Why User-Generated Content is What Consumers Crave
Beverage Marketing: Why User-Generated Content is What Consumers Crave
Fans create brands. And when it comes to brand marketing, there is nothing stronger than peer-to-peer promotion. Brand ambassadors and fans motivate other people to choose and use your products and services, like your beverages. In marketing, this is called user-generated content (UGC), and it’s what beverage companies need to offer their consumers because it’s how they want to be marketed and what they crave. Beverage Marketing is strong in peer-to-peer promotion.
UGC Increases Engagement
User-generated content relies on a successful content strategy. In turn, follows the latest industry news and allows for such marketing efforts to be included. It also relies heavily on the technology behind promotional channels beverage business use. There are a lot of different types of UGC content:
- Blogs – relieves some of the pressure from the marketing team and gives consumers a highly personal perspective on the brand;
- Comments – increase engagement on websites and social media and promote the brand through peer-to-peer communication about the brand;
- Reviews – impact consumers psychologically by increasing trust and credibility, and have the potential to affect 46% of consumer decisions.
- Images – establish visual contact between consumers and the brand through the direct use of the product and its promotion of personal and official online channels;
- Videos – increase brand awareness and brand perception through different interpretations of the brand and the direct use of the product.
Content like this requires promotion, so consumers become aware of its existence. Targeting different channels, allows more users to take part in and generate content.
Additionally, beverage companies should consider including consumer incentives for consumers to create content. Campaigns can include prizes, like discounts, special offers, a free supply of drinks, or branded material like flash drives, T-shirts, and even concert tickets. Just remember to make them useful.
UGC Builds Valuable Relationships
Brand identity relies a lot on the relationship a company has with its audience. Brands have to look towards aligning their value proposition with their brand message – core beliefs, mission statements, and goals. This type of communication is customer-centric and focuses on establishing a shared system of value on which a brand can build a relationship with its audience.
User-generated content can make this happen for beverage companies. It essentially allows consumers to take part in the development of the brand. For example, if your company wants to develop a new drink, it issues a campaign that gives an opportunity for customers to come up with a name for it. It empowers consumers, and they are more likely to consume the drink regularly (interact with the brand.)
UGC Inspires Loyalty and Creates Fans
According to marketing professional Kevin Kelly, a brand only needs 1000 true fans to succeed. In that sense, beverage companies need to focus their attention on returning customers and allow them to create user-generated content as a reward. In turn, this creates a loyal following of faithful fans, who know the company values their efforts.
It also creates trust – an essential element of loyalty. And with mutual trust coming from both sides, fans will become brand ambassadors of your company promoting the company to other consumers (what you want,) while you continue rewarding their loyalty (what they want.)
Conclusion on Beverage Marketing
A brand is only active if it has a strong following. And for a beverage company, beverage marketing is following the latest trends in the industry and creating user-generated content campaigns can be a great way to create a loyal backing. After all, it gives consumers the type of promotion they want and crave – created by them and created for them.
Key Innovation Trends in Soft Drinks 2018
What Beverage Insiders Need To Watch Today
Product trending is usually closely related to the consumer’s lifestyle. We are experiencing a global trend where it’s becoming popular to be a workaholic, to go to the gym regularly, to live an organic and vegan lifestyle and to avoid unhealthy products, such as sugar or artificial ingredients. All these trends are affecting the consumption of specific products, thus affecting entire industries.
When it comes to the soft drinks sector, it represents a very dynamic space for growth because consumers continue to grow their quest for experimentation. GlobalData research explores all aspects of innovation and behavior and covers the top trends in the soft drinks sector. The report outlines the key trends that currently impact the core soft drink categories: carbonates, packaged water, sports and energy drinks, RTD tea and coffee, juices and smoothies.
Soft Drink Purchase Drivers
Sensor benefits, trust, and health drive soft drink purchases. The largest purchase driver is product enjoyability. Consumers prefer product enjoyment over all other trends when it comes to soft drinks. Despite health concerns and the latest trends promoting a sugar-free lifestyle, consumers are still interested in tasty, enjoyable soft drinks and perceive them as an indulgent treat.
Trust and familiarity are among the top purchase drivers, in addition to product enjoyment. In the soft drinks market, many consumers continuously stay by their trusted, favored brands.
However, the backlash against sugar is changing the competitive soft drink industry on many levels. Consumers are massively looking to moderate or limit their consumption of sugary beverages and replace them with alternatives perceived and promoted as healthier.
