This topic is not a new one yet will never become irrelevant. In today’s fast-paced digital world, consumers interact with brands across multiple channels before making a purchase. From browsing social media ads to searching on Google and visiting a physical store, customers expect a consistent experience throughout their journey. Brands that can integrate these touchpoints effectively create stronger connections, improve engagement, and drive higher conversions. This is where a well-executed omnichannel strategy becomes essential.

What is omnichannel?

Omnichannel marketing is a strategy that provides customers with an integrated shopping experience across multiple touchpoints, whether online or offline. This means ensuring consistency in messaging, branding, and user experience across websites, social media, email, mobile apps, physical stores, and customer service interactions. Unlike multichannel marketing, which focuses on simply being present on various platforms, omnichannel marketing prioritizes interconnected and cohesive customer journeys.

Examples of an omnichannel experience

A customer who watches a makeup tutorial on YouTube may see a Google Search ad for the featured products of Brand A, followed by Brand A’s retargeting ad on Instagram showcasing exclusive discounts. Based on previous online interactions, the customer then visits one of Brand A’s stores and can potentially buy their products.

A real-life example is Nike. The brand's omnichannel strategy includes integrating its website, mobile app, physical stores, and social media presence to create a unified shopping journey. Nike's"NikePlus" membership offers exclusive app-based benefits, in-store experiences, and early product access, bridging the gap between digital and physical touchpoints. Their "House of Innovation" stores feature digital touchpoints like QR code scanning for product information and mobile checkout, enhancing convenience for customers.

Why is omnichannel important in paid media?

As of 2017, over 80% of retailers worldwide reported operating an omnichannel strategy, with an additional 8% planning to invest in such technologies. Despite this widespread adoption, achieving seamless omnichannel personalization remains a challenge; in 2022, only 35% of business managers felt they were successfully implementing it.

This disparity underscores the critical need for brands to refine their omnichannel approaches in paid media. Here are three key reasons why an effective omnichannel strategy is essential.

1. Enhanced customer experience and engagement

A cohesive omnichannel strategy ensures that customers receive consistent messaging and personalized experiences across different channels. When users encounter a unified brand voice and relevant recommendations across social media, search ads, and email, they are more likely to stay engaged and convert.

2. Higher ROI through smarter budget allocation

Omnichannel marketing allows brands to analyze customer interactions across various platforms and optimize budget distribution accordingly. By understanding how different channels influence conversions, advertisers can allocate their paid media spend effectively to maximize return on investment (ROI).

Unlocking ROI is our specialty. Learn how we helped a leading luxury brand improve their incremental profit by $40 million.

3. Improved attribution and measurement

A well-executed omnichannel strategy enables brands to track the customer journey more accurately. This means understanding how different touchpoints contribute to a sale, whether a customer first engages with a display ad, searches for the brand on Google, and then completes a purchase via a retargeting ad. This data-driven approach helps refine campaigns and improve overall marketing effectiveness.

Case study: Omnibidding test of Google Ads’ impact on Brand X’s store traffic and sales

Let’s revisit our client, Brand X, a leading fashion brand who wants to integrate their Google Ads activities into omnichannel efforts. Their goal was to grow online sales while simultaneously driving online shoppers to stores for a fully branded buying experience.

Profile:

· Everyday fashion brand, with largest presence in the UK and IE, but also popular throughout other parts of Europe.

· Annual paid media budget: approx. £20M, with 80% allocated to Google Ads.

Hypothesis: Running omnibidding strategy can help Brand X grow both onlineand offline sales

Test Design & Timeline

· 1^st month - Passive ‘Test’ Data: Location Extensions added to all Google Ads activity. Store sales data passing back via API. Data (Google’s impact on Store Visits & Sales) measured over a 4-week period.

· 3^rd month - Omnibidding Upweight: Estimated upweight added as a modifier with two flags: 1) below the threshold needed for statistically significant results & 2) weekly ROAS changes used as means to control budgets.

· 5^th month - Causal Impact Analysis: Counter factual analysis looks backwards in time to understand the impact of activating omnichannel bidding.

· 6^th month - Review Results: Incrementality test results & next steps.

Key result: Reported store visits, transactions and store sales were up +22%, +15%, and +12% respectively

· Whilst not statistically significant, these results are encouraging and may warrant further testing.

· Store visits grew faster than transactions, slightly decreasing the in-store transaction rate. However, it is possible these customers converted online.‍

· On a total business level, online sales growth far outpaced offline sales growth, while the sales mix has shifted by 5 percentage point towards online.

· In terms of ad spend, investment in Search and Shopping outpaced both the pre-period and the expected values. Clicks growth also outpaced cost growth, driving CPC efficiencies.

What’s next?

Now that we’ve seen how omnichannel benefits both digital and brick-and-mortar, the next challenge is execution. Building an effective omnichannel experience requires brands to integrate data across platforms, leverage cross-channel targeting, maintain consistent messaging, and optimize for mobile and in-store interactions. Success isn’t just about being present on multiple channels - it’s about ensuring each touchpoint contributes to a cohesive and engaging customer journey.

As consumer expectations continue to evolve, brands that embrace a truly integrated omnichannel approach will gain a competitive edge in paid media. So, what’s next for your brand?

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If your omnichannel strategy feels more ‘omni’ than ‘channel,’ it’s time to bring in the experts. We’re here to help.

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About Crealytics

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Crealytics is an award-winning full-funnel digital marketing agency fueling the profitable growth of over 100 well-known B2C and B2B businesses, including ASOS, The Hut Group, Staples and Urban Outfitters. A global company with an inclusive team of 100+ international employees, we operate from our hubs in Berlin, New York, Chicago, London, and Mumbai.

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