A coordinated approach that creates a consistent customer experience across multiple online and offline channels.
The goal is for each channel to work as part of one connected relationship rather than as a separate campaign.
Short and sweet:
A coordinated approach that creates a consistent customer experience across multiple online and offline channels.
The goal is for each channel to work as part of one connected relationship rather than as a separate campaign.
See also: Marketing Channel, Customer Journey, Personalization
Omnichannel marketing coordinates messaging and experience across every channel a customer might use, like a website, physical store, email, and mobile app, so a person can move between them without losing context or getting a jarring, inconsistent experience along the way. A customer might research a product on their phone, ask a question over chat, and complete the purchase in person, and omnichannel marketing treats that entire path as one continuous relationship rather than several disconnected interactions. Achieving this in practice usually requires shared data systems across departments, since disconnected tools tend to be the biggest obstacle to a genuinely seamless experience.
Starbucks practices omnichannel marketing by letting a customer order on the mobile app, pay with a saved gift card balance, and earn the same rewards points whether they’re in-store or using drive-thru.
Disney ties its parks, streaming service, and merchandise together with this same connected approach, letting a single account follow a family from watching a movie at home to buying the matching toy in a theme park gift shop.
Sephora blends in-store beauty consultations with its app’s virtual try-on tool the same way, letting a shopper research online and then finish the purchase in person without losing that data along the way.
