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REI: Recreational Equipment Incorporated · PDF filelinear approach as a sales funnel concept...
Transcript of REI: Recreational Equipment Incorporated · PDF filelinear approach as a sales funnel concept...
REI: Recreational Equipment Incorporated
Customer Engagement and Media Plan
Robert Robinson
COMSTRAT 564
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR AND BRAND DEVELOPMENT
Edward R. Murrow College of Communication
Washington State University
November 30, 2016
REI Customer Engagement and Media Plan
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary……………………………………………………………………...2
Engagement Plan Framework……………………………………………………………2
Objective 1: Awareness………………………………………………………….4
Strategy 1: Attention…………………………………………………….4
Strategy 2: Evaluation…………………………………………………...5
Objective 2: Sales………………………………………………………………..5
Strategy 1: Recency……………………………………………………...5
Strategy 2: Proximity……………………………………………………5
Objective 3: Advocacy………………………………………………………….6
Strategy 1: Value Exchange…………………………………………….6
Strategy 2: Community…………………………………………………6
Customer Touchpoints and Media Plan…………………………………………….......7
Conclusion: Matching Media to Consumer Touchpoints………………………………9
References……………………………………………………………………………..10
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Executive Summary:
The relationship between a customer engagement with a brand has been fundamentally changed
through interactions with social media. The field of marketing has moved beyond a traditional
linear approach as a sales funnel concept which basically viewed advertising campaigns as a
sequential mapping of customer contacts. The advertisements focused on gaining customer
attention with the goal of moving them to the point of purchase. With the development of social
media, brand interactions are now being built into the product. The focus is more on designed
brand platforms of engagement that meet the needs of the customer. Not only have points of
contact expanded with customers, they are becoming more personalized as companies focus
more on the customer needs, lifestyles and communities.
This proposal is based on an REI personal shopping experience concept (PSE). It was developed
as a means of responding to customer desires for a more efficient way to shop and gather
information about products that might meet their needs. It offers a shopping experience that
builds customers preferences, interests, and product information. A study of key customer
segments represented by Millennials, Gen-Xers and Baby-boomers suggested that although they
have different interests in outdoor activities, they are all looking for information in a more
holistic and efficient manner (Robinson, 2016). Customer time is valuable. The personal
shopping experience offers an efficient use of time in searching for outdoor products and
sporting equipment. The customer has the option of saving searches and information that they
wish to refer back to when they are evaluating a product at the point of purchase. The platform
will also offer ideas based on customer segment special interests. A more efficient and insightful
shopping and research experience can work to increase touchpoints through expanded
opportunities to enjoy the outdoors and build loyalty through word of mouth interactions on
social media.
Engagement Plan Framework: The key to developing an engagement plan is personalizing
interactions with a brand to meet customer needs. The development of a brand can no longer rely
on the sales funnel concept which is linear in conception. In the past, brands worked to create a
media buzz through its advertising as the means for creating awareness (Satell, 2013). Promotion
focused on getting customer and potential customer attention to describe the product or service,
convince them of its value and then encourage them into action like evaluating and developing a
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commitment to the product or service. The idea was
to systematically push customers from awareness,
interest, evaluation, commitment and referral in their
path to purchase. However the funnel concept does
not adequately capture customer touchpoints.
With the diversification of channels of communication
new platforms of engagement have generated
alternative approaches in meeting customer needs.
The funnel concept promoted a linear or sequential mapping of customer contacts. This model
failed to capture all the touchpoints. Customers may now interact with a brand at any stage,
moving back and forth with product information, awareness to consideration. The funnel implied
marketing as separate from the product. Now the marketing is built into the product.
The customer engagement plan proposed for the REI brand is built on the model developed by
Greg Satell (2013). It puts forth the ideas that the digital age has generated a new approach.
Instead of pushing information on to the customer by grabbing attention, it focuses more on the
business objectives of awareness, sales and advocacy. Within each of the three core objectives
there are six tactical strategies as can be observed in the chart.
