The Advantage of Content Generation for the Retail Industry

For the retail industry, the last two years have been characterized by efforts to adapt to new shopping habits spurred by the pandemic.

The implementation of technology in physical stores has become a fundamental activity for retailers, where it is becoming increasingly important to have as much information as possible about the performance of the spaces and the behavior of customers to ensure continuous growth.

For this reason, e-commerce is laying the foundations of the new rules of the game for the different channels. The implementation of omnichannel strategies for brands is more relevant than ever.

Given this scenario, 2022 stands out as a decisive year of transformation for retail, where experts have questioned what new trends will emerge to continue attracting new generations of buyers.

The development of social networks and the growth of digital channels have driven the creation of new figures that today lead much of the digital population: content creators.

These leaders have a main advantage over brands: the direct engagement they have with their audience.

Today, content creators have broken the communication gap that brands had with their buyers. Their message can directly and immediately impact the consumption habits of their followers.

That’s why influencers are indirectly changing the rules of the game for retailers.

Content Creators as the New Sales Channel

If a few years ago retailers fought the proportional part of the potential market based on advertising campaigns, today, this practice no longer represents an added value to buy a brand's product over another.

The growth of the audience for content creators and the reach they can have with their community has turned them into their own sales channel. Whether as brand ambassadors or designing their own products, easy access to their followers and a high level of influence have put them on the map of big brands to reach those audiences that stores have not been able to reach.

The cosmetics industry is among the sectors that have better understood this concept. Several have entered alliances with beauty influencers to launch makeup product lines. The main success lies in the organic advertising that takes place on the influencers’ digital platforms with the audience that already follows them.

The success of this new digital sales showcase must be based on the dynamics of the brands in their physical store. This can increase the chances of success for the campaign by taking the same message and format to all points of communication with the consumer.

It is more relevant to develop the campaign as an omnichannel strategy rather than just another marketing campaign.

Content In Physical Spaces

These new consumers, who are used to coexisting all the time with a narrative around the content generated by their favorite influencers, are changing the way advertising messages are being delivered as well. It is not enough to invest money in an advertising campaign that does not hook these digital natives around a story that connects with their emotions and beliefs.

With this prelude, physical points of sale — shopping centers, physical stores or formats such as pop-up stores — must adopt this method of communication with their potential customers.

A clear example is to dress a whole shopping center in a particular theme related to the premiere of a movie, create in-store promotions related to the premiere and even introduce actions to attract buyers who will already expect to see the film.

In 2022, brands must find a way to connect with their buyers through deeper content from the physical point of sale to alliances with influencers who represent the values ​​associated with their products.