Multichannel Marketing: Recognize the Best Assets of the Store-Web Connection

Although multichannel marketers must keep a keen eye on the connections between catalog, Web and stores, there are a number of ties that are particularly tight between just the Web and retail. Lindy Rawlinson, vice president of Web store and new business at Neiman Marcus Direct, discussed several tips and tactics for multichannel marketers during a session she gave at the recent e-Tail conference in Washington, D.C.

1. Align your brand with consistent messages and marketing. “Customers demand that marketers stay true to what your brand represents to customers, deliver clear and consistent marketing messages and communications,” she said. “That’s the foundation you can build upon.”

2. Recognize that the channels are different. “Customers expect different things in different channels,” Rawlinson said. “Recognize how they migrate back and forth— how, when, why they shop.”

3. Capitalize on the differences between channels. “Consistency doesn’t mean it has to be the same” across channels, she noted. “Often, you’ll find there are a lot of opportunities in the differences between the channels. Creative strategies around them can increase conversion.”

Among several examples she offered, Rawlinson discussed a new shopping method Neiman Marcus Direct soon will be launching on its Bergdorf Goodman division’s Web site to replicate the store shopping experience and provide added ways for customers to shop.

The new homepage will depict a nine-story building and a Bergdorf Goodman storefront, and will showcase the heading, “Shop by floor.” As if they’re on an elevator going from floor to floor, customers will be able to find what they’re seeking, much as they do in Bergdorf’s primary New York store.