- Get real: become authentic
As consumers, we can be fickle when it comes to selecting products. Companies are therefore having to work harder to gain our trust, confidence and brand loyalty.
Authenticity is the key to retailers achieving this following and creating brand ambassadors that then propel the word-of-mouth effect both offline and online via social media.
In 2017, we’re getting ready to see brands invest in technological developments that strive to produce a new sense of reality and authenticity to push sales.
Dassault Systèmes, a 3D virtual shopping experience company, released an advert in 2016 that asked: “How long before the living room and the fitting room become one?”, which was accompanied by a female stepping from her bedroom into a studio to emphasise the authentic nature of company’s online shopping experience.
- Put your individual stamp on it
R&D initiatives have proved successful in diversifying the identical mass-produced industrial item and transforming it into one that can be customised and according to the customer’s individual characteristics.
High-end personalisation is also popular amongst both brands and consumers, alike, as “experiential luxury” that shows a shift from “having to being” is on the up.
The ability to gather considerable data is helping mass-producers imitate this appeal through using technologies such as 3D printing to support consumer expectations, who are now seeking brands that can go as far as to predict their needs as well as delivering expectations.
Industries are starting to test and incorporate innovative technologies into their businesses and have rolled these out in store.
Smart shop windows that give consumers various promotions based on demographics such as the age and style of those walking past the store are currently being tested, while emailed receipts that encourage a digital relationship are becoming commonplace.
Personalised products aim to appeal directly to consumers’ emotions to strengthen the brand connection, loyalty, with the aim to increase the likelihood of future purchases and referrals.