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This year’s annual National Retail Federation convention exhibited more energy and optimism from the attendees (over 27,000 of them) than I have seen over the past several years. The Expo was packed into three halls with high tech tools that would help just about any retail establishment operate more effectively. The sessions provided passion and excitement for the future and stressed the importance of retail to the global economy. And talk of social media and mobile marketing was everywhere you went. Indeed, it’s time to recognize that these cutting edge marketing tools have come of age and should be thought of as requisites for any sound branding and promotional plan for today’s retailers.
For example, take the case of Morris Home Furnishings from Dayton, Ohio. VP Marketing Robert Klaben provided some interesting examples of how his company was using social media to increase sales to the audience at the Main Street Session that was targeted to independent retailers. Kleben not only showed how Morris used Facebook (and other tools) to interact with their customers on an ongoing basis, but he showed how this has become one of the best measurement tools for evaluating the response to many of their promotions and loyalty building efforts. Sure, they were generating increased traffic and sales, but they have also been able to create loyalty that can be measured by the interactive responses and feedback that their customers are eagerly providing. These are not simply sales promotions, but brand building programs that are building relationships that will bring the customers back to their stores many times in the future. Granted the furniture business is not a frequent store visit experience, so you need to build an ongoing communication with your customers to be the first place they think about when the need for furniture arises. Their experiences show that the dialogue is building fast and the relationships are built on the heart not just the wallet.
It’s time for more retailers to take the same approach as Morris. It’s now expected that a retailer will have a robust website that will provide them not only a chance to get product information but also help them complete the transaction. This simply gets you into the ballpark. However, to build a strong brand relationship, social and mobile marketing can certainly accelerate the process. Remember, convenience is more important than ever and the online media help make it easier than ever before to shop and make an intelligent purchase without ever having to go to another mall. Facebook has gone far beyond being a place to share your personal experiences. It is the forum for letting retailers know what you like and how you want your purchase experience.
Forums like shop.org’s annual conference and the CRMC in Chicago are growing each year because of the interest by retailers in learning more about how to use these media. And the conferences are loaded with great information about how to use them to not only increase your business but also improve your brand. It’s time to stop thinking of these as separate tactics and to include them in the strategy development for any successful marketing and branding plan.
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