Consumers Want to Experiment, But Not With Everything
Soft drink producers should focus on the consumers’ willingness to experiment with various beverages, particularly with conventional beverages, such as bottled water, coffee or tea. When it comes to functional drinks, like sports drinks and energy drinks, customers tend to stay loyal to their favorite brands and don’t want to experiment with new ones.
In comparison, when it comes to RTD coffee and bottled water, consumers are more than open to trying new products, as there are no particular dominating brands in that department. Producers should look to capitalize on this specific consumer’s behavior by creating drinks with new, unique ingredients and fresh, innovative flavor combinations.
The research highlights the top six trends impacting innovation in soft drinks:
- Authentic indulgence
- Beyond plastic packaging
- Natural energizers
- Ethical soft drinks
- Water hybrids
- Added carbonation
Trend 1 – Authentic Indulgence
Consumers are willing to pay a higher price for a high-quality beverage that offers indulgence and authenticity. The focus of soft drink consumers everywhere is quickly shifting towards high-end, craftsmanship-made, authentic drinks. They are seeking more indulgent and premium soft drinks that represent authenticity and high quality. There is no official definition for “craft” soft drinks, and it is prone to subjectivity. However, GlobalData believes that certain attributes mark beverages as “craft.” These attributes include:
- Appearing as a small-scale producer ( or even a small-scale producer within a larger company)
- Appearing as independent
- A collection of beverages with innovative styles
- Using traditional or artisanal methods and techniques in the production process
- Using locally grown ingredients
On a global scale, consumers identify “craft” with quality, and they associate the term with handmade, high-quality ingredients. People show a high interest in craft soft drinks, and according to the research, 55% of consumers around the globe would like to see more “craft” non-alcoholic beverages.
High-sugar soft drinks are now occasional, indulgent treats
The backlash against sugar that’s been dominating the consumer market is repositioning soft drinks from a habit to occasional, indulgent treats. Consumers are massively concerned about the high levels of sugar in soft drinks, especially when it comes to carbonated beverages and juices. However, despite the concern, consumers still like to indulge in sugary beverages, but they no longer see the products as something they would consume on a daily basis. They now see sugary drinks as an occasional treat.
Producers should focus on enhancing brand authenticity by leveraging brand heritage and history, and also by using home-grown or locally sourced ingredients for their products. The brand’s environmental impact also plays a role in positioning a product as a premium craft.
Consumers across all age groups enjoy craft
The desire for more authentic experiences is growing globally, across all age groups. Interest in craft-style soft drinks extends across all age groups, with the least receptive one being senior consumers (55 years and older) but 55% of them still find craft soft drinks appealing.
Older consumers care for the heritage and nostalgia craft offers, while younger generations value crafts for its authentic, meaningful experience.
Trend 2 – Beyond Plastic Packaging
Consumers value brands move away from plastic packaging towards more sustainable alternatives because they recognize that plastic packaging hurts the environment. The shift from plastic packaging to other options such as aluminum cans or beverage cartons is taking its toll. It is now a well-known fact that plastic bottles are a significant contributor to plastic waste, and governments around the world are actively looking for ways to address the issue. In fact, the UK government is seeking to eradicate all avoidable plastic waste by 2042.
The entire industry will be striving to provide sustainable innovations in packaging alternatives including refillable packaging, recyclables, and alternative materials – as well as material weight reductions to reduce its environmental impact.
While PET plastic bottles widely used in the soft drinks industry are highly recyclable, most of them don’t go into the recycling process – people often dump them in fields where they could take hundreds of years to decompose. Only one-third of consumers globally consider plastic bottles to be somewhat environmentally friendly, and consumers all over the world are fully aware of the harmful plastic bottles impact on our environment.
The attitude-action gap
While a majority of consumers recognize the detrimental effect plastic bottles have on the environment, they still mark them as their top choice for on-the-go portability. This attitude-action gap is pressuring brands to find new ways to address it.
In the packaged water category, for example, as much as 62% of global consumers claim to prefer plastic bottles when on the go. Plastic packaging is also a leading format in the carbonated and juice categories, followed by glass bottles.
However, sustainability-consciousness is growing and joined with the fact that new opportunities are opening up in the soft drinks market. The glass container is most likely to take the lead and throw plastic bottles off their throne in upcoming years.
The widely known sustainable packaging formats, such as aluminum cans and beverage cartons are still unpopular, especially when it comes to packaged water, mostly due to the fact you can’t reseal such packages. The industry has to produce more sustainable packaging alternatives to resolve the problem of plastic waste. Producers will be looking to packaging suppliers to provide significant innovation in areas such as refillable packages, alternative weight reductions, recyclables and alternative materials to reduce the negative environmental impact of plastic bottles.
