Consumer products companies are finally able to foster direct relationships with end-users of their products. This means engaging them the right way, at the right time, and on the right channel in order to keep pace with the ever-changing demands of today’s digital-savvy consumers.
Engagement and marketing in the past provided no simple way for consumers to share feedback, ask questions, or really get to know the brands they supported. A company’s message was simply received by customers without a platform on which they could respond. Social media has altered that archaic method, and everything is changing.
Social platforms are increasing in popularity, resulting in more informed and engaged consumers.
Just look at the statistics:
- There’s been a 35 percent increase across the U.S. in average time per week spent on social media
- 93 percent of surveyed consumers reported using a digital device to browse and research when shopping
- Roughly 25 percent of surveyed U.S. users (adults in the United States, 18+ years old) used social media to support their favorite brands
Today’s digital ecosystem presents new opportunities for engagement. Consumers expect brands to listen and react appropriately to what they learn. If a customer is going on vacation or just purchased a new home, companies with relevant products and services should respond accordingly.
Say goodbye to the traditional buying process
Digital-savvy consumers expect personalized shopping experiences, tailored choices, real-time responses, transparent interactions, and closer connections with the brands they support. Why? Because they want to feel empowered.
With plenty of online research, personal recommendations, price comparisons, and customer reviews available at their fingertips, consumers create an interconnected community and chart new paths to purchase. In fact, 78 percent of consumers say they will only engage offers if they have been personalized to their previous engagements with a brand.
No more missed connections
In a digital-first world, consumer products companies should be fast, granular, and connected with customers. It’s not enough to have great products – consumers want an overall brand experience.
I’ve come to discover that many consumer products companies struggle with their digital marketing efforts for three main reasons:
1. Missed moments: Sending messages at the wrong time
2. Inauthentic messaging: Sending the wrong message
3. Failing to engage: Sending a message through the wrong channels
Companies may be able to overcome these issues with a platform that provides insights and direct customer engagement with a customizable experience for corporate-driven campaigns and locally initiated events. That’s where Deloitte Digital’s Consumer Direct solution can help. Sitting within Deloitte Digital’s broader DigitalMix platform, Consumer Direct brings together leading class technologies for multi-brand content management, consumer engagement, and e-commerce, helping to drive the personalized touchpoints companies seek and consumers demand.
Listen and respond to consumers
By taking the guess work out of social listening and providing the tools to respond with the right message, at the right time, the right platform can ultimately drive commerce. Through Deloitte Digital’s ecosystem approach, Consumer Direct is tailored to integrate with most current technology portfolios including:
- Multi-brand web content management: Through website authoring, publishing, collaboration, and administration tools, users can create and manage content with ease. Depending on the chosen technology, users are able to efficiently organize, store and retrieve rich media assets, and manage digital rights and permissions.
- Consumer engagement: Sprinklr’s social media management platform helps brands reach, engage, and listen to customers across more than 20 social channels. With offerings specific to marketing, advertising, research, commerce, and customer care, Sprinklr empowers companies to provide a brand experience that consumers crave.
- eCommerce: The SAP Hybris eCommerce platform enables the electronic exchange of goods and services, online payments and verifications, product catalog, personalized product recommendations, ratings and reviews, and cart features for B2B, B2C, and B2B2C businesses.
- Customer relationship management: We enlist service providers to enhance the customer relationship journey. Through a customer relationship management platform, we can store customer and prospect contact information, accounts, leads and sales opportunities.