This model is applied to customer engagement through a new REI personalized shopping
experience. REI’s brand represents excitement and adventure in the outdoors. In order to capture
these elements to personalize customer needs were developed from a persona study (Robinson,
2016). A common theme across customer segments was the desire for information and products
related to their interests to be easily accessed and centrally
organized. Currently, a typical website visit lists the
products available and the different categories. If a customer
is interested in related activities sponsored by REI they can
search throughout the website. A study of key customer
segments represented by Millennials, Gen-Xers and Baby-
boomers suggested that although they have different interests
in outdoor activities, they are all looking for information in a
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more holistic and efficient manner (Robinson, 2016). They may want to know the basics of an
activity, what local opportunities are available, customer stories and experience and the related
equipment they will need. The personalized shopping experience is designed to capture the
brand’s image of excitement and adventure in the outdoors, by bringing all the information to the
customer. It is designed to work on website, mobile and in-store touchpoints that create relevant
shopping experiences. It features browsing and navigation for product discovery, delivers
relevant information tailored to specific customer segments as a means of increasing
engagement. In this way it can create product personalization along with recommendations. The
customer can save information searches to review at a later date. Meeting customer needs is a
priority. It offers a shopping experience that builds customers preferences and interests. For non-
co-op as well as co-op members it differentiates the brand by engaging with greater depth and
better serving customers.
Objective 1: Awareness
REI will focus on promoting its unique personalized shopping experience and how it will create
greater value in the overall brand. The new shopping experience will save time, increase
understanding of the outdoor activities and make the purchasing experience more user friendly. It
tailors personalized content for each of the key target segments: Millennials, Gen-Xers and
Baby-boomers. Two strategies, attention and evaluation contribute to awareness.
Strategy 1: Attention
The key to grabbing customer attention for co-op members and potential new customers is to
post an invitation to use the personalized shopping experience on the main website. This
involves promoting the quality of customer shopping experience. The invitation should be
offered on the landing page with a list of benefits. Using customer stories to explain the benefits
will differentiate the key elements. Imagery with products will reflect the different customer
segments. For example, specific offerings, activities, stories and products may be associated with
millennials as one audience segment. For example, millennials like joining in with local hiking
trails and having the right hiking boot. Content for Gen-Xers and Baby-Boomers are tailored to
their interests as a motivator. They are looking for shared family experiences and gear. Sharing
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of experience and referrals to friends can be encouraged with discount coupons for products
through Facebook, Twitter and E-mail.
Strategy 2: Evaluation
Customer evaluation of personalized shopping experience refers to customers seriously thinking
about the benefits of using this brand element (Satell, 2013). By creating awareness on the
website landing page, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, it will create opportunities for
consideration and evaluation. Initially, with existing co-op customers it can be tested for
feedback. As each customer segment evaluates their experience, they will rate how each type of
information presented contributed to their brand concept. Finally, the quality of the products and
customer service will be evaluated.
Objective 2: Sales
The objective for REI is to increase sales by providing a more personalized holistic shopping
experience for the target customer segments at the point of purchase. This unique selling
proposition personalizes customer needs and interests. Two strategies, recency and proximity
contribute to sales objectives.
Strategy 3: Recency
Promotions close to the point of purchase help to drives sales. Customers will be offered a
discount coupon for registering and using the PSE. For every $40 dollar amount spent in PSE,
the customer will receive a 10% discount on new purchases. A strong presence on REI social
media sites to promote the advantages of PSE will keep the benefits of the shopping experience
current. Strong examples of customer experience through video examples will be included.
Knowing the customer audience segment and generational interests will enhance video examples
and offers. To improve sales, personalized product information with follow-up will be linked to
customers who visited the website, but left before trying PSE.
Strategy 4 Proximity
As a means of increasing sales opportunities, registered personalized customers along with co-op
members can be reached through mobile messaging. First, through social media links and
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promotions. Also, customers near a physical location of a store can receive a cellular message
with special offers. For example, using mobile technology with smart phones promotions such as
mobile coupons may stimulate sales (Danova, 2014, Petro, 2014). Sponsorship activities and
environmental stewardship activities provide opportunities to engage the brand with customers
and potential customers. Additional promotions and discounts are offered at the point of sale on
the PSE. All customers are presented with the PSE benefits on the website upon entering and at
the point of sale.
Objective 3: Advocacy
Pull strategies that encourage value exchange and build a community around the brand lead to
advocacy. It is important to create social, product and content experiences that work to increase
the perceived value.
