Earlier in the year, EY published a report on how COVID-19 was changing the UK consumer. There are a number of takeaways from this report, but there are two that really stand out. The first is that, during the lockdown, more people bought more stuff online. Those businesses that had the best online customer journeys certainly benefitted from this, but the data does not indicate the death of offline. It may be true that, even after the shops opened in June, the ONS reported that eCommerce as a percentile of retail was higher than in pre-lockdown February. But even at its peak in May, eCommerce only accounted for 34 per cent of all sales.
The second finding is that trust in marketers and the retail industry is at an all-time low, and we clearly have a lot of work to do to rebuild trust. The EY report suggests that one way to do that is by supporting your community. Fifty-seven per cent of respondents said they were more likely to buy from a brand that cares for its staff, is contributing to fight the pandemic, and is doing something for the community. The research also found that, while 38 per cent of respondents believe it’s a brand’s responsibility to make a positive change, only 14 per cent think that they are – this is definitely a situation where actions will speak louder than words. In our Retail & Ecommerce Digital Marketing Spotlight webinar yesterday, our speakers gave us some ideas on how we can start to rebuild trust with our customers and improve their eCommerce experience. Read on for a summary of the presentations.
Fuelling Growth from Happy Customers
One thing we all have in common as marketers is that we want to be growing our businesses in these challenging times. The most successful businesses aren’t just ones that throw money at Paid Search or Paid Social, but one that think about how they can grow from their customer base. Andy Cockburn, CEO & Co-founder at Mention Me, explains how we can make the most of our customer base for growth.
How MADE.COM Has Adapted Its Influencer Marketing for the “New” World
Lauren Spearman, Head of Brand Advocacy at MADE.COM, discusses their advocacy strategy, what has happened in the last six months, and what’s happening now at MADE.COM. She also explains what she thinks will happen for brands going forward, and how things are changing for the better when it comes to influencer marketing.
Social Proof and Gen Z
Tom Ricards, Account Director at Fresh Relevance, explains what social proof is and how it can be used to optimum effect as part of your personalisation strategy.
Could Your eCommerce Strategy Benefit from Some Post COVID-19 Therapy?
Over the past six months, retail has seen some huge transformations. Some of them were welcome, and some not so much, like not being able to buy exactly what we needed, or queueing outside a supermarket. As a result, online sales have grown exponentially, with some businesses making seven months’ worth of revenue in just three weeks. Becky Simms, CEO at Reflect Digital, gives some tips on how to keep these new online buyers coming back.