Valentine’s Day Is Coming. Is Your Business Ready for the World’s Most Romantic Holiday?

Posted on by Colleen Vaughan
BORN Views
Valentine’s Day is coming. Is your business ready for the world’s most romantic holiday?

It’s not surprising that Valentine’s Day is a revenue opportunity. But it may be surprising that Valentine’s Day is such an enormous revenue opportunity. Last year, Valentine’s Day spending grew by about 8% and reached $26 billion, and we’re expecting similar growth in 2024. About 38% of last year’s Valentine’s Day sales were online, and that fraction will probably go up.

People are ready to spend during this first retail season of the year. The typical Valentine’s Day categories are clearly defined (though, as with any kind of seasonal merchandising, there is room for new offerings). Chocolates, candy, and other consumables represent about 30% of the total holiday spend, while flowers and jewelry account for about 16% each. Gift cards, clothing, and electronics are also popular Valentine’s Day gifts.

The consumers and the demand are out there. Smart retailers should be ready with a go-to-market strategy to elevate sales and take advantage of this powerful opportunity. As with any seasonal marketing and selling strategies, advance planning and strategy can pay off substantially.

As you gear up for this year’s romantic holiday, consider these key prerequisites for success:

  • Schedule campaigns intelligently: Initiate campaigns early to take advantage of the predictable surge in seasonal searches. Think about keywords and SEO in your planning.
  • Created targeted popup messages: Engage potential customers through targeted popups seamlessly integrated with a dedicated landing page. Your messaging should reflect some strategic realities. For example, men generally outspend women on Valentine’s Day, so targeting these buyers with appropriate messaging can be a great investment.
  • Invest in graphics and copy: Make sure your visual presentation is on-trend for the holiday and for the customers you serve – and make your content pop with engaging copy.
  • Leverage social media: Of course, buyers are going to be looking at social media for ideas and offers, so plan your social media strategy early.
  • Be aggressive with sales and promotions: A lot of Valentine’s Day spending is on predictable products and categories, so sales and promotions – cleverly tied to the holiday, of course – are great ways to stand out in a competitive market. Limited-time offers and perks like free shipping can also turn a browser into a buyer. (Just stay on-brand with all promotions!)
  • Be crystal-clear about ordering deadlines and delivery dates: You know that a lot of Valentine’s Day purchases are last-minute, so you can instill confidence by being absolutely forthright about delivery timelines. Consider ramping up urgency tactfully; for example, dynamic countdown timers can catalyze buying decisions and save your buyers from disappointments.
  • Make meaningful suggestions: Valentine’s Day is the kind of holiday where people want guidance in finding the perfect present. You do a service to buyers (and your revenue figures) by providing personalized recommendations and curated gift guides. You may find opportunities for cross-selling too.
  • Help last-minute shoppers: What can you offer to people who put off their Valentine’s Day shopping until the last days or hours before the holiday? They may represent a substantial portion of your customer base, so be prepared.
  • Optimize your website: Make sure your website is ready to handle increased traffic and transactions during the Valentine’s Day rush.
  • Minimize cart abandonment: A customer who fails to complete a transaction is always bad news, especially during the holiday season. Design cart abandonment reminders that will get them to act now; standard email reminders are generally ineffective in time-sensitive situations.
  • Partner with other businesses or influencers: Explore cross-promotions and other forms of partnership with complementary businesses or influencers to amplify your reach to new customers and segments.

Finally, remember that Valentine’s Day may be an opportunity for you even if you don’t sell “traditional” romantic gifts. Many gift-givers are looking for alternatives to flowers, jewelry, and chocolate, which means you may have an opportunity to create non-traditional offerings for people who want to celebrate their relationships in the context of the holiday season. You may need to develop a new narrative to make your products mesh with Valentine’s Day – which also requires forethought and planning – but this can unlock new possibilities for your brand and business.

Regardless of your approach, don’t forget to celebrate the people you love and care about. Happy Valentine’s Day!

To learn more about BORN Group’s services, please contact us.

AI & Product Design: Tools to Jumpstart Creativity

Posted on by Colleen Vaughan
BORN Views
AI & Product Design: Tools to Jumpstart Creativity

By: Caitlyn Shanahan | Sr. Visual Designer, BORN Group

Since ChatGPT was introduced in 2022, generative artificial intelligence (AI) has dominated the tech landscape and mainstream media with a mixture of hype (“AI will make everything better!”) and doom (“AI will take over the world and destroy society!”). As a designer, I’m particularly interested in the impact of AI on my livelihood. I’ve read a slew of articles, some claiming that AI will be the end of the designer and others assuring us that AI is just a passing trend. One article I found particularly compelling is Jasmine Oh’s “Yes, AI Will Replace Designers” piece that asserts “while AI will replace designers, it will replace the designers of today, not the designers of tomorrow.”

