Chapter 3:
Advertising, Marketing, and Content Strategies for the ‘Next Normal’
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Templates - eBook
“Ecommerce marketing? That term is going to go away. It’s just going to be ‘marketing’ or ‘commerce’ — meaning that consumer behaviors are forever changed. People are going to continue to buy your products online at a rate that we thought was going to be in 2025, 2026 — that’s how far ahead of plan we are now.”
Rachel Tipograph Co-Founder and CEO of MikMak
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Andrea Leigh
VP Strategy & Insights - Ideoclick
A former 10-year senior executive at Amazon, Leigh is an expert on helping brands stand out on the platform. As the VP of strategy and insights for Ideoclick, she helps businesses engage in “ecommerce without compromise” by optimizing their presence on the massive online retailer.
Watch Full Session
Rachel Tipograph
Founder and CEO - MikMak
Listed as one of Forbes “30 under 30 Who Are Changing The World,” Tipograph is the founder and CEO of MikMak, an ecommerce platform that helps brands keep their product and brand experiences consistent across over 200 different online retailers.
Roald van Wyk
Managing Director / European Brand Experience Lead - Accenture Interactive
Following 25 years of creative experience that spans four continents, van Wyk now serves as the global lead for the brand experience for commerce (BXC) team at Accenture Interactive, providing solutions for all kinds of digital marketplaces all over the world.
Brands Face a Make-Or-Break Moment
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to transform the way consumers shop, analysts continue to see a surprising trend: Rates in online sales that weren’t expected for at least another five or six years are already here in 2021. For ecommerce teams, the future is now — and by most indications, many of these changes in customer behavior are here to stay. With an influx of unexpected new online shoppers, brands could face a make-or-break moment: More than ever, brand loyalty is up for grabs. How can marketing teams ensure their advertising, marketing, and content strategies are prepared for “the next normal”? The Digital Shelf Virtual Summit, presented by The Digital Shelf Institute (DSI), featured sessions examining advertising, marketing, and content strategies with some of the leading industry experts to help lead us into our new reality.
Jon Jessup
KC Madock
Senior Manager - Accenture Interactive
Founder and CEO - Cloud Conversion & Reputation Studio
After two decades of success in ecommerce spaces, Jessup founded Reputation Studio, an online review management platform that streamlines and manages feedback from all of your social and retail channels.
With nearly 10 years of experience working with Accenture’s digital marketing division, Madock now serves as the digital marketplace management lead at the company where he specializes in driving customer experience transformation for clients.
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As brick-and-mortar customers continue to adopt online shopping habits at a breakneck pace, will the digital shelf soon become “the only shelf”? Roald van Wyk thinks so. When public events and businesses around the country closed or canceled last March, several traditional media channels were swiftly taken out of the equation: Brand touchpoints like store displays, out-of-home advertising, and events sponsorships — among others — were rendered mostly moot in a matter of days. The sudden shift means it’s more essential than ever that your brand channels are compelling, sticky, and rewarding. Even teams who might suspect their present model is up for the challenge would likely benefit from a “digital shelf refresh.” van Wyk recommends a few steps to get you started.
It’s Time for a ‘Digital Shelf Refresh’
Step 1: Rethink Product Pages as Product Experience Pages
This increased focus on the digital shelf brings a renewed importance to your product page — it will need to provide a service for customers at every level of the sales funnel, from “awareness” to “buy.” While brand stories aren’t typically emphasized on the product page, now is the time to experiment: Be creative about how you can bring these memorable experiences to customers, even at the point of sale. Remember: Even before the pandemic, 78% of Amazon searches didn’t include a specific brand — after the pandemic, brand loyalty has only dropped. With a record number of new shoppers online, there’s a tremendous opportunity to forge new and lasting relationships.
