Human Interaction vs Advancing technology

While technology is on the rise, customers still want interaction when making a purchase.

A Mindtree survey from 2016 found that 70% of shoppers want to interact with a sales associate, and that 40% of shoppers made a purchase after a positive interaction with a sales associate.

New technologies are emerging to grab the attention of customers, such as online retargetting advertising which is based on a consumers browsing history, or location based marketing which alerts a customer’s phone when they are near a certain store. These method however are a one-way communication from the brand to the customers, where customers cannot communicate back. They want to be heard and expect this from a company. So what exactly are the benefits of using a sales representative or brand ambassadors on the street instead of static advertising?

1. Connecting on a human level

Human interaction will add a personality to your brand as opposed to a static picture. Human-to-human interaction influences the perception of a brand.

2. Reflection of the brand’s personality

The look and engagement style of a brand ambassador or sales associate is just as important as the information they relay to the consumer. This interaction represents a brands product or service much clearer than a billboard ever would.

3. Boost ROI

Due to the significance of human interaction, customers will develop a deeper understanding and engagement with a brand, which in turn stimulates Word-Of-Mouth (WOM). In a connected world like today, thanks to social media people can reach all of their friends at once when they enjoy an experience, a product or a store. This, in the long run, leads to higher awareness, higher returns, and increased loyalty.

In addition, people are now more used to advertisement on the streets, so they walk past without necessarily responding to. If passing it on a regular basis they may no longer even notice it. If customers want human interaction, why not go out and engage them so they get to know your brand much better than they would through static advertisement?