According to a study from Microsoft Corp., humans have shorter attention spans than fish by a second. “The effects of an increasingly digitized lifestyle on the brain” have been credited with this new, short, human attention span. With so much to stimulate, inspire, and affect consumers, brands are challenged with capturing customer attention in a meaningful and impactful way. This has made the ability to delight customers a high priority.
The vast array of opportunities, information, and touch points available to customers makes it difficult for brands and companies to leave an impression that is both memorable and worthwhile. Furthermore, too much information often distract and steer customers away.
So, how can businesses ensure that every interaction, connection, and touch point is meaningful and impactful?
By providing customers the right information, at the right place, the moment they need it.
There are several ways businesses can achieve this; however, below we’ve listed only the smartest and most efficient ways businesses can fully engage customers and see results.
4 hacks to get your brands noticed
1. Product or service, customize ‘em.
In one of our previous blog posts, we discussed customization (not to be confused with personalization) as the next big trend in product design. Notably, adidas’s venture to mass produce sneakers with customized, 3D printed midsoles embodies the brand’s commitment to creativity and innovation. Customized products and experiences allow consumers to develop a stronger sense of ownership and connection with an item, and as an extension, with the brand producing it. Evolving IoT technologies make it easy for businesses of any size to provide the level of customization that consumers want. Innovative brands like Spyder, Khongboon, and DYNE have successfully integrated NFC (Near Field Communication), an affordable IoT technology, into their products to provide tailored user experiences. Embedded products allow brands to directly communicate with their consumers, reduce unnecessary friction, and deliver relevant content in real time.
2. Omni-Channel Experience.
Given the promising outlook of e-commerce, companies place most of their efforts and resources in bettering their online businesses. Nevertheless, recent Black Friday stats by National Retail Federation indicate that more than 50 million people shopped in-store, and another 64 million shopped both online and in-store. While consumers are vastly connected and intertwined with their digital lives, brick-and-mortar and product experiences still matter. Brands should rethink the purpose and functionalities of physical stores and things. By utilizing IoT technology and adding a digital dimension to physical things, consumers can expect a strategically guided shopping experience followed by personalized services and products. It’s no longer a competition between the channels, but rather a complementary integration of the two.
3. Socialize. Socialize. Socialize.
Have you ever decided on a restaurant or venue based on its reviews or presence on social media? Most people would say that both have had an influential hand on their decision to patron or not. As a matter of fact, studies show that “78% of people said that social media posts of companies influence their buying decision.” [1] As social media has evolved from a communication channel, to a marketing behemoth, this comes as no surprise. [2] Social media presence now plays a crucial role on the brand’s reputation, affinity, and accountability. Consumers rely on social media to learn more about the products and services. Making it easy to access a brand’s social media when a customer is reviewing a product, will therefore have a huge effect on whether a purchase is made.
4. Learn what your customers want and give it to them.
Where and how are products being used? What kind of information are they interested in when evaluating a product? Thanks to IoT connectivity, businesses can easily answer these questions to get a deeper understanding of their consumer base. IoT technology gives products unique IDs that capture meaningful customer interactions throughout the customer journey. Deep customer insights gleaned from the IoT touch points allow businesses to easily learn and adapt. Businesses can take advantage of these insights in order to create products and experiences that better resonate with consumers. Furthermore, NFC empowers customers to choose when they interact with a product or location, which facilitates high intent interactions.
Providing customers with the right content at the right time is advantageous when trying to get their attention. The smart way to do this is to create smart products and experiences to engage your audiences. With IoT, being captivating is easy.