I want to be one of “the designers of tomorrow,” and I’m convinced that AI-powered design tools will help me get there. After looking into the possibilities of AI for product designers – and all kinds of creative work in all kinds of sectors – I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s time to embrace the burgeoning power of this technological revolution.

In other words: Don’t be afraid of AI – put it to work! Take advantage of AI’s ability to synthesize data and ideas and allow you to focus on the value you add as a creative, strategic thinker.

I’m sure we’ll see plenty more use cases for generative AI in the near future, but here are four ways I’m using AI now to streamline the product/visual design process:

  1. Workshop Facilitation & Synthesis
  2. User Research &  Persona Generation
  3. Image Editing & Generation
  4. Automated Content Creation

Accelerate the Workshop Process

How do we start the design process? With workshops that bring stakeholders together to define the problem, create a shared vision, and generate ideas for solutions. Whiteboarding tools such as Miro are often used to help facilitate workshops and brainstorming sessions. Miro recently launched the new AI-powered Miro Assist tool that makes workshop preparation, facilitation, and synthesis a whole lot easier. During a workshop, you can use Miro Assist to easily generate mind maps to help kick-start the brainstorming process. After the workshop, you can highlight groups of sticky notes, and Miro Assist will automatically summarize all the ideas and present them as text, images, and even presentations. These AI-powered tools can even help you prepare for follow-up workshops by analyzing previous workshop notes, activities, and outcomes to automatically populate new workshop templates with suggested agendas, user flows, storyboards, and even information architecture.

Digest User Research & Build Personas Much Faster

Understanding users is, of course, a key component of any product or experience design challenge. AI-powered tools like Dovetail are making it easier, and much, much faster, to transform unstructured and qualitative data – such as open-ended survey responses, user reviews, and support tickets – into actionable insights and comprehensive user personas. 

Dovetail uses natural language processing to automatically analyze unstructured data for sentiment analysis (are users satisfied? Or frustrated?). The tool applies topic modeling and clustering to detect common themes and trends in qualitative user feedback, enabling designers to generate insights and identify key pain points and opportunities. It can automatically segment users based on AI-driven insights into behaviors, attitudes, or demographics. Dovetail features an intelligent recommendation engine that aggregates user data and feedback to generate prioritized suggestions on product improvements and features. The solution also automatically generates interactive dashboards and charts to visualize synthesized user insights and metrics, making it easy for designers to spot trends and patterns.

Leveraging tools like Dovetail can significantly cut down the time it takes for designers to parse through data and derive accurate user personas, pain points, and goals. This robust AI-powered data analysis helps designers gain a deeper understanding of their user base, which leads to more informed product decisions, and ultimately better user experiences.

Automate Image Editing & Generation

Most designers are using, or at least exploring, AI-powered tools for photo editing. Adobe’s Firefly, for example, can significantly accelerate image generation, manipulation and refinement, which is a huge boost to designer productivity. My team uses Adobe’s Generative AI feature regularly to edit out unsightly elements, resize images to conform to existing templates, and create variations of images for review and approval. Edits that used to take our team an entire afternoon (and, sometimes, even days) can now be completed in less than an hour.

Adobe’s entire suite of AI tools (Firefly, Generative AI, and Sensei) can do far more than just photo editing. For example, using only simple text prompts, you can easily generate new color palettes, font treatments, icons, and illustrations. Leveraging these AI tools can help kick-start the creative process and provide designers with a jumping-off point instead of having to start from scratch each time. I am excited to continue my exploration of these tools and am confident that in the near future I will be able to leverage them to generate entire wireframes and page layouts.

Jumpstart the Writing Process

Designers often have to take on the role of copywriters, particularly in the early stages of a project. While ChatGPT is probably the most well-known natural language generation tool, I’ve been using Claude to help me create solid draft copy for wireframes and prototypes in my current project. By expediting the initial copywriting process, Claude lets me focus my efforts on more pressing design challenges.

Two examples demonstrate how useful Claude can be. I’ll ask the tool: “Give me 10 different ways to say ‘X’ in 100 characters or fewer.” Or I’ll paste a sentence in Claude and ask the chatbot to “give me 10 different ways to say ‘X’ without using the word ‘Y.’” While the Claude-generated copy will undoubtedly be edited, refined, and polished by a copywriter before the project goes to market, it saves me a lot of time and effort in the early stages of a project.

