Merkle (www.merkle.com), a leading technology-enabled, data-driven customer relationship marketing (CRM) firm and the nation’s largest privately held agency, released the findings from its Retail Consumer Sentiment Survey, during the 2014 holiday shopping season. The results conclude that consumer expectations and behaviors signal the potential for retailers in 2015 to create the next generation of personalized digital interactions.
The Consumer’s Mobile Screen is Valuable “Real Estate” for Retailers to Occupy
While mobile is already well on the way to becoming the default channel for search, 67% of respondents under the age of 50 are also interested in a totally mobile path to purchase. Furthermore 46% under 50 would like personalized offers sent to their smartphones while shopping in-store. “We have reached the point where delivering personalization does not just refer to content, but will also need to reflect time and location,” said Paul Schottmiller, senior vice president, strategy, retail and consumer goods. “Consumers expectations are high and retailers have never had more options for using technology to deliver differentiated customer experiences.”Retailers Need to Reboot Loyalty Programs
Retailers have only begun to tap into the vast opportunity that loyalty programs can offer. While loyalty programs are designed to keep customers away from competitors, less than one-fifth of consumers cite today’s loyalty programs as a main differentiator between competitors, but many of these programs are price and transaction based. In the emerging age of real-time, consumer interactions, retailers that master a personalized, omni-channel approach to loyalty generate results on the order of magnitude of 10X the revenue of non-program customers. Loyalty done right is fertile ground for retailers to create competitive advantage.
As retailers learn the lessons taught by consumers during the holidays in 2014, driving results with mobile and loyalty will be prominent on their lists for success in 2015.
For more information, visit our page on the Digital Shopper Survey.
About Merkle
Merkle is a leading data-driven, technology-enabled, global performance marketing agency that specializes in the delivery of unique, personalized customer experiences across platforms and devices. For more than 30 years, Fortune 1000 companies and leading nonprofit organizations have partnered with Merkle to maximize the value of their customer portfolios. The agency’s heritage in data, technology, and analytics forms the foundation for its unmatched skills in understanding consumer insights that drive people-based marketing strategies. Its combined strengths in performance media, customer experience, customer relationship management, loyalty, and enterprise marketing technology drive improved marketing results and competitive advantage. With 7,000 employees, Merkle is headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, with 21 additional offices in the US and 33 offices in Europe and APAC. In 2016, the agency joined the Dentsu Aegis Network. For more information, contact Merkle at 1-877-9-Merkle or visit www.merkle.com.
