What is omnichannel and how do you apply it?

 

Is it omni-channel, omni-channel or omni-channel..? Everywhere you read different spelling of the term. It shows that omnichannel is a relatively new concept about which there is a lot of uncertainty. Nevertheless, it is essential that retailers and brand manufacturers get to work on this. That is why in this blog you will get an answer to the question: what is omnichannel?

The meaning of omnichannel

Anyone looking for the meaning of omnichannel in the free version of the digital Van Dale will be disappointed: the Van Dale does not show any results (not even for the other game mode). Nevertheless, it is a compound word, so the literal meaning is easy to figure out. 'Omni' comes from the Latin word 'omnis' and means all. 'Channel' obviously stands for channel.

However, the literal translation does not cover the concept. That way you don't have to be on every channel with an omnichannel strategy. So what is omnichannel? dr. PC Verhoef of the University of Groningen gives a striking definition :

“Omnichannel management is the synergetic management of numerous available channels and customer touchpoints, in such a way that the customer experience across channels and the performance over channels is optimized.”

In short, you choose an optimal mix of channels, you create synergy that is optimal for both you and the customer. For example, the following happens for companies that do not pursue an omnichannel strategy. You have an e-commerce team that includes a social media specialist and an email marketer. Both are working on optimizing the performance of their own channel. As a result, it often happens that a social media specialist communicates differently than the email marketer. The channels therefore do not reinforce each other.

Tip: watch in this webinar recording how you  develop from a 360° customer profile to a personalized customer journey

In addition, the employees in the brick store are often not aware of the marketing campaigns of the e-commerce team, but the visitors to the store do expect the employees to be able to tell you more about this. Organizations with an omnichannel strategy avoid these kinds of situations, because they optimize the entire customer journey . This is also apparent from the omnichannel examples below. 

Omnichannel Examples

The two omnichannel examples below will help you further in understanding what omnichannel.

Omnichannel example 1: Test Nike shoes with a video game

The next time you buy new running shoes, fly to New York or China. In the Nike store in Soho New York you don't get a gait analysis where you have to walk through the store in front of the camera. The clever use of a running belt, two cameras and a large screen makes you feel as if you are walking through Central Parc. 

In Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Chengdu in China, Nike is taking the omnichannel experience even further. There you also stand on a treadmill in front of a screen and you are taken along highlights in China. But when you test Nike's shoe Epic React, you play the game Reactland with your own avatar. Afterwards you will receive a short clip that you can share directly on social media.

Omnichannel example 2: Coolblue opts for physical stores to optimize the Coolblue experience

Many physical stores are making the switch to an online webshop. But pure player Coolblue opens physical stores to optimize the customer journey. After all, the internet is not sufficient for everyone or for every purpose. For example, the physical stores allow Coolblue to handle complaints faster and better, or to help customers better understand how their purchase works. Pieter Zwart, owner  of Coolblue, also tells this in an interview with 7 Ditches TV. 

How do you shape an omnichannel strategy?

Forming an omnichannel strategy is one of the organization's biggest challenges for many retailers and brand manufacturers. We use the omnichannel experience model to draw up an omnichannel strategy 

I often see that building an omnichannel strategy is outsourced to an e-commerce manager, but it's something that involves the entire organization. As an organization strive for one goal and also make decisions as one organization. Therefore, form a group with employees from all layers of the organization. The first step for this group: translating the company strategy into an omnichannel strategy.

After the business strategy has been translated into an omnichannel strategy, the group has to think about the customer journey. Drawing up buyer personas is a must in this phase. Think about who the target group is and what information they need per contact moment. The group then translates this into what it means for branding, (data-driven) marketing, (IT) infrastructure and organization. The results of this form a roadmap with action points.

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Your next step now that you know what omnichannel is

Developments are moving fast. Many retailers and brand manufacturers have yet to get rid of the idea that a responsive webshop is sufficient for mobile commerce, while PWA (Progressive Web Apps) and voice commerce are already emerging. However, consumers already expect more than many (online) retailers and brand manufacturers offer. Now that you know what omnichannel is, you have a clear mission: form a strategy, create support in the organization and get to work! Or watch the webinar recording about drawing up an omnichannel strategy .