Retail
to convince consumers to keep coming back. Tink back to your last trip to your favourite theme park. Chances are, you didn’t go to buy a souvenir or merchandise but ended up making a purchase nonetheless, so you could bring a piece of the experience home with you. With the right approach to experience design, retailtainment should feel the same way.
2. Success hinges on blending physical and digital experiences Although retailtainment is about designing memorable instore experiences, it can’t operate in a silo. With customer expectations and competition intensifying, retailtainment should link seamlessly to retailers’ digital channels. Consider the example of US make-up giant MAC. Its NYC
concept store features virtual mirrors for customers to ‘try on’ make-up, the latest technology for make-up shade matching and personalised product packaging. Crucially, these ‘physical’ experiences transition seamlessly to the digital realm through RFID-triggered product content and the introduction of a ‘MAC Pass’ profile. With a personal account, consumers can save different ‘looks’ they’ve tried on in-store to view and purchase online later. In the first months aſter launch, this feature was used by more than a third of in-store customers, enabling MAC to use this data to inform future campaigns. Tech retail is already geared toward this principle with its core
product lines.
3. But slick technology isn’t a replacement for human connection In the past, most retailtainment experiences were temporary ‘brand activations’. In other words, they were an aſterthought, fun while they lasted, but without strategic importance to the brand. Today, retailtainment has the potential to form a core part of
retailers’ brand identity. But to do so, it needs to be strategically integrated into commerce plans while also prioritising creativity to spark an emotional connection with consumers. Tink less marketing stunt and more theme park. Temed entertainment designers are skilled at creating immersive experiences, finding ways to get consumers to inhabit a story and connect emotionally with their brand or magical land. Tese tactics can transform customer engagement and boost purchase rates when applied to retail.
4. Gathering data on consumers is crucial Most retailers treat all consumers the same when they walk into a store. Tey have yet to determine if someone is a first- time, second-time, or the most valuable customer they have! To deliver truly tailored experiences, retailers need data to get a 360-degree
www.pcr-online.biz September/October 2023 | 45
view of customers’ online and offline brand interactions. Tis requires data – and lots of it. Teme parks typically do an excellent job of tracking visitors’ behaviour, whether it’s the attractions they’re visiting or the merchandise and food purchases they’re making. Retailers can take a leaf out of this book.
5. But retailers should remember that this isn’t a one-way street As we’ve seen, retailers need to harness the power of data. But today’s consumers have zero patience for filling in a 20-field form to hand over their personal details. And no, offering a one-off 10% discount won’t persuade them! Instead of clunky data exchanges with dubious incentives,
retailers must ensure there’s a clear value exchange between the data they’re asking for and the customer experience they’re providing. Teme parks do this well. Most of the time, visitors are happy to part with their data, as it is used to offer them a great guest experience, from telling them which rides are busy to suggesting more attractions they might like.
So, what can retailers learn from the themed entertainment space? A lot, it turns out. Borrowing experience design from other industries, like themed entertainment, can fuel innovation and foster customer loyalty through brand immersion and storytelling. For retailers, this is key as they seek to create memorable, connected physical and digital experiences in a turbulent economy. In themed entertainment, experiences aren’t focused on one-
off interactions or transactions. Instead, they’re designed to keep people coming back for more. Retailers must remember this perspective if they want to succeed in today’s marketplace. Tey should be obsessed with the customer experience, not the sale.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68