I’m also eager to explore a couple of more powerful options, including copy.ai and Jasper. Both leverage natural language generation to create new copy that conforms to style and brand guidelines and is SEO-friendly. These tools can also suggest new content for writers to revise and approve, automatically generate translations for global markets, and can build product-specific follow-up email sequences for marketing efforts.

So…will AI mean the end of the designer? I don’t think so, but I do believe that what we’ve seen to date in terms of AI and digital design is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. I plan to embrace these emerging AI-powered design tools today,

 because I want to be one of the designers of tomorrow. I relish the fact that I am already spending less time on some of the less creative aspects of my work (I’m thinking of you, workshop prep!). Because of AI, I have more time and creative energy to focus on what our clients need as we work to create truly human-centered brand experiences.

For more information about design at BORN Group, please get in touch with us.

The Remarkable Transformation of FMCG

Posted on by Soniya Jain

BORN Views

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Top Five CX Trends in Hospitality for 2023

Posted on by Aaron Bell
BORN Views

Get Ahead in Ecommerce by Staying Ahead of Digital Trends

Posted on by Caitlin Gebhard
BORN Views
Get Ahead in Ecommerce by Staying Ahead of Digital Trends

In the fickle world of online commerce, the only thing you can ever truly rely on is change:

Change in how online brands are expected to interact with consumers, change in the technologies and trends that digital experiences are built on, change in how consumers behave, change in what customers want, and change in the expectations for businesses to react to these changes more and more quickly.

With the never-ending stream of new digital trends, services, and user needs and wants, today’s online retailers are almost expected to innovate their site’s technology in ‘real time’ to meet the demands of their users. In fact, one of the biggest challenges for online retailers today has nothing to do with driving sales or finding customers— it’s keeping up with new technology and industry standards.

2023 brought with it a slew of new technologies that are designed to help online businesses stay ahead of consumer demands and the competition. Smart businesses are regularly taking all these trends and technologies into account and continuously updating their digital presence.

To keep up, ask yourself these key questions:

  • When was the last time you updated your ecommerce experience?
  • Have you implemented any new technologies in the CX space (e.g., AI)?
  • Do you offer a personalized / tailored experience?
  • What are your competitors doing?

Reflecting on where you are today is the first step towards creating the innovative ecommerce experience that your consumers expect tomorrow.

Customer Experience and Human Experience

A recent PWC survey showed that 73% of consumers ranked customer experiences (CX) and digital ‘human experiences’ (HX) as two of the most important factors in their purchasing decisions – only price and product quality were ranked higher. CX and HX work together to engage with consumers at every touchpoint with the brand or service. Today, consumers expect the best of both worlds: a human-centered experience that makes every interaction seamless, enjoyable, and meaningful. Meeting this demand can drive up business. According to a recent Forbes study,

  • 43% of consumers would pay more for better convenience.
  • 42% would pay more for a friendly, welcoming online experience.
  • 40% of consumers would likely pay a 16% price premium for a great customer experience.

Excellent CX and HX helps foster not only a better relationship between company and consumer, but also encourages more engagement and higher sales.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML)

To stay on top of CX and HX expectations in 2023, top brands are focusing on personalization, customization, and analytic-driven digital experiences – often supported by Artificial Intelligence (AI). According to Forbes research, 83% of surveyed businesses said implementing AI solutions is a strategic priority for their business. AI-driven tools, such as chatbots, content creators, natural language processors, robotic process automations, and rule-based expert systems, are being implemented to deliver the very best and latest in the user experiences consumers have come to expect.

While we know that AI machine learning is the next ‘big thing’ to change the digital world, this technology requires very high-quality data and analytics to work. Reworking your ecommerce platform’s data points to better serve AI/ML search engines will help your site get ahead in the next level of SEO. ‘Data labeling’ and ‘ranking algorithms’ needs to be a key focus in your digital strategy to get the very most from AI/ML.

Conversational UI & Chatbots

Conversational UI, such as voice interfaces and chatbots, is a fast and convenient way to fill the human interaction gap common to many online experiences. With the advent of AI-powered language processing, today’s chatbots can seamlessly emulate natural human conversation. From purchasing to technical assistance, dedicated plugins for your website give customers more personal, intimate and “human” support throughout their eCommerce experience.

Dynamic Pricing and Price Negotiation

Research showed that in 2021, 17% of US and European ecommerce companies planned on implementing dynamic pricing — while 21% of ecommerce businesses surveyed were already using dynamic pricing. Dynamic pricing lets vendors adjust their product and service pricing to better meet consumer demand and market needs in ‘real time’.

