We love seeing our clients win awards

Due to the pandemic, this year’s MobEx & Asia E-Commerce Awards 2021 was conducted via online event broadcast. The awards celebrate the industry’s champions for the most innovative and forward-thinking marketers in mobile & e-Commerce. We are excited to see our clients snatch the awards for their digital campaigns in the following categories:

Mob-Ex Awards 2021:
Best Use of Content – AXA Liverpool Campaign

Asia e-Commerce Awards 2021:
Best eCommerce Design – Timberland (Bronze) and D&G (Silver)
Best eCommerce Strategy – Timberland (Bronze) and D&G (Gold)
Best eCommerce Omnichannel –D&G (Gold)
Best eCommerce Leads Generation – D&G (Bronze)

Watch the awards ceremony here:

Once again, congratulations to our clients. More importantly, we are grateful for the trust and confidence of our clients who have chosen XGATE to develop their headless commerce strategy as a key transformation piece for their retail business. The future of commerce is already here and companies investing into online channels with the right business model and technology strategy will emerge as market leaders.

三大重要策略助電子商務業務轉型 並為未來作好準備

In this Master Report, XGATE proposes looking into three strategies to build a “headless commerce” architecture that will future-proof businesses as they dive into the new e-commerce reality.

社交距離及封鎖措施已嚴重影響企業營商及消費者生活的模式,疫情令消費者轉向網上消費,即使日後一切回復正常,已改變的習慣也不會消失。

事實上,這場危機已令許多大膽的企業大舉投資網上渠道,而具備合適轉型策略的經營者有機會成為市場領導者。在今期「Master Report」,XGATE探討建立「無頭商務」架構的三種策略,助企業為未來的嶄新電子商務環境作好準備。

零售品牌正不斷探索嶄新的網上商店策略,面對不斷提高的顧客期望,電子商務經營者的當務之急,是要了解可能遇到的潛在難題。當下眾多的選擇已將消費者「寵壞」,他們可以在從「被吸引」到「選擇購買」這個過程中精挑細選,這無疑使得數字化線上業務競爭空前激烈。即使電子商務發展較成熟的企業,現時也面臨具挑戰的難題—如何吸引合適的潛在顧客消費、如何留住顧客、以及如何降低不斷上升的獲取顧客成本。為迎接電子商務的未來,企業必須建立一個涵蓋以下特質的無縫數碼旅程:

1. 能夠快速部署的無頭商務架構
隨著付費媒體成本上升,加上市場競爭加劇,制定有效的內容策略來吸引自然流量變得十分重要。各大社交平台的品牌已採取這種內容及商務策略,例如Facebook Shops、Instagram Shopping、Taobao Live及小紅書等。
然而,許多零售商正採取將前端店面與後端電子商務功能脫鉤的無頭商務架構,品牌可藉此將內容管理、顧客檔案管理、忠誠度管理、訂單管理、倉庫管理、甚至aPOS等不同系統與電子商務平台結合,從而選擇最佳效能的架構。以下圖表概述如何連接以API為基礎的無頭商務架構,以支援內容發布、忠誠度營銷及商務營運。
API-first headless commerce architecture

品牌可運用無頭商務架構迅速推行電子商務,無須花費數月,幾天便可開設一家新網上商店。在競爭激烈的全球市場,上市時間一向是致勝關鍵。一項業務的成敗,取決於市場推廣人員能否將推出廣告宣傳的時間從數星期縮短至數日。此外,品牌亦可迅速有效地分享數碼內容,有助進一步在不同接觸點上,包括漸進式網絡應用程式、原生應用程式、會員網站、社交應用程式及任何智能設備,發布產品、產品宣傳片及社交帖文。

2. 全渠道零售體驗
流動科技及社交媒體應用已改變消費者與品牌互動的方式。隨著線上線下體驗相融合,消費者在整個購物旅程中將透過多個接觸點與品牌聯繫,因此品牌需要採取全渠道零售策略,當顧客瀏覽、進行研究、甚至購物時,產品都必須無處不在。

管理大量線上線下銷售渠道涉及大量資源規劃,經已是一項艱鉅的任務,更遑論要管理那些渠道的產品庫存。從顧客體驗及營運開支角度來看,庫存不足或存貨過多的情況均會造成沉重的後果。因此,部署完善整合訂單管理系統(OMS)及倉庫管理系統(WMS)的商務架構,對支援電子商務、ERP及POS系統非常重要。

全渠道解決方案須確保所有平台的數據流保持一致、整合來自所有渠道的數據、在每個可能的接觸點聯繫顧客、並幫助有效管理庫存。事實上,未來的商務解決方案應將每個接觸點的用戶體驗納入為一項重點設計。相反,與傳統零售及網上商店相比,缺乏以顧客為先的系統架構,是由於所設計的解決方案只著眼於不斷優化各個渠道,而沒有考慮整體顧客體驗。

3. 忠誠度策略配合個人化生命週期營銷
電子商務的激烈競爭導致品牌的平均獲取顧客成本不斷上升。從「光棍節」或「黑色星期五」期間的促銷大減價、到網紅營銷推廣的成本不斷上升,市場推廣人員正逐步改變其商務策略,加大對建立顧客忠誠度的投資。

個人化通訊是品牌進行忠誠度營銷的一個常用手法。在顧客生命週期的各個階段,顧客會收到歡迎訊息、生日祝賀、積分或會藉到期提醒、預購邀請、獨家折扣、甚至是包裝小禮物。

由於後端系統已記錄消費者的購物數據,因此設計個人化購物體驗,並不如「購買X的人亦會購買Y」一樣。因此,最重要是運用那些數據令內容管理系統、手機應用程式及社交渠道變得個人化。在不同的接觸點上,品牌可以向忠實顧客送上小福利。