Consumers from all age groups show interest in sustainability
At least two-thirds of consumers globally believe it is vital to be living a sustainable lifestyle. However, despite the consumers’ apparent interest in living more sustainable lifestyles, they still aren’t acting on it. Brands are still able to sway consumers through promotions and discount deals, and while ethics and sustainability address in the hearts of the consumers, they still use their heads when purchasing their drinks.
Trend 3 – Natural Energizers
The healthy lifestyle trend is affecting health-conscious consumers to favor naturally energized beverages.
Natural Energizers are soft drinks that contain naturally energizing ingredients such as guarana, ginseng, yerba mate, and similar. With entirely natural formulations and no artificial preservatives or additives, these drinks are gaining the trust of many consumers all over the world. Traditional beverages contain artificial ingredients and cause energy crashes, so consumers are shifting to healthier, natural products that deliver a more refreshing energy boost. Three-quarters of consumers agree that artificial additives are harmful to human’s health. Those concerns make consumers seek for healthier alternatives, and 46% of consumers say they would prefer one brand over another if they featured more natural ingredients in the beverage.
Natural energizers as a healthier alternative to traditional energy drinks
Consumers today live pretty hectic lifestyles, facing a lot of pressure from work and life situations, and they are continually seeking natural energy boosts to help fuel their energy levels during busy days. A total of 52% of global consumers feel like they need an energy boost to get through the day and the interest in functional beverages that improve concentration is ever growing. Also, there is an increase in demand for drinks that enhance stamina, physical performance, and alertness. In addition to beverages that enhance energy levels, other ingredients that feature therapeutic properties are becoming very popular too – such as botanicals and herbs that claim to help consumers rejuvenate and relax.
Growing health-consciousness is leading to a growing demand for natural stimulants perceived as a healthier alternative to traditional energy drinks with artificial ingredients.
Young consumers prefer Natural Energizers
Young consumers (aged 18-34) lead a more stressful and demanding lifestyle compared to older generations, which results in drained physical and mental energy levels. Young consumers are actively looking to switch off from the online life to take a break from all the complexity caused by the excessive use of digital tools. It is why younger consumers are more likely to seek out energy boosts compared to older consumers.
Thirty-nine percent of 18-34 year-olds are always interested in functional products that will help them boost their energy levels or help them relax and rejuvenate. While 57% of millennials are concerned about the levels of stress in their lives, only 39% of baby boomers think the same, on a global scale.
Trend 4 – Ethical Soft Drinks
Consumers are willing to pay a premium price for an ethical product. Ethical soft drinks and products are those that support environmental or socio-economic causes that actively seek to improve the welfare of the environment, of communities, or societies. Ecological reasons play the most prominent part in consumer’s choice, with 59% of consumers saying they would buy products that support environmental protection. Environmental issues received excessive media coverage during recent years, and this trend is no surprise.
Local community support, equality, and Fairtrade are also well received by the public and consumers all over the world. These socio-economic areas often get overlooked so these kinds of causes can act as differentiators in the soft drinks department. Consumers are incredibly receptive to brands that support Fair Trade and fight poverty, with 49% of consumers globally expressing interest in products that help these causes.
Producers globally are looking for ways to tap into this demand for ethical products, creating beverages with Fairtrade certified ingredients and openly supporting local projects that enhance ecological, social, and ecological structures – especially in the farming regions where they sourced the ingredients for the products.
Sustainability is growing, but it is still a secondary factor
Consumers become more ethically-conscious as the influence of sustainability grows. When it comes to purchasing soft drinks, sustainability is always a secondary factor, with 41% of consumers claiming to be influenced by the level of ethical/environmental/social responsibility of a product. While it is a lower percentage compared to other factors, it is still a significant number, and its influence is growing continuously.
The fact that 75% of consumers globally believe it is imperative to live an ethical or sustainable life to create a feeling of wellness and well-being implies that consumers recognize the importance of ethics and sustainability. Even though sustainability is a secondary factor at the moment, its influence will grow as the demand for sustainability grows.
Older consumers are less receptive to ethical soft drinks
Younger consumers are more likely to buy products that support poverty compared to older consumers. Researchers believe this is mostly due to the fact younger people can better relate to financial problems than their older counterparts.
