24 | The Grocer | 13 January 2018 Get the full story at thegrocer.co.uk
comment & opinion
What is your take on Veganuary?
NEXT WEEK: What is the best way to solve
grocery’s plastic problem?
Vote now at thegrocer.co.uk● Investment in greener packaging technology
● Retailers should demand less packaging
● Consumers can drive change with their choices56%
Just another ash-in-the-
pan marketing fad27%
Retailers are recognising
a growing trend17%
Worthy idea – but enough
silly names alreadypolling station
This had me thinking about
the opportunity for retailers to
capitalise on the ‘always-on’
consumer culture. Amazon’s
strength is built on one-to-one
connection based upon data
capture. A physical merchant’s
strength is its bricks-and-mortar
stores. If these stores can be aug-
mented using the technologies
of digital competitors, they can
have the best of both worlds.Taking into consideration the
upli of media consumption via
smartphones, an app is undoubt-
edly one of the best strategies.
Apps give you an opportunity
to establish that direct connec-
tion, creating a personalised
experience that customers value
in this saturated market. Initially,
I see apps being largely for the
retailer’s own content – but as
the bene ts of personalised com-
munication become apparent, Tim Mason is CEO of Eagle EyeReach ‘always-on’ shoppers
I
don’t think any of us
could have predicted
the level of media access
society now enjoys as the norm.
Eighty-five per cent of 16 to
75-year-olds in the UK now own
or have access to a smartphone,
and our consumption of all types
of media is growing.
Essentially, the modern con-
sumer is always connected and
‘always on’. So who could have
anticipated that Rupert Murdoch
would consider selling most of
his company for $60bn because
he doesn’t believe he has scale or
a direct route to customers?
As we know, Amazon has been
maximising its channels to com-
municate directly with custom-
ers for some time. Black Friday
and the run-up to Christmas were
prime examples; as an Amazon
customer, I received multiple
email communications to alert
me to relevant deals based on
my preferences. Amazon had the
most signi cant share of voice in
my mediascape – all utilising a
channel that is essentially free.talking shop
they will be recognised as an
extremely valuable channel.
Grocers are in a very strong
position to bene t. Take loyalty
schemes – only a small number
of industries seem to be able to
sustain them. Grocery succeeds
because of the nancial scale of
their business per customer, the
diversity of products that make
up this total and the frequency
with which customers shop.
Banks are not far behind, but
they only know basic informa-
tion – ‘where’ consumers are and
the ‘amount’ they spend, not the
‘what’ they buy that gives grocers
an advantage.
As with loyalty schemes, gro-
cers should be able to use their
scale and frequency advantages
to optimise apps and personal-
ised communications in this way.
Retail is always in ux, and at
times of change there are inevi-
tably winners and losers. To be a
winner, it is imperative to create a
direct digital connection to your
customers, prioritising great con-
tent and a seamless user experi-
ence. No one is better placed than
grocers to do this.“Apps give you an
opportunity to
establish a directconnection”
Tim Masonto contact us...
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Volume: 240 Issue Number: 8338