Strategy 5 Value Exchange
The REI Brand and the Personal Shopping Experience program can be integrated into advocacy
programs supported by the company. For example, REI profits are used to support public policy
that maintains public access to parks, trails, waterways for outdoor recreation (REI Advocacy
Report, 2011). This value exchange can be promoted on the main website and on social media to
link how a percent of customer sales goes to sponsorship activities and environmental
stewardship. REI also supports small businesses that sell gear and apparel, guide services, travel
services and lodging. REI products and services, promoted on the Personal Shopping
Experience, will highlight the value exchange. The key here is to use the PSE framework as a
means of stimulating and increasing value that goes beyond the basic transaction of a payment
for product or services. The value exchange is to enrich the audience segments through
personalized brand interactions.
Strategy 6 Community
REI Personal Shopping Experience is not a shopping cart. It is a total personalized informational
search, evaluation, record-keeping search of products and all of REI’s related services that are
tailored for each customer across and within generational audience segments. The PSE provides
an opportunity within the framework to build community with co-op members and new
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customers by raising visibility of community partnerships and promoting events and service
projects. Content and social engagement with customers can be promoted through the PSE
framework. People who like the shopping experience may tell their friends, building the
awareness of the shopping experience as a result. Offers can be made like discounts for
customers who sign on to the PSE linking the referral. Word may spread through social
networks.
Customer Touchpoints and Media Plan
In developing a customer engagement strategy and media plan for the REI personalized shopping
experience; we begin by considering the potential touchpoints or contact points. The REI brand
is constantly adding new approaches to differentiate themselves from competitors. By using the
touchpoints that reflect most effective communication channels for the new personalized
shopping experience REI can appeal to customers across audience segments as well as
personalize the content within the generational audience segments. For example, the
personalized shopping experience will permit Baby-Boomers, Gen-Xers and Millennials to shop
more efficiently overall, but also experience recommendations that match their needs and
interests. Thoughts, feelings, perceptions, images and experiences with different touchpoints
generate associations in the customer memory (Keller, 2009). Touchpoints for REI can be
generated from brick-and-mortar stores, community experiences, social media, advertising and
word of mouth. We begin by considering the customer journey to the point of purchase.
According to the Satell model, customers may experience phases of engagement, moving back
and forth from searching, researching, considering and evaluating before reaching the point of
purchase (Satell, 2013). The customer journey may involve different touchpoints with REI as
they seek the best gear or equipment for their purpose.
For example, a customer searches for outdoor gear and equipment. As they conduct an online
search, they observe competitive websites offer similar gear. REI is one of the top websites on
the search engine. The REI website landing page experience requires customer to search the
gear, research products, decide what is needed in order to make the purchase. The new REI
personal shopping experience welcomes each customer with the option to personalize their
shopping experience. They register to enter. The first question is “What can we help you with
today?” The customer types in the type of outdoor activity or gear they are interested in. All of
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the listings appear along with expert advice, classes, customer stories and REI adventure trips.
Rather than searching all over the website, it comes to the customer. It keeps a record of your
search so you can go back and review previously looked at items. It provides a personalized
guide on the customer journey-it generates meaningful, generational based offerings. It saves
time, increases understanding of outdoor experiences and overall makes the purchasing
experience more user-friendly. It differentiates REI from its competitors. Custom content will
engage and reach out to specific audience segment needs. The touchpoints and media plan are
integrated by brand objective.
Customer Engagement Strategies
Brand Objective Touchpoint Media Plan Awareness: Attention And Evaluation
Customer searches for product information.
The consideration phase starts here. Customers used to experience brand information in-store, through an advertisement or by word of mouth. Now it is happening more online.
Customers and potential customers are going to sites with content collections to get ideas and inspiration for products they want and need. Generational needs are identified.
Search engines list REI prominently with competitors.
Customer enters REI website. The new personalized shopping feature is presented (push strategies)- generational offerings
Customer previews and evaluates Personalized Shopping Experience Features (PSE).
Employees help in-store customers integrate REI resources in person as well as providing information about social media and website.
Employees create awareness of the new PSE).
REI website introduces Personalized Shopping Experience (PSE).
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram generate discussion and value of PSI.
Postings in media content collections like Pinterest, Houzz or Wanelo (the digital mall).