品牌亦可在電子商務專頁上宣傳額外優惠,例如消費一定金額後免費送貨,或者為VIP會員提供專人客戶服務,讓他們可經電話、短訊或通訊軟件直接聯繫。在購買過程中,透過各個接觸點提供一致的體驗取悅顧客。

嶄新電子商務時代經已來臨
企業投身電子商務的最大理由之一,是要避免因瞬息萬變的零售業務環境而陷入困境(尤其在新冠疫情期間)。不同企業目前正處於不同電子商務發展階段,一些早起步的經營者正成為其行業的主流網上企業,例如化妝品行業的Sephora、電子產品行業的蘇寧、或者家居裝飾產品行業的家得寶。

隨著愈來愈多人以新方式在各種接觸點上發掘產品資訊、閱讀評論及下訂單,電子商務的未來經已來臨。嶄新與成熟的網上品牌現正處於交匯點,評估能真正幫助業務變得靈活的可持續發展業務策略及電子商務平台選擇。因此,品牌必須轉向無頭商務架構,以支援全渠道(線上及線下)零售營銷、打造個人化體驗、留住忠實顧客、並保持長遠競爭優勢。

零售數碼化轉型:從商店到全渠道
全渠道零售無須品牌無處不在,品牌只須出現在顧客所在之處。全渠道零售的最終目標,是通過在所有渠道或接觸點上提供統一的購物體驗,以建立一套綜合營商方式。

主要業務挑戰:
• 零售銷售疲弱 — 新冠疫情及封鎖措施對零售銷售造成打擊,尤其是奢侈品。
• 消費者行為轉變 — 經濟低迷令消費者選擇價格較低的高質素高檔品牌。

為應對這些挑戰,D&G採取電子商務策略,通過不同接觸點為消費者提供商店購物體驗,同時提升零售人員為網上顧客提供客戶服務的能力。
為提供獨特無縫的店內及網上購物體驗,品牌以無頭商務架構為基礎,圍繞微信的核心功能開發三款小程序以滿足不同需求:
1. 電子商務 — 用於網上銷售活動
2. 會員中心 — 供顧客查看交易記錄、會員狀態、以及電子商務鏈結
3. 顧客服務 — 供零售人員管理銷售商機、將顧客連接到電子商務平台、並追蹤銷售業績.

此外,D&G亦開設一家360度虛擬商店,當中提供網上商店的鏈結。

該數碼化策略能夠提供全渠道顧客體驗,有助留住顧客及提高銷售額,改變零售業務的營運方式。銷售人員可在零售店使用顧客服務功能提升電子商務平台的銷售流量,數月內令新潛在顧客增加超過95%,電子商務電商小程序的銷售額增加超過13%,品牌的顧客留存率亦保持在40%以上的健康水平。事實上,D&G已成功運用科技創新來打造無縫的顧客體驗,並有效提高業務盈利。

This post has been written by Xen Chia from XGATE under the Master Report series of Marketing Magazine, published in the January 2021 issue.

XGATE on the importance of loyalty and personalisation

This year XGATE walked away with bronze award for CRM & Loyalty Marketing Agency of the Year at the Agency of the Year awards. At the heart of the full service digital marketing agency is its proprietary DMS suite consists of a diverse range of multi-channel marketing from mobile to email, social and web. It also has numerous tech solutions such as marketing automation, CRM and loyalty system, data management platform, social media marketing, SMS gateway and others.

Apart from CRM & loyalty management, DMS provides real-time campaign performance tracking, behaviour analytics, reporting; and act as a social CRM for leads generation and nurturing. Hence, helping its clients to engage with customers throughout the entire lifecycle journey to optimise marketing ROI and build customer loyalty to grow their lifetime value.

According to Tang Pak Kay, business development director of XGATE, “Winning this award serves as a confidence booster to our clients, knowing that XGATE is committed to working and supporting our clients in building customer retention and brand loyalty with their members and consumers.”

This interview is done as part of MARKETING-INTERACTIVE’s winners and finalists’ interview series. To find out more about the awards, click here.

How has your clients’ marketing plans shifted this year?

Tang: Due to this unprecedented pandemic, many of our clients are starting to reach out to us to review and re-evaluate their marketing plans, especially in fostering a stronger relationship with their customers. We are privileged to be able to help them strategise new member recruitment and engagement solutions on various touchpoints.

What are some of the trends you see carrying on post-pandemic, and how are you readying your workforce to be ready with these trends?

Tang: Brands are starting to pay more attention and invest more resources on digital marketing strategies to engage with their customers. They see the need to offer personalised messages and promotions on multiple touchpoints to reach out to their customers and track their behaviors more religiously. The team is definitely expanding to support the increasing customer pool. At the same time, we are also doing more integrated campaigns on various platforms.

What do you think makes for great marketing these days?

Tang: Timeliness, relevance and personalisation. These are the key ingredients in achieving the marketing objectives. The right message / offer needs to reach your customers at the right time they are seeking for the particular information. Once the customer can identify and resonate with the message, that is when he/she is more open and receptive to your brand. Ultimately, personalisation – the ability to customise a particular offer that is one-of-its-kind for the customer, and creating a unique and exclusive customer experience.

How are you planning for 2021?

Tang: Year 2021 will be an exciting and busy year for us. We are expanding our marketing functions to the existing clients who are enhancing their marketing strategies; introducing more sophisticated marketing capabilities XGATE’s R&D team has developed. In addition, working with some new accounts we have won. We hope that 2021 will bring more opportunities for everyone and break new forays in the marketing landscape. We are eagerly looking forward to an exciting year ahead!

This article was adapted from Marketing Magazine.