How Retail Stores Can Increase Customer Engagement by Utilizing ‘SoTech’

The Millennials have ‘SoTech’ integrated into their everyday lives – ‘SoTech’ meaning Social and Technology. These two components have quickly created a marketing platform for retail stores, and it is more cost efficient than traditional advertising.

“Time is of the essence” – consumers are switching to e-commerce and shopping online on their couches. Transforming the traditional shopping paradigm is difficult, as you want to create something more valuable than your consumer’s time. However, consumers can sometimes replace their valuable time when ‘entertainment’ comes into play. People want to be entertained, thus brands should take advantage of this by implementing social and technology tactics around engagement and entertainment in their store. A memorable experience is the first key to success in customer engagement.

Social – Photo booths in retail stores enhance the customer experience

How frequent is the front camera in a phone used as a mirror, in comparison to using it for FaceTime? How many photos of yourself (selfies) have you taken with your phone?

Technology is transitioning; photo booths and phones are providing us with better tools to convey our self-image. People love taking pictures in photo booths because it is fun, you are allowed to express yourself in many ways, and the images produced by photo booths tend to overcome flaws.

The idea of putting a photo booth in retail stores, especially fashion brands and departmental stores, could be beneficial for the brand to promote social sharing and customer engagement. It allows consumers to create unique content, and generate viral brand awareness by sharing the photos on their social media sites. It helps consumers realize that shopping can be a form of entertainment, creating a social phenomenon for the new millennial.

If you have a lower budget and less space for bulky photo booths, creating a similar social atmosphere with displays specifically for selfies could be free marketing for your brand. Another way to look at it is Co-creation, as consumers are able to get more involved with the brand and give suggestions for its products.

This is a definite social media boost and cost effective way to do marketing for the brand, as it not only engages with the customers in-store, but also beyond the digital mass. It allows people who are not aware of the brand to preview what type of products they are selling, or how fun the experience is to shop at their brick and mortar stores.

Technology - Transform shopping habits by creating a seamless experience

The challenge of technology in retail experience is both daunting and potentially satisfying. Customers want the very best from technology and products, thus retail stores have to live up to these high expectations by creating a seamless experience for them in-store.

In this day and age, most of the Millennials are basically ADD with their technology devices, creating impatient consumers. If your retail store is new to interactive technology, you can experiment with different customer engagement technologies to find the appropriate one for your customer demographic and brand culture.

When you combine interaction and technology, companies should look into Smart mirrors, such as MemoryMirror. MemoryMirror can record and display 10-second clips on its side-panel, allowing customers to look at all the outfits they have tried on, and compare it from multiple angles in the dressing room. This enables them to make efficient and informed decisions on which product to buy, as they are able to share outfits on their social media and get feedback on it.

For customers that are too lazy to try on the clothes they want before buying it, interactive technology has developed Augmented Reality Fittings. The way that this engaging fitting works is customers stand in front of the screen and a 3D version of the item is placed over the user’s body. This allows customers to visualize themselves in various outfits, and engage the customers further by creating a seamless experience.

Most retail brands view social media and technology as simply a platform to amplify their products and brand message. However, social and technology in-store are generating value to their customers by increasing customer engagement. The data obtained from customers in store through their social media allows companies to uncover trends before its competitors, and listen to their customers more.

It is not just employees that are creating a memorable experience for customers in retail stores anymore, but the use of ‘SoTech’ in-store as a new mean to engage with customers. It helps brands shift its retail operations and marketing strategy from a product-focused platform to one that now emphasizes its customer’s valuable time and entertainment.

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