Five things you’ll learn in The Debunk, a new Adobe Chats series
There are plenty of myths in the ecommerce and marketing industries that businesses still treat as gospel truths. But things have changed. So, it’s time that these myths were debunked, and received wisdom updated to be relevant for 2021 and beyond.
That’s why Adobe recently released a five-part myth-busting video and podcast series called The Debunk, in order to finally put these outdated ideas to bed once and for all – and outline tried-and-tested advice that marketers, brands and retailers should be following instead. Scroll down to read a preview of the show, and check out the full series here.
Is price the most important thing to your customers?
Price will always play a huge role in the decision to buy, but is it the be all and end all?
“Whether or not something is perceived as expensive doesn’t primarily depend on how much it costs, it depends what you compare it to,” said Rory Sutherland, VC at Ogilvy in episode one.
Today, the language you use to refer to cost can make a big difference to how customers perceive your pricing. For example, what sounds more reasonable – £27 per month, or less than a pound per day?
Can retailers still offer good customer experiences without a physical store?
There are undeniable upsides to having a physical store, but it’s no longer a requirement for retailers to be able to delight and amaze their customers. Lockdown may have seen shops closing their shutters, but that didn’t stop retailers finding a way to offer the same level of service as before. Like those who began one-to-one consultations with sales assistances online to replace valuable customer interactions.
“Serving up the right content to the right audience is key, but also making is it convenient,” says Hayley Meenan-Wilkin, Web Trading Management, Ocado.
Is the high street dead?
Customers still enjoy a trip to the shops – just look at the queues outside Foot Locker and Apple (among others) when non-essential retail re-opened. But they’re visiting for different reasons than they did in the past.
Where previously people went to buy products, many now prefer to browse in store, take a chance to demo products and a chat with a sales representative to answer questions, then buy online.
With that in mind, retailers should look to focus their physical store strategy on creating experiences rather than sales. “Shoppers’ expectations are reset with every download, every click and every website visit. So we have to rebuild the experience on the high street, and make sure it’s relevant to people’s lives right now,” said Simon Hathaway from Outform.
Is it still possible to cut through with email?
In 2020, many of us saw our inboxes inundated. After all, in lockdown, it was one of the few ways brands could communicate with potential customers. But with so many sending email after email, is it still possible to stand out and make an impact?
The answer is yes. If you can get your email strategy right, it’s still a direct route to your customers and one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal. And according to our experts, a successful email strategy rests on a blend of strong creative, engaging copy, and sensitive personalisation.
“We’re seeing huge improvements in engagement where personalisation comes into play,” says Gareth Case from Redstor. But remember, “It’s much more than just ‘dear first name’” – personalisation needs to be meaningful and relevant – as we discussed in another episode.
Is more personalisation always better?
Personalisation is everywhere in ecommerce and marketing these days. But do customers even want it?
Collecting and processing data can seem intrusive to customers if they don’t feel the trade-off for their information is fair. And over-personalisation can easily make customers feel as though their privacy is being invaded. So how do you strike a balance?
While it’s still a powerful tool, personalisation is best used sparingly. Peter Weinberg, Global Lead at The B2B Institute at LinkedIn, says, “Personalisation is best when people don’t notice it. The best thing to do is to offer value, context and straightforward interaction.”
This is just a snapshot of the expert advice from The Debunk series. Discover even more fresh insight and advice on how to keep your marketing and ecommerce strategies cutting edge in the full series.
Watch or listen to The Debunk here.
