Do You Know How To Influence The Connected Shopper?

The power of choice has shifted to the shopper. Shoppers are empowered and savvier when it comes to purchasing.

They operate in world that is so much more complex, fast-paced and competitive – gone are the simpler days!

This was a point that was raised by our Bob Wong, when he presented “The Top Do’s and Don’ts for Influencing Connected Shoppers” at the 2018 Category Management Association Conference last month at the Gaylord Opryland in Nashville.

He says that we have witnessed the profound effect technology has had on the retail world, which includes the disruption wrought by the omni-environment with a multitude of shopping avenues. Shoppers today shop where they want and in whichever way suits their lifestyle needs in the moment. This forces us to more deeply examine facets of the category for which they are shopping.

The previously linear path to purchase is now fluid and complex. Consumers now move back and forth between our previously defined stages and they are influenced by a myriad of offline and online factors within every stage.

In an environment where the connected shopper now holds the reins like never before, how can we influence this shopper’s purchase behaviour?

Bob Wong, who has over 40 years experience in various roles within the CPG industry, recommends:

Understand your shopper! It is important to understand how they behave. You should also fully comprehend what motivations drive that behaviour.
Identify the emotional and functional attributes that drive your shopper’s choices.
Use analytics to predict the opportunities and risks presented by your target shopper, as well as the impact of these opportunities and risks.

And what should you avoid when trying to influence your shopper? Bob’s answer: “Don’t use a shotgun!”