Better Shopping: what do people want from brands today?

There is perhaps no better illustration for people’s changing relationships with brands, than the challenges and opportunities facing today’s retail industry. In August Smart Design San Francisco hosted its second Smart Salon of the year entitled “Better Shopping,” where I sat down with a panel of experts to discuss the future of shopping in a digital age.

The panelists included:
Lindsey Guest, CEO and Founder of BeautyArmy
Steve McCallion, President of Chrome Industries
Andrew Bornand, Director of Digital Strategy at Gensler

Here are 4 key takeaways and a video of highlights from the discussion:

1. People want to connect

Customers are talking and engaged brands are part of a two-way conversation. Social media has become a powerful tool for bringing communities together and for fostering communication between a brand and it’s users.

All this talking means users expect brands to be engaged and companies must be responsive. Steve and Lindsey listed social engagement as a top priority. Many great ideas for improving your product or service can come from customers. It can also help brands stay on top of what matters. “You have to listen to the roar of the crowd, but you also have to listen to the silence,” said Steve.

But social media, so pervasive online, can still be more of a one-way conversation when customers are in the store. As retailers start to look at ways to engage in the physical environment, it’s important to leverage the technology [i.e. smartphones and social services] that people are already using.

2. People want what’s right for them

While this social exchange creates stronger connections with brands, technology also helps them get personal. Personalized services and selections are allowing people to discover, choose amongst a range of options and also to design their own custom product.

Technology no longer equals robotic. It will continue to enable retailers to tailor its cross-channel services to people’s changing needs.

3. People want to trust

But what separates the retailers with loyal followings from those who are struggling to stay relevant? At the heart of the conversation was the importance of one clear vision. While shoppers shun blatant top-down selling, they simultaneously desire to be a part of something that reflects their interests and values. People can tell right away whether a brand is authentic.

Brands need to know what they stand for and then deliver it in an authentic tone. Across all these touchpoints, the people hired are brand ambassadors. The ethos of their vision needs to live and breathe through the people interacting directly with the customers. And they need to be prepared to engage. Andrew advised, “Technology has armed people with more information than ever. If a customer comes in knowing more about the products than the staff, retailers won’t keep them as customers.”

4. What do people want next?

So what is the evolution of these themes over the next several years? It’s about integration and delivering as one channel and one brand voice.

Large retailers, working with complex technology, have an admittedly tougher time integrating their channels. Unfortunately, shoppers don’t care. Retailers who are able to build added value across their online and off-line channels will stand in a better position to deliver on customer needs and provide an overall better experience.

At Smart Design, we see retailers leveraging technology to get even more personal—better understanding customer needs, increasing knowledge over time, making shopping fun and easier for their lifestyles. And ultimately, helping people go beyond what they want, to discover what they need.
http://smartdesignworldwide.com/thinking/living-smarter/better-shopping-what-do-people-want-from-brands-today/
For the full video of our Salon, click here.