Consistency key to retaining customers
Even as the marketing world continues to debate on the twin strategies of omni-channel and multi-channel and on their relative importance, companies need to offer consistent experience to customers to counter the challenges of a fast-growing digital world and expand markets.
Eminent marketing professionals tossed the issue — The debate between omni-channel and multi-channel has been a hot topic of dicussion globally – at a panel discussion at the Mumbai Brand Summit & Hot 50 Brands award programme organised by marketing community firm Paul Writer.
An omni- channel denotes experience for a customer at various touch points in both physical and digital spheres, while in multi-channel, there is delivery of customer propositions across various channels.
The discussion was moderated by Rajesh Kumar, head of marketing at SAP India and the panel members included Vivek Sharma, chief marketing offic- er at adhesives major Pidilite Industries, Ashutosh Gupta, director, marketing at LinkedIn, Devendra Chawla, group president at Future Group, Darshana Shah, senior vice-president, marketing at Hypercity Retail, Sujit Ganguli, brand head at ICICI Bank and Kamal Khushlani, founder and MD of fashion apparel company Mufti.
“While the lines between the two are getting blurred, it is certainly important to ask and also ensure that the customer gets a uniform experience, post sales as well,” said Vivek Sharma. “This holds true for most brands and services, even for something as votal as insurance,” he said during the discussion — Art and Science of Omni- channel Storytelling.
Apart from the broad concepts that the two strategies seem to convey, the debate has also been on how widespread multi-channel is.
According to marketers, the best way for a customer to “perceive everything” is to enable them to own data and experience, so that they are able to guide creation and context.
“More than the buzz it is about the customer journey,” said Linkedin’s Ashutosh Gupta, adding that “the experience for the customer should be similar. It is difficult but ability to map the customer’s journey is important.”
The rising importance of digital and the near-universal acceptance of online shopping was offered as an example of the way omni-channel storytelling has been evolving. “A year ago, people were not ready to shop online for food and grocery items. That has changed. Now everybody is buying online,” said Hypercity Retail’s Darshana Shah.