According to a recent Direct Marketing News interview with Julie Krueger, Google’s industry director of retail, nearly one third of back-to-school shoppers have already started loading up on essentials. What does this mean for marketers and retailers? “If they’re not present as customers browse and consider products while outside of the store, then the odds of them winning shoppers over for their in-store purchases are not high,” Krueger said. Marketers and retailers need to be everywhere given that:
- 50% of back-to-school searches are happening on smartphones—up from 40% last year;
- 22% of 18 to 24 year olds visit YouTube to figure out what’s cool to purchase;
- 120% increase in watch time for back-to-school videos, and back-to-school YouTube searches are up 43%.
How can marketers and retailers do that? Jonathan Alferness, VP of product management for Google Shopping, focuses on three key moments in the shopper’s journey:
- I-want-to-know moments: These are moments when the customer is deciding what to buy and is looking for facts (e.g., price, product details) to help him make a decision.
- I-want-to-go moments: These are moments when the customer is looking for stores that carry the items that they need.
- I-want-to-buy moments: These are moments when customers are ready to purchase fast and easily.
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