มาดูกันว่าช่วงไตรมาสแรกและเดือนเมษาที่ผ่านมา (ม.ค.-เม.ย. 2020) Digital Trend ทั่วโลกเป็นยังไงบ้าง การที่มี Covid-19 นั้น แน่นอนว่าคนหันมาใช้ออนไลน์มากขึ้น แต่ใช้อะไรมากขึ้นหรือเปลี่ยนไปมากน้อยขนาดไหนไปดูกันเลย
เรียน Digital Marketing จาก Google ได้ฟรี ไม่มีพื้นฐานก็เรียนได้ แถมได้ใบประกาศด้วย! สิ่งนี้อาจจะช่วยให้เราได้เข้าใจโลกออนไลน์มากขึ้น และจะช่วยเพิ่มศักยภาพของเรา อาจทำให้เรามีโอกาสเติบโตในหน้าที่การงานในอนาคตได้อีกด้วย ไปเริ่มกันเลยว่ามีอะไรบ้าง
ช่วง Covid-19 นี้ ทาง Facebook ก็ได้มีการเพิ่มตัว Emoji reaction อันใหม่ ที่เรียกว่า “Care emoji” ที่เป็นรูปกอดหัวใจ และรวมถึง เพิ่มรูปหัวใจ (Pulsating heart) ในแชทของ Facebook Messenger ด้วย งานนี้ต้องบอกเลยว่า น่ารักมากๆ คาดว่าช่วงต้นเดือนพฤษภาคมนี้ จะได้ลองใช้กันที่ไทยแล้ว (บางคนก็ทำได้แล้วนะ)
No one can deny that internet and smartphone have changed our behavior. It can help to make our lives easier such as buying through online channel instead of going to physical store. Although the online shop gives benefit to customers, there is some drawback. So, the physical store still needs to solve the online problem.
The increase can be seen in online retail sales worldwide from 5.9% to 8.2% between 2014 and 2017 (Invespcro, 2017). However, many businesses are interested to change their role within the online platform to build their businesses up to date and to be more engaged with customers. Do you agree with this?
The trend of opening an online store could be rising, however, there are still some businesses who are willing to take the reverse trend by investing in physical stores instead. The business believes that customers familiar with online channel can motivate themselves to engage with offline store. According to Weng and Zhang (2015) stated that the integration of marketing activities on online channel developed with offline model can bring business achieve the highest profits. This operation is called O2O business that brings online shop to offline stores.
The example of O2O business is Matchbox store in Thailand. Matchbox store has become very popular due to the influence created by social media. This shop sells multi-brand of fashion items over 100 brands, which the shop selects popular Thai’s Instagram accounts with high followers as their influencers and marketing tool to build up brand recognition to their followers. For example, clothes, shoes, jewelries Instagram. All products’ concept is trendy for everyday’s look. There are two branches and will be opening the third branch on the 1st of December 2017.
one of Matchbox decorated in pink color and has three floors, ground floor and first floor sales sells fashion items. The second floor is café name pink planter.
Do the on shelves solve online purchasing problems?
Yes, it is. As the basic advantages of physical stores. For instance, clothes or shoes do not fit their body or the quality of goods is lower than expected because the image that posted in online are over modification. So, it is better for customers who want to try it on before purchasing.
Another aspect of Thai shops is the purchasing process from online channel may not be the most convenient for exchange or refund because many brands from Thai’s Instagram are not large as big store and the management system is not the same. Some of them may not have many employees so owners (or e-tailers) manage every process of their brands. Hence, e-tailers prefer to clear their stocks and receive money more than getting the products back.
Furthermore, price and products are the significant factors that customers will make the decision whether to buy or not. In this case, most of the products price in Matchbox store is reachable and some of the products are quite high which cost nearly the same with global brands such as Zara or H&M. Because the owner of each brand use make to order system (MTO) and their ability to produce in economies of scale are too far. Thus, the quality from Thai retailers is neat and high quality compared with mass production.
How Matchbox engage with customers?
(Harmeling et al., 2016)
From the framework, the customer engagement marketing is the first key to connect with customers. The link between online channel and offline channel can be seen by the Matchbox and individual Instagram shop online promotion announcement such as a discount when customers purchase in store. This means that Matchbox has already engaged with social channels, which creates customers empowerment in shopping in the store.