However, older consumers are more receptive to Fairtrade products that younger consumers, which is most likely related to the fact Fairtrade itself are more familiar to older consumers.
When it comes to gender differences, female consumers appear to be more receptive to products that support causes than males. The findings aren’t surprising considering the fact women are more charitable than men, according to several studies.
Trend 5 – Water Hybrids
Water hybrids include energy waters, sports waters, and juice-infused waters, and they present significant opportunities for soft drink producers because they maintain health appeal while still delivering on sensory and functional levels.
There are many opportunities for water brands in combining water products with other drink categories to create cross-category, hybrid products that deliver best of both worlds to consumers. Hybrid beverages are becoming prevalent in the soft drinks market. Consumers worry about the high levels of sugar in beverages, so diluting traditional soft drinks with water reduces the levels of sugar in the beverage, reducing its calorie content and raising the perceived healthiness of the product.
Water hybrids offer sensory value too, by appealing to consumers who are bored with traditional soft drinks and seek new experiences that taste good but are healthy, also. A total of 36% of global water consumers say they would gladly try different varieties of water products, including water hybrids. These products are appealing to a broad audience because people see them as a healthier alternative to conventional soft drink beverages
Producers have to work on finding the perfect balance between functionality, flavor and health appeal of water hybrids. They face a challenge of creating products that have satisfying taste, but with no added sugar or sweeteners. The critical route to innovation is creating water beverages that use natural energizers and natural sweetening ingredients, and deliver a hint of flavor. Many producers are actively exploring various ingredients with functional health benefits to enhance the perceived health appeal of their products and to distinguish water hybrids from popular soft drinks entirely.
Young consumers are the principal market for water hybrids
Young consumers show more interest in trying out new water hybrids compared to consumers who are over the age of 44. Younger people are willing to experiment with new products from the category, so they represent vital demographics to target. Water hybrid producers will need to engage in a digitally-focused marketing strategy to attract their key demographics because all of their potential consumers are online – on social media.
While older generations don’t prioritize experimenting, they are still interested in “healthier” soft drinks, and since the significant benefit of water hybrids is their low sugar and calorie content, older consumer groups should become more interested in them over time. As much as 60% of consumers who are over the age of 60 are actively choosing soft drinks with no sugar, or low sugar levels.
Trend 6 – Added Carbonation
While carbonated drinks have been run over by packaged water over the recent years, the category still exists, and it is still very popular. In fact, the popularity of carbonated drinks is encouraging producers of other soft drinks to include a little sparkle in their products too – creating sparkling varieties of their own. The new generation of carbonated beverages contains sparkling coconut water, various vinegar drinks and even RTD tea and coffee. Because they are a healthier alternative, these beverages are likely to drive consumption declines in traditional carbonated soft drinks (CSDs).
Added carbonation enhances consumption experience
As already said, consumers globally prioritize product enjoyment over all other factors and trends when it comes to soft drinks. Added carbonation offers a new level of sensations and more enjoyment to enhance consumption experience. They also enhance the indulgent appeal of products perceived as healthier alternatives to traditional soft drinks, such as sparkling coconut water and RTD tea. There are also studies that suggest added carbonation may even deliver added health benefits, like alleviating indigestion and constipation.
Still, consumers are continuously looking to limit their consumption of high-sugar soft drinks, such as carbonates, and replace them with alternatives they perceive to be healthier, like bottled water. Also, many producers are working on reducing the sugar content in their beverages to align with the trends that lead towards healthier drinks. Added carbonation to “healthier” beverages offers a great alternative to traditional carbonates, creating sensory enjoyment but still keeping the health levels high. The appeal of beverages with added carbonation is very likely to grow as consumers continue to experiment with soft drinks.
Younger consumers experiment with carbonated drinks
When it comes to carbonated drinks, younger consumers are more likely to experiment. The oldest consumer groups appear to be the least receptive to the trend. Younger consumers, however, are more open to trying out new sparkling beverages, with 25% of millennials claiming to try different varieties of carbonated soft drinks often. In comparison, only 14% of seniors say they are willing to experiment with this trend.
What the future holds for soft drinks
Future opportunities and innovations for soft drinks include the rise of extra-functional beverages, the increase of sugar alternatives, and packing innovations.
- Extra-functional beverages: Western producers are likely to take inspiration from traditional Asian medicines and develop extra-functional beverages such as drinks that include collagen or placenta.
- Sugar alternatives: Health industries never stop with research and development of healthier choices, so brands will have to adapt their product’s formulations when more sugar alternatives become available.
