The fact that personalization is a major sales driver for consumers is no secret. In fact, 70% of companies consider personalization their top priority in 2017—and it’s likely that number will only increase in 2018. But what is personalization, exactly?

There’s a fine line between using a customer’s data to give him or her a positive and unique experience, and using that data in a way that a customer will find invasive. On top of that, in-store personalization means that you have to effectively use that data quickly, to both recognize the customer’s needs and then offer them an option to meet those needs in the short moments before they make a purchase decision.

One brilliant campaign from Snickers encompassed all the best parts of personalized advertising. The company monitored Twitter posts based on emojis. The higher the uptick in negative emotion emojis across the platform, the lower the brand dropped the price of a Snickers bar at select 7-11 locations. Consumers following the brand could then lock in a low price via their smartphones for the next time they bought a Snickers at a participating store.

This was a clever campaign that also tied into its television commercial slogan, “You’re not you when you’re hungry.” This was another successful aspect of Snickers’ strategy: they aligned their mobile campaign to their television and print campaigns as well. Then, they took this strategy a step further by using it to personalize messages to consumers who posted a negative emoji and offer them a discounted price on a Snickers bar in order to improve their mood. The campaign used freely available data to reach out to consumers, but made sure to walk the right side of the line when it comes to personalization without privacy invasion.

The Key Takeaways:

Micro-moments are those short instances when a person turns to their phone for information. 82% of smartphone users say they consult their phones on purchases they’re about to make in a store. One way to make an impact in those micro-moments is to use the personalization recommendation mentioned above and tie it into that mobile interaction.

This is what Pantene did when it teamed up with a popular weather app to provide hair styling advice to consumers. When the weather app indicated that the humidity had reached a certain level, Pantene would recommend products designed to keep hair under control in those conditions. They would explain why humidity caused hair to fall flat and recommend their own products to combat the problem. This allowed the company to leverage their very specific product focus and knowledge to gain the attention of the right target audience in immediate need of their offerings.

There’s a reason why 48% of smartphone users are more likely to buy from companies whose mobile sites provide instructional video content: those companies have proven themselves to be experts in their industry. Consumers trust them, so they purchase from them more confidently and regularly. Through their personalized micro-moment campaign, Pantene was able to gain a 10% increase in sales and secure a top position in the highly competitive beauty market.

The Key Takeaways:

Customer service is no longer tied to customer hotlines or even to email. Now, consumers ask questions and file complaints in full view of the public via social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Due to this fact, about 81% of companies integrate social customer service in some way. This allows companies to be transparent in their dealings with customers, which also leads to engaging with them in-store. In a study, it was found that 10% of all tweets directed at a CPG company occurred while the customer was in-store.

Duncan Hines is one of the strongest performing CPG brands using a social media strategy today. The company strategically focused on gaining user-generated content, such as photos of creations made with Duncan Hines products. They even went so far as to offer suggestions to consumers via social media while they were in the store looking for baking inspiration.

Since the company has made its commitment to engaging customers via social media, Duncan Hines now generates more mentions than any other CPG brand on Facebook. This is in large part due to the fact that they like and comment on posts that mention their brand, they share user-generated comments on their page, and they respond to social media questions and concerns almost immediately. This is a full-time job that requires constant interaction, but it is a strategy that has paid off for them in spades.

The Key Takeaways:

Many companies run into trouble generating a positive ROI with mobile marketing as they believe that they must create their own proprietary app to connect with consumers in stores. This isn’t the case, however, as there are many third-party apps that brands can partner with which will give them exposure that’s often more profitable than the exposure they’d get via their own in-house app. These apps are specifically useful when they’re designed to be used in-store, like in the case of shopping apps. As consumers have these apps out and running when they’re in the store searching for items to check off their list, brands are able to advertise in the moment of a purchase decision.

Shopping apps allow you to combine all three of the prior customer engagement strategies in retail. You can use a shopping app to share information about your brand, help consumers solve a problem—and you can even use them as a social platform. Many shopping apps are specifically designed to work with in-store beacons as well, which makes it easier to direct consumers to your products’ shelves. Finally, consumers get the incentive of gaining customer rewards to keep them engaged, rather than discounts, which keeps you from having to cut your prices and put a dent in your bottom line.

All CPG brands are challenged by gaining attention in the retail environment, but mobile marketing makes this strategy easier and more profitable by allowing you to travel with your consumers. Use data to craft personalized messages and beacons to help them locate your product in stores. Offer them the opportunity to share their experience with your brand and manage this all through the use of intuitive shopping apps that put your products in front of eager and interested target audiences. By studying the stories of Duncan Hines, Pantene, and Snickers, we’re able to see that consumers respond to personalized and in-the-moment social marketing. A shopping app allows you to harness that power—and use it to grow your own brand’s presence in a crowded marketplace.