DMA HK: Whiskers N Paws' Winnie Lai on how to deliver a seamless omnichannel experience

No matter which sector your company is in, needless to say, having an omnichannel strategy is crucial for businesses in today's digital landscape.  

According to an Invesp survey, companies with omnichannel customer engagement strategies retain on average 89% of their customers, compared to the customer retention rate of 33% for companies with weak omnichannel customer engagement. 

In other words, a comprehensive omnichannel strategy refers to the integrated marketing strategy that connects online and offline channels to create a seamless customer experience, said Winnie Lai, head of digital marketing at Whiskers N Paws in a conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE. 

To achieve this, brands need to identify their business goals across the consumer journey, said Lai. Taking Whiskers N Paws for example, Lai said to acquire 5,000 new customers, she would get as many leads as possible from a pet show.  

“Once we collect the data, we can retarget them and send out emails or WhatsApp messages with a welcome offer for their first purchase. We can’t switch the order or priority of each step; without lead generation data, it’s more expensive to convert potential customers into actual buyers,” she added. 

The second point is setting up a consistent brand message, she said. “We have to ensure that our brand messaging, tone, and visuals are consistent across all channels—from the store to social media, emails, and the website.” 

“This way, we create a consistent shopping experience, no matter whether customers visit your store or browse online. We want our customers to feel like they’re engaging with the same brand, instead of two separate businesses,” she added. Lastly, she would integrate customer data from both online to offline where the team can ride on this data and analyse the difference in shopping behaviour. 

In short, omnichannel strategy emphasises the importance of goal alignment, consistent branding messaging, as well as the data integration. 

How are pet stores digitised to deliver a seamless customer journey?

Setting a solid foundation with best practices across digital channels is the key to improving the customer journey. This covers a variety of digital platforms, including enhancing the website's UI/UX, said Lai. 

“It’s like visiting a really cool store with an easy product search routine to let you get the product you want. At Whiskers N Paws, we’re planning to upgrade our online shopping experience with a fresh new look next year, and I hope you’ll love the changes!” 

The second point is having a clear understanding of the roles of different digital channels throughout the consumer journey, said Lai. “This clarity affects our focus, messaging, content, and budget allocation across platforms such as Meta, Instagram, Google Ads, SEO, EDM, and WhatsApp.” 

“For example, if we’re promoting a store event or a pet show, social media and email will be our main focus to blast out the news to our existing customers and social audience. We won’t spend too much time on SEO for this because it’s more about driving sales than product-related searches,” she added. 

On the other hand, social media content is also important to engage with audiences. According to a report conducted by Meltwater, three in five marketers and communication professionals in APAC regard social media as more important for their organisations due to economic uncertainties. On average, 34% of their total marketing budget will be invested in social media, with 77% of respondents planning to increase spending or keep them intact. 

“Remember, social media is the place to build your community and share your brand content. Keeping our audience engaged with our Instagram account is necessary, so whenever the promotion is coming, they will be the first to know it,” Lai said. 

For SMEs, customers are also expecting brands to deliver a comprehensive omnichannel marketing experience. 

When it comes to omnichannel, it doesn’t have to involve super high-tech solutions. Even a simple service like in-store pickup still can satisfy consumers, said Lai. 

“I’m sure many have experienced not spending enough to qualify for free shipping when shopping online. If you had the option to pick up your order at a convenience store without delivery charge, you might consider that,” she added. 

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