If there is one thing the last few years have taught us, it is that shopping habits have drastically changed. Consumers have embraced e-commerce wholeheartedly, even while physically shopping in brick and mortar stores, a phenomenon known as hybrid shopping. The trend has implications for your brand protection strategy.
A recent survey of over 9,000 consumers conducted by Airship indicated that two-thirds were using their mobile devices to shop, even when actually in the brick-and-mortar store location. In fact, many of these shoppers are using that retailer’s branded app while shopping in-store. This trend spanned multiple geographies, as the survey was conducted among consumers from the US, UK, France, Germany, Australia, Singapore, and India.
Consumers Are Increasingly Melding Digital and Physical Experiences
Consumers cited a number of reasons for this hybrid approach to shopping, with convenience being number one. Consumers appreciate the ability to check out the retailer’s website and read product reviews while shopping. In addition, many shoppers are using branded apps in-store to access loyalty cards or coupons, compare prices and even finalize their purchases using cashierless checkout or contactless payments.
This hybrid approach has some physical retailers focusing on innovating systems that combine both the in-person shopping experience with the convenience and speed of online shopping, encouraging their shoppers to use their branded apps not only online, but at their physical brick-and-mortar locations as well.
As the meshing of digital and physical shopping continues to evolve, it’s critical for brands to ensure the safety and security of their consumer interactions by incorporating a mobile component into their brand protection strategy. Bad actors are tech-savvy, using multiple consumer touchpoints to lure in their victims. From websites to mobile apps, to social media, cybercriminals are utilizing the same marketing techniques that legitimate marketers do – but operating sophisticated brand abuse networks that combine these touchpoints.
These systemic brand abuse networks are complex, making it difficult for legacy brand protection methods to adequately protect against them. Modern brand protection solutions go beyond brand abuse monitoring to identify high-priority bad actors so you can focus on the most egregious offenders -- and ensure your customers have a safe and authentic experience with your brand.
To learn more about how Appdetex can help you meet today’s brand protection challenges, request a demo today.