- Packaging innovation: Have you heard about Ooho? It is a blob-like, edible water capsule made of a tasteless, biodegradable membrane made from 100% seaweed – and it stores water. It represents a significant step toward the packaging beverages revolution and brands should look to leverage this innovation as soon as it becomes commercially available.
Keeping up with the latest trends is vital for succeeding as a serious player in the soft drinks section. Always stay on the lookout for fresh industry news and insight to keep your entrepreneurial efforts on track.
F&B Industry Branding
How Branding is Evolving in the Food and Beverage Industry
In today’s food and beverage industry, consumers want brands to be authentic. Branding is evolving in this industry. They are quick to pick up when they aren’t authentic and to tell others on social media.
Brands have to keep customers fully informed about the products they buy. They also need to be smart and strategic to grab market share in a very competitive market.
Brands must first identify their target audience and then create value for them. Once they’ve attracted customers, they have to build trust to turn them into brand advocates. If consumers are happy, they are more likely to continue to buy products and recommend them to others.
Branding and Social Media Interaction
Brands need to listen to what their customers say, and today this is much easier because they can interact with them on social media. Brands are receiving feedback from customers and understanding more about them helps them to cater to their needs.
Social media offers brands opportunities to create emotional connections with their customers and explain more about what their products offer them. In turn, consumers are better informed than ever before.
They have strong opinions about the quality of ingredients, nutritional value, and health. If brands provide this information to those who are interested, they create an opportunity to build loyalty.
More than ever before, people want the brands they choose to reflect who they are as people. Food packaging is one area where this is seen. The designs must reflect environmental and social responsibility and make people feel they are making the best choices for their health and their identities as a whole.
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Food and Beverage Company Faults
A Food and Beverage Company that doesn’t make Good Use of Social Media is Shooting itself in the Foot
The intense competition that exists in the food and beverage industry can make it difficult for smaller brands to gain the attention of consumers. Using social media marketing effectively can make a difference. People tend to try out new foods and beverages based on personal opinions, recommendations, and reviews. This shows how important it is for brands to interact with consumers on social media.
Influencers
Just one post by an influential food blogger about a specific product can generate countless impressions with high conversion rates. A social media presence gives brands the opportunity to connect with such influencers.
Brand personality
The personality of a brand is becoming more and more crucial when it comes to marketing. Relating to consumers on social media helps to build that personality and create loyal followers. Companies are seeking out creative ways to relate to their customers and get feedback their feedback.
Social media interactions
Millennials love sharing dining experiences and will post about interesting beverages they have tasted. They want multi-sensory experiences and food and drink play a big part in this. Well-presented or well-packaged food is likely to be shared on Instagram or Facebook. Social media interactions provide a way for brands to be recognized and to create a loyal customer base without having to resort to more direct forms of advertising.
Companies that do not use social media to their benefit are definitely shooting themselves in the foot. A strong social media presence is no longer an option for food and beverage brands –it’s an absolute necessity.
Electric Cars Could Have An Impact On Beverages
Will beverage sales drop as more electric cars take to the road?
When electric cars hit the road and drivers don’t have to fill up tanks at gas stations, could impulse purchases at convenience stores drop? Morgan Stanley analysts have concluded that this could take place.
Convenience stores could take a hit
In a report published recently, they noted that only a small fraction of vehicles on the road are electronic, but this could change in the future. Electric vehicles could account for 94% of car sales by 2040.
The analysts believe that convenience stores and beverage companies could suffer losses as a result. Particularly companies like Monster Beverages, as 63% of its sales in the U.S. are made in convenience stores. The analysts did not see alcoholic drinks or tobacco products taking the same hit because beverages are often bought impulsively, and people drink them on the spot.
The Convenience store industry is more concerned about other factors
Those in the convenience store industry are more concerned about their competitors such as other retailers and online stores than about the effect of electric vehicles. They see this threat as being decades away.
Electric cars will not present a challenge unless they are adopted en masse. They are more concerned about the fact that everyone is selling convenience today. With online outlets offering food delivery and grocery services and even hardware stores and clothing shops are selling beverages at checkout counters. New laws that impose taxes on sugary beverages are another current concern that pre-empts any worries about electric cars.
Current sales of electric vehicles
Sales of electric vehicles in 2017 reached nearly 200,000. This was a significant increase in sales in 2016 and happened despite the fact that new car sales overall were down. Still, to stay in context, over 17 million new cars were sold in 2017.
