Right. Hi, everybody. My name is Irma Carsten. Hi, thank you for joining my session and welcome to this session. Um, it's good morning where I am from. I'm based in South Africa, Johannesburg in South Africa. I'm a digital marketing strategist and a digital marketing trainer by profession.

Um, so that's what I do full time, right? So let's kick off then. Um, welcome to the session. Thank you for joining and we are gonna talk about how people are still people in a digital world, even though we are in the middle of a, um, digital trans major, digital transformation everywhere over the world. So, yes. Um, what we're gonna talk about, um, briefly is, um, what are the current trends and online behaviors of consumers? How do we build authentic brands in our digital marketing? How to reach the hearts and minds of your ideal customers and then also how to communicate to your ideal customers in a way that really matters to them. Right? So, um, what the, the quote you'll see on the screen is from Susie Gehring. She's the Global Chief Marketing Officer at Ford Motor Company. And what happened in the last year since 2020 when the unknown happened to all of us, is that what should have taken three years? Um 23 to 5 years actually took six months um during the whole pandemic where the whole world changed and online changed dramatically. And I'm sure all of you have experienced that in your countries and in your digital marketing efforts.

So, um we were thrown into digital transformation and we had to adjust very quickly in all industries in all countries globally, right? So what we found is, and there are many different online behaviors that have taken place globally. But if we just focus on the United Kingdom as an example, so I chose a European region just so that it's a little bit more central for all of us. But um I'm sure in the countries where you are in, we have people from S Slovenia and I'm from South Africa and India and all over the globe that their search behavior were kind of similar or, or online behavior was kind of similar. But in the UK, specifically the search terms that were more globally or the increase in search terms globe or in the UK were typically in terms of recyclable plastics and recycling in general, living green. Um in the UK, specifically how uh people searched how to grow um local produce, how to sustain live sustainable lifestyles. And then also, you know, the global search interest for ideas are paired with things like home decor or Diy really peaked during 2020. And consumers are continuing to browse online for looking for inspiration and to their online behavior has changed more to be geared towards slow living because we were forced to spend more time in our homes and forced to rook at our lives. Right? Because our health is being affected.

Um, everybody has been affected by the situation that we are in and also wellness is a global trend. People are focusing on their general wellness and their um you know, mind in terms of their mind, being healthy, in terms of their minds and bodies and the biggest increase in those switching to online retail or online buying um is also that the people aged from 35 upwards have seen a major increase.

So where previously online shoppers were younger. Now, we've seen a huge increase specifically in the UK in consumers aged above 35 years of age. Also then in the past year since 2021 in every four people who buy um clothes online have bought from a new brand or retailer which they haven't bought from before. And we've seen globally that trends were 75% were women's wear and interestingly enough, 82% menswear. So these shoppers have also said that they will continue to use these new retailers that they've bought from in the coming months. So some of their online behaviors were temporary, others are here to stay So, um, we know that things come and go, trends come and go, but the, the five trends that are staying or that have been predicted to stay after 2020 even longer is that, um, consumers are now browsing online looking for the information online before they make their purchasing decision more than ever because we are homebound, right?

We all stay safe, we all stay home. So that's why consumers are getting the information they need. Well, all of the information they need and the research is done online and they are also carefully considering who they are buying from, not just in terms of price, but there are so many other things that now have become important to consumers. If we look at the previous slide, what is important to consumers is now things like sustainable living, sustainable brands who are environmentally responsible. So I think what happened during 2020 is that people, consumers, our consumers, our clients, your clients, I started to think differently about life, their lives and their spending patterns. Now consumers are also expecting a better value than ever. And that's one of the trends that will definitely stay and they need extensive delivery options for everything, think about your own use. Those of you who are online at the moment, how have your behaviors changed in the last year? And also um one of the trends that will stay is that consumer demand will now remain dynamic.

