A new digital environment surrounds and pushes brands towards a future full of challenges and new and relevant opportunities. For this reason, the digitization of brands must be at the center of any strategy.
According to the European report The Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) 2020, today there are 42 million active users on the internet – almost two million more than last year -, 51% of the population has increased their frequency of purchase and 78% already perfectly combine shopping in the offline environment with the online one. Eleven more points in just one year!
These data show that brands must respond to new habits and ways of accessing, buying, consuming, moving, recommending, building loyalty. But not only that. They must also respond to actions that are already daily for all consumers, such as connectivity and permanent location, ubiquity, new channels and the permanent visibility and presence that they provide, continuous interaction and dialogue with the public, the need to give swift responses. And immediate questions and problems.
How should brands respond to digitization?
And why should they? According to the MIT Sloan School of Management, the most digitized companies and brands in each industry are 26% more profitable than the industry average, generating 9% more revenue, and increasing value by up to 12%.
But offering a response to digitization that guarantees the brand’s success represents a challenge that requires more complex management: activation of new areas or channels, greater exposure and more risks, the need for more excellent knowledge and intelligence, increased responsibility and accountability.
Also Read: Digitization Is Also A Thing For SMEs
The omnichannel challenge in brand digitization
The trend is unstoppable. According to Victor Mirabet, the digital evolution itself, its impacts, and the new shopper lead brands to the omnichannel challenge.
Companies must prepare to be where their customer is, at the time and in the right way, on all their devices and channels while creating an integrated and cohesive brand experience. It is not about putting ourselves in online mode, but about living in online mode.
Some brands such as Starbucks, Disney, Ikea or Nike have already faced this challenge and made great strides.
Challenges and advantages of the omnichannel
Challenges
But, as our vice president said, it is not an easy task, and the challenges are not few. From greater complexity in logistics or technology to ensuring a consistent experience throughout the customer journey. Without forgetting the increasingly inevitable personalization of the service or the product, the challenge of sustainability or privacy and data protection problems, among others.
Advantage
Although the omnichannel environment also has many advantages. It allows us to offer more excellent customer assistance and, therefore, a more positive experience and greater satisfaction, time savings and increased simplicity of some projects, favoring conversions, personalization and loyalty, or knowing the patterns and habits of our customers.
In other words, omnichannel increases the competitiveness and effectiveness of brands and favors their success and growth.
Therefore, companies must get down to work and mobilize resources. From simple actions to more complex ones that guide your brand towards digitization.