Insights as a Vehicle for Influence: Every Consumer is a Well-Informed Researcher

By: Amanda Ciccatelli,
Content Marketing & Social Media Strategist, Informa

Insights have become a vehicle for influencing marketing and
ultimately, the world. That's why next in our Insights as a Vehicle for
Influence series, we sat down with Paul Donagher, Managing Director, Market
Strategies. In our conversation, he shed some light on how omnichannel is
impacting retail, how shoppers are shaping the future of retail, where retail
is going in the next five years, and more.

How has omnichannel
impacted retail positively?

Donagher: From a
consumer perspective it has opened a whole range of researching and buying
opportunities, or 'instants of intent'. The intent has to be on both sides of the
relationship, where both the consumer has the need and the marketer has the
opportunity to have their brand positioned perfectly with the proper
connections planning. Connections planning is really what omnishopping is all about ' furthermore, we
believe that the best outcomes for marketers start with a thorough
understanding of consumers both from a category and brand perspective. This can
only be achieved through properly conducted research that uses all of the
attitudinal, behavioral and neuro approaches at our disposal.

What can retailers do
better to embrace the omnichannel customer journey and experience?

Donagher: Our
research shows that the relationship from the retailer side has to meet 3 key
criteria ' Seamlessness, Centricity and Experience. We conducted our own qual
and quant research that really narrowed down the requirements for retailers to
these 3 broad buckets.

How are shoppers
shaping the future of retail?

Donagher: The
information is all on the Omnishopper's
side. They are better informed than ever before'which in itself poses questions
and provides opportunities to retailers.

What are some shopper
insights lifecycle best practices you can share?

Donagher: We
spend a good deal of time trying to illuminate what we call 'Day in the Life'.
Of course, depending upon the category, the Omnishopper journey and the
constituent path-to-purchase can be weeks or longer, however we use the notion
of a 'Day in the Life' to look for the key sequencing that matters to the
brand. The 'instants of intent' I mentioned previously have to be uncovered and
the reasons for those instants (needs, motivations etc.) have to be properly
uncovered.

Why is it important
to link digital and physical shopper marketing?

Donagher: That's
what the Omnishopper demands ' the notion of seamlessness I mentioned. The
Omnishopper loves the research capabilities of digital and the in-store benefits
of in-store (shopping with friends, touching the product etc.). From the
research perspective, understanding digital is the big opportunity. We
continually look for those data sources that are 'organically' created for us
and were not necessarily created for market researchers. Whether it be big data
or something else, these data exist and we are uniquely placed to capture,
process and analyze them for marketing purposes

How does omnichannel
customer experience impact customer loyalty?

Donagher: We hear
a lot about the lack of loyalty among Omnishoppers. We think that is premature
but that loyalty may have to be redefined as will associated loyalty programs.

How is digital
reinventing retail?

Donagher: Every
consumer is a well-informed researcher ' they know what to look for and where
to look for it.

Where do you see
retail moving in the next 5 years?

Donagher: There
have to be more ways for every party in the transaction to be compensated. If I
research on one site but then buy in-store or vice-versa, each party has
performed a service. We hear a lot of discussion on how to make sure everyone
is compensated for their part in the purchase.