By Ashley Ropar
Marketing Manager, Industry Weapon

Face-to-face sales are becoming less of the norm as consumers interact with screens and mobile devices in their shopping pursuits. As a retailer, you want to dangle that universally delicious carrot to attract all consumers to your products and services. But in a real world not all consumers go for the same carrot.

How can you bait all personas at once? The four shopper personas:

Competitive: Competitive shoppers most likely have the newest smart phone or technology device. They don’t care about comparing products or digging for tons of information. They might give the copy a once over, but their decision making process is fast and rational. “If it’s the latest, it’s the greatest.”

Spontaneous: Spontaneous shoppers will most likely impulse-buy tabloids in the checkout line. These shoppers will hit the purchase button without thinking about their bank account. They see the supermodel wearing a leather jacket in the picture and they want to be like her, now. They’re more inclined to engage in limited-time offers and fast shipping. “If it looks interesting, I’ll take it.”

Methodical: Methodical shoppers will most likely save up and wait to buy a five star safety rated car, with just the right amount of features, at a very reasonable price. They feel like they can always research more, and often compare products down to the nitty-gritty details. They consider both the customer and expert reviews. These are the shoppers that read every word of the fine print. “No need to rush this purchase.”

Humanistic: Humanistic shoppers will most likely read reviews on Yelp before trying a new restaurant. These shoppers take opinions to heart, and often seek the advise of friends when making purchasing decisions. They are more inclined to create “wish lists” and live chat with brand representatives when deliberating which products are worth the actual buy. “Let me ask around before buying.”

Marketing catches up

Before brands realized the power of dynamic advertising, these four shoppers used to see the same marketing, commercials and websites. Selling points like “Newest!” might speak in volumes to the Competitive Shopper, but it can be a huge deterrent for the Methodical Shopper who wants a product that has been tried and true. Brand websites implement the “Sort by” feature which allows consumers to see products in categories like ‘Price low to high,’ ‘Newest,’ ‘Bestseller,’ ‘Average Rating,’ and ‘Relevance.’ Data integration can track these clicked preferences and implement them into future marketing tactics. Thus, the Spontaneous Shopper will receive emails featuring “Products Others Bought,” while Methodical Shoppers will receive “Top Rated Products.”

Digital Signage

To avoid static marketing that may deter certain shoppers, retailers are converting to digital signage. This allows multiple, dynamic campaigns to run on screens throughout the store, giving the same effect as a personalized website visit. Interactive kiosks allow users to log into their profiles, which access their past purchase history and slants marketing based on their personalized tastes. As they browse an ‘endless aisle catalog,’ a Humanistic Shopper will see “Most Popular” product categories and options to read reviews.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not all shoppers are wired the same. Companies need to be conscientious of what speaks to certain people and what turns them away. Instead of avoiding setbacks and creating universally watered down marketing for store walls, shops can implement digital signage to play multiple dynamic campaigns. This will target all shoppers with hard-hitting massages that speak to their desires. Brands can dangle more than one carrot to attract all categories of consumers.

1 http://www.digitalsignage.com/_html/info_graphics.html
2 RIS News, ’24th Annual Retail Technology Study”
3 InfoTrends, 2006

This column was reprinted with permission from the Digital Screenmedia Association and originally appeared here.