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Omni-Channel Marketing
Prof Sheetal V Barshi
Asistant Professor
Department of Management Studies B.B.A
Basaveshwar Commerce College, Bagalkot

Abstract:
Omni channel marketing is the integration and cooperation of the various channels organizations use to
interact with consumers, with the goal of creating a consistent brand experience. This includes physical
(e.g. stores) and digital channels (e.g. websites). The goal of an omnichannel marketing strategy is to
create a convenient, seamless user experience for consumers that offers many opportunities for
fulfillment. An omnichannel strategy may give consumers the chance to find and purchase online, in -
store, or a combination thereof - such as “buy online and pick up in-store”. Today, organizations across
industries are leveraging omnichannel strategies, including healthcare, retail, finance, technology, and
more.
Thanks to online channels, modern consumers have more options than ever and expect information in
real-time. Omni channel marketing enables them to engage with brands on their own terms, leading to a
better customer experience overall. It also gives a consumer privacy protection. These technologies present
new challenges and opportunities for firms, which warrant further academic research. The identification of
both recent developments in practice and promising avenues for future research. Omni channel marketing is
the seamless integration of branding, messaging, and online and offline touch points as consumers
move down the sales funnel, enabling a more impactful customer experience. Omnichannel marketing
takes a consumer-centric view of marketing tactics. Consumers can now interact with brands on
innumerable channels, from social media to customer service hotlines. An omnichannel approach
ensures that the consumer has a positive, consistent experience on each channel.

Key words: omnichannel, brands, privacy, research.

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Introduction:

Omni channel marketing is the seamless integration of branding, messaging, and online and offline touch
points as consumers move down the sales funnel, enabling a more impactful customer experience. Omni
channel marketing takes a consumer-centric view of marketing tactics. Consumers can now interact with
brands on innumerable channels, from social media to customer service hotlines. An omnichannel
approach ensures that the consumer has a positive, consistent experience on each channel, by offering
a few key elements:

The more technology advances, the more it's integrated into our daily lives. The lines between what we do
online and in real life have begun to blur. As people change their behaviors, marketers, salespeople, and
customer support reps will need to react. Instead of thinking of a desktop experience, a mobile experience, a
tablet experience, and an Apple Watch experience, we'll need to pursue one, holistic approach — an Omni-
channel experience that customers can use whenever they want. In this post, we’ll go over what Omni-
channel means and how you can use omni-channel experiences to create profitable marketing, sales, and
service strategies.

What's the Difference between Multichannels vs. Omni channel?

While omnichannel and multi-channel are both concepts based on the idea of engaging consumers
across multiple platforms, they are not interchangeable. Multichannel looks at the specific channel and
how the transaction will be completed there. Alternatively, omnichannel takes into account that the
customer journey may span multiple channels - and looks at how to create the best experience as
consumers move between them. Each interaction is a touchpoint on a path, leading to a conversion.
Let’s take a deeper look at the differences between the two:

Multichannel

Multichannel is much simpler in its intention, which is to distribute content and advertisements across
various channels. A multichannel strategy makes an organization available to consumers online, in
print, in-store, etc. The consumer can choose where they want to interact with the brand, however,
content and engagements within these various channels are often very siloed. With this in mind,
multichannel is more reflective of operations, reaching as many channels as appropriate, while
omnichannel is more reflective of the overall customer experience.

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Omni channel

Omni channel also makes brands accessible across online and offline channels, however, it goes a step
further to ensure an integrated, seamless experience across each one. As consumers move across
devices and online and offline platforms, transitions are seamless and messages are informed by prior
encounters. An omnichannel approach enables organizations to truly take a consumer -centric approach
that keeps the comprehensive customer journey top of mind.

The Benefits of Using an Omni channel Approach

Today, most brands will agree that an omnichannel approach can yield the best results. While
implementing an omnichannel approach is far from simple, when done properly it offers a host of
benefits. Today’s consumers are accustomed to being bombarded with messaging f rom various brands,
and as a result, they have become increasingly selective of which brands they choose to engage with.

