Colombia. To transform customer experiences and commercial spaces, it is necessary to rethink their role, ensuring the alignment of physical experiences with commercial strategy, brand and customer needs.
The Phygital, integration of digital technologies into physical spaces, has the ambitious goal of transforming stores, offices and industries into more intuitive, intelligent and personalized places. It is also born as a strategy for brands to integrate their physical and digital marketing efforts in order to increase their sales opportunities.
Why redefine physical spaces?
Due to the pandemic, several establishments were forced to close their doors and this motivated them to rethink the use of their offices, detonating the importance of digital channels and the need to migrate to them. The idea is not to close physical offices but to redefine the reason for them and how it can have a positive impact. These physical spaces have two poles: some focused on experience and others on transaction.
While customers currently visit fewer stores, the number of tickets has increased. These behaviors have generated new trends that companies must analyze. "None of this is alien to what the physical space is, therefore, you have to understand how to implement these trends also in the physical space, what behavior the client has in the physical spaces and how they are willing to interact, either with devices that the company puts or the cell phone. 60% interact with the devices in the store, while 80% use their cell phone. 30% use their cell phone to clarify doubts or buy something they searched for online in the store," said Luis Fernández, Head of Digital Experience Technology at everis Colombia.
Another particularity is the data around the customer. 63% of customers are willing to share their data, 81% are willing to a degree of personalization. "The customer experience is highly benefited by the implementation of technology, as it allows the personalization of the physical environment by using indicators, as is done in digital marketing, to obtain a better understanding of customer behavior," explained Fernández.
By personalizing the customer experience, customers feel valued and cared for. Engage the customer in an innovative and surprising way: generate emotions, memories, keep them focused, increase brand awareness and energize the customer experience
In relation to "the customer experience" and how this impacts the business, a good customer experience can impact 2.7 customer retention and can increase a cross-selling by 3.6, there are even cases where this "good customer experience" can allow significant savings. Sprint, a telecommunications company, saved $1.7 million.
Technological enablers are key to evolving into a digital store: They are an ecosystem available to move from reactive experiences to productive experiences, where the physical space itself can interact with people.
Technology enablers
Technology plays an important role in the concept of omnichannel, now more relevant thanks to the Phygital trend. The design of the Costumer journey, which promotes simple interactions, and facilitates the collection of the voice of the customer, anticipating different intentions, using analytics to make continuous improvements and identify which or which are the ideal technologies to create the connections within the physical space that generate an impact on customers. Enablers include:
1. INTERACTIVE PANELS: Fixed or mobile elements to display self-service information, directions and attendance.
2. KIOSKS: Fixed or mobile elements to provide self-service information, addresses and assistance. It is an interactive panel, which can be combined with other types of hardware, such as dispensers, printers, etc.
3. ACCESS CONTROL: Restricting access to certain areas through biometric recognition is much faster and easier. It's almost contactless through your footprint or your sight.
4. QUEUE MANAGEMENT: Fixed or mobile elements to provide self-service information, directions and attendance.
5. VISITOR TRACKING: A computer vision that allows us to identify and track what people do in a physical space, allow us not only to identify the person but also what people do in waiting times in physical spaces.
6. SYNTHETIC AGENTS: All devices with artificial intelligence that also have a physical representation. Interfaces to interact with customers in physical spaces using natural language and guiding them along their journey in stores
7. AUGMENTED EXPERIENCE: Allows the customer to view additional information or remote locations (real or simulated) through X-reality and projections.
8. PICK & GO: Frictionless payment and ordering solutions.
"The design of Phygital stores, in addition to increasing the bonds of closeness and generating a memorable experience, seeks to attract the customer, connect them, educate them, and of course generate transactions," concluded Marcelo Garrido, Head Customer - Digital Strategy of everis Colombia.