78%
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Step 2: Repurpose Content to Keep Your Brand Fresh and Relevant
Thanks to social distancing, typical content creation strategies we’d take for granted before the pandemic are now largely off the table. “We simply can’t shoot products like we used to,” van Wyk said. You might be asking: how can e-commerce teams “refresh” their digital shelf under these conditions? van Wyk suggests advertisers turn to the archives, and use their imagination: Can you strip the backgrounds out of television commercials and create a new scenario? Develop high-quality still images out of existing promotional videos? Use CGI to update pack shots with backgrounds or settings? Are 360-degree views, or even virtual reality (VR) images, an option? While the possibilities might not be limitless, the approach does afford your creative teams some significant flexibility during the pandemic — make sure to take advantage.
Step 3: Keep Teams and Data on the Same Page
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, marketing teams all over the country were forced to confront what may now seem like a familiar challenge: transforming a business that was only partly engaged in ecommerce into a business that might now operate in those spaces exclusively. How can successful companies adapt? van Wyk recommends fusing three silos, which are often organized to work independently — strategy, deployment, and creative teams — under one umbrella: a brand experience for commerce (BXC) team. As more and more shoppers come to rely exclusively on the digital shelf, it’s essential to create a tailored, consistent online brand experience. Keeping everyone on the same page — while sharing goals, data, and key performance indicators (KPIs) — will encourage collaboration and innovation across all your stakeholding teams.
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Even before the pandemic, 78% of Amazon searches didn’t include a specific brand.
Even before the pandemic, 78% of Amazon searches didn’t include a specific brand
The Digital Shelf Is Now the Primary Shelf
Expert van Wyk shares an example of how brands can best integrate an omnichannel shopping experience.
‘Open Your Eyes’: The Case for Digital Adoption
Let’s face it: Whatever marketing campaigns you planned for 2020 were almost certainly shelved — or at least radically altered — by the start of its second quarter. And for good reason: Brands that leave their content calendar on autopilot during this historic crisis risk seeming out of touch (or worse). Rachel Tipograph urged brands to carefully review all of their marketing channels and remove any campaigns that might not reflect the seriousness of the moment. “The most important thing right now is making sure you have contextual messaging,” Tipograph said.
5 Tipograph Tips:
Prioritize testing and diversifying: Avoid the temptation to simply pour your marketing budget into a single channel like Facebook. Instead, test a variety of channels and weigh their usefulness in terms of cost per acquisition and other KPIs. You’ll not only reach a larger audience; you’ll be able to maintain detailed metrics about what kinds of messaging works best for future campaigns.
Keep your tone human, sympathetic, and helpful: Amid inventory shortages at many retailers and manufacturers at the start of the crisis, shoppers are desperate for reliable brands they can trust during a significant crisis. A relatable brand experience that speaks to those concerns will go a long way.
Continue spending: While it may be prudent to be cautious in terms of tone, this is not the time to pinch pennies with your content budget. This holds particularly true if your business recently abandoned earlier campaigns for COVID-19-related reasons — reallocate those resources to help your brand stand out on the digital shelf. “Every single time there’s a financial crisis ... brands that spent were the ones that won at the end of the day,” Tipograph said.
Focus on growth areas: Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither are most marketing strategies. Start by identifying which of your SKUs have seen the most growth during the pandemic, determining which channels are responsible for driving those trends, and optimizing your content as appropriate.
Stay on top of inventory management to ensure delivery on your promises: Content is often the heartbeat of a brand, but even the best campaigns won’t mean much without consistent follow-through. If your ecommerce sales are seeing unusual demand or growth this year, Tipograph recommended consulting with a tech partner who can help your company develop an effective inventory management system.
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Tipograph shared five tips for ensuring your brand is striking the right message for the moment.
63% of Shoppers Use a Mobile Device While Shopping or Considering a Purchase In-Store
Source: BRP
Consider Tipograph’s anecdote about Nike’s performance in China, Japan, and South Korea after closing nearly 5,000 stores there at the beginning of the outbreak.
