Forty-three per cent of retailers in Singapore find it challenging to build brand awareness, according to a survey by Twilio. They struggle to break through ad and email fatigue (32%), gain a deeper understanding of consumer behaviour (29%), and measure the effectiveness of their marketing efforts (38%).
The survey also reveals that 63% of Singapore consumers prefer interacting with brands online via digital channels such as websites and mobile apps, email marketing and e-commerce sites. Only a quarter are most responsive when engaging with brands at brick-and-mortar shops.
To overcome those challenges, Singaporean retailers are leveraging data to personalise customer experiences (45%) and plan to increase the number of channels to connect with customers (22%). They will also explore new methods of engagement including influencer engagement (29%), gamification (22%) and live streaming (18%).
Zalora, for instance, leveraged Twilio Segment to consolidate its data, streamline operations and provide more personalised experiences for its 55 million customers. By unifying its customer data, the online fashion retailer gained holistic and real-time customer profiles across platforms, enabling it to better understand how customers are interacting with its products.
“In an increasingly noisy and competitive landscape, retail businesses are challenged to retain their customers’ attention and ensure that they are considered at all stages of the consumer journey,” said Nicholas Kontopoulos, vice president of Marketing for Asia Pacific and Japan at Twilio.
“Retailers must look beyond run-of-the-mill methods and consider how they can elevate their marketing efforts to create a more engaging brand experience and reach customers on their preferred channels. This can go hand-in-hand with using artificial intelligence and zero- and first-party data to create more precise and personalised communications,” he added. – The Edge
