Commentary

Consumer To Retailer: I've Got A Friend In You

With the evolution of “friendship” in the digital age, our expectations on friendship have dramatically shifted. Quotes on friendship from Mark Twain and Socrates have been replaced with such modern sentiment as, “True friendship is when you walk into someone’s house and your Wi-Fi connects automatically.” Is a friend someone that I can count on to like my posts, tag me in pictures, share a recipe I will like?

The digital revolution and the impact on how we view friendship has also opened the door for retailers and brands to form real friendships with their consumers. If a friend is someone at the core that knows and understands me, who takes the time to connect with me, and who offers me support, have we evolved to the point where we can call a retailer a friend? Retailers who intimately understand their customers are those who are beginning to see you as a friend; someone who understands your preferences, someone that connects with you through your data and through conversations, and someone you can count on for support.

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Understand

In nearly every study on consumer behavior, customers are telling us they want things to be easier and to save time, and they are willing to provide data as an enabler. Data-driven understanding not only feels personalized, but drives time savings. Netflix’s algorithm is a prime example. You could spend hours searching content or rely on curated recommendation but you don’t have to since Netflix will notify you when there’s a new show, season, or movie that will be of interest to you. All enabling you to get to enjoyment quicker.

Connect

Retailers are increasingly building connections with their consumers in a multitude of relevant channels. Wendy’s #nugz campaign on Twitter or Target’s shoppable Instagram posts are two notable examples of brands connecting with consumers in a decidedly different tone. As the expansion of voice-activated devices continues, the conversation can come to life in the home, in the moment. Compared with 20 years ago, you’d call a friend to ask what the name of that band was, but now you can simply ask Siri or Alexa who can then connect you to the band’s songs for purchase.

Support

As the Golden Girls famously sang, a friend is someone who’s heart is true, who’s a pal and a confidant. This idea of “the heart is true” centers on the belief that our friends will not steer us wrong. Throughout the customer journey from discovery to reflection, retailers can play a key support role. This comes to life with Sephora both in store and online.

In-store their staff and the immersive experience remove the risk not just with the purchase but also the ultimate use. This carries through to their digital properties — knowing your skin type, connecting to people like you, making recommendations based on what will look good on you. Sure, it’s about getting the consumer to buy the lip gloss, but they are also investing in the consumer’s happiness with the purchase.

With the level of data and personalization available, retailers are thinking differently about how they can help consumers save time, make things easy, save money, etc. This help and support based on their knowledge of the consumer is akin to a friend. As retailers continue to move from functional to emotional connections through the value that they deliver to consumers, the likelihood that consumers will continue to refine their perception of the role of the retailer is high. Retailers need to take a line from Toy Story as they think about their consumers: Do you have a friend in me? 

 
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