The number of follower from online platform (Instagram,2017& Facebook,2017)
Regarding customer engagement and customer-owned resources, both can be perceived when the business was promoted by customer review. For instance, when customers come to Matchbox, most of them have already selected the product in their mind from online store but they only want to see the real product or they might have a discount card from online store which they can only use in-store. This can attract customer to come to the shop and try the clothes, which they had expected to buy. Nevertheless, there is also a possibility that the customer will change their mind to another brand because of the availability, size or even design. This can create the shopping experiences for customers because Matchbox has lots of brands and choices. Moreover, this store has café on the top of the store which makes the store pretty unique from another clothes store. This café is also popular in social media which might be another key to bring customers to come and joy with lovely café.
Cafe’ (Instagram,2017)
The customers as a brand communicator to advertise for Matchbox when they post photos, review or word of mouth about the experience that they perceive from stores. They discuss through both online and offline channel. An interaction between offline store and customers can create a relationship between them.
The online advertisement such as discount to use in-store or new update items can bring them to physical store.
What the result of having the physical store?
Customers shopping at Matchbox
From all of the marketing engagement processes involve both online channels and offline store. The profit of physical store which created by the influence of social media can show as an increase purchasing rate and create meaningful interactions between store and customers. It is supported by Positioningmag.com (2017) that the sale of Multi-brand store increased by 30% than purchasing through the online shops. Additionally, customers have an opportunity to enhance their shopping experiences when they come to the store.
If the business wants higher profits in-store, they should carefully think what the way store engaging with their customer like Matchbox!
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Have you ever tried ‘Thai tea’? Tea is a relaxing beverage, which has long story. It is famous for both European and Asian people to drink during the day. Apart from the long history of the original tea, there has a change and taste development to suit each country or society.
Tea can represent as beverages for elderly people in the past. However, the current trend has shown the rising of beverage shop opening where tea has become the main ingredient. I would like to give the Thai famous tea shop which has long history since 1945 named “Cha-Tra-Mue”.
Cha-Tra-Mue faces the problem of brand image that can be perceived as only for old people and does not represent young generation. In 2017, Cha-Tra-Mue has become a great success in reaching all generations by changing its sale strategy. The management of new young generation operates the business more understanding what the target needed. For instance, the very popular product which brings Cha-Tra-Mue back to the market is “cha-kulharb” (Cha=tea, kulharb= rose)
Cha-ku-lharb or Rose tea is one of the most popular menus because of the quality of the product and its marketing strategy. This brand used adaptive marketing strategy, which is a significant factor to change the brand image to approach consumers. Cha-Tra-Mue uses social proof as a tool to help their business.
Looking at the product; rose tea was launched on valentine’s 2017 with the idea to have a new product during this love season; yet, it has become the bestseller menu that the company decided to continue. Due to the social media has gone viral about this tea as a detox tea because the ingredient and the effect of drinking it. The main attribute of rose tea for health such as detoxification, improve digestive system, healthy skin, nervous system and reduce fat in the blood.
The quality of rose tea cannot be popular without social proof. It is one of the psychology of persuasion defined by Robert Cialdini. Social proof in Cha-Tra-Mue can clearly be seen as word of mouth; from consumer to another consumer. For example, when first consumer drank rose tea and really want to go to the toilet, they think it is very effective tea then they told other friends. So, from word of mouth of your friends can be both users and wisdom of your friends social proof. For the former means the real customer’s review, the latter is from your friends which persuade you to buy follow them. Another key to announce the property of rose tea is to be published in the online channels that also lead people to buy. This will be the social proof in section wisdom of the crowds, which many people think it is good, then follow. Moreover, many consumers face with defecation after drink rose tea, therefore, some doctor has proven which is an expert social proof that this tea does not put any medicine to help detoxification but use all natural elements instead. Furthermore, Thai celebrities also post and review this tea which becomes celebrity social proof.
Basically, customer behavior showed that people want to try new thing like try the power of rose tea and challenge with it. Some of them want to try because of their defecation problem. On the other hand, the popularity of slim body might be the factor that consumer buy because it is a detoxification. Thus, they would buy detox tea which recommended by expert than buy medicine to solve defecation issue.
For example, According to LALANDE (2016), Thailand was ranked two from ten of Asean Economic Community of an obesity problem. Trend of healthy and slim body is the significant factor for Thai people. Some people think that often defecate can make them get slimmer and healthier. So, people who have difficult excretion might have rose tea as a way to help them because it sounds safer than take slim pills.
After persuasion, Marketing tools needed
From social proof which gathered a majority of consumers to know, change attitude of the brand and to be their customers. Cha-Tra-Mue produces other flavored milk tea and creates product extension, which is soft serve ice-cream apart from beverages. Additionally, the package has also changed but remains its original logo brand for the concept of long prominent tea in Thailand.