Augmented Reality (AR)

Augmented reality (AR) is one manifestation of visual commerce that’s becoming increasingly popular; global retailer AR spending is expected to surpass $4B in 2023. Integrating AR functionality into ecommerce websites can create some of the most immersive shopping experiences available to online customers.

Social Commerce

It should come as no surprise that social media plays a huge role in driving today’s ecommerce sales. Social media platforms are rapidly becoming the preferred search tool for younger generations. According to ‘The Future of Commerce’ Gen Z consumers use TikTok more than Google to find products. Top companies are reevaluating their social media strategies and the platforms they use to reach and engage with new customers.

Many of the best-in-class ecommerce platforms, such as Adobe and Shopify’s new ‘Commerce Components’, are taking their cues from this rapidly changing ecosystem of digital experiences. In developing bespoke, headless, composable tech-stacks, they are helping digital enterprise retail shops stay ahead of consumer expectations and demands. If you’re not already ahead of these trends— you’re already behind.  

Building eCommerce For The Greater Good

Posted on by Dennis OConnell
BORN Views
Building eCommerce For The Greater Good

As eCommerce reshapes the modern marketplace, many shoppers are spending more time and money online, leading eCommerce to grow, with sales expected to reach $5.5 trillion in 2022.1 The accessibility of online shopping and the growing use of digital payment options have resulted in a dramatic shift in consumer shopping habits. While there are advantages to expanding online, the rapidly changing landscape has also created financial, economic and social benefits.

eCommerce Encourages Entrepreneurship

The eCommerce industry encourages entrepreneurship by reducing start-up costs. An eCommerce site can be launched for as little as $1,000, depending on the necessary features for business.2 Whereas a significant amount of time and money is needed to open a physical store, an eCommerce store can be operational in just a few short weeks or days. Fewer barriers to start and a more significant market share encourage businesses of all sizes to compete. As more retailers enter the marketplace, sustained growth and competition lead to more innovation and online experiences. To keep customers coming back, retailers must focus on the customer experience and create compelling products that stand out. This focused attention helps attract new customers and incentivizes current customers to return to online shops, driving economic growth. 

Widely Available Goods and Services

Businesses can connect with customers through online channels and have far greater reach than physical stores. It’s estimated that 2.14 billion people worldwide, roughly a quarter of the world’s population, will make an online purchase in 2022.3 ECommerce ensures customers can find everything they need in one place. Without the limitations of a brick and mortar store, online retail stores can offer a greater number of products to their customers. In addition to increased purchasing options, customers can browse and make purchases at their convenience. Online stores enable customers to spend their time shopping instead of driving to physical stores or waiting in long lines. Online stores are always open and provide 24/7 access to vital goods and services. Secure payment options, including digital wallets, credit or debit cards and crypto, facilitate payment and encourage sales. 

More Affordable Products 

The increasing number of online storefronts has resulted in competition among retailers to provide the best deal to consumers. This gives consumers the ability to compare prices and quality. Additionally, lower operating costs allow online retailers to sell products for less than traditional retailers. The demand for certain products encourages companies to create more affordable alternatives. With so many online options, consumers can find products at their desired price point, encouraging even less affluent customers to shop. Retailers can also offer deferred payment through Buy Now, Pay Later platforms that make purchases more achievable for customers. Giving customers the option to pay later can boost sales by making larger purchases more obtainable. 

A Lifeline During Uncertain Times

A key benefit of online retail is that it is a lifeline for businesses and customers during turbulent times. As the world went into lockdown in response to COVID-19, commerce habits shifted to online purchasing. Shortages of essential items on store shelves resulted in many customers turning to eCommerce. Online shopping boomed because it was a safe and viable option to obtain necessary items. Companies that focused their efforts on online selling were more likely to survive and grow. Expanding their online presence also meant some businesses could continue to provide jobs to workers during a period of record unemployment and uncertainty.4

Career Opportunities

The growth of online retail translates to increased career opportunities. According to the data and analytics company GlobalData, the number of eCommerce jobs has increased by 180% from September 2020 to September 2021.5 Jobs in marketing, sales, design, web development and IT positions are vital to keeping an eCommerce company operating. While online websites automate many processes, the human element cannot be eliminated. Talented IT professionals are necessary to create and keep websites up and running, while creative sales and design teams contribute content to educate and connect with customers. Lastly, skilled customer service departments are necessary to handle customer queries.

Why Should Businesses Care

The eCommerce industry has revolutionized commerce worldwide. Entrepreneurs can now set up shop easier than ever, providing new opportunities. The increased number of online retailers has generated more diversity in goods and services, which helps keep costs manageable. During times of uncertainty, eCommerce offers a lifeline that enables consumers to find much-needed supplies. Businesses that shift to eCommerce can continue to expand while helping the greater good by providing employment, goods and services to everyone.

