The Importance Of Omnichannel Marketing In Fashion And Beauty For A Unified Commerce Strategy

With technology growing day-by-day, the line between offline and online experiences is becoming increasingly blurred. 

Nowadays, it is rare to find a brand that does not have an online presence. Many have not only a social media following, but also online purchasing options for their consumers; inviting their customers to purchase both online and in-store, whatever suits them best. 

@welcometojerry

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♬ original sound – welcometojerry

Managing all these brand offshoots calls for omnichannel marketing – a method of marketing that lends a brand a unified persona across their many channels, be them real or online. 

How can brands optimise their omnichannel marketing, and why is it becoming so important? Read our blog to find out more. 

WHAT IS OMNICHANNEL MARKETING?

Omnichannel marketing is a method of marketing wherein a business promotes its products and services across a range of devices, channels and platforms. Across these many avenues, a unified messaging, consistent visuals, and cohesive collateral is used. As such, it is different to cross-channel marketing, which views each channel as separate.

@biancamfernandez8

thoughts on the increasing popularity of experiential marketing and physical brand experiences! i love a good pop up so im happy to see it!! shout out to queen @Alexandra Hildreth for inspiring this video. 🤍 #fashionmarketing #branding #experiential #popups #conceptstore #realestatenyc #nycrealestate #fashion #d2c #brandingstrategy #luxuryfashion #balenciagapopup #jacquemuspopup #lecagole

♬ original sound – bianca

In more simple terms, omnichannel marketing is when a brand markets itself in the same manner across all its channels; be it Instagram, TikTok, or a physical store. In doing so, a solid brand identity is created, and consumers are offered the same experience no matter where they shop. 

WHY OMNICHANNEL MARKETING?

Consumers in fashion and beauty are increasingly demanding of seamless and connected shopping experiences. 

Users want to have the same experience purchasing off a brand’s TikTok via their website, as they would physically visiting that store. As such, brands are beginning to view their channels as one, combined channel, rather than a scattering of separate ones. By reaching for omnichannel sales and marketing strategies brands are seeking to build trust, make messaging consistent across all channels, and combine multiple sales channels smoothly. 

So, why is omnichannel marketing so effective? 

@marcjacobs

Behind-the-scenes of the Marc Jacobs Pre-Fall 2024 campaign starring @Sabrina Carpenter ♥️

♬ original sound – marcjacobs

Building loyalty and trust in consumers 

Recent surveys have found that 84% of marketers wish to grow consumer trust and loyalty through their omnichannel efforts. 

Competition for consumers’ attention increases day by day, leading to fashion and beauty brands working overtime to improve loyalty and trust, to attract and retain consumers. It has been proven that outstanding customer experiences drive brand loyalty, and one of the most crucial parts in this is ensuring your brand experience is consistent across all your channels. 

@glossier

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♬ MILLION DOLLAR BABY (VHS) – Tommy Richman

The biggest struggle many brands face in achieving this is managing product catalogue data. Consumers require constantly accurate and thorough information about product offerings before they feel ready to make a purchase, and many brands have found it difficult to offer this consistently. Yet, many emerging technologies are solving this issue, providing brands with automated systems that keep track of product catalogues.

A shift from offline to online 

The fashion and beauty industry is about to see a record shift to online channels. 

In 2024, brands have prioritised sales and marketing for offline, typically allotting 41-80% of their budget for this avenue. However, 76% of marketers have reported that in 2025, this budgeting will instead go to online purchases. 

This is largely due to a shift in consumer desire from offline to online, and the effectiveness of omnichannel marketing. Marketers who use more than three channels in their campaigns see a whopping 494% higher order rate than those using just one channel. 

@madebymitchell

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♬ original sound – madebymitchell

Marketers are no longer restricting themselves to just direct-to-consumer, dot com, or brick and mortar sales; they view all these channels as part of one, mega store. On top of this, many brands are reporting that DTC is simply not as effective as it once was. Sales margins on DTC have steadily declined, as a result of employee costs, shipping costs, and more. This has led many to turn to wholesale, adding another channel to the mix and emphasising the need for effective omnichannel marketing. 

Omnichannel marketing will be lead by social, mobile and A/V

When it comes to the epicentres of omnichannel marketing, most brands agree that social commerce takes the cake. Social commerce through platforms such as TikTok has become a major focal point for brands in recent years, with the majority striving to offer some form of commerce on their social media accounts. 

Consumers demand blurred lines between offline and online experiences. They seek brands with a strong social media presence that is vindictive of their physical channels; they want to scroll through a brand’s TikTok, make several purchases from it, and then see the store on the street on their way to work. 

Mobile apps and audio and visual take the back seat when it comes to omnichannel marketing, though marketers agree that video is the most effective social format at getting consumers to convert. 

OMNICHANNEL OPTIMISATION, CONTENT AND AUDIENCE TACTICS

Achieving personable and engaging experiences at every touch point for your consumer is no easy task. Shoppers expect consistent brand experiences no matter where they engage, forcing brands to find new ways to ensure consumer happiness. 

Brands are optimising as much as possible to achieve ultimate efficacy. 88% of brands are testing and using analytics to optimise their channel and messaging. On top of this, brands are leaning on high quality content to drive engagement and customer attraction. This includes social proof and other content created to drive UGC, as well as audience led campaigns and segmentation. 

New research has shown that retailers such as Sephora and Ulta are seeking to upgrade their e-commerce fulfilment strategies, by offering in-store fulfilment powered by third-party services and easier returns.

@sephora

Just out here helping Little John advance his career.

♬ original sound – Justin

Personalisation is a key area for fashion and beauty retailers. In fact, only 3% do not engage with it. For e-commerce, personalisation is the key to a happy consumer; be that consumer experience or in the marketing funnel. 90% of brands use email and SMS automation to provide services such as abandoned carts and promotion notifications. Emerging technology is a major part of personalisation, such as AR try on, sizing tools and AI product recommendations. 

OMNICHANNEL SUCCESSES, CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES 

Ultimately, the future of fashion and beauty is omnichannel marketing. The industries are under increasing pressure from consumers to create a seamless shopping experience. 

Customer acquisition costs are rising, leading brands to do all they can to maximise their existing customers. As such, brands are increasingly using loyalty program relaunches and refreshes to grow their customer base; thus far, these are proving largely successful, with brands such as Levi’s championing their efficacy. 

In terms of measuring success, most brands have taken to leaning on customer acquisition cost and cost per acquisition as their selected metrics. This is followed closely behind by social media engagement metrics, emphasising the importance of building brand awareness. 

The biggest challenge most brands are facing when attempting omnichannel marketing, is accurate measurement across all channels. 82% of brands cited struggling with this, followed by lack of budget, and then ROI difficulties. 

Looking to the future of omnichannel marketing strategy, fashion and beauty brands are looking to continue refining their approaches. The area for most opportunity seems to be digital advertising expansion, as well as emerging technologies such as virtual try-ons and AR. 

@rarebeauty

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♬ original sound – Rare Beauty

Unified commerce is quickly becoming a crowded space. Brands looking to join in should focus on offering convenient and consistent experiences to foster consumer trust and loyalty. This can be achieved through technological partnerships to aid in scaling and running omnichannel strategies. Personalisation is the name of the game, so be sure to find the right tools to offer your consumers top of the line seamless shopping experiences. 

For brands starting out, it is essential to seek out a platform that offers some flexibility to test out new strategies and technologies. By doing so, you will be sure to find the perfect fit platform for your needs. 

All in all, omnichannel marketing is the key to integrating online and offline experiences. In foing so, brands are able to meet consumer desires and succeed in an increasingly competitive market.

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