Omnichannel is the practice by which a brand connects with its consumers regardless of the medium, maintaining a presence across many of them.
Omnichannel for my marketing strategy
When we talk about omnichannel strategies, we are talking about having a coherent and consistent message in every medium we use to communicate it.
Consumers should feel that buying a service or product is a single, seamless experience, whichever medium the message reaches them through. That is why brands must have their objectives fully aligned.
This means bringing the digital dimension into our strategy. The world is constantly changing, and technology is ever more integrated into our society and our reality, blurring the lines that used to separate online and offline strategies.
Today the customer journey has changed a great deal. The consumer who once bought after seeing a television advert now looks for information across different media, buys through different media and interacts with different media. An omnichannel strategy allows consumers to enjoy a complete experience wherever and whenever they want, regardless of the medium or channel.
A clear example of this is Netflix, the streaming platform. It places the user at the centre of its strategy and uses the data the user has provided over time to organise and offer the content best suited to their tastes, whether on the mobile app or on TV. In this way it builds loyalty among its viewers, who trust the platform’s choices.
Another example of omnichannel is Starbucks and its ‘Starbucks Card’, which not only lets customers pay for in-store products but also works as a wallet and can be accessed from the app, the website or even the customer service phone line.
Omnichannel vs multichannel: what is the difference?
In multichannel strategies, the brand uses different channels to reach consumers and interact with them. In this way it attracts consumers in different ways, without necessarily having the same message on every channel. In addition, multichannel strategies require particular care to offer equally excellent experiences on each channel while remaining consistent with the brand message. Consumers must never forget which brand they are interacting with on each channel.
In omnichannel strategies, the channels feed into one another. The message has to be clear on all of them. It is based on understanding consumer needs and knowing that those needs must be met at any time and from anywhere.
To achieve this, the best option is to be clear about our objectives and to research our consumers beforehand, by running surveys, gathering data, tracking behaviour…
At Grupo WDi we create omnichannel experiences so that your consumers enjoy a 360° experience with your brand. That way, every action, from the point of sale to offline, will be aligned. Would you like to know more?