Catapult and Forrester Conduct Breakout Study on Role of Digital Technologies in Shopping Experience

WESTPORT, Conn., Jan. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- To help better understand the impact of emerging digital technologies on in-store purchase, Catapult Action-Biased Marketing has conducted a comprehensive study of Digital Shopper Marketing (DSM) in partnership with Forrester Research. The study is the first of its kind to focus on the role digital technologies play in shopping and purchase decisions, rather than on general consumer adoption of these technologies.

The landmark online study of 1,100 consumers nationwide sought to gauge shopper usage and familiarity with DSM, while uncovering related opportunities for marketers and retailers to reach and activate shoppers. The study aimed to identify shopper demographics, shopping habits and to explore how primary shoppers perceive and utilize various digital technologies in their shopping practices.

Catapult defines DSM as the use of digital communications to engage shoppers along the path to purchase - from "at-home" to "on-the-go" to "in-store" touchpoints to drive sales and build equity at attractive ROIs. The agency chose Forrester as a survey partner because of the research firm's longstanding reputation and involvement in retail understanding and analysis. Catapult plans to make this survey the first in an annual series.

"Digital Shopper Marketing is the new frontier as shoppers quickly take to new digital technologies and become comfortable with using them along their path to purchase," explains Jason Katz, Executive Vice President of Catapult Marketing's Emerging Media Discipline. "Today's on-the-go shoppers are empowered by the benefits these new technologies provide them, which opens up a whole new world of opportunities for shoppers, brands and retailers. It is precisely these opportunities that we hoped to more clearly identify in our landmark study."

Here are some other noteworthy findings from the study:

1.) The most successful innovations -- the ones that are being used by shoppers and actually influencing purchase decisions -- deliver one or more of the following three benefits:

a.) Provide shopper value - Offer the shopper relevant price-off coupons and promotions

b.) Facilitate decision-making - Provide information of interest that helps the shopper make or validate a decision about what to buy and where to buy it. This comes in two forms:

• Basic information - e.g., product reviews, brand/retailer emails (This level of information exchange is a must have)
• Contextual information - e.g., past purchases, personal information, even current shopper location (This type of interactive one-to-one information exchange will drive the greatest impact)

c.) Improve ease of shopping - Make the shopper experience faster, more efficient and effective across the whole purchase decision continuum - in the store and beyond

2.) DSM has made the greatest inroads with at-home technologies, with which shoppers are both familiar and comfortable. In fact over 60% of Gen X, Gen Y- shoppers go online before they shop, many the same day of their trip. This gives marketers the opportunity to impact shopper decision-making before they reach the store.

3.) While on-the-go DSM technologies using smartphones are not yet widely used; GPS Location Services, mobile coupons, shopping lists and iPhone apps are up-and-comers; scoring high on interest, helpfulness and impact on purchase.

4.) Consumers tend to visit retailer web sites for best prices and product reviews while brand sites attract more traffic for promotions and product use ideas;

5.) The highest adoption of In-Store DSM technology is Self Checkout, which, although not influential on purchase decisions, eases the shopping experience. However, time saving or value-producing technologies are also showing promise. Interest is highest with: Hand-held Scanners, Kiosks for swiping loyalty cards to receive personalized coupons, Touch Screen Signage, and On-pack/On-line and On-pack/Text promotions.

"On-the-go DSM technologies may well be in their infancy, driven largely by still low concentrations of smartphone users," says Katz. "Still, we believe mobile DSM technology looms as the next killer app, as smartphone models proliferate and uptake grows. These applications allow marketers to serve up relevant information and offers to users in a wide range of formats, which is a win-win-win for shoppers, manufacturers and retailers alike."

Katz reiterates that this study will be the first chapter in similar surveys that Catapult conducts in the future. "The growth and expansion of digital technologies in retail settings is constantly evolving and it will be critically important for us to stay closely attuned to not only how consumers are responding and even capitalizing on these innovations but also the integral contributions that brands and retailers will be making to this dynamic."

About Catapult Action-Biased Marketing

Catapult is an action-biased marketing solutions agency. Catapult focuses on creative strategies that prompt consumers into action and drive consumer trial, repeat purchase and loyalty for client brands.

Catapult is a full-service agency providing consumer and shopper strategic insights, consumer promotions, shopper marketing, interactive (Web, mobile, CRM), direct, experiential, sales analytics, and merchandising all through an integrated team approach. Its in-house analytics team tracks ROI and post-performance metrics for every program. Catapult's clients include SUBWAY Restaurants, Reckistt Benckiser, Dannon, Mars Petcare, Fosters Wine, Intel, M&M Mars, Del Monte, Novartis, Uncle Bens and Sara Lee.

Catapult, together with its sister agency Catapult APAC in Singapore, is a global agency with alliances that provide worldwide reach.

Visit Catapult at: www.catapultmarketing.com

SOURCE Catapult Action-Biased Marketing