Engaging Customers:
The New Era of Retail Marketing
By Mark Carmona, Founder & President, Sunday Swagger
These days, everyone wants to be entertained. From social media to in-store interactions, the shopping experience has shifted: whoever can entertain and engage with your customers the most, wins.
The holiday shopping season is a time of year when promotions, experiences, and the big, bright letters of “SALE” are dropped boldly in front of shopper’s faces. All retailers are vying for the attention of a shopper, hoping to draw them into their stores or to their websites to capture sales.
There is more to catching the attention of consumers than the beloved four-letter word of “SALE”. Gone are days of putting up signs at a brick-and-mortar location. In today’s digital shopping world, retailer marketers must use all avenues to capture the focus of consumers. From social media to pop up kiosks and shops, there are endless boundaries for retailers to get inside the homes - and wallets - of consumers.
Retailers who step outside the box to entertain and engage in an authentic way with their customer base will be the ones to succeed.
- Mark Carmona, Founder & President, Sunday Swagger
Mark Carmona is the Founder and President of Sunday Swagger, a vibrant performance golf apparel company dedicated to empowering individuals to "own their swagger" by offering a blend of confident style, comfort, and durability. Combining his entrepreneurial spirit with his love for golf and art, Mark envisioned a clothing brand that would capture attention and allow individuals to showcase their fun personalities without compromising on performance.
With Sunday Swagger, Mark has successfully carved a niche in the golf apparel market, offering innovative designs that resonate with those seeking both style and functionality. His dedication to crafting high-quality garments that exude confidence reflects his commitment to excellence and passion for self-expression through fashion.
Beyond his professional endeavors, Mark enjoys spending quality time with friends and family, traveling, and embracing his own sense of swagger; which undoubtedly fuels his creativity and drive.
Retailers must understand their consumers' wants and desires in order to be successful. Consumers are busy. Consumers are smart. Consumers want to be entertained and personalized experiences – and retail marketers must make this a priority in their product campaigns.
In fact, according to a study from McKinsey, 71% of consumers expect businesses to understand and cater to their individual interests, and 76% said they get frustrated when companies fail to do so. The window to impress is small and the stakes are high. It’s time for marketers to get creative.
So what strategies can retailers employ to effectively engage customers in an increasingly saturated marketplace? Here are three tips.
Use social media to entertain
Social media is a key way to bring awareness to your brand in a more natural and organic way. In a world filled with corporate rules and rhetoric, social media offers a chance for a brand to be expressive and intriguing.
For instance, imagine capturing an image of an A-list celebrity in your brand’s apparel. Retail marketers can use that image to find an entertaining way to bring brand awareness through social media. Memes can be created and engaging posts can be generated, all with the focus of pure entertainment. Organically your retailer’s name will get exposure and a loyal customer following will form.
But the genius of this tactic is that retail marketers will generate sales by brand awareness, rather than sponsoring a lengthy and potentially costly larger advertising campaign. Generating awareness through social media entertainment is a more natural way to approach your customer base.
Entertainment will lead to engagement, which will ultimately lead to sales.
Create moments for customers
As a marketer, you must create exciting opportunities, or moments, to drive sales. Just as Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Amazon Prime Day attract substantial amounts of shoppers, it is your duty as a marketer to create “urgent moments” similar to this all year round.
One way to do this is to lean into various national holidays on the calendar. Not only is January 1, New Year’s Day, it is also National Bloody Mary Day! If you have a product that pairs with that beloved beverage, that could be the ideal time to highlight it in your marketing. Other hot holidays are Cinco De Mayo and St. Patrick’s Day! Retailers can infuse their campaigns with a little fiesta or Irish flair and capitalize on the festive nature of those beloved celebrations.
Current events can also present a unique opportunity for retailers to create memorable moments. For example, campaigns can be crafted around major sports events (golf tournaments, the Super Bowl, etc.) or entertainment performances, allowing brands to connect with current and new audiences in a timely, engaging and meaningful way.
Leverage data to drive growth
Another creative tactic to boost holiday sales is for retail marketers to pay attention to key data points about their best returning customers. They need to look at data to figure out not only who their target customer is, but how they think. They must ask themselves: what products are shoppers looking at, but not buying? Why are they buying certain products over others? All of these important questions can help retailers identify how best to target new vs. returning shoppers.
Once marketers have this data on hand they can begin to create content that resonates with different audiences based on their preferences and geographic location. When you understand data, tools and how shoppers operate, retail marketers can leverage the information gathered to make informed business and marketing decisions.
In the end, holiday shopping is a time for mass promotion and mass sales. Yet, the retailers who step outside the box to entertain and engage in an authentic way with their customer base will be the ones to succeed. They will be the ones to create lifelong customers who keep coming back for more content, and more products.