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Creating omnichannel customer engagements can act as a brand differentiator, bringing the following
benefits:
o A Better User Experience - Since omnichannel focuses on the individual experience
across devices instead of the channel, the customer experience (CX) is better. By
focusing on the customer instead of the platform, companies can drive more sales and
better retention rates.
o Cohesive Brand Strategy & Identity - Creating a seamless strategy across channels
means building an easily identifiable brand image and tone. Organizations should base
this image on core audience needs and values. By focusing on the overall experience and
working within your brand guidelines to target each channel, you will have a more
comprehensive brand strategy that will translate into increased loyalty and more targeted
messaging.
o Increased Revenue - An omnichannel approach encourages customers to engage with a
brand across multiple touch points and channels. These increased, diverse engagements
at each stage of the buyer’s journey can help increase revenue, as research shows that
customers that engage with multiple touchpoints tend to be 30 percent more valuable.
This more targeted messaging also builds loyalty, making it more likely a customer will
purchase from your brand again. Repeat customers on average contribute to 40 percent
of revenue, despite being a smaller portion of your consumer base.
o Better Attribution Data - Going truly omnichannel should not just extend to a user’s
experience with your brand, but with your data analytics as well. By tracking
engagements across channels, brands get a better understanding of what the customer
journey looks like, when and where consumers prefer to engage, and which campaigns
have created the most value. All of this data can be put back into yo ur strategy to build
more targeted campaigns and optimize media spend.

Examples of Omni channel Marketing

When building an omnichannel strategy, take a look at these brands who have done so successfully:
1. Starbucks
Through its mobile rewards app, Starbucks is able to better integrate the mobile experience with the
in-store one to put consumer convenience first. Users can reload their cards from their phone or
desktop computer. By using the app to pay, they are rewarded with points that can be applied to a free
coffee. Additionally, they can skip the morning line by ordering in advance.

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2. Walgreens
Walgreens created a custom mobile app that makes it easier for customers to refill prescriptions, which
they can then pickup in store. Their app also showcases store specific inventory making it easier for
customers making a trip to decide which location they should visit.
3. Timberland
Timberland is combining the convenience of online with the experience of the in -person customer
experience through the installation of near field communication (NFC) technology. Timberland created
Touch walls in their store, which leads to further information on their shoes. Customers can then add
these to their online shopping list or purchase in-store. In addition, Timberland utilizes a product
recommendations engine to gain exposure to lesser-known products based on user preferences.

Industries Applying Omni channel Tactics

Omnichannel approaches have become popular across industries as consumers become more
empowered, however, they are particularly prominent in these verticals:

o Retail: Retail in particular has faced drastic changes in today's omnichannel

environment. With the ability to buy in-store or online and the emergence of social
media and review sites, retail marketers need to centralize how consumers are
interacting with their brand across a multitude of channels to ensure a positive outcome.

o Healthcare: Healthcare customers generally interact with many touchpoints across

various providers, from hospitals, to primary care, to pharmaceuticals. By analyzing data
around the customer journey and engagements, healthcare providers can better cater to
individuals, providing them with data that matters most to them, while mitigating
potential health risks.
o Automotive: Since cars are a long term investment, keeping top of mind and driving
customer loyalty are big priorities for car dealerships and manufacturers. Today’s
advertisements may not yield the desired effects immediately, but if they engage current
customers and interest prospects, they will impact sales down the line. However, the
buying journey, even in automotive has changed with 80 percent of shoppers researching
cars online first. Additionally, it is estimated that 4.5 million cars could be sold online
only in 2020. Having an encompassing advertising strategy that engages with buyers
across all touchpoints has become more vital than ever.
o Financial Services: The banking and financial services industry is shifting from a
product-obsessed mindset to a more customer-centric view. As they do so, organizations

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must consider how they can deliver personalized experiences that can gain insight into
which of the various services and products would be the best fit for each user based on
their personal preferences, wants, and needs.
Trends in Omni channel
As omnichannel becomes more popular, several trends have emerged that can help make these
efforts more effective to improve consumer satisfaction and maximize marketing ROI. These include:

o Integration of In-Store and Online - Many consumers are shopping online, only to
pick up their purchases in-store. This could be to avoid searching for items in-store or to
avoid delivery fees. Today’s shoppers are expecting the ease of their online experience
to be integrated with the in-store experience. Almost 70 percent of US shoppers expect a
notification that their order is ready within 2 hours of ordering it online.
When Destination XL realized this trend, they combined customer location data with
inventory to help customers find what they were looking for online to pick it up in -store.
Additionally, stores like Kohl’s have created parking spots designed for shoppers who
are picking up orders they made online.
o Focus on the Brand, Not the Channel - As the Forrester Report: “Retailers are Starting
to Reap the Rewards of Omni channel Commerce” notes, “Customers believe they are
engaging with one unified brand or organization, regardless of the various touch points
that they use. This means retailers must ensure the continuity of information and
resources across digital and store touch points — or risk losing customers to competitors
that do.” Brands need to provide a consistent identity across channels with messages that
resonate with the customer, regardless of platform.
o More Devices for One Purchase - Customers are frequently beginning their journey on
one device and making a purchase on another. However, many retailers are struggling to
address this element of the customer journey, as it can be difficult to account for all
cross-device interactions. Failing to account for this shift in trends could drastically
impact your bottom line and media spend optimization efforts.
o Multiple Channels Mean Better Customers - When tracked correctly, customers who
visit your site across multiple devices tend to be better customers and spend an average
of three to four times more than customers who only interact with a single channel.

