, Tilda, a very small wine bar in LA that had just been open for six months before it needed to shut down its dine-in support. In true entrepreneurial spirit, the proprietor transitioned the 450-square-foot space into a wine store and booked the courtyard out front for client use. The store also went beyond offering beer and wine to selling bread, eggs and fresh vegetables. Although customers couldn't store in the little space, they could navigate at screens by looking through the shop's large windows. And when they wanted to purchase from the shop, they all needed to do was call it in. The staffer would also answer any queries and provide guidance, providing a more human connection. This unorthodox buying process was mapped out through a collection of amusing and illustrative, hand-drawn signs which were posted in the shop windows. Their signals walked customers through every step of the distanced procedure in an engaging and entertaining manner, making the signals part of the branding.
Tilda's owners replicated as closely as possible the real experience of purchasing in person, in shop.
"For lots of individuals just having the ability to speak to somebody on the phone and be more or less at exactly the exact same area with a stranger is a fun experience and change into their regular activity," stated Christian Stayner, co-owner of Tilda. "We believed that it was really important to be a location within the community, rather than become just another faceless digital kitchen e-retailer."
Boost Your Story and Your Offerings
Stores should also benefit from signage that publicizes business details such as a mission statement, in addition to any sustainability or philanthropic initiatives. Such messages guarantee the in-person client has as rich an understanding of a corporation's brand identity as an online shopper. Both channels can be drawn more closely together by integrating QR and AR technology on your own signage, providing your clients easy access to online content like product reviews, special promotions or product demonstration's while they are shopping in store.
Telling your story means taking the opportunity to demonstrate the many aspects of your offerings and communication this out on multiple stations. Take Madison Reed, for instance. As hair salons throughout the country were closed down, this salon and hair colour subscription service experienced an 800% explosion in its e-commerce business during the first week of this pandemic, and a 1,000percent -to--1,200% explosion in the next nine weeks. The DTC company sells cheap, salon-quality hair colour for at-home use. Simultaneously, they have been launching Madison Reed Color Bar places across the U.S. Clients can come in for a consultation and have services done in shop, or they can take their colour home and do their hair .
With providing the consumer both a physical and digital universe, Madison Reed has made an almost pandemic-proof business model, one which clearly illustrates how brick-and-mortar retail can seamlessly support e-commerce in the exact same brand, while still offering a differentiated experience.
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