• by Brian Cohen , August 16, 2012

Marketers and technology providers have received the message loud and clear. Digital Shopper Marketing (DSM) tools must provide utility or they risk becoming the proverbial shiny object so often referred to in marketing circles –- the tool that looks great but doesn¹t ultimately perform. The problem is that utility tends to be narrowly defined in shopper terms as "saves me time" or "saves me money." But DSM tools have the potential to do much more than that.

Shoppers want their shopping tools to help them achieve something fundamental, like saving time or money. They want to have a good -- and even great -- experience when using these tools. This could range from achieving a hassle-free experience to actually having fun and attaining an even greater emotional benefit such as feeling more intelligent or more like a good person. They can share their delight through increased loyalty. This may sound like common sense, but clearly the collective of DSM practitioners haven't cracked the code yet.

Whoever figures out how to deliver an experience that fulfills consumer needs at all levels will have an incredible competitive advantage. Except for a handful of mature DSM technologies, most tools cannot do this on their own. However, a portfolio approach that brings together the right tools can create powerful experiences for the shopper and even deepen relationships with the brand or retailer -- a DSM matchmaker of sorts.

Recommendations: The holistic shopper approach

The DSM discipline is about putting choice in the hands of the shopper or trying to anticipate their needs in order to fulfill them. Not all technologies contribute to shopper needs in the same way or to the same degree. We recommend that marketers consider four steps to make sure they are creating value for the shopper:

1.  Look through the lens of the shopper first -- if it doesn't work for them, it doesn't work at all

2.  Think like a technology matchmaker. Have a specific type of shopper in mind and try to pair together the right combinations of tools to meet all of her shopping needs

3.  Explore different combinations -- including linkages, aggregation, and working with technology vendors to create a seamless experience that addresses as many important needs as is practical

4.  Measure the results -- not just in lift at the register, but in satisfaction of needs for different shopper types.

Marketers today are adopting this approach, and starting to deliver against multiple need states with their programs and communications. A few best-in-class examples and the benefits they provide to shoppers include:

1. Kellogg: Share Your Breakfast

Rewards me, supports my values

2. Publix: Online Circular

Gives me new ideas (solutions vs. product/deal focus)

3. Stop & Shop: ScanIt

Makes shopping fun, rewards me

4. Groupon

Rewards me, makes me feel smarter, surprises and delights

You can access the white paper from which this article is adapted right here.

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