Omni Channel Marketing Conference - Gavin Merriman

Transitioning from traditional channels to agile commerce

Tips and lessons learned

‘one little room and the biggest of plans’

Wrong Conditions…

You need the right conditions

Right Conditions…

Creating the right conditions…

Support (sides)

Support (below)

Support (above)

Support (sides)

Culture

Framework

Resources

How do you transform from traditional to agile commerce?

• UK’s 2nd largest online retailer • Department store with fashion, electrical’s, home & garden (700+ brands)

• £1.7 billion sales (80% online), 5 million customers, 10,000 staff

• Winner of retail weeks ‘Non-Store Retailer’ 2011 (beating amazon & ASOS))

SDG Today…

The History…

“An approach to commerce that enables businesses to optimize their people, processes, and technology to

serve customers across all touchpoints.” (Forrester)

What is agile commerce?

Journey has changed…

Business needs to changes with it…

Where to begin…

1. Form Strategy

3. Implement Framework

2. Get Backing

Need to formulate a winning strategy Solid, well researched, and validated plan of attack across all levels

Create a structure which empowers change Need to bring blockers into the process and short but bureaucracy

Secure funds and backing Without executive sign off and investment the strategy is worthless

Creating the Right Conditions…

‘If I have seen further it is by standing on ye sholders of Giants’

Visit peers, go to shows, speak to vendors…

Need a solid plan in order to get senior buy in…

1. Professional

3. Competitors

4. Best Practice

2. Company Wide

Treat it like a full business plan After presenting hand out a bound copy of the strategy

Reference market leaders Builds social proof and makes it easier for exec’s to commit

Use expert & researched advice The Forrester’s and Econsultancy’s have done most the hard work for you

Form cross department working groups Link plan to company vision & values, using facilitators and PM’s

5. Customer Research Ask your own customer base Back up your approach with the words of your customers

6. Validated Use an independent consultancy Get plans validated by a ecommera or practicology

1. Form Strategy: 6 tips…

4. Personalisation

2. Social & Community 3. Mobile 1. Marketing Attribution

5. Content 6. Conversion

Break strategy into work streams…

Paint a picture of the future…

1. Participation

3. Back it Up

2. Sell the Vision

Get them to contribute Run stakeholder interviews with the board to capture requirements

Cater to the CFO & COO Ask senior finance to co-present and prepare responses to objections

Make it exciting Paint a picture of them being an award winning innovator

2. Get Backing: 3 tips…

3. Implement Framework…

Agile UCD Process with digital board…

The user experience teams then start to build out and test prototypes with customers

UX & Design Agile Build Strategy Conversion

Capturing and evaluating ideas & opportunities from customers, business, and market

Active projects drop into agile work streams based on prior roadmap prioritisation

Responsible for driving conversion by managing the testing program and optimise performance

Customers

Customers heavily involved in shaping

strategy and designs

Digital Board

Innovation fund…

User Centred Design…

•Analytics Review

•Competitor Review

•Customer Research

•Stakeholder Interviews

•Persona’s

•User Stories

•Wireframing

•Low-fi Testing

•Prototyping

•Scenario Testing

•Stakeholder Sign Off

•Build

•A/B Testing

•MVT Testing

•Onsite Surveys

•Scenario Testing

•Analytics Review

2. Design & Build 3. Test & Learn 1. Discovery & Analysis

‘UCD puts the customer first’

Agile Development…

Smaller, faster, more flexible development teams

Why Agile Video…

Invest in new platform…

A lot of effort but worth it…

“in recognition of the transition made”

Winner of ‘data driven marketing award’…

GMG “win some, lose some”…

News site relaunch went well

Job site didn’t…

Lesson learned, build company wide support…

Universal, an entirely different beast…

Limited direct contact with customers…

Building really engaging and participative artist sites and campaigns…

Improving our standalone store…

Digital going physical then physical going mobile…

First step…

Creating the right conditions…

Support (sides)

Support (below)

Support (above)

Support (sides)

Culture

Framework

Resources

Thanks

gavin.merriman@umusic.com