What is an omni-channel strategy and why is this important when building your brand? Omni-channel is a buzzword that’s often referred to in retail.
Most people think it simply refers to the relationship between online and bricks and mortar however there is more to it than that. Omni-channel is a multichannel approach to retail that provides the customer with a seamless shopping experience across all touch points.
It takes into consideration the journey a customer takes from the time they start their shopping experience through to the point at which they decide to buy, dependent on how long they take to make a purchase, these touch points could be very different. This may include bricks and mortar stores, online stores, mobile and app-based stores, a phone call, a newspaper, a magazine or a trade show. The important factor here is to provide them with a seamless shopping experience.
This means that everything related to a brand needs to be ‘on-brand’ and consistent with regards to product, price, packaging. Should pricing or products not be aligned across different touch points, the customer may start to doubt a brand thereby losing credibility and trust. Building your customers trust by ensuring a positive, consistent brand experience is imperative. This in turn is instrumental to your retail partners success and top of mind when they consider your brand for their business.
Success is dependent upon having a great product that delivers its promise, with a unique point of difference, wrapped up in a compelling brand story, supported by a strong team of people who believe in it.
Retailers understand that to keep customers shopping their experience needs to be immersive and entertaining. It is about creating theatre, enabling the customer to visualise their intended purchase, to trial or try on their desired product and to shop with ease. An interactive journey to purchasing a new lipstick may involve searching online to identify the latest trends from different brands. Reading consumer reviews and watching online tutorials. Viewing Instagram, YouTube videos, augmented reality apps and price comparison websites.
Once they have identified their preference, they may then go into a store to try on a selection and once they have selected their best option, they may go back online to obtain the best price, and the quickest delivery option. It is a complete journey that requires an understanding of consumers shopping habits at all points, as well as how to keep them engaged whilst providing them with the necessary information and tools.
Whilst bricks and mortar have experienced challenging times and the ongoing adaptations in technology have seen the introduction of chatbots and virtual reality becoming more mainstream across online channels, traditional retail stores still play a valued role in the shopping experience. Retail stores are recognized for their ability to educate consumers, providing an opportunity to interact with ‘beauty experts’ through product demonstrations, make-overs and 1-2-1 services including hairdressing, facials, nails and waxing.
To provide an immersive experience between the two channels, many retailers hold events where both online and offline customers are jointly invited to discover a new brand or product in-store. It is all about creating theatre, an immersive experience that is seamless across all touch points.
Are you looking for expertise to help you with developing your omni-channel strategy and your marketing campaign and events? Get in touch to discuss how we can work with you. As a beauty brand management company we work with our clients to develop their brands from ‘concept to shelf’.
As a beauty and wellness consultancy, we develop a comprehensive strategy for your business by understanding your vision (and the marketplace) and then delving into the details to create order and structure neatly packaged up to deliver you commercial results. We design brand identities and visual elements, manage your product development, build your go-to-market strategies to help you to engage with your ideal customers.
We are proud to support our clients from different regions of the world – from Saudi Arabia, to Dubai, Sri Lanka, Africa, Australia, the US, Canada, Europe and the UK – from entrepreneurs, to multi-award-winning beauty and wellness brands, retailers, investors, distributors, embassies and trade bodies. And we work with you across the retail sector, and the professional sector, including the hair care market, professional nail care market, spas, salons, hotels and the aesthetics market – here’s a snapshot.
If you would like to discuss your ideas with us, get in touch, we would love to hear from you.
As an international beauty and wellness consultancy, we are proud to work alongside clients from different regions of the world – Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Sri Lanka, Africa, Australia, Canada, US, Europe and the UK . We love collaborating with entrepreneurs, multi-award-winning beauty and wellness brands, retailers, investors, distributors, embassies and trade bodies across the retail sector, and the professional sector, including those selling into the hair care market, hotels, spas, professional nail care market and aesthetics market.
If you need support with devising a new strategy, developing a new product range, designing your packaging or rebranding your current product range, managing your PR, or with planning your market-entry into international markets, get in touch, we would love to hear from you.
Bespoke is a brand management expert with deep industry knowledge, extensive experience and a comprehensive understanding of the beauty and personal industry in the UK and Europe, complemented by an extensive network of contacts in the relevant market segments. Bespoke’s expertise, experience and contacts significantly contributed the success of the UK/Europe project with the companies that Bespoke assisted successfully entering or well on track to enter the UK and European markets. The Bespoke team was very professional, responsive and obliging and always delivered within timeframes. It was a pleasure to work with them.
Working with Janet over the past year has been a real pleasure, she has fantastic industry experience and knowledge of the UK beauty market. She has delivered a number of webinars for my clients looking at how to enter the UK market, providing an overview of the market and how to build a strategy. She took the briefs we provided and added real value to them, included key insights and information that my clients have found incredibly useful. Feedback on these sessions has been very positive. Janet is a clear communicator and has always delivered as agreed and on time. We are continuing to work together on other projects and I very much value the conversations we share.
‘Janet has a wealth of experience across retail, buying and marketing. She conducted a full strategic review of our cross functional business and the travel retail market to develop a comprehensive buying and quality control strategy that was signed off at board level. I highly recommend her as an asset to any business.’
‘As a Queensland-based company, we were determined to tap into the European market and establish a strong presence. From the very beginning, Bespoke Advantage demonstrated a deep understanding of our export goals and objectives. Their comprehensive knowledge of the European market, coupled with their extensive network of contacts, enabled them to connect us with key decision-makers and influential stakeholders in our target countries. Their strategic guidance and insights were invaluable in shaping our export strategy and positioning us for long-term success.’
‘Through Janet’s management skills, expertise and proven track record on the job she successfully managed the purchasing of our retail operations and ensured the integrity of our brands in-stores. Her enthusiasm and total dedication, delivered results in any project she was involved in.’
‘Janet has excellent beauty market knowledge. Level headed with clear vision, direction and the ability to drive business forward, Janet led the teams through a complete product design change advising on what the key marketing messages should be, incorporating her technical knowledge and beauty expertise.’
‘Absolutely fantastic course. Condensed learning from Janet, an expert in developing beauty brands. Also, valuable introductions to expert professionals, in the Masterclass sessions. In 12 weeks, you will learn from Janet, what would take years to learn by yourself. A very worthwhile investment’