[{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2021\/04\/08\/future-of-omnichannel\/#Article","articleBody":"The future of omnichannel has been drastically accelerated by the pandemic, altering the face of business forever. With no corner or process of any company left untouched amid COVID-19, even the most transformation-resistant industries are rapidly altering course. Manufacturers, distributors, and wholesalers are increasingly adopting tools that not only support multi-channel sales and services, but also uncover insights that can help sellers entice, advise, and persuade buyers for new or recurring purchases.\nThe use of big data, predictive analytics, machine learning, and other cutting-edge technologies are now core to all facets of this digital transformation.\nThis trend continues unabated both internationally and in Spain, according to data published by the UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development). Let\u2019s look at how it\u2019s been affected by the global pandemic.\nCOVID accelerates omnichannel in manufacturing\nThe pandemic posed many challenges for manufacturers and wholesalers, including stock outages and staff relocation, the shuttering of traditional physical channels such as hospitality and food service (HORECA) locations and retail shops. This left many companies with only one alternative: distance selling. For companies at the top of their industry\u2019s value chain \u2013 in other words, manufacturers and their brands \u2013 the move toward an omnichannel direct-to-consumer (D2C) strategy has accelerated demand for both customer data management and e-commerce technology solutions.\n \nOmnichannel examples: Brands creating their own luck\n   Online retail and e-commerce require an omnichannel strategy. How do you create one? Learn some of the best omnichannel examples out there.  \nFor example, large retailers in fashion, sporting goods, and food, have seen an upward trend in their digital channels and, therefore, demand has remained upstream in the supply chain for these categories. However, business shutdowns and stay-at-home orders have reduced aggregate demand per channel. Take, for example, the massive hit HORECA and travel organizations have experienced since the crisis began.\nWhile the situation has certainly been an inflection point for many direct-to-consumer organizations, it should also be viewed in the context of the transformational groundswell that has built up in recent years.\nThe future of omnichannel: Getting closer to the customer\nA core challenge in recent times for D2C companies has been gaining an increased understanding of the end consumer.\nThe future of omnichannel is the future of all businesses, whether B2B or B2C. It\u2019s no longer enough to simply survey customers about their preferences. You need to understand their buying habits and behavioral patterns in order to recommend the right product at the right time, and increase the likelihood of purchase. Brand spend on programmatic advertising, for example, is enormous, but this type of marketing doesn\u2019t necessarily lead to a direct consumer relationship or an actionable customer profile to act on.\nWhile the retail point of sale was once the customary touchpoint for understanding consumers\u2019 buying preferences and behaviors, the need to profile the consumer now goes well beyond the physical channel. After all, customers\u2019 behavior impacts every element of business planning and execution, from store locations, to packaging, to promotions, and more.\nAll of this makes the future of omnichannel critical to business success \u2013 and survival.\n \nDirect to consumer brands and models that are killing it\n   Discover some of the best direct to consumer brands and how can you up your e-commerce game to compete in the digital landscape.  \nThis information transcends preset target groups and audiences. Via the future of omnichannel, the knowledge can be used beyond advertising and marketing to:\nSupport demand forecasting\nInfluence negotiations with channel partners\nInform the redistribution of products and categories\nOptimize sales processes and operations in general and logistics in particular\nHelp guide product development and innovation\nThis is why building richer, more consumer-like profiles for business buyers has become a well-established practice recently, especially in the context of targeting multiple small, long-tail customers, since these deeper insights, over time, can help enable more automated processes and optimized sales channels.\nCDP, direct selling, and marketplaces: Welcome to the future of omnichannel\nThese trends and challenges, in turn, have led to the rise of a new class of customer data platform (CDP) solutions. In a general sense, CDPs are databases that leverage big data to fuel two primary business competencies: customer relationship management (CRM) and business intelligence analytics.\nFor CRM projects, the tool itself is used to learn from the behavior of each individual customer as they progress through their buying journey and determine the next best step at each touchpoint, be it a promotion, survey, coupon, and so on. For analytics projects, the goal is to create dynamic dashboards and reporting to predictively anticipate demand based on customers\u2019 behavioral trends.\nIn terms of direct sales, the most frequent projects during the pandemic months have been focused on going direct to consumer with specific product lines. These are typically either large enterprises testing new product or brand launches, or new smaller brands wanting to quickly enter the market.\n \nWhat is CDP? | Customer Data Platform, defined\n   Businesses have lots of data - but what do they do with it? Discover how a CDP helps organizations reach customers, identify intent, and personalize messaging to exceed KPIs and bottom line projections.  \nIn either case, these are essentially testing environments that take the form of e-commerce storefronts, but the fact that these projects are exploratory does not detract from their strategic value. On one hand, this can be the best way to quickly determine a direct selling model that won\u2019t disrupt legacy channels. On the other, this can help optimize organizational or process elements \u2013 either at a logistical level or in direct service to the end consumer \u2013 on a smaller scale than an organization-wide effort.\nAnother D2C model that doesn\u2019t require its own dedicated channel is selling through marketplaces. Manufacturers use already established generalist or industry-specialized marketplaces as a sales channel and a way to engage with end consumers.\nThese solutions\u00a0 range from a simple approach with a limited catalog, manual processes, and minimal integrations, to full integration via marketplace aggregators that operate as intermediaries with various platforms. However, while agile, this approach doesn\u2019t support the deeper consumer relationships and actionable insights direct sales models can enable in the future of omnichannel.\nYour customers are managing 85% of their relationships online. Learn how omnichannel CX can provide everything they want \u2013 and more \u2013 HERE!","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2021\/04\/08\/future-of-omnichannel\/#Article_Person","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2021\/04\/08\/future-of-omnichannel\/#Article_Person_ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/23x6xj3o92m9361dbu2ij362-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Javier_SAP-Summit-150x150.jpg"},"name":"Javier Alonso","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/javier-alonso\/"},"dateModified":"2021-09-07T15:44:23+00:00","datePublished":"2021-04-08T06:21:08+00:00","description":"The future of omnichannel: Whether B2B or B2C, it's no longer enough to survey customers. To engage, retain, and earn customers, brands must understand buying habits and behavioral patterns.","headline":"The future of omnichannel: Manufacturing, D2C, data in e-commerce era","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2021\/04\/08\/future-of-omnichannel\/#Article_ImageObject","height":"630","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/the-future-of-omnichannel-1200x630.jpeg","width":"1200"},"mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2021\/04\/08\/future-of-omnichannel\/","name":"The future of omnichannel: Manufacturing, D2C, data in e-commerce era","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/","additionalType":"https:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/wiki\/Q1193236","description":"Relevant, timely information & analysis on commerce trends, both consumer-facing and B2B.","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/23x6xj3o92m9361dbu2ij362-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/themes\/hybris_foc\/assets\/images\/layout\/logo-new-2x.png?_=1","height":"96","url":"https:\/\/23x6xj3o92m9361dbu2ij362-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/themes\/hybris_foc\/assets\/images\/layout\/logo-new-2x.png?_=1","width":"500"},"name":"The Future of Customer Engagement and Experience","sameAs":["https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/a-call-for-a-better-experience\/id1479742201","https:\/\/twitter.com\/FutureOfCEC","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/groups\/4844282","https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/feed\/"],"url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/"},"url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2021\/04\/08\/future-of-omnichannel\/#Article"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2021","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2021\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"04","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2021\/\/04\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"08","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2021\/\/04\/\/08\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"The future of omnichannel: Manufacturing, D2C, data in e-commerce era","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2021\/04\/08\/future-of-omnichannel\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]