Footnotes:

1.https://www.emarketer.com/content/global-ecommerce-forecast-2022

2.https://www.bigcommerce.com/articles/ecommerce/ecommerce-cost/#conclusion

3.https://www.oberlo.com/statistics/how-many-people-shop-online

4.https://www.forbes.com/sites/johncaplan/2021/05/03/ecommerce-has-been-a-lifeline-for-small-businesses-during-the-pandemic-where-do-they-go-from-here/?sh=e85d61235871

5.https://www.globaldata.com/ecommerce-hiring-increases-180-y-o-y-social-commerce-trends-increasing-hiring-activity-finds-globaldata/

The Future of Retail Part III: Navigating Today’s New Landscape

Posted on by Jennifer Ryan
BORN Views
The Future of Retail Part III: Navigating Today’s New Landscape

We conclude our three part exploration into our future relationship with retail and how do we navigate this “new Normal”.  

Stores And Malls Will Need To Rethink Existing Spaces 

Before the pandemic the US had the most retail square footage per capita in the world, but now with more people shopping online, retailers don’t need such an abundance of store space. Walmart have created automated fulfilment centers in some of their larger outlets, while in the UK both John Lewis and Marks and Spencer announced plans to downsize their flagship Oxford Street stores and convert entire floors into office space. It’s likely that other large retailers will follow suit, either entering partnerships to share space with other brands or local businesses, selling off space, or finding other uses for it, concentrating on tech-enabled service and online ordering, rather than having huge amounts of stock on site. 

As stores like Macy’s and Sephora steer away from new mall openings and test stand-alone stores instead it seems like malls will also have to find new purpose.1 Their future again is likely to be mixed use, with office space, gyms, warehouse space, entertainment venues and more. Who knows, in the future maybe that ugly out-of-town mall will devote some of its space to becoming a market garden. 

Local Produce, Digital Fashion and Re-use Goes Mainstream

It’s not just local neighbourhoods that will see an increased focus but local products too, driven by ethical and environmental considerations but also perhaps by practicality. After years of globalization, the world has been experiencing a supply chain crisis caused by an endless list of problems: Covid, trade tensions between the US and China, the Suez Canal blockage, rising shipping costs, a shortage of truck drivers, and in the UK’s case, Brexit. 

Some may scoff but digital fashion is another growing area, giving brands an opportunity to interact with customers at home who can show off their items online. Balenciaga have created digital fashion for Fortnite.2 Farfetch are gifting influencers in digital garments from pre-order collections, saving on shipping costs and gauging interest before investing in stock.3 

The impact of consumption on the environment is increasingly on consumers’ minds, and It’s likely that resale options will move further into the spotlight. IKEA are already offering a buy-back service, finding new owners for resale goods in their ‘bargain corner’, while the original owner gets an agreed value loaded to a card they can spend in the store.4 FarFetch and Zelando have also added pre-owned sections to their online businesses. 

Conclusion: New Opportunities For Retail In A Time Of Change

All the above paints a complex picture. Change is happening in every aspect of the retail landscape. Consumers and retailers will need to get adjust to the ‘new normal’: where online shopping is an efficient way of meeting needs, but physical shopping is a treat, where we shop locally but the big platforms become bigger, where retailers need to build their operations on agile technology platforms that connect every aspect of their business from inventory to marketing. 

It’s been a strange and worrying time, but now more than ever there is a chance to make changes that not only keep online and physical retailers afloat, and consumers supplied but that create a low-carbon future that protects the planet. Yesterday and today has brought much turmoil, but there’s no reason we can’t be optimistic about tomorrow.

  1. Labour To Scrap Business Rates and Replace With A Fairer System, Labour, https://labour.org.uk/press/labour-to-scrap-business-rates-and-replace-with-fairer-system/
  1. High Digital Fashion Drops Into Fortnite With Balenciaga, Epic Games, https://www.epicgames.com/fortnite/en-US/news/high-digital-fashion-drops-into-fortnite-with-balenciaga
  1. Vogue Business, Influencers Are Wearing Digital Versions of Physical Clothes Now, https://www.voguebusiness.com/technology/influencers-are-wearing-digital-versions-of-physical-clothes-now
  1. A Circular Economy Starts With A BILLY Bookcase…Or INGO Table, Or NORRARYD Chair, Ikea, https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/this-is-ikea/sustainable-everyday/buy-back-and-resell-service-pubcc071810