By Danny C. Barbery Montoya
In the wake of the pandemic, humanity takes a turn, more than unexpected, accelerated in its evolutionary process. As shown in the study conducted by Angus (2020) for Euromonitor, people become collaborative, but also concerned about their well-being and health. This covid-19 emergence made behavioral changes show up in an abrupt way and establish a new way of life, which the media called “the new normal”.
For this year 2021, Angus again makes us a trend analysis in which we understand that issues as simple as going outdoors combined with extreme care for health, become a new way to manage ourselves as a species in the face of the challenges of the pandemic. However, one of the most striking points is the daily coexistence that human beings have in the physical and virtual worlds; when these worlds meet, a hybrid appears in which consumers can live, work, shop and play. There is practically a new coexistence in a Phygital reality.
With this new reality, companies will have to adapt their processes to coexist in both worlds. From one moment to another, homes open their doors for businesses to bring their experience; new spaces are created to provide security to the consumer and at the same time, collect data to help create a good basis for managing predictive models as a new form of user experience. It is no longer possible (nor should it be) to handle a multichannel concept (independent experiences in several channels), but rather to work with service integration experiences, in a business concept based on omnichannel, where there is a consumer-centric approach, in which the purchasing process is a mix between the virtual and the physical.
Thus, it is intended to say that the world must be prepared for an evolution between reality and virtuality. Already in the year (2018), Farshid, Paschen, Eriksson and Kietzmann spoke of a “continuum” between the two, passing through augmented reality, virtual reality, mixed reality and augmented virtuality, which leads us to think that it is necessary to use digital tools that guide, facilitate and complement the buying process of the new consumer, making it look as real as the physical world.
Under these omnichannel and phygital reality criteria, we must guarantee the consumer a shopping experience that reduces his or her perception of risk. We can no longer talk about consumer marketing (of goods) and service marketing separately, but must unite these two criteria to arrive at a form of offer in which the consumer is an active participant. We should not think of placing a product on a supermarket shelf, but we should know how to reach the consumer and how to have a direct feedback with him. The emergence of delivery systems (delivery apps); digital scheduling and zoom appointments for customer service as a digital service balcony, or classes through a technology platform, are just one way to understand that there is an inter-dependence between the physical and the digital.
But, how to know the formula to create the best customer experience? For some time now, the customer experience map, a design thinking tool, has been an interesting model for marketers. It includes the points of contact that the company uses to have an exchange with the customer through the process of awareness, consideration, purchase, service and loyalty expansion. However, this map should take into account some additional points based on the service marketing of authors such as Lovelock, Hoffman, Bateson or Gronroos:
- Define the work or contribution of the consumer in each step of the experience, since this, being a service, is built with the co-participation of the customer.
- Personalization of the experience. The more the process is tailored to each client, and the more freedom there is for the client to receive the service, the better the experience will be. E.g.: freedom of choice, freedom of schedules. Being able to buy a customized product at any time.
- Guide the consumer on the way. Here it is very important to develop an interface that provides ease of navigation; this must be intuitive and with few processes to avoid leakage.
- Reduce payment and logistical risks for physical products. The consumer will have a natural fear of these issues, so you must provide benefits or benefits for the trust he is giving to the company.
With all this, it is clear that the world is not as digital as we thought it was, but neither is it as physical as it was a few years ago. The pandemic is leading us to establish new exchange mechanisms in an increasingly competitive economy. The only thing we have left is empathetic research and data management, to create stronger brands and provide an experience in this blended world.
Recommended reading.
WESTBROCK, G. & ANGUS, A. (2021): Top 10 global consumer trends for 2021. Euromonitor International. Retrieved from. https://go.euromonitor.com/white-paper-EC-2021-Top-10-Global-Consumer-Trends-SP.html
ANGUS, A. & WESTBROCK, G. (2020): Top 10 global consumer trends for 2020. Euromonitor International. https://blog.euromonitor.com/euromonitor-revela-las-10-principales-tendencias-globales-de-consumo-para-2020/
BARBERY-MONTOYA, D. C. (2019). Evolving Faster Than Lightning: How Is Digital Marketing Changing the Brand? The Future for Digital Marketing Tools. In J. M. Saiz-Alvarez (Ed.), Handbook of Research on Digital Marketing Innovations in Social Entrepreneurship and Solidarity Economics (pp. 336-352). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-8939-6.ch019
FARSHID, M., PASCHEN, J., ERIKSSON, T., & KIETZMANN, J. (2018). Go boldly!: Explore augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR) for business. Business Horizons, 61(5), 657-663. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2018.05.009
