Online is booming, mobile first and storytelling were discussed during the first masterclass of this academic year. The central theme was e-commerce. With three leading speakers from the e-commerce sector (Thuiswinkel.org, Rituals and Greetz), it became a very successful evening with many enlightening moments.
Online = booming business
Jorij Abraham, professor e-commerce and Thuiswinkel.org’s director of Research & Advice, began the evening by explaining that the market is continuously shifting towards online. Jorij: “Online sales are booming-business, 93% of the Dutch consumers shop online so we need to respond to this shift and use it to our best advantage.” Rituals’ - the European number-1 in bath and shower products – vision is: “Learn to enjoy even the smallest moments in life. We like to tell the story behind our products, the oriental rituals.” Greetz surprises people with a personal touch: “We believe it is important to always be able to be attentive, whether this is in the train or at home on the couch.” Both of these companies invest heavily in e-commerce and customer experience.
Mobile first
Nowadays it is essential to invest in the mobile-first thought. Jorij: “70% of our consumers inform themselves online before purchasing a product.” Rituals and Greetz have responded well to this trend. Martijn Cornelissen from Rituals: “To be able to bring across the right information on a small screen in order to realise this on a desktop as well, ensures that the consumer is getting the right information. Niek Veendrick from Greetz states that tablets and mobiles are used more frequently than desktops. We need to take full advantage of this ‘mobile’ trend.
Storytelling
The right balance needs to be found between hard figures and customer experience. Every product that leaves Greetz has been customized. Niek: “By using user generated content we strive to provide our customers with a ‘WOW’-experience. The ability to create and customize the product gives the customer that ‘WOW’-factor experience.” Martijn Cornelissen: “Ask yourself how you can inspire people by presenting them with an enriched experience. We don’t want to thrive on actions but we want the customer to share their own experiences, for instance ‘share your own ritual’.”
It was a very successful evening, filled with enthusiastic responses. Lotte van Voorthuizen: “Because of your familiarity with the brand it is even more interesting to learn about the background information.” Alumni Ilse Wijnen has gained new insights: “It is interesting to hear that even though the focus is shifting towards online you can still keep it personal.”