With Black Friday just a week away, brands are preparing to take advantage of this promotional period. To do this, they use data and thus provide hyper-personalized experiences and fluid omnichannel journeys.
Gone are the days when Black Friday was solely focused on exceptional discounts which saw buyers fighting around a household appliances section to acquire the latest TV at a knockdown price. We have moved from pricing-centric web-to-store to a much more sophisticated event that involves increased use of data marketing. The watchwords of Black Friday have become hyper-personalized experiences and seamless omnichannel journeys.
For the pioneers of this commerce revolution, hyperpersonalization perfectly illustrates the essential role of data flows. Using data such as browsing habits, past purchases and personal interests, they can offer highly targeted promotions.
This means brands are increasingly focusing on creating a unique customer relationship, whether through personalized ads or product recommendations, to drive purchases.
Growing demand for tailor-made offers
Players like Amazon, Bosch or the fashion brand ASOS are often cited as leaders in personalized e-commerce. They leverage real-time data feeds to generate flash sales or time-limited offers, which wouldn’t have the same impact if they didn’t arrive at the ideal time.
Using data feeds, the brand has a holistic view of each customer, delivering what they are looking for at the right time, including relevant product suggestions and promotions. This hyper-personalization is a huge differentiator.
This model is all the more attractive as consumers themselves expect more personalized experiences online. And if they are not satisfied, they do not hesitate to express it by directing their purchasing choices elsewhere.
AI: a formidably effective sales assistant
Tailoring also includes product recommendations based on artificial intelligence, which continuously analyzes customer behavior to provide suggestions in real time. For example, a consumer looking for a pair of sports shoes may be offered other brands to consider, or even complementary products such as sportswear, gym accessories or memberships. These cross-selling opportunities present themselves at the time of purchase. But hyperpersonalization also allows push notifications, such as flash sale reminders or price drop alerts, to be sent at other times, thereby multiplying touch points with consumers.
Through a constant stream of data, AI-powered virtual assistants help transform simple online visitors into confirmed buyers. But hyperpersonalization is not limited to online shopping. If previously discounts were used to attract customers in-store, today data makes it possible to create a seamless omnichannel experience, with limited-time offers and discounts, only valid in-store. Once the purchase is made, whether online or in-store, personalized thank you messages, loyalty offers or relevant newsletters help maintain the relationship with the customer. Although these practices become widespread throughout the year, they reach their peak during times like Black Friday.
Exploiting data, the key to success
All of these practices rely on real-time data feed platforms, powered by AI, and invisible to consumers. And that’s the whole point: real-time data feeds allow brands to instantly track customer behavior, whether it’s their clicks, their wish lists, their search history or even store traffic. This allows brands to operate 24 hours a day, not only to sell, but also to promote their products through tailored recommendations, exclusive discounts, or even customer service available at the critical moment when a buyer hesitates.
Black Friday is a key event in a retailer’s year. But outside of this period, consumers are already in high demand by brands who are constantly seeking to build their loyalty. The use of real-time data flows then makes it possible to go even further in hyperpersonalization by exploiting the data collected throughout the year to offer the right price, to the right target, at the right time. A sort of real-time Black Friday which, if not always visible to the general public, becomes the high point of Customer Centric and ensures better sales on the big day.
Source: www.ecommercemag.fr
