3. INTRODUCTION
Marketing for Retail is tricky. You have to
come up with fresh initiatives and novel ways
every now and then. Your ultimate goal is to
pull your prospects to the stores so that they
make purchases…….and do that again and
again. There is no standard marketing formula
for a retail company because the industry has
a variety of segments like grocery, beauty,
books, fashion, furniture, decor, footwear, etc.
Plus, there are different types of outlets, like
Boutiques, Concept stores,Departmental
stores, Mom-and-Pop stores, Malls,
Supermarkets etc
What’s in store for Retail Marketing? 1
4. Deloitte highlighted the importance of
technology in retail by mentioning that
“Retail innovators know technology is no
longer supplemental to the shopping
experience, it is fundamental.” Recently,
Carrefour launched a robot named
“Pepper”. The robot can help the customers
by providing them information about
discounts, promotions etc. It can also
entertain children through games, dances,
selfies and short conversations.
PLAY SMART WITH ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES
Recently, there was a news that Walmart
would be soon using drones to enhance the
shopping experience for the shoppers. Intel
had also shared a video of Chow Sang Sang (a
major jewellery retailer from Hong Kong)
utilising Intel® RealSense™ technology
through Mirum’s Magic Mirror 2.0. A
wonderful mirror like interactive screen that
lets the customers try on the jewellery
virtually, click pictures and share them on
social media. If they decide to purchase a
piece, the staff can quickly assist them by
locating it. This campaign attracted a lot of
youngsters and there was a 100% increase in
the sales!
P I X E L S U T R A 2
5. BE DISRUPTIVE WITH AR & VR
North-Star introduced this Virtual Reality (VR)
experience for its customers. The transition from
virtual sledging to real sledging was mind-
blowing and fun! You need to use technology in
such creative ways to attract your customers and
make their experience memorable. An article in
HBR, suggests that retailers should take a lead
towards Virtual and Augmented Reality(AR).
These technologies can improve customer
experience by manifolds and can also
differentiate your brand.
Tesco created a virtual store and introduced its
customers to a new world of shopping. A
couple of years back, Tommy Hilfiger had
introduced a virtual reality shopping experience
to attract customers. The audience got a front
row view of the Fall 2015 ‘Hilfiger Collection’
runway show, after which they could shop.
Similarly, Westfield considered the inclination
of its customers towards technology and
treated them with an interactive virtual reality
tour of the fashion world.
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
I I I I I I
What’s in store for Retail Marketing? 3
6. Augmented reality can surely empower your
customers. It can be used to overlay information
on products, supermarket aisles etc. This
technology can be used to scan a print ad and
view an interactive, 3D model of the products.
One can also change the colors or turn the
product for a complete view.
How about asking your customers to capture
their faces on a camera and trying out
different kinds of makeup in AR. Yes, without
even applying anything on the face! Isn’t it an
extremely hassle free experience for selecting
shades of eye-shadow, lipstick, blush etc.?
IKEA lets its customers try out a variety of
pieces of furniture before deciding which one
should they buy. IKEA used this fun video to
excite the customers about their AR app.
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
I I I I I I
P I X E L S U T R A 4
Have you heard about Holoroom? It lets the
customers customize a space and then takes
them on a virtual tour of around the place! So,
they can actually feel being there, in that
customized setting. Watch this video for more
details:
7. Your customers can scan a product at the
store and instantly view its specifications,
reviews, colors available on their mobile.
Moreover, they can even watch a video of the
product! You may like to have a look at the AR
Retail Campaign from Lacoste and a
demonstration on AR in retail by MIT
Technology Review.
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
I I I I I I I I
What’s in store for Retail Marketing? 5
8. You just saw some cool applications of
technology in retail. Did you notice that the
videos in this blog made it easier for you to
visualize and understand things? Well, videos
are immensely powerful in communicating
your message to your audience. If you still
don’t believe us, see how a video can hook the
viewers and compel them to hang on until it
inspires them to eat healthy:
COMPELLING AS ALWAYS
Any kind of marketing effort, social media
communication, campaigns, innovative uses of
technologies are incomplete until a video
drives down the point to the viewers. Let’s talk
about campaigns now. Once you have a fixed
goal in your mind, you and your team/agency
can brainstorm some ideas to create
campaigns and steer your customers in the
desired direction ( towards you, of course!).
CONTEXTUAL SOCIAL CAMPAIGNS
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
I I I I I I
P I X E L S U T R A 6
9. Let’s discuss some more about eatables. How
would you convince people to reduce fruits &
vegetable wastage? Will you write a lonnnng
document talking about the damages caused?
Will you preach them? No way! How about
creating characters out of fruits and
vegetables?
Isn’t it a great way to teach people to look
beyond physical imperfections? This campaign
was brilliant and impactful. It increased the
awareness about food wastage. Did you notice
how the success of the campaign was measured
in terms of conversation on social networks?
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
I I I I I I
What’s in store for Retail Marketing? 7
10. Social media has become the central
platform for communication with the
prospects and defining your brand image.
Youtube is the biggest platform for sharing
and watching videos. You can upload
explainer videos, trailers, testimonials, how to
videos, corporate videos etc. depending upon
your needs. Walgreens, one of the largest
drugstore chains in the U.S, makes optimal
use of its social media channels. The company
knows that when an occasion like Christmas is
near, most of the people are confused about
what gifts to buy and from where? So, they
shared this video to inform the audience that
there is a solution to their problem:
BE EYE-GRABBING
Such videos can easily direct the customers to
your store. Nobody knows your products as
good as you do. You can offer advice related
to your field of expertise and indirectly
promote your products too! Most importantly,
this will build a relation where your customers
will turn to you for advice. Such informational
videos don’t have to be boring or pushy, they
can be fun!
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
I I I I I I
P I X E L S U T R A 8
11. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
I I I I I I
What’s in store for Retail Marketing?
The above video has upbeat music, stop-
motion and it just took 15 sec.! Your aim
should be to generate a need and remove any
hindrances in the path to purchase, like lack of
knowledge, information overload or confusion.
The Home Depot, the world’s largest home
improvement speciality retailer, does this really
well. For instance, they posted a video titled,
Types of Grills: Choosing What’s Best for You,
which tells the viewers how to select a grill
based on their needs, preferences and usage.
They know that when the customers get the
right product, they are happy and come back
again. Another video, DIY Raised Garden Bed –
Small Garden Ideas is also quite good at
generating need and also offers an easy
explanation. The description says, “Shop our
assortment of raised garden bed kits to make
your own: http://thd.co/2kLCdU2”. A great call
to action indeed!
9
12. Level 5, Diyasree, Plot #97, Gafoor Nagar, Mad-
hapur, Hyderabad, India, 500081.
www.pixelsutra.com
P I X E L S U T R A
For more thought provoking articles on Design, Marketing and Interactive Experiences,
do check us out on pixelsutra.com/blog
