Chris Borek from Target – “Bull’s-eye! Keeping your eye on the Target – Successful Strategies of Customer Engagement Technologies”
Key ingredients for the theme of this show – Engagement & Technology
Engagement is all about emotion – want to spark something that enables the consumer to “feel” – favorable attention
Experience is a little bit different – it’s a touchpoint, not a feeling, but the “type” of experience (good or bad) dictates what kind of emotion (engagement) will be felt
Target looks at Engagement as – “Helping our guests find things, learn about things, and ultimately buy things.”
Strategies for How Target Engages Guests:
- Consider the environment – physical space
- Challenge assumptions + Evolve
- Go Where “She” (target audience) is…but don’t stalk her. Mobile – enable shopping anywhere, anytime – they call mobile a “bring your own kiosk.” Doing lots of things w/ mobile including coupons and an app. Simplicity, functionality, utility are the keys to mobile success. (Good!) Social – She’s there, they’re there. He talked about some of their learnings in the social space – same ol’, same ol’ – it’s an ongoing/never-ending conversation
- Listen & Learn – What does your audience want? “Video Game Learning Center” – answers some of the needs from their target audience (I just wonder how much “she” is using this??) Her needs are all about easy and fun. Is she intimidated by these touch screens?
- Wow ‘em – 8.18.10 – held a Kaleidosopic Fashion Spectactular. Looks very cool – used the side of a building to showcase models/new fashion line – made a big spectacle out of it in NYC. Target gave away some branded binoculars – nice event. Check it out:
- Let her drive – Consumers are becoming more and more empowered to have personal experiences – IMO and I’ve talked often about this – this is going to be a conscious expectation of the consumer before too long. My Merona – can piece together a fashion look/outfit that she might like (on FB page) My Target Weekly – piece together your own circular based on the regular, weekly Target circular (on FB page) – can filter deals you want and then the coupons. And it keeps a history so it grows over time.
- Leverage that media!
- Collaborate + Stay true to your core
Nut – Target understands their target (couldn’t help that one) audience and their story. These 2 key components enable them to tell their story across multiple platforms in a compelling way. They are really pushing the limits in trying to understand all of the channels in today’s landscape and to their credit, using them, even if it’s experimentation.
Word of the session – Cheap Chic