Omni-channel marketing and how one fashion brand is leaving the rest in the dust
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Before we get into this, I should probably explain what exactly is 'omni-channel marketing'. It sounds like a really complicated marketing term but in reality it's far from it. Simply, it describes a modern form of marketing where companies use a number of methods to promote their content and products as well as stay connected with customers.
Think about it. Every brand, no matter how big or small, has an account on the three big social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Some are taking this further and providing unique experiences in store to lure customers back to the traditional way of shopping so their exorbitant rent doesn't seem like such a waste.
In my opinion, the best thing about this is how easy it is to make a complaint. Go back twenty years and you'd have to write a letter, pay for postage and wait anything up to a month or longer for a response (that's if you even got one). Now if your Topshop bag fell apart the second you put anything of notable weight in it, you can hop on to twitter and talk to their PR interns directly, letting them know just how unhappy you are and how valuable your business is to the company! Alternatively, maybe you feel they need to hear how upset you are and you can give them a call. Or perhaps you could go into another branch and dramatically slam the damaged product on the counter demanding a refund before you tell all your friends to never step foot in here again!
Each piece of the consumer's experience should be consistent and friendly. But who gets it right? Which fashion brands offer a unique experience both offline and online?
ASOS.
Yes. That online fashion store. "But how can a brand that doesn't have a physical retail space be good with omni-channel marketing?" It's quite easy, actually. Omni-channel marketing isn't defined as successfully fulfilling certain criteria such as providing an experience through this, this and that channel. Instead, it's simply using multiple channels to provide a seamless, positive experience for the customer. Despite not being on the high street, ASOS are one of the biggest high street brands today and I believe it is down to their successful capture of the 18 - 30 demographic.
We'll start with their social media and how they do most of their advertising.
Fig 1. ASOS (2016)
With over five million followers, ASOS has a solid advertising platform that guarantees high engagement and response. What I find most interesting about ASOS' promotional instagram posts isn't the colourful imagery but how easy they make it for customers to find their products on the website once they've seen it on social media.
As a follower of ASOS, you're interested in their brand and are always on the lookout for new products. There's nothing worse than finding something you like on social media and having to go on what feels like a bounty hunt just to purchase it. ASOS solves that problem by including a unique item number in the description for all products featured, allowing customers to copy that number and paste it into the search box on ASOS' website where they will be instantly taken to the product in question. I have yet to find another brand that connects interest in a product with purchasing so seamlessly online.
So, you've seen something you like and now you want to buy it. However, like most people you're browsing Instagram on your phone so it's no use having to open up a website when there must be simpler ways to shop.
Have no worry!
ASOS have an app and it's an app engineered with ease of use in mind, allowing it to secure 'Editor's Pick' on the App store and receive a coveted 5 star rating. This is especially exceptional when you consider the majority of apps for other high street brands such as H&M, Topshop and River Island have pitiful reviews slating the clunkiness of those apps. It's likely those brands released apps for the sake of releasing apps. It felt like a necessity to them just to they can seem like they are up to date with the fast-changing pace of the digital world rather than working on creating a new way of captivating a customer.
Fig 2. Screenshots of the ASOS app (2016)
The videos that play on the title screen of the app act as the shop front. You choose your department then you are greeted with a colourful, minimalist design that uses big imagery and big fonts to allow ease of navigation. You've got that code saved to your clipboard for that purse you saw on their Instagram, so you can tap the search icon at the footer, paste that in and make that purchase.
A lot of brands would do well to take notes from ASOS. It's 2016. Shopping should be this easy and seamless. I shouldn't have to jump through hoops to enjoy your products!
Bibliography:
Figure 1. ASOS (2016) ASOS, Instagram [Advertisement] At: https://www.instagram.com/p/BMglspTAnzA/?taken-by=asos&hl=en
Figure 2. ASOS (2016) ASOS App, iPhone [App]
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