At the National Retail Federation’s Big Show in January, no one was saying that we need to make shoppers smarter. The consumer is already quite bright by turning on his or her mobile phone and listening in on all manner of conversations inside Facebook, Twitter, and Linked In, in addition to reading voraciously, downloading videos while waiting, and comparison shopping.
The coveted recommendation approach has made its way into every type of mobile application so that ‘sharing’ is now just rolling out of bed and clicking. It comes as no surprise that a national study by Leo Burnett says that nearly half of all Americans are using social media to shop—that equates to nearly 95 million shoppers in the US. This number is spiraling upward leaving brands with an ultimatum: engage with these shoppers and NOW.
How can today’s business executive, meet the needs of shoppers, since everyone is multi-tasking and no one has time for one more random email?
Red e App has built the platform to explore all the different types of notifications possible, from events, to discounts, to referrals from friends in the network. The process of developing your own mobile presence is simplistic—most companies can tie in to their existing website and be up and running in under a day. For more complex messaging, tied to internal and external audiences, APIs can be requested for your development team.
According to Nick Jones, EVP & Head of Retail, Leo Burnett Group: “Fifty years ago marketers figured out what different forms of media did best: Broadcast drove awareness, print added depth of communication. Times have changed. To survive in today’s tech-driven world, it’s crucial for marketers to understand social media platforms, and consumers’ expectations for connecting with brands.” He offers up their social media white paper and recent presentation, as one example, of how to start harnessing hyperconnections.
According to the Leo Burnett white paper, “It’s clear that it’s not enough for brands simply to have a social-media presence — a Facebook fan page, Twitter account or corporate blog, for example. If brands truly want to connect with shoppers and impact their ultimate purchase decisions using social contacts, they must develop strategies that continually engage with shoppers throughout the process.”
The mobile marketplace continues to expand and the language of new mobile platforms that allow for multi-channel crossings, must be heard for the noise to turn into communication to the end customer and all the players in-between, including the sales associates at a store level.
That’s why Red e App is perfect for the retailer looking to engage its clientele with rewards and preferences. It’s perfect for tying sales associates together for training, and understanding at the product level. It’s perfect for the supply chain to communicate on product delivery, store shipments, and new seasonal matters. And, it fits for store manager engagement regarding policies and store operations, that can now include interactive mirrors, or social media interaction in store, or even real-time inventory visibility down to the consumer.
Driving customer loyalty is both inside and outside an enterprise, and Red e App messaging holds the characteristics of a CRM system that can deliver both with high-touch functionality.
Dawn Yankeelov
President of Aspectx, on behalf of Red e App
