The past decade—and particularly the past two years—has seen exponential growth in the utility of digital tools for marketing teams to leverage. Audiences can now be targeted better, messaged more effectively, and, in the case of promotions and discounts, smartly served optimized prices to motivate sales without sacrificing margins.
At the end of the day, what all of this innovation boils down to is maximizing opportunity. It’s using emerging consumer data initiatives to offer customers the right motivation at the right time to drive a sale. Now more than ever, the digital tools that have worked to optimize online commerce are connecting the dots to the in-store environment. For smart retailers, honing in on in-store marketing and promotions can help round out omnichannel marketing efforts across the board.
Successful marketing means connecting the dots and seizing the moment, meeting shoppers where they are, and putting the right offer in front of them at the right time. In-store shopping is returning, and it’s returning at a time when retailers have had months developing technologies to maximize these touchpoints.
The Digital Transformation Changing The Landscape Of In-Store Marketing and Promotions
As mentioned, the opportunity for in-store conversions is also coinciding with technology that is integrating digital identifiers into the real world. Brands have been confronted with the imperative to bolster their stores of first-party consumer data for months, which has led to better, actionable insights that can now be leveraged in in-store settings.
With more and more customers relying on their phones during the shopping experience, retailers and CPGs are able to actualize this level of consumer connectivity to provide frictionless interactions and buying experiences with customers in-store, rooted in data gleaned from online first-party data efforts.
Retailers are able now to provide real-time discounts and activated offers right at the shelf to help motivate buying decisions. From digital coupons to exclusive in-store pricing, the synergy of technology and product assortment is creating conditions for in-the-moment conversions in ways that hadn’t existed before.
Brands that have long been trailblazers in the in-store promotions and discount space are adapting their offerings to this new digital ecosystem.
As brands and retailers look to improve first-party data collection and innovate in all things digital, including websites, digital ads, loyalty, and email programs, the in-store marketing opportunity is massive for digital-first and omnichannel marketers.