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The multi-channel experience is what most businesses invest in today. They have a website, blog, Face book,
and Twitter. They use each of these platforms to engage and connect with customers. However, in most
cases, the customer still lacks a seamless experience and consistent messaging across each of these channels.

An Omni-channel experience accounts for each platform and device a customer will use to interact with the
company — and also creates an equally efficient and positive experience across all platforms.

Creating an Omni-channel experience is especially important in retail. Whether you have an Omni-channel
retail strategy in place or not determines how much you will sell.

How to Build an Omni-Channel Marketing Campaign

An Omni-channel marketing strategy contains consistent messaging, visuals, and positioning statements
across all channels, platforms, and devices. It creates a seamless brand experience for customers by ensuring
that your brand is presented the same way from platform to platform.

Keep in mind that omni-channel marketing campaigns positively impact your sales and service departments,
too. Why? By showing customers that you’re on all of the channels and platforms they’re on, they’ll know to
expect a similar experience for their shopping and customer service experiences.

1. Start with the basics: Your website and social media channels.

Creating an omni-channel experience is a slow process. You don’t need to be everywhere all at once; you’ll
get there in time. Start with your website and social media channels and nail those down before moving on to
other platforms. Ensure that you’re posting consistently and engaging with users who reach out to you via
those channels.

If you consistently engage with users on Instagram but don’t answer on Face book, they’ll notice. Focusing
on one and neglecting the other will make your brand look inconsistent and unprofessional.

2. Create an app if needed.

Depending on your industry and product, you may not need to take this step. But if you sell consumer
products or offer a SaaS tool — or could benefit from offering an app otherwise — consider creating an app.

If you’re a small company, you can hire a freelance developer to create an app. Just be sure to have a
legitimate reason for offering an app and to think through every functionality. Read this article to learn how
to make an app and the steps you should take to do it successfully.

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3. Seek to solve for the customer every step of the way.

When you add a new channel to your omni-channel strategy, do it to solve for the customer at every step of
the way.

It’s not just for your company to get more visibility or for you to make more sales — although those are
definitely tangible benefits of establishing an Omni-channel strategy. But it’s also about making sure your
customer has an easy, issue-free experience. The goal of solving for your customers should inform your
messaging in each channel and the way you engage with users on those channels.

4. Use the same messaging across channels, but beware of using boilerplate content.

To create a consistent experience, use the same messaging across channels. For instance, if you’re running an
ad on various social media platforms, you’ll want that ad to have the same messaging. You can change the
wording a bit, so long as the overall messaging is the same.

Be careful of overusing boilerplate content, however. You might run into duplicate issues that could lead to
being penalized by search engines and social media platforms. Don’t just copy and paste everything left and
right. Instead of always using the same phrases, create a consistent brand voice that allows you to mix it up
without looking inconsistent.

5. Give customers a device- and platform-appropriate CTA.

Every time you engage with customers on certain channels — whether it’s on an ad, an organic post, a
private message, a phone call, or an email — you should end the engagement with a CTA. That CTA should,
of course, be device- and platform-appropriate.If you need some inspiration, you can find plenty of
companies that have already implemented fantastic omni-channel user experiences. Let’s take a look at them
below.

Omni channel marketing examples

1. Disney
2. Virgin Atlantic
3. Bank of America
4. Oasis
5. REI
6. Starbucks
7. Chipotle
8. Timberland
9. Orvis

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10. VIP.com
11. Sephora
12. Walgreens
13. Topshop
14. Pepperfry
15. Benefit Cosmetics
16. Amazon
17. Barnes & Noble
18. Google Chrome
19. Spotify
20. Apple

Conclusion:

The success of omnichannel marketing is very much dependent on understanding the customer and what all
devices he uses frequently. It is different from the multi-channel strategy which ensures presence across
media but not delivering a holistic experience.

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