The Evolution of Consumer Experiences and Influencers

The consumer shopping experience has seen a notable shift over the past few years, but with the ever-growing demand for a more personal journey, it’s time brands look to change up their marketing strategies says, Aaron Brooks, Co-Founder and Director, Vamp

CONTENT THAT CONNECTS: WHY INFLUENCER MARKETING IS THE FUTURE OF GEN Z ENGAGEMENT

Gen Z is a business opportunity you can’t afford to miss. As 40% of the population commanding upwards of $40 billion in spending power, modern marketers need to build compelling strategies to engage with Gen Z.

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Named as the year of the influencer, the first half of 2018 has seen a significant shift in the consumer shopping experience, as it has become very heavily influenced by celebrities and social content creators. Waving goodbye to the sheer amount of advertising and information that surrounds news feeds, shopping centers and televisions are the younger generations, who are on a mission to find that unique experience they so desperately crave. 

Much like the relationship and memories we build with our loved ones, consumers look for a similar memorable experience with their favorite brands, something that should be at the core of all brand marketing strategies. The experiences that brands offer its consumers have become increasingly influential in consumer purchase behavior. 90% of marketers agree that offering a brand experience delivers strong engagement and loyalty.

The combination of influencers and experiences offers a compelling strategy. By providing influencers with captivating content that promotes a story, brands can benefit from a whole load of creative and authentic content, and genuine relationships with its consumers. 

A personal and meaningful experience is something brands must consistently be pushing to its consumers to remain relevant. With this, we are seeing many brands adopting marketing tactics such as pop-up stores, free gifts and a tailored approach to build this relationship and satisfy their consumers needs. This is easier said than done in such a saturated market, full of competition and everyone wanting to offer that personal experience. Authenticity within this marketing strategy has been a concern for brands, with 90% of young people saying that brand authenticity is important and shouldn’t be faked, according to Satkla’s consumer content report. 

Quite possibly one of the biggest tactics to offering a personal brand experience is word of mouth recommendations, and social influencers are turning the heads of marketers for exactly this reason. The younger generation are heavily influenced through social media channels for inspiration on their purchases, so there’s no better way to immediately get in front of these consumers than by utilising the people who have built their loyal followings by conveying an experience that people crave. 

Through the use of social channels like Instagram, influencers are able to showcase an aspirational lifestyle that appeals to a wide range of consumers who want to buy in. The storytelling aspect of this tactic is essential for offering an experience that consumers are aspiring to, resulting in more genuine traffic and interest in your brand. The product placement within the image becomes so much more than an advert, it shifts into a conversation with a trusted peer. 

It is not just the smaller advertising campaigns that influencers can be used for to generate the experiential feeling. There is a growing opportunity for brands wanting to create an event and gain more awareness and interest through influencers. They will bring their followers on their journey with them through the use of ‘vlogging’ that documents, photographs and communicates their experience. 

With this, it is clear we will see technological advancements continue to grow and drive further momentum between brands and influencers. Take Instagram, for example, have recently developed a shopping tool, using artificial intelligence that allows users to be converted to a store at the click of a button on their favorite looks. Looking further into the future, technology is offering a variety of exciting prospects for brands and influencers wanting to offer the experience through the use of chatbots and virtual reality.