Greetings Laetitia, Can you briefly outline your journey to becoming VP of Marketing at Akeneo and how your experiences have influenced your approach in this industry?
Thank you for having me! My journey in marketing has been unique, but adventurous to say the least. Marketing is my passion and I am lucky to be able to consider my job a passion. Over the course of my career, I have held various leadership roles prior to joining Akeneo. Previously I served as CMO at Indexima and was responsible for monitoring and developing integrated marketing programs, from product to field to digital marketing while developing brand awareness. I have also held positions at DataStax, IHS, and Polytec PI. My experience in the tech and marketing sector is diverse and because of the various positions I’ve held and unique experiences at each company, I have been able to refine my approach to ensure that all marketing capabilities are balanced out and fit the business expectations while focusing on acting as a strong leader for my teams.
What, according to you, is product experience, and why is it critical in the context of online shopping?
Product experience is something that everyone values and something that every business needs to master, yet something that not everyone probably thinks about holistically. To sum it up, product experience is the foundation for comprehensive interaction that consumers have with a product. While some might view PX simply as the experience while using the product, a comprehensive PX strategy needs to extend to every single touchpoint – from discover to purchase to using the product, and everything in between. It also includes the design, functionality, branding, usability, customer and product support, and the response from consumers of the product. It’s essential to create a product that consumers enjoy and continue to buy, but it’s also an essential aspect of online shopping – ensuring customers have all the details, reviews, and information they need to make an informed purchase. A positive PX can increase sales, customer loyalty, brand advocacy, positive reviews and feedback, and more. Online channels have a plethora of options available, and when the PX is strong, a brand can truly enhance overall brand loyalty and CX.
How do you make sure that at Akeneo, the team does assess the effectiveness of its product information across different channels?
Akeneo focuses on providing a comprehensive approach to the product experience. To accomplish this, we work with data quality, AI integration and automation, and syndication tools. In order to be the single source of accurate data, and ensure consistency across every channel and in-store experience, Akeneo’s PIM is a centralized hub. We work toward providing the most error-free data and to do this we also integrate customer feedback and third-party platforms.
How critical is the role of accurate product information for brands in driving customer satisfaction and loyalty?
One could argue that it is one of the most, if not the most, important aspects of driving consumer loyalty and satisfaction. Every single online shopper has had a negative experience with online shopping. That can be from receiving something not as described (sizing is off, color isn’t as shown online, etc.), poor quality, or experiencing another issue. This has a lasting impact on a consumer and it can ruin the brand’s reputation in the eyes of the consumer. Word of mouth is something that is heavily trusted by shoppers, as are online reviews, and when customers speak of feeling duped or a bad experience, that can decrease customer loyalty, new customers, and satisfaction rates. This directly impacts the business efficiency.
As technologies like AI and AR/VR become more prevalent in retail, how do you envision their role in enhancing the online shopping experience?
I personally believe that the evolution of technology has been such a great way to improve the PX and CX of online shopping and I am very much looking forward to seeing how this progresses. That being said, AI and AR/VR have been instrumental to a lot of online shoppers and retail sectors. Providing consumers with the ability to virtually try on clothing or accessories, or to virtually stage their home with new decor or furniture can work to decrease returns. It can help reduce the amount of returns credited to reasons such as not liking the product for color or other reasons. It can show consumers how something will appear or look in real life and they can make a more informed decision.
Tell us about the most common challenges that brands face in delivering an accurate and engaging PX, and how does Akeneo support the brands with that?
There are several challenges that brands need to consider and work to overcome when working on a product experience. A few of the most common are ensuring customer needs and preferences are understood, providing a seamless and consistent experience across every and all touchpoints, scaling personalization, ensuring brands are tracking and following a nonlinear journey (for example, someone might start on a social media app but then change to web or in-store to complete their journey), managing feedback cycles, and of course, including accessibility to provide a good experience.
Akeneo takes pride in working closely with its clients to ensure that every single angle, every touchpoint, every potential obstacle, and all privacy and data regulations are met and considered. Our team is skilled and knows that different generations have different expectations, so we make sure that when working with brands we understand their goals, objectives, and audience to provide the best strategy and a unique product experience.
What strategies do you employ to effectively employ improved PX solutions that help brands reduce customer frustration during the online shopping journey?
The number one strategy, and the one that I firmly believe is the most important, is to focus on accuracy. Nothing will steer customers away more and leave them feeling frustrated and unsatisfied as feeling duped and misled. Incorporating feedback, monitoring reviews, providing insight into inventory, and proactive customer support are all ways to ensure that customers feel heard and see value in a purchase and a brand. Especially in a digital environment where they don’t have the ease of in-store purchasing and assistance. Accuracy also goes hand-in-hand with consistency. With so many online marketplaces and third-party shopping apps, customers may shop for your product on Amazon, but complete their purchase for a better price on Walmart.com. Wherever they order their product from, the experience with your brand and product should be consistent so they know what to expect.
What role does technology play in enhancing PX, and how does Akeneo facilitate this?
Share on TwitterTechnology plays a major role in enhancing the PX and assisting brands looking to streamline online processes, boost personalization, and provide accurate and consistent product information across every channel. This has become more advanced through the introduction of technologies such as machine learning, PIM systems, AI, and more because the tech works to allow a more cohesive and relevant PX. Akeneo works to boost the PX in various ways, focusing on efficient omnichannel management and offering an integrated PX to span both digital and physical channels. Our technology enables our customers to focus on high-quality and consistent information across every channel and touchpoint. We also focus on consolidating product data from various sources and uploading it into our PIM platform. Lastly, we focus on personalization for specific demographics, which consumers appreciate and in turn reward brands with their loyalty.
How do you see the evolution of PX impacting the future of online shopping?
Online shopping will continue to evolve over the years and decades to come as new technologies continue to emerge. We have already seen how social media and mobile apps changed the online shopping game, and now we are introducing AR/VR and AI to assist in replicating the in-store experience with the convenience of online shopping. New technologies will only continue to merge the two and provide omnichannel experiences that consumers learn to rely on. PX will be along for this entire journey, and it’s on marketers and product leaders to ensure they are activating consistent, accurate product experiences even as new technologies and channels impact the retail landscape.
What advice would you give to brands looking to improve their PX to enhance customer satisfaction?
Not to sound repetitive, but focus on a strong PIM product and really hone in on accuracy. Customer satisfaction is hard to gain back when it’s lost and nearly impossible when a customer has lost trust in your brand. It’s critical to consider how the pre-purchase product experience is the foundation of the overall CX and how it impacts the customer journey and at the end business success
Laetitia Korn, VP of Marketing at Akeneo
With more than 15 years of experience in global companies (Tech, SaaS, IT, and consulting), Laetitia Korn is a recognized B2B marketing expert. As Akeneo's VP of Marketing, she leads awareness and business generation strategies on a global scale, positioning the vendor as the product experience-leading company. Passionate about innovation and digital transformation, Laetitia Korn stands out for her strategic approach to B2B marketing, her ability to foster synergies between teams, and her expertise in managing omnichannel campaigns in dynamic and demanding international environments. LinkedIn.