Dynamic means it and they want to be able to make fast paced decisions and they need to be able to change their um decisions fast and you know, explore different types of options that are available, right? So, um it will be good in the chat if you want to at any time, ask questions or give feedback. You're welcome or share your experiences. Please feel free to do that in the chat. So what of these uh behaviors now mean that online based experiences are here to stay? It means that the attitudes of our shoppers have changed across demographics. We've seen all the demographics now engaging in online shopping. We've seen how the search terms and the search behaviors have changed, but it's not only the pandemic that caused people to shop online, it is all about convenience, it's about saving time, it's about being responsible, environmentally responsible and as the aspirations then move online of these consumers, then new brand loyalties have been formed.

But also consumers are not as loyal as they used to be a few years ago. So loyalty has kind of shifted. People are more open to, to, to move towards brands, which they've never engaged with before. So um it all of these elements together have really shaped the way that consumers are behaving online and how we should communicate to our consumers. And also um those um businesses and companies in the retail environment would have noticed that the strategic role of the actual stores, their brick and mortar buildings have completely evolved in terms of how do we get feet through the door and where do we actually make contact with our consumers?

So just as an example and a lot of this research was from think with Google, um you may have seen some of this research before, but many of the or if you just look at the beauty industry online, we will see um in terms of the different age categories of 18 to 34 year olds versus 30 5 to 54 year olds and 50 people, 55 and older.

How, um, what are the reasons that they shop for beauty products online as an example? So we'll see for the younger generations, it's about ease, right? It's about convenience. Um, it's about, you know, being, um, it's about things being easy for them. It makes it easy for them to find stuff where the 34 to 35 to 54 year olds. It's also about convenience, but it's also about finding new products. Right. So they are open to exploring new brands, new products, new experiences online now and then people, 55 year and older is all. You will see that there's a golden thread throughout the, um, the age categories that it's all about people wanting to stay home, not wanting to go to shops and being exposed to many people in confined spaces and, you know, the convenience of having deliveries done at home. But the priority levels change for the different age categories. So this is just the beauty industry. Um I don't know which industries you are in. It will be great if you can tell me in the chat, which industries you rec you represent. Um It will be good to, to just see that how um you and, and think about your consumers and how you have seen different behaviors and changes in in your consumers and how they make their decisions.

Now in textbooks, the um customer journey is a linear process, but we know in real life that it's not, right? The customer journey is not linear shoppers cycle through um you know, stages of exploration and evaluation and then kind of in the middle. And the Google researchers call it the messy middle. Um that's where they make the purchasing decision, right? So as they explore and evaluate in that messy middle, um they seek inspiration and they research products and they look at product details and they look at reviews to, to get social proof from their peers and compare prices, right? So it's a it's a never, never ending cycle of the consumer journey and our consumers now in the new digital era that we are in come and go in different stages of the customer journey where typically previously we were focus on the linear process in the in the um buying journey.

It has completely now evolved in a fluid process where people um you know, kind of make their decision somewhere between exploration and evaluation um in terms of where to buy and who to support. But now having said that, remember that we are still marketing to people, right?

And we need to figure out what matters to people and what matters to our audience, our specific target audience in our industry and our business. Now, I can tell you what matters to people in general globally, all over the world or industries and what matters to people is their wellness, their health, their well-being, right? Mental health, physical health, I think that is one of the top discussion points at the moment globally.

What matters to people is that brands are ethical and that they um you know, portray sustainable um habits and that they want to support sustainable brands and live sustainably at the moment. Equality matters to people. Um age gender race, all of those equalities um are really important to people globally at the moment. What also matters to your consumers right now is convenience and then the safety of home based solutions where their shopping is delivered to them and they're not exposed, as I said earlier to um crowded spaces and moving out of their homes also privacy and data protection is majorly important for your consumers right now.

So it doesn't matter which industry you are in or which business you are in or what products you are selling or what services you are representing, this is what matters to your audience right now. So what does it mean? What does this mean for us as marketers? What which action do we need to take? And how do we get to the hearts and minds then of our consumers? So according to um think with Google, again, show throughout the purchase journey with that, give your consumers the right information so that they can make the purchasing decision with your brand. Give them the right information about the features and benefits of your products in terms of solving their problem, in terms of how available your products and services are and reward them with special offers, right? Give them a reason to support you and also by um you know, taking a stance about how your brand is sustainable, how does it supports a sustainable environment at the moment, make your local tires clear because local search is even more important than ever at the moment. Um Consumers have moved to supporting local businesses, right? And then be authentic and real in terms of following through on what you promise your your consumers in terms of your brand, then not your consumers giving them extra value.

