Who says omnichannel strategy says customer experience: has this experience changed?
Patrick Ittah. – “Who says omnical immediately thinks of B2C. This new customer experience is now the norm and has led to a profound change in the behavior and expectations of consumers vis-à-vis brands.
The business buyer is a person who lives a purchasing experience every day that is offered to him in a private capacity, and expects the same fluidity and the same level of service from his suppliers at the professional level.
B2B players went digital later, but are catching up, with a global budget dedicated to e-commerce technology in 2020 exceeding that of B2C online sellers. On the other hand, at the level of digital marketing, the delay is still significant, although it is now starting to fill up.
Depending on the business, digitalization will be total or only partial, but innovative B2B companies that have adopted an omnichannel digital strategy have shown their success, and those that will not be able to take the plunge will probably no longer exist within a few years.
Does the health context have an impact on the omnichannel strategy?
“Of course this crisis will have been a real unprecedented catalyst for the implementation of digital solutions within companies. Projects that were already prepared but awaiting validation of resources or budgets were given top priority. The companies which still hesitated understood that it was about a true “wake up call” to ensure their survival.
The majority of our B2B clients’ business was carried out through direct commercial contacts: on-site meetings and demonstrations, business lunches, presence at trade fairs, participation in economic delegations. In the space of an instant, mentalities and habits had to be changed, companies have demonstrated an incredible capacity for resilience with the overnight implementation of social media strategies, e-commerce sites, live streaming platform, …
The contribution and the ROI of multichannel strategies could be measured in concrete terms over a relatively short period. The habits are therefore already deeply rooted and there will be no going back. The next challenge for companies will therefore be to position a human component at the center of the various channels of communication with their customers.
Does communicating via one type of channel impact the other channels?
“Here again, the health crisis has highlighted the need for a sudden reorientation between communication that wants to be truly omnichannel towards communication almost exclusively on-line. Historically, the point of sale was the primary primary point of contact between a company and its customers, with online platforms remaining a support element. Communication efforts are geared towards converting the prospect into a customer at the point of sale.
Today, the strong trend is a repositioning only on-line, not only of the communication, but also of the strategies of active search of prospects and especially of conversion into customer. Business investment in on-line communication platforms (websites, virtual shops on social networks, etc.) has suddenly become very strategic as it has been elevated to the rank of main (or even sole) source of income.
As a result, communication on traditional channels is now devoted to the reorientation of potential customers on the company’s on-line platforms: an evolution which, if it had been planned for a long time, is moving forward today at an accelerated pace … “
You can register for the “10×6 Sales & Marketing: 10 omnichannel strategies” event directly on the Paperjam Club website.
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