By Shannon Andrick, Alliance Data
In a world where time has become consumers’ most precious
commodity and consumers are bombarded with literally hundreds of messages a
day, consumers are saying one thing loud and clear: keep it simple.
They’re looking for communications and experiences from brands that are easy to
understand and engage with. But what we learned in our recent study, The Great Divide, is that brands are
under-delivering on that expectation — often without realizing it.
By studying consumers’ perceptions of 31 different needs related
to brands’ communications and marketing experiences, we learned that
simplicity-related needs are among the most important. While brands do a good
job of prioritizing a simple experience in stores and online, they fall short
when it comes to marketing and communications. And while 84% of consumers claim
clear content is important, only 49% of them believe brands are doing a good
job of delivering it. With about half of consumers reporting that brands aren’t
meeting their needs in this area, brands are left to wonder: What does
simplicity look like to consumers, and how can we deliver it?
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First, less is more. Consumers are craving clear, straightforward,
easy-to understand content — especially if it’s promotional. While brands try
to balance product promotion, deals and offers, and disclosures in their
communications, clarity can quickly be lost along the way. The solution? Brands
should prioritize their messages, picking only the most important and not
trying to do too much in one communication. There’s a limit to what consumers
can process at one time, and fine print adds friction. Brands should test
streamlined messaging against existing content to determine where there’s room
to improve.
Consumers also are looking for simplicity in their service
experience, as they want to resolve issues on their terms and time. Simply put,
they want it to be easy to get hold of the brand and easy to then solve their
issue. For example, 80% of digital consumers report that easy-to-find contact
information online or within an app is important, but only 49% of consumers say
brands are meeting this need.
In the era of artificial intelligence and machine learning,
there’s never been a better time for brands to ramp up their customer service
accessibility, whether it’s through chatbots, live chat or other digital solutions.
But whether it’s a simple phone number or a modern solution, the most important
thing is that the contact information isn’t buried and that consumers can
easily see all their options for reaching a brand.
Finally, consumers are afraid of missing out — so they want brands
to make it clear whether a sale or promotion applies to what they’re shopping
for. Both consumers and brands agree that the ability to easily and quickly
tell if the consumer qualifies for a sale, discount or promotion is a highly
important — but unmet — need. Though it’s important to 77% of consumers, only
43% of them feel retailers are meeting the need well.
It comes down to building trust: consumers don’t want to find
themselves in a “gotcha” moment, where they are lured in by an advertised
promotion, only to learn it comes with unexpected exclusions or is more limited
than it appears. By being upfront and explicit about what a promotion includes —
and what it doesn’t — brands have the opportunity to stand out as transparent,
trustworthy and on the side of consumers.
The customer experience is more important than ever, and it’s
increasingly critical that brands bridge the divide between customers’
expectations and the brand experience. As technology and consumer behavior
evolve, brands need to maintain a laser focus on the simplicity that consumers
are asking for, especially when it comes to marketing and communications. At
the end of the day, it’s a matter of asking a few key questions: Is my message
crystal clear and easy to understand? Does she immediately know where to turn
if she needs help? Will she quickly know if she qualifies for a promotion?
When it comes to simplicity, there’s no such thing as
over-delivering. Retailers that prioritize overcoming the “simplicity gap” will
have the opportunity to stand out in a crowded field of messages, many of which
are too complex and unclear to capture consumers’ attention. Staying connected
to consumers’ priorities and keeping messages simple will ultimately add
meaningful value to the brand experience, and keep consumers coming back for
more.
Shannon Andrick is
Vice President of Marketing Advancement at Alliance Data’s card services
business, and focuses on emerging trends in the retail landscape. With more
than 20 years of retail merchandising experience, Andrick’s areas of expertise
include CRM, patterning and competitive analysis, deepening customer loyalty
through innovative products and services, and growing credit sales penetration.