The psychology of persuasion should run with marketing strategy. The result of using psychology first has increased its market share, created brand awareness with product extension and increased number of branches which over 60 branches in Thailand (longtunman, 2017). Cha-Tra-Mue should use adaptive marketing to maintain customers and increase profits.
Thinking about the latest cafe or restaurant you went, are you the one who was persuaded by social proof?
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If you bored of shopping only at department stores that meaning almost the same experiences, there is some hangout place that I recommend you go which is open-air market in Thailand named “Artbox Thailand”
What is Art box Thailand and why is so popular?
Art box Thailand is the night open-air market in Bangkok, which comes up with a theme of chic, relaxing, and trendy. This market has variety of creative food and beverages, free concert, fashion items, handmade home decorations and art zone. Therefore, Art box market seems to be a small community for teenagers to shop, eat, and relax in this newest hangout place. Moreover, the place where market located is very convenient to come but it does not have permanently located. When the event has exactly date, time and place will be announced through Facebook fan page and Instagram.
Let’s look at the main concept of Artbox Thailand. It is the creative market. So, the great, strange and excellent ideas have been seen in every shop in this market, which approximately 200 shops have been on a display. According to Tripadvisor (2017), the famous travel page, recommends Artbox Thailand under the vote for 165 out of 573. The page has recommended this market as one of the top things to do in Bangkok when visiting Thailand. There are many categories of shop which can be divided into 4 groups.
Creative Thai and international foods with the color, packaging, and positioning of foods
Street clothes, glasses, shoes, watches, handmade mobile cases and home decoration items
Mini concert makes market lively and energetic
An opportunity for young artists to show their talents
From all the features, the pop-up market has given a unique shopping experience to customers unlike the normal shopping experience in the department store. Artbox uses social media as tools to connect with sellers and buyers. Many sellers who come from online channels can expand their shops to offline store.
Who loves open-air market?
The target customers are teenagers because Artbox has been known by using social media promoted. In this online platform, people who were born between 1980 to 2001 are millennials or generation Y that are familiar with the use of technology (McCarron, 2016). Furthermore, the products in this market are creative and unique. Therefore, groups of people who come to the market have the same interest and may create community together.
Focusing on the behavior of millennials generation, this generation and the technology are growing up at the same time. Technology seems to be the main factor of their lives which almost everyone from this generations has individual space on online platform, and they often search and share their personal information to others through this platform (Bolton et al., 2013). This means that the target group of Artbox market has online behavior and leads to use individual space for sharing their shopping experiences.
According to Christofides et al. (2009), cited in Bolton et al. (2013), most of personal story of millennials have been posted and shared on social media. This expresses that this generation wants to communicate to others of how they live their own lifestyle. Similarly, the stage three of hierarchy of need theory by Maslow (2013); people want to be accepted, loved and respected by external factors. Therefore, people who share their personal information such as their experience through social media perceive online support (Boonlue et al.,2016). Moreover, as they are the consumers, they will be the communicators and badge identity.
Thailand was ranked 7th among the Asia pacific countries in using online platform (Boonlue et al., 2016). This argument is supported by Pornsakulvanich (2017) who stated that Thai people especially 49% of age between 18 and 25 usually use social network system in daily life such as Facebook (6.10 hours/day) and Instagram (4.02 hours/day). Additionally, the behavior of Thai people was influenced by Thai culture which communities are significant than individuals. This led people to become social media addict in order to connect to their society.
The way of millennials uses Artbox as tools for showing trendy
Customers mostly do
On IG :The number of follower about 79k in Oct 2017 (Instagram.com, 2017)
On Facebook: The number of page like about 200k in Oct 2017 (Facebook.com, 2017)
Artbox understands their target customers who are often used social media that will help the market to gain recognition and lead to further sell channels. For instance, decorate market with beautiful light and big banner to be the iconic image for millennials to take photos and post.
What millennials get from going to Artbox Thailand market?
Coming to Artbox market can enhance the shopping experience of generation Y in terms of seeing new kind of market event, creative products and also posting attractive photos on social media. Artbox creates value from changing perception of traditional market to trendy market. Millennials treat trend the important factor in their lives, they can share and give opinion about the newest market expressed through their personal accounts to their online friends and show that they mean trendy people (Ordun. G, 2015). Thus, the market communicates by using online platform to help customers feel more interact with their society. Thereby, millennials can use Artbox Thailand to be the place they can express to their online communities that they are trendy people and the individual experience can be perceived.
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