This may fuel the belief that widespread adoption of electric vehicles is still far in the future. In turn, changes in consumer behavior and technological advances always tend to happen faster than we anticipate.
Ways convenience stores could respond
Fuel appears to account for less than half of the profit for gas stations. Much of their money is made from drinks and other items bought inside the store.
People usually make plenty of ‘pit stops’ at gas stations on long journeys, and they don’t just buy gas. Humans need to rest and refuel their bodies, and this need will not go away. Just because electric vehicle owners could charge their cars at home doesn’t mean they wouldn’t want places to stop on a journey.
One way in which convenience stores could respond to the wide adoption of electric cars would be to install the types of charging stations people would enjoy. Those who currently spend money on gas could pay for a super-charge, a safety inspection, a beverage and a bite to eat. Charging stations could also be popular with those who may not have charging ability where they live.
Selling merchandise during the electric car era is not likely to be a problem to those who are tuned in to providing convenience.
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Generation Z Most Connected Generation Ever
Generation Z – Marketing to The Most Connected Generation Ever
Generation Z, or Gen Zers, are born after 1995, and they grew up with internet access and mobile technology. This makes them harder to market to than other generations in that they have developed very selective filters. They have a very short attention span! But it also offers marketers plenty of new and interesting opportunities.
Gen Zers are called digital natives – they are used to using five different digital devices. In turn, if you want to market to them, you need to have a strategy. This strategy should utilize these devices and unified across all platforms.
Entrepreneurs From The Start
They are often entrepreneurial because they start building up their online presence from a young age. If they find they have attracted an audience, they are likely to want to leverage it to create their own income.
As such they are not just consumers and they cannot be treated as such. Companies need to think about ways to collaborate with them rather than simply marketing to them.
An example of this is the collaboration of Wat-Ahh! With Ariana Grande. She is a Gen Zer who is living out her dreams and wants to have an influence on other young people.
Ariana Becomes A Face to a Product
Ariana was signed up as a spokesperson but also as an equity partner. She was happy to do so because she could put her heart behind the product. She loves drinking water, enjoys a healthy lifestyle and would like to get other young people to do so too. Humanizing your brand by giving it a face is important to Gen Zers.
Thoughtful Marketing Pays
Gen Zers want to make a difference in the world and are prepared to work with brands in order to facilitate such change. They are also more open-minded and inclusive than previous generations. This being a point that marketers need to remember as they are likely to respond to inclusive, thoughtful marketing.
Engaging with Gen Zers on social platforms is very important. If you can establish a conversation with them that’s beneficial to you and them, they will listen. If you can initiate a two-way conversation online, and address trends and issues that interest them, you will be more successful than if you continue to use more traditional marketing methods.
Amazon’s Strategy Changed the Marketplace
Strategy And Your Brand
Amazon has been a game changer in the digital marketplace where it has redefined the customer experience. Traditional brands are fighting to stay relevant as they compete with new, digitally experienced companies.Your brand needs to understand Amazon’s strategy.
Prime, Amazon’s membership program, is helping to accelerate its forward momentum. Over 40 million people in the US have a Prime membership. Customers want to know ‘Do you have what I want and how quickly can you get it to me?’ Amazon has been working hard giving a positive answer to these questions.
They want users to keep renewing their membership and buying more products. The more products they purchase, the more data Amazon can use to establish what they want to buy next.
Understand Its Use
Alexa, Amazon’s virtual assistant, has created an on-demand, personalized experience for users. They can simply give Alexa a voice command, such as for toothpaste to be reordered, and it happens.
Your brand, no matter how big or small, can’t afford to ignore the extraordinary growth of Amazon. You can learn from them to understand more about how customers are using the platform. Work at creating a more customer-centric experience for your own customers.
You need to know more than just what they are buying. In turn, you also need to be aware of the other ways in which they are using the platform, such as using Alexa or Prime Video. You should also be familiar with Amazon’s different selling models to find out what may work for your products.
Connecting with Customers
Amazon has accumulated large amounts of data that can be used to gauge more about customer behavior. Amazon Marketing Services (AMS) and Amazon Retail Analytics (ARA) offer enlightening reports.
Some brands are using third-party apps and other skills to find new methods of connecting with customers. Companies like Uber and Domino’s are enhancing their existing services this way.
Technology can be game changing. It shouldn’t be used just for the sake of using it. Should be used where it can make an improvement to the customer experience.
All brands need to think about making whatever changes are necessary to their marketing strategies in order to thrive in a world that is digitally driven.