Thank them for their loyalty, incentivize them, be thankful for their following, be thankful for their support. So give them special offers, offer them something extra in terms of value, then also make sure that your delivery and collection options are um convenient for your consumers because it's all about their safety. It's all about them keeping safe and you showing that you care for your consumers by keeping them safe and offering them them these delivery options that will keep them safe in their homes and not expose them to other people unnecessarily. Then what we've seen, what happened during the last year is that short term shifts can happen in demand, right? And something happens in the news, there is some announcement that is made in terms of new lockdown rules and then there may be a sh a sharp rise in demand for certain products, automation tools, but also focus on the longer terms. And you know, what is your overall digital strategy in terms of supporting your consumers in their behaviors?

A few other actions that um we should focus on as marketers is um make sure that your creative formats in terms of your messaging enables smart shopping so that you can make it easy for your consumers to, to also act on their real time behaviors. If you have a brick and mortar business, an actual physical location, how can you complement the buyer's journey with the online experience and still keep them entertained and help them to experience your brand be where your consumers are, be present, where they are spending their time online, where they are discovering and exploring your products and services.

And also just understand in the case of physical businesses, how your store is actually set up to um support and reach your audience in terms of their online moments. What is very important is behind every like comment, click share or website visitor is a real person. We are still marketing to real people even in this digital age. So how do we reach the hearts and minds of our consumers? Then the secret is to be real to, to show that you are a, there are humans behind the brand. Admit your mistakes, show the human element of your brand, show them you care, speak your consumer's language. Do you know what are the words that the terms they use to look for? The solution that you have to offer? Speak their language, calm their fears. People are afraid for their health. People are um anxious and nervous about their mental health, they are scared, so reassure them, speak to their concerns, give them the assurance that your brand is there, that your solution is absolutely tailored to solve their problem. Doesn't matter which industry you are in or which product or service you offer your consumers, but make sure that you show them that you care and reward them for their loyalty. Give them special offers, give them reasons to come back to your brand and reage with your brand. Most importantly, I mentioned this earlier but show up where they are hanging out online, right? So where are your consumers? Which channels are they using? Which are they using? More than others and be present but speak the language of your consumers on that specific channel.

Few tools you can use to understand the behaviors of your audience and also to give them the right content and messaging to support your brand promises. Definitely think with Google, I don't know if you are using any of these tools, but think with Google, it's really investing in a lot of consumer insights, um marketing tools trends to support brands in terms of really showing up and giving the audience the right information that they need.

Google trends will help you to understand what the online search behavior and buying behavior is of your consumers in the different locations where they are based and answer the public is a fantastic tool to show you what people are talking about or asking search engines about your topic or your solution that you offer stack marketer.com.

It's a handy tool to let you know as a digital marketer every day, what's happening in the digital landscape, what is changing, what you need to know which algorithms are changing, which updates are happening. And Uber suggests in terms of the keywords that your consumers use because you need to speak consumer language, right, speak the language of your consumers so that you they you are clear that you understand what their needs are and that you understand them as real humans. And then don't forget every year in January, the we are social hootsuite Global Digital Report will give you up to date up to date trends and topics in terms of what's happening in the world of your consumers. So that brings me to the end of our session today. Um We have a minute or so. Are there any questions? Let me know if you have any questions in the chat, any questions or comments? It would be great to hear from you. Um If not, thank you for your time. Thank you for joining my session and I hope you enjoyed it and embrace your brand, embrace your consumers, appreciate them, speak their language and show them that you are a real human brand um behind your promises. So thank you very much. Thank you for the comments. I don't see any questions. Um I can definitely send you the slides. Absolutely. If you can connect with me on linkedin and send me a linkedin connection request, then I will send it to you in a linkedin message, right? Thank you very much.

Thank you everybody for joining and keep in touch.