Wi-Fi access makes stores interactive

Providing customers with web access in-store is a bold attempt by John Lewis (MW 27 October) to enable a truly crosschannel marketing approach that combines today’s interactive power channels – email, mobile, social, web and display – with the traditional bricks and mortar experience.

Incorporating Wi-Fi into the retail experience makes shopping interactive and digital. It is also an innovative way of gaining permission to contact customers across online channels and establish their preferences.

Not only will John Lewis gain a customer’s contact details when users sign up to the wi-fi, but by monitoring users’ interaction the brand will gain invaluable information about their shopping habits and purchasing decisions. For example, John Lewis will be able to understand which channels “digital champions” use to research purchases or to tell their friends about special offers.

John Lewis is responding to the rise of the online consumer who expects to be targeted with personalised and timely communication, across web-enabled devices that can be accessed on the move. In order to remain competitive, other retailers must ensure that they continue to innovate in a similar way to remain relevant in a constantly connected world.

Simon Robinson
Senior director marketing and alliances EMEA, Responsys

Recommended

Learn from your customers

Marketing Week

Linking customer experience with profitability (MW 3 November) demands “bigger picture” thinking because when you talk to customers about what really matters to them you tend to get responses surrounding price and offers. However, this research can highlight true opportunities. One of the nuggets uncovered by our customer insight programme was that we should extend […]

Web comment

Webops Temp

Mark Ritson sparked debate by questioning the value of brand reputation management when some companies, such as BP and Goldman Sachs, escape unscathed despite huge foul-ups. Read his column at www.mwlinks.co.uk/ ReputationRitson and comment extracts below. Big brands will rise again Banks and oil businesses tend to make massive money regardless of “blips” like this. […]

Trust is key to companies’ internal communications

Webops Temp

It’s encouraging to see these examples of companies that not only understand, but are acting on the link between engaged colleagues and improved business performance (Cover story, MW November 10). The real value of social media tools lies in their ability to flatten the traditional communications hierarchies. However, as Christy Stewart-Smith says, ’trust’ is the […]