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Rac Symposium: A Synopsis of The Toronto MAY 4, 2011
Rac Symposium: A Synopsis of The Toronto MAY 4, 2011
MAY 4, 2011
4 YEARS AGO WHEN WE FIRST ATTENDED
THIS EVENT, THE SPEAKERS WERE SHARING
TOPICS AND CASE STUDIES ON FLYER
DISTRIBUTION AND REACH. WE WERE TALK-
ING ABOUT PRINTING AND REACH. AND THE
MENTION OF DIGITAL WASN’T SOMETHING
THAT TOUCHED THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE IN
THIS PARTICULAR ROOM. THIS MONTH’S
CONFERENCE COULDN’T HAVE BEEN MORE
DIFFERENT, WITH LARGE PRINTERS LIKE
TRANSCONTINTENTAL GIVING TALKS ON
SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY AND OTHERS
SPEAKING ABOUT SHOPPERS AND MOBILE.
PRINT MAY NOT BE DEAD,
AS WE WE ASSURED MANY
TIMES, BUT IT’S CERTAINLY
BEING AUGMENTED IN THE
MARKETING PLANS AND
BUDGETS OF MAJOR RETAIL-
ERS ACROSS CANADA.
KEYNOTE:
PARTNERS IN CHANGE –
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
AND MARKETING
THERE’S A NEW DEFINITION OF POS:
POINT OF SERVICE.
RETAILERS MUST START TO USE
TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE THE
SHOPPING EXPERIENCE. THIS MEANS
USING A POS SYSTEM TO TRACK AND
MANAGE CUSTOMERS, PRODUCTS AND
STORE INFORMATION.
WE’VE HEARD IT MANY TIMES BEFORE:
OUR SHOPPERS HAVE MORE AND
BETTER TECHNOLOGY THAN WE DO.
SO HOW DO WE EXPECT JUNIOR AND
SENIOR STAFF ALIKE TO BE ABLE TO
PROVIDE A SERVICE WHEN CUSTOMERS
KNOW MORE ABOUT THE PRODUCT (AND
THE COMPETITION) THAN STAFF DO?
AND MUCH OF THIS SHOPPER
INTELLIGENCE IS AROUND PRICE.
THE PHRASE “PRICE TRANSPARENCY”
IS EVERYWHERE. RETAILERS MUST
COME UP WITH A REASON FOR
PEOPLE TO SHOP THEIR STORE.
AND IT COMES DOWN TO A UNIQUE
IN-STORE EXPERIENCE.
THE AMAZON EFFECT:
YOU MUST PREVENT YOUR
STORE FROM GETTING
HIJACKED BY OTHER
RETAILERS, OR YOUR
BRICKS AD MORTAR
STORE WILL BECOME AN
EXPENSIVE SHOWROOM.
SO HOW IS TECHNOLOGY
CHANGING RETAILING?
MOBILE.
SO WHAT DOES THIS
ALL MEAN?
OPERATIONS AND MARKETING
MUST BE BETTER TIED TOGETHER
TO BE ABLE TO DELIVER ON AN
EXPERIENCE.
THE CMO HAS TO SIT AT THE TABLE
WITH CIO AND BE INVOLVED IN
DRIVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT
TECHNOLOGY.
RETAILERS HAVE TO LOOK AT
MARKETING, TECHNOLOGY
AND BUSINESS OPERATIONS
AS A WHOLE.