Is your brand aligned with what the consumer wants?

In recent years, accelerated digitalization, driven by technological advances and social changes, has changed the way people relate to brands and products. Therefore, our behavior in the role of consumer has undergone an unprecedented transformation. Easy access to information linked to the instant possibility of online shopping and the multiplicity of channels have made the consumption process much more dynamic and demanding. In this new scenario, just offering a quality product or service is no longer enough, making the experience, along with the purchase journey, as the true competitive differential.

The growth of e-commerce and the adherence to subscription services are reflections of this new reality. The expectation and demand from the public regarding convenience and agility has never been higher. A good proof of this is the fact that today's consumer no longer differentiates digital from physical. He wants an integrated, fluid and personalized experience in any channel. According to Salesforce data, 75% of customers expect consistency in the purchase journey, regardless of the point of contact. This means, for example, that brands need to go beyond selling and build smarter and strategic connections, whatever the way it goes. 

Even so, omnichannel has ceased to be a trend and has become urgent. Companies that fail to offer a cohesive and fluid journey between physical stores, websites, applications and social networks lose space for more prepared competitors. In addition, automation and immediate responsiveness end up being fundamental to ensure agile and frictionless interactions, also increasing loyalty. The proof of this is that 73% of consumers consider the experience a decisive factor to continue buying from a brand, according to Forbes.

The experience economy has also transformed retail, with people increasingly seeking memorable interactions, aligned with their values. A survey by PwC reveals that 86% of consumers revealed they were willing to pay more expensive in exchange for a superior shopping experience. Competitive differentiation today often passes more by customization and efficient service itself than the comparison between product quality.

Brands that understand the preferences of their customers and offer tailored interactions can raise their revenues between 6% and 10%, according to BCG studies. Thanks to the increasingly evident advancement of artificial intelligence, the lack of data can no longer serve as an excuse. The difference is in the intelligent use of this information, as well as the ability to translate them into efficient strategies, capable of impacting the right audience, at the right time and with the right narrative.

A more recent topic, but not less important, is the social, environmental and governance impact of brands 4 better known as ESG. Brands that do not show such values in their speech and attitudes are being left out for those who do their homework and expose it in an attractive way. Remembering that it is not worth staying only in the positioning or phrases of effect, but the practice in this case counts much more for a brand to be effectively seen as socially and environmentally responsible. 

It is evident that commerce is undergoing significant changes, in which the emphasis on customer experience is increasingly relevant. Brands that invest in news such as multichannel offering and communication, as well as ESG initiatives begin to build stronger relationships with customers in the long term. So much so that it is possible to say that retail today is facing a crossroads where: either it reinvents itself or its market share should decrease.