CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT WITH DIGITALIZED INTERACTIVE PLATFORMS IN RETAILING
Journal of Business Research
Volume 164, September 2023, 114001
by Sanjit K. Roy a,d,*, Gaganpreet Singh b, Saalem Sadeque c, Paul Harrigan d, Kristof Coussement
The Digital Dance: Revolutionizing Retail Engagement
In the ever-shifting retail landscape, Digitalized Interactive Platforms (DIPs) are emerging as game-changers, ushering in a new era of customer engagement. Research led by Sanjit K. Roy and team delves into this transformative realm, spotlighting how DIPs are reshaping the retail narrative.
DIPs: Beyond Retail, into the Interactive Universe
Imagine a retail space where products transcend mere commodities, becoming captivating artifacts that beckon customers into an interactive world. DIPs, as exemplified by Apple, redefine the retail experience. The focus is not on bombarding customers with product features but on inviting them to play, explore, and co-create their retail journey. DIPs shift the paradigm from passive consumption to active engagement, orchestrating interactions across artifacts, persons, processes, and interfaces.
The Digital Symphony: Predictions and Pioneers The research forecasts a seismic shift in the retail landscape, with DIPs poised to be the catalysts for digital transformation. Leading brands such as Burberry, Starbucks, and Amazon are already navigating this new terrain. Predictions by Servion Global Solutions suggest that by 2025, a staggering 95% of customer-firm interactions will be tech-driven. Forbes echoes this sentiment, anticipating a surge in DIP-enabled customer engagement that could redefine the retail paradigm.
Digital Alchemy: Transforming Value Creation
DIPs not only introduce new technologies but fundamentally alter how value is created in retail. Customers, once passive observers, now actively contribute to the value-creation process. The dance of continuous interactions in the joint space between customers, retailers, and the retail ecosystem drives this transformation. Embracing DIPs means embracing a philosophy where customers are not mere recipients but co-creators of value.
Unlocking the Dance: Customer Engagement in the DIP Era
At the heart of this transformation lies Customer Engagement (CE), a multifaceted phenomenon that adapts to various digital contexts within DIPs. The research identifies a gap in understanding how CE extends beyond brand interactions to encompass multiple actors in the DIP ecosystem. To bridge this gap, the researchers propose a novel conceptualization rooted in Service-Dominant Logic (S-DL) and Self-Determination Theory (SDT).
Treating DIPs as primary engagement objects and integrating basic needs theory, the researchers unravel the dance between psychological needs (autonomy, relatedness, competence), customer engagement, and subjective well-being.
Conclusion: The DIP Ballet and the Future of Retail
As retailers navigate the digital dance floor, DIPs emerge as choreographers of a new retail ballet. The research not only provides insights but issues a call to reimagine retail spaces as interactive stages. DIPs transform customers from spectators to active participants, co-creating value in the digital narrative.
In this dance, businesses are urged to embrace the transformative potential of DIPs. It's a call to reimagine retail spaces as interactive stages, where customers are not just spectators but active participants, co-creating value in this digital narrative.
As we waltz into the future, keep an eye on DIPs – they might just be orchestrating the next retail revolution. The dance of digital transformation is underway, and those mastering the steps will undoubtedly steal the show in the retail theatre of tomorrow.