Definition:
The Phygital Experience is one of the latest marketing trends that alludes to the union between the physical and digital worlds as part of a much more complete, human and efficient experience by integrating electronic commerce or e-commerce with traditional physical stores.
What is the Phygital experience for?
In a world as interconnected as today’s, this new type of experience stands out for taking the best of each of these two environments; from the digital environment the speed of search and payment, the immersion in the search thanks to the new interaction processes, while from the physical world it takes the possibility of interacting directly with the people and the product.
In this way, a multichannel purchase process is formed by the customer and the seller taking advantage of the characteristics that best respond to the current needs of consumers who are increasingly prepared and have more information for the purchase process.
The elements of the Phygital experience
Conceived as an experience of the future that is already present, and seeing its enormous potential, more and more companies are developing all kinds of elements and applications to get the most out of the Phygital experience. Some of the most prominent are:
- Virtual Reality: this new technology that has more and more applications, has turned out to be an ideal vehicle for this type of experience, through the creation of virtual environments that simulate physical establishments such as clothing stores or supermarkets.
- Beacons and QR Codes: beacons are bluetooth devices that are installed in stores and send information to mobile devices. Likewise, QR codes are two-dimensional barcodes that store data encoded as links to download an app or access a web page. In both cases the objective is to complete the consumer’s purchase process with information.
- Go supermarkets: a new type of establishment that is still under development and companies like Amazon are applying, consisting of acquiring the products you want by scanning them and paying with your mobile phone without having to go through a cash register.
- Screens: the world of digital screens offers numerous options when it comes to establishing new possibilities for consumers, such as virtual clothing fitting rooms or touch screens where they can order food in restaurants.
Benefits of the Phygital experience
The Phygital Experience offers multiple benefits for both consumers and businesses.
- For consumers, this integration of physical and digital provides a more seamless and personalized shopping experience. Customers can research products online before visiting them in-store, allowing them to make more informed decisions and save time. In addition, the ability to interact with products physically before purchasing them reduces uncertainty and increases customer satisfaction.
- For companies, adopting a Phygital strategy can result in a significant increase in sales and customer loyalty. By offering a more convenient and engaging shopping experience, brands can differentiate themselves in an increasingly competitive marketplace. In addition, collecting data through both online and in-store interactions allows companies to better understand their customers’ preferences and behaviors, which can guide future marketing and product development strategies.