Customer Service Strategies What you’ll learn to do: Identify how retailers can use excellent customer service as a differentiation tool In biology, cells sometime differentiate by changing form from a relatively generalized state to a more specialized life form. Likewise, retailers have found success in differentiating themselves from other similar businesses by distinguishing themselves by providing unique service qualities from offering faster, timely product deliveries to emphasizing more reliable, dependable… Read More »Identify how retailers can use excellent customer service as a differentiation tool

Customer Service Strategies Why learn about customer service strategies? In this module you’ll learn why customer service strategies are an integral part of making all aspects of retail operations successful. In fact, customer service is arguably the most important aspect of retail. Walmart founder Sam Walton himself once said, “There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply… Read More »Customer Service Strategies

Putting It Together: Integrated Marketing Communications and Promotions The emergence of digital technology, social media and mobile devices has led to significant changes in how consumers shop for and engage with brands—the emergence of an omni-channel, i.e. the varied interactions in the shopping process that consumers have pre-, during and post-purchase. The resulting proliferation of channels and fragmentation of target audiences means that advertising & promotional activity must be integrated… Read More »Putting It Together: Integrated Marketing Communications and Promotions

What you’ll learn to do: Evaluate the key elements of the integrated marketing communications mix As we begin the next section, it’s important to keep in mind that the limits of marketing and advertising budgets combined with the complexity of managing campaigns and content will constrain channel selection. Further, we’ll also want to be mindful that while consumers may be present in all communication channels, specific ones will be better fits,… Read More »key elements of the integrated marketing communications mix

Social Media and Retail Social Media can be a powerful element of the IMC Mix for three (3) important reasons: Consumers opt-in to engage with the firm, its brand or products The firm, its brand or products can optimize their message for the channel Social Media allows for two-way communication and a multiplier effect The importance of the first factor cannot be over-stated. Consumers who opt-in to engage with a… Read More »Social Media and Retail

Online Media and Retail It’s likely very easy to conflate on-line activity with e-commerce, thinking only of the web as a place to transact, not necessarily as a channel through which marketers advertise and promote. Yet, it’s important to step back from e-commerce efforts and evaluate on-line search as a tool that helps consumers interact with firms and their brands. Equally important, when these are owned assets, i.e. the web… Read More »Online Media and Retail

Direct Marketing in Retail In the section on Traditional and New Media, a distinction was made between types of media. New Media referred to channels that allow for nuance or hyper-targeting. It can be interactive and comparatively decentralized, allowing consumers to engage in two-way communication with firms and their brands. It can be optimized to have higher resonance with consumers, making messages, offers and promotions more targeted, relevant and engaging. New Media includes:… Read More »Direct Marketing in Retail

Sales Promotions in Retail The variety of sales promotions in retail is limited by only the creativity of the marketer. That’s to say, if you can imagine a way to convey value to the consumer, you can create a compelling promotion. That said, it is best to focus on value and simplicity. Simplicity ensures that consumers easily understand the offer and qualification. When promotions are made complex, either by requirements or by… Read More »Sales Promotions in Retail

The Integrated Marketing Communications Mix What you’ll learn to do: Evaluate the key elements of the integrated marketing communications mix As we begin the next section, it’s important to keep in mind that the limits of marketing and advertising budgets combined with the complexity of managing campaigns and content will constrain channel selection. Further, we’ll also want to be mindful that while consumers may be present in all communication channels, specific… Read More »Integrated Marketing Communications Mix

 Explain how retailers build a brand image and increase customer loyalty by using communication programs Marketing and promotion help facilitate exchange by providing information and context to consumers to help them understand how specific good and services can meet their needs. Integrated Marketing Communication plays an essential role in this process, made even more important with the rise of the omni-channel. It (IMC) harnesses the benefits of each channel to… Read More »how retailers build a brand image and increase customer loyalty by using imc programs