Nike’s Performance in Asia Highlights Ecommerce Growth
It’s Time to Get Reacquainted With Your Customers
It’s no secret that customer behavior is rapidly changing in the face of the pandemic. But it might surprise you to learn that many analysts believe these shifts will have wide-ranging effects on consumer expectations, long after the pandemic is over. We’ve already discussed how the influx of new online shoppers lacking in brand loyalties is a major opportunity for the digital shelf. But these shoppers aren’t just new to your business — in a sense, they’re brand new kinds of customers, each with pandemic-inspired motivations and concerns that marketers have never encountered before. Meeting them on their own terms is essential to retaining their business in the long run. Experts Andrea Leigh and KC Madock pointed to these four consumer categories, identified by an Accenture study on COVID-19’s effects on consumer behavior.
4 New COVID-19 Consumer Categories
Comprises about 17% of customers - This group is trying to make the best of a bad situation and transform themselves for the better. - The majority (92%) of this group report making more sustainable purchases, and 94% report becoming more health-conscious during the pandemic. - Most comfortable visiting public places and traveling. - More likely to be buying products online through digital channels.
Comprises about 15% of consumers. - Very worried about health, finances, and going out in public during the pandemic. - Most likely think restrictions are being lifted too quickly, and are highly adverse to visiting public spaces.
Comprises about 15% of consumers. Very worried about health, finances, and going out in public during the pandemic. Most likely think restrictions are being lifted too quickly, and are highly adverse to visiting public spaces.
Comprises about 36% of consumers. - Cautious about re-entering public spaces. Avoids non-trusted or non- essential places. - Cutting back or moderating future spending. Fearful about the economy and public health.
Comprises about 32% of consumers. - Least likely to be shopping either health- or cost-consciously. - Most likely not to be changing their spending patterns. - Most likely to think restrictions are being lifted too slowly, and are the least likely to comply with them.
On the Edge
Tentative Returner
Me, Reinvented
Stubbornly Seeking Normal
Online sales aren't the only accelerating trend in e-commerce this year: review engagement is off-the-charts high, with one study detailing a 105% rise from March to May 2020 alone. This means relying on your customer's reviews to build trust, receive feedback, and ensure customer satisfaction is more important than ever. Of course, Jon Jessup quipped, the easiest way to get five-star reviews is to make a perfect, five-star product. But barring that, there are simple steps you can take to get the most out of even your harshest online critiques. "Everybody makes mistakes. It's how you respond in the moment that matters," Jessup said.
Listen to Your Customers
Review Engagement: 5 Industries With Highest 2020 Ecommerce Growth
208%
192%
172%
171%
Hardware
Sporting Goods
Vehicles and Auto Parts
Business and Industrial
Arts and Entertainment
347%
105%
Review engagement rose 105% from March to May 2020.
Source: Power Reviews
The Retail Experience Has Changed Forever
It remains to be seen which kinds of content strategies will ultimately win out in “the new normal,” but one thing’s for sure: To whatever extent consumer behavior may revert to pre-COVID levels, the retail experience has changed forever. Companies who take these trends seriously and deliver consistently enjoyable experiences for their customers are likely to reap the benefits long after our social distancing days are over — and ignore them at their peril. Continue to chapter four to get expert insights on how to best leverage direct-to-consumer (D2C) channels.
3 Steps to Leverage Ratings and Reviews
Don't ignore bad reviews: These are the posts that should actually get the most attention. Jessup recommended replying to the customer's comment, offering them a reference number, and encouraging the customer to call about their concerns.
Be prompt: Respond to reviews within 24 hours at most and 8 hours for negative reviews. Shoppers notice when brands care about customer feedback — don't make them wait to hear back from you.
Outsource if you need support: Hire an outside consultant if you need help managing the workload. If you see a surge in online reviews, consider partnering with a business processing outsourcing (BPO) company specializing in feedback engagement. Just make sure you're all on the same page with branding consistency and other internal marketing KPIs.
"Engaging with the consumers isn't just about making that [particular] customer happy, but building trust with anyone else who sees it," Jessup said. "When additional consumers see that review, they know that the brand is there, and if something similar happens to them, they'll take care of them."
Jessup highlights three essential steps for leveraging ratings and reviews.
Go to Chapter 4
