13 PRA NEWS UPDATES PHILIPPINE RETAILING
Salesforce Shares Perspectives on Omnichannel Strategy , Digital Commerce and Leadership
The Philippine Retailers Association recently held its 4th annual Retail Executive Circle on October 27 , 2021 . Organized in partnership with Salesforce , this year ’ s exclusive and by-invite only virtual event was attended by top retail leaders and senior executives in the country .
Themed “ Unlocking the full potential in your future of e-commerce business ”, the event sought to address the shifts in consumer and business buyer engagement as well as expectations , and how digital commerce has changed the role of sales . There was a lively discussion around how to generate a single source of truth that enables personalization at scale and weaves loyalty throughout the customer experience .
The event was hosted by Raphael Layosa , Founder & CEO of Retailgate Technologies , Inc . and Chief Technology Officer of United Neon Media Group . Ms . Rosemarie Ong , President of PRA and Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Wilcon Depot welcomed the guests . They were joined by global thought leader Eron Sunando , Vice President – Commerce Cloud , Go to Market and Transformation of Salesforce , and guest panelist Deanna Rubiano , Chief Marketing Officer of Third Pillar Business Application Inc .
During the session , Sunando shared three ( 3 ) key tips to developing a successful marketing strategy in order to target the new wave of ecommerce shoppers .
1 . The Line Fades Between Physical and Digital Commerce He said , “ We are in the age of hyper-personalization and the content we are distributing across channels should be consistent ”. He emphasized that last year , online is the lifeline for businesses . “ If they ( retailers ) don ’ t have a strong strategy to engage their customers to purchase products and services online , the company will face an overall marketing challenge .”
“ e-Commerce is really about omnichannel . It ’ s all about engaging your customer and prospect in the channel you want . They can start online and finish offline . They can start online and finish in the store . It really doesn ’ t matter and it ’ s time for retailers to stop treating e-Commerce as one channel ,” said Sunando . “ Retail shoppers are definitely embracing more creative and innovative digital
experiences through live video , online selling and virtual demo rooms . These tools will help retail brands go to market faster and more effectively .”
2 . Direct-to-Consumer Initiatives Take Off According to Salesforce ’ s latest State of Commerce Report https :// www . salesforce . com / ap / form / pdf / state-of-commerce /, marketing leaders agree that COVID-19 is driving Digital Commerce . Sunando reveals that online grocery shopping is one of the fastest growing verticals in Q1 and Q3 . “ Customers will continue to buy essentials online . We saw a massive amount of increase in online grocery shopping . We think that this trend is here to stay and direct-to-consumer initiatives will become a priority for brands across diverse industries .”
3 . Shopping at the Edge Accelerates Sunando then touched on the most exciting part , which is shopping at the edge . “ One of the biggest bright spots to come out of this pandemic is that it has allowed more people to embrace and pursue creativity and innovation . ”
During the panel discussion , guest panelist Rubiano elaborated on the topic of experimentation , one of the best practices to engage with the right customers and target shoppers . “ There are many consumers who are actually very vocal and they love to give feedback . We ’ re seeing a lot of retail brands who are owning and managing their own chat groups on social media to build their brand ambassadors and fans . These advocates are more likely to recommend these brands to their friends and community .
On the other hand , customer behaviours and expectations continue to evolve rapidly . Trends are no longer determined by a single industry or brand because of multiple consumer touchpoints and experiences .
On the competition side , Sunando shared that it is starting to come from multiple fronts in a non-traditional sense . “ It ’ s easy to disrupt right now .”
To conclude , Sunando and Rubiano shared some advice with C-level retail executives . Sunando said “ You have to start listening actively to consumers , and be in the know on trends that are happening right now .” Rubiano agreed , “ It ’ s our job now as business leaders to really focus on customers ’ needs , and build around their expectations . That ’ s how we will gain a competitive edge .”
The 4th annual Retail Executive Circle Virtual Edition , the Philippines ’ premier community for top retail executives and leaders , was made possible by our Content Partner and Host Sponsor Salesforce and our Program Partner Retailgate Technologies , Inc .
Salesforce is the # 1 CRM , bringing companies closer to their customers in the digital age . For information , please visit www . salesforce . com .