Actual Omnichannel

The definition of 'omnichannel' will - and should - change. It’s safe to say that everyone is now on board with omnichannel marketing. But have we oversimplified the word’s basic meaning along the way? For some brands, omnichannel means doing a bit of Facebook advertising or maybe using a Retail Media Network.

But, if we are to look soberly at effective omnichannel marketing for 2023, it’s really about surrounding the target audience in all areas of their lives. That naturally includes Facebook and other “walled gardens” but it must also encompass other places consumers go. In other words, a brand or retailer’s own app, wherever content is consumed on the internet, in social media feeds and digital out-of-home ads, on mobile devices, on TV or streaming services as well as in the mailbox (print and email).

Whew, they don’t call it omnichannel for nothing. Many brands, particularly in the restaurant industry, are guilty of this sort of narrow thinking that Facebook/Instagram can be the entirety of the digital portion of their omnichannel attack,” says Crews. “This is flawed thinking from the start, particularly as we consider some of the demographic limitations and penetration challenges you face in the walled gardens.

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