When my daughter arrived at college last fall to begin her freshman year, a popular retailer welcomed her with open arms just steps from her new dorm.
They didn’t merely entice her with coupons and tchotchkes. Rather, they brought their wares to her via an on-campus pop-up store, enabling students (and parents) to shop, purchase (and return) during those hectic early move-in days. And now armed with data about her preferences, they’ve stayed engaged long after their pop-up packed up and left town. It was a savvy, sophisticated and spot-on example of the power of experiential retailing.
Her experience is just one more proof point that the predictions of brick-and-mortar’s imminent demise are dead wrong. According to an NPR/Marist 2018 poll on the digital economy, more than two-thirds of Americans shop online, yet more than half of those same shoppers (56 percent) prefer an in-store shopping experience. Clearly, the ability to shop in physical stores is quite desirable – if, and only if, the experience meets or exceeds consumer expectations.
Outmoded retailers still mired in 20th century operations are gone or on the way out. The reason is simple: they don’t offer consumers what they want. And they’re boring, to boot.
Ketchum’s personalized retail offering brings the experiential to you:
The retail brands that thrive – online and off – are breaking the mold and meeting consumer demands for convenient, customized experiences. If your brand is eager to hop aboard the experiential express, Ketchum is ready to facilitate an eye-opening experience on what you can do and how you can communicate it to your target customers.
Our new retail offering – What’s in Store? – is grounded in the latest research on experiential shopping trends and results. Guided by a Ketchum retail communications expert, What’s in Store? is your window into what’s now and what’s next in the world of experiential retail.
Here’s how it works:
We take you to the front lines of this retailing revolution – New York City – for a half-day, full-day or two-day experiential retail immersion session. There, you’ll visit up to a dozen retail locations based on your interests, needs and industry. What you’ll learn can and will change the way you do business.
Ketchum has conducted research across dozens of experiential stores in New York City and across the country. We are in tune with how the retail industry’s most creative brands are breaking the mold and meeting consumer demands for convenient, customized experiences.
Touch-screen mirrors that “try on” clothing. Pop-up stores in unexpected locales. Artificial intelligence in action. Multi-brand partnerships and collaborations. You’ll see it all through the lens of the consumers you’re striving to reach.
The sessions are designed to spark new ideas and improve the ways your retail brand interacts with customers. And those personalized, highly-convenient and innovative experiences can be promoted via equally eye-opening content designed to be snackable, shareable, Instagrammable moments.
As we’ve learned through our research, and what you’ll discover first-hand during a What’s in Store? session, is that consumer retail has shifted dramatically. Consumers want to experience brands through meaningful, personalized and innovative in-store interactions that extend beyond what’s available to them online.
Is that what your brand is offering?
Give us a call to begin a one-of-a-kind immersive journey into the game-changing world of experiential retail – and allow us to help you shape, share and support your brand’s story with creative, measurable and business-driving communications.
For more insights into retailing trends, and Ketchum’s What’s in Store? offering, please contact James Peters, Partner, Managing Director, Retail ([email protected] | +1 214-259-3444).