REI Blog, Outdoors Blog
Print Outdoor Magazine Featured articles
E-magazines Outdoor
Customer Story Features in multiple-social media platforms: iphone, ipad, tablets, computers.
Listserv, email marketing
Online forums
In-store via mobile
Google Ads promote REI PSE
Sales: Recency And Proximity
Promotions close to the point of purchase, in terms of both recency and proximity, help to drives sales.
In order to help drive sales, customers will be offered a discount coupon for registering and using the PSE.
For every $40 dollar amount spent in PSE, the customer will receive a 10% discount on new purchases.
Apply Beacon mobile technology (Danova, 2014) – use smart phones to identify customers and offer sales promotions in-store-
o Mobile Couponing o Proximity Marketing o Push Messaging &
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A strong presence on REI social media sites to promote the advantages of PSE.
Strong examples of customer experience through video examples – generational content
Follow-up with customers who visited the website, but left before trying PSE.
Contextual Targeting
Video of customer experience on PSE
Offers promoted on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Offers are promoted and linked to the PSE on the Website landing page.
Additional promotions and discounts are offered at the point of sale on the PSE. All customers receive this information on the website.
Follow-up advantages of the PSE for customers who visited website on their social media-Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and web searches.
Advocacy: Value Exchange and Community
Pull strategies that encourage value exchange and build a community around the brand lead to advocacy.
The REI Brand and the Personal Shopping Experience program can be integrated into advocacy programs supported by the company.
o Public policy that maintains public access to parks, trails, waterways for outdoor recreation (REI Advocacy Report, 2011).
o REI also supports small businesses that sell gear and apparel, guide services, travel services and lodging. REI products and services, promoted on the Personal Shopping Experience, will highlight the value exchange.
Customer informational search brings them to the website with the invitation to join the PSE. Website highlights the PSE features that are tailored to their individual interests as well as generational
Customer Care and support touchpoints are a great way to exchange value by meeting customer needs.
The PSE provides an opportunity within the framework to build community with co-op members and new customers by raising visibility of community partnerships and promoting events and service projects.
This value exchange can be promoted on the main website and on social media to link how a percent of customer sales goes to sponsorship activities and environmental stewardship.
Main website and social media links tell stories of how members support government policies to respect the environment.
In-store, e-magazines and print magazines, blogs, podcasts share information related to the value of products, goods and services that support small businesses.
Produce in-product messaging, email, mobile and social media opportunities to raise awareness of the value of touchpoints to stimulate community engagement through word of mouth.
Encourage video stories of customer experience.
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Conclusion: Matching Media to Consumer Touchpoints
The primary goal of the Personal Shopping Experience is to increase the quality of brand
interaction with REI from awareness, consideration and purchase to encouraging loyalty. The
PSE provides a website experience that integrates all of the brand features such as the basics of
an outdoor sporting activity, what local opportunities are available, customer stories and
experience and the related equipment they will need. The personalized shopping experience is
designed to capture the brand’s image of excitement and adventure in the outdoors, by bringing
all the information to the customer. The personalized shopping experience is designed as a
framework to deliver content to the target audiences of Baby-Boomers, Gen-Xers and
Millennials. It provides a more efficient experience that matches their needs and interests. This
brand experience recognizes how thoughts, feelings, perceptions, images and experiences with
different touchpoints generate associations in the customer memory. The matching of
generational target audience preferences within this framework is designed to enhance brand
experience. The communication messaging across all channels will be consistent in content on a
timely basis as a means of improving consumer engagement (Ashley & Tuten, 2015; Schiff,
2014; Williams, Crittenden, Keo & McCarty, 2012). New information focused on the PSE that
appears on the website will be coordinated with social media platforms and aps for mobile
phones, i-pads and computers (Velji, 2016; Keller, 2009; Puhlmann, 2013). The messaging that
influences and connects with touchpoints will be flexible and adaptable for each type of media
like a blog post, forum or video story. The message will be integrated across all social media as a
means to create customer awareness, consideration and use to shop with the REI Personalized
Shopping Experience.
References
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branded social content and consumer engagement. Psychology & Marketing, 32(1), 15-27.
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ahead of the pack. Businessinsider.com. Retrieved from
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http://www.businessinsider.com/beacons-and-ibeacons-create-a-new-market-2013-12
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