Because digital marketing has evolved so much, it is frequently helpful to take a step back and look at the big picture… the demographics of digital marketing, if you will. To accomplish so, I often consult summary reports from the finest in the industry. I’ve included some of the most important facts from a Razorfish research titled “Digital Dopamine: 2015 Global Digital Marketing Report” below.
Razorfish claims that “Ideas that were previously dominating are now rendered obsolete by new digital advances. Marketers are continuously fighting to stay up with this development. As a result, in preparation for tomorrow, Razorfish dug deep into the qualitative and quantitative data of four worldwide markets (the United States, the United Kingdom, China, and Brazil) to investigate how digital technology is changing conventional brand-consumer interactions. This study sought to explore the major themes affecting marketing, from global commerce expectations to the impact of digital on our subconscious.”
What did Razorfish discover about the usage of digital marketing in 2015? Here are a handful of their most important discoveries.
1. THE GENERATIONAL CHAOS
The Millennial purchasing experience is dominated by mobile. A smartphone is a Millennial’s key to the world. As mobile payment technology advances, mobile will play a more essential role in the whole brand and retail experience. Millennials do not distinguish between online and physical experiences.
Because of their continuously linked cell phones, millennials no longer distinguish between “online” and “offline.” Technology has become an inseparable part of their life, and it is how they connect with and experience companies even when they are in traditionally “offline” settings. They do not use media in silos. Rather, they use all of the tools available to them at any given moment, independent of the device or platform.
Millennials’ privacy expectations are changing. Millennials are more inclined than Gen X to trust businesses to preserve their privacy—and less likely to believe that mobile targeting constitutes a violation of privacy.
Prepare for the digital gap between Generations X and Y. When it comes to technology use, Millennials lead the pack, exceeding their Gen X counterparts in practically every digital activity daily. Gen X-led firms must ensure that their brand experiences are in sync with Millennials’ tech-driven lifestyles and that digital is not an afterthought in the brand development process. Target with attention and intention.
2. THE ECONOMY OF DIGITAL EXPERIENCE:
Customers intentionally avoid advertising. Consumers in all four markets (the United States, the United Kingdom, Brazil, and China) are trying all they can to avoid seeing advertisements, and many are using technologies such as DVRs to assist them to succeed.
When advertising is part of a value transaction, it is most effective. Consumers are increasingly aware of the value of their attention to marketers and expect to be compensated for it. They want compensation in the form of loyalty schemes, free material, or problem-solving tools.
Traditional advertising is culturally significant in Brazil. Surprisingly, Brazil is still more open to advertising than any of the other markets. TV, radio, and print advertisements are favored by 57% of Brazilian consumers as the most impactful form of advertising. As a result, it is critical to recognize that providing value implies various things to different cultures.
Make your presence felt. If brands are not currently adding actual value to people’s lives by providing services beyond core goods, they must do so. Consumers are more inclined to continue with a brand if they believe it simplifies their life.
3. SEAMLESS BUSINESS
The new storefront is digital. A solid e-commerce site is more than just pleasant to have; it has a significant influence on your brand. The statistics speak for themselves: A terrible brand website, according to 84% of Brazilians and 92% of Chinese, has a negative influence on their perception of the brand. Seventy-three percent and 79% of respondents in the United States and the United Kingdom, respectively, agree.
E-commerce experiences now fall short of expectations. Despite tremendous advancements in the development of commerce, customers remain unimpressed. Current e-commerce experiences, refund policies, and delivery alternatives are failing to cultivate happy consumers.
Consumer journeys are full of dead ends. Although customers no longer distinguish between online and physical brand channels, companies are not yet organized to accommodate this perspective. This creates a schism between what consumers desire and what businesses provide, prompting customers to improvise solutions.
Give your consumer authority. Return procedures, in particular, are a key source of friction in both online and physical shopping encounters. A solid return policy is a simple approach to set your company apart from the competition, establish loyalty, and win trust.
4. DIGITAL AIR CONDITIONING
Consumers acknowledge their reliance on technology. Over three-quarters of consumers in all four areas polled acknowledged feeling often reliant on technology. Many factors have been identified as contributing to the formation of this reliance, including usefulness, connectedness, and the favorable feelings associated with it.
We were subjected to digital classical conditioning. Pavlov demonstrated that repeatedly pairing two signals may generate a classically conditioned response. This is also true for many smartphone users: the light or sound generated by the gadget prompts a reaction of instant attention.
It is not always preferable to have immediate satisfaction. Surprisingly, shoppers in all four areas indicated more enthusiasm when getting a product via the mail than when purchasing in-store. This highlights an intriguing facet of e-commerce shopping: the power of joyful anticipation and delayed fulfillment.
Use the concept of “surprises and pleasures” to your advantage. You may generate enjoyable moments of anticipation around ordinary occurrences for a business without turning brand communications into a circus of push alerts and flashing buttons. Smart marketers will experiment with gaming dynamics in the browsing and purchase experience while keeping simplicity and service in mind.
5. FAST LANE EMERGING MARKETS
Brazilian and Chinese consumers are voracious early adopters of technology. This research demonstrates that Internet users in these areas depend on technology in every aspect of their life and are always looking for new ways to use it.
Consumers in less-connected nations may be the most demanding online. In nations with lesser Internet penetration, there are surprisingly high expectations for digital services and websites. Brazil and China, in particular, have a great desire for e-commerce to develop.
