A revolution in retail marketing

Isn’t it just the best feeling when you’re wandering around a store, looking for something, but you don’t quite know where it is, and then suddenly like an oasis of knowledge you see a staff member standing there with the answers. “Hi, do you work here?”, you ask after checking their uniform and name tag, because you don’t want to insult another shopper. “Yes, I do! How can I help you?” they reply, and you sigh in relief because they can direct you to exactly where you need to go.

An even better feeling is when they can tell you more about the product you’re looking for, or even tell you about a similar product that may be a better option for your specific situation. We all have unique problems and it really helps having someone to guide us, when making decisions. Although this is true for all retail staff, it is particularly true for pharmacy staff.

Equipping and empowering retail staff

Talking about your health is important and deeply personal. You want to feel confident that the person you’re talking to knows what they’re talking about. Although you wouldn’t take medical advice from a marketer (or at least you shouldn’t), your pharmacist and the staff in a healthcare environment should know about the products they’re giving you. They should be informed so that they can help you make an informed decision.

But how do retailers with thousands of employees ensure that they’re knowledgeable in their field? Smart Media has the award-winning proven solution: Smart Staff. A mobile-based learning management system tailored to unique retail challenges in South Africa, fit for the 21st century. All it takes is a phone that has internet access and staff can reach all the learning materials they need from wherever they are, whenever they like.

Learning any time, anywhere

Because retail staff are people with busy personal lives too, they can’t always sequester time to study when it suits the company. But Smart Staff by Smart Media allows people to learn more flexibly when it suits them, and since it’s mobile-based that can be almost anywhere. For in-store staff, finishing a 5 or 20-minute course when a store is quiet allows them the flexibility to upskill. And empowers them to exceed the expectations of customers for great CX.

For FMCG brands it offers the opportunity to make sure that the people on the ground who sell their products every day, know all there is to know about those products. Whether it’s a patient at the dispensary counter of a pharmacy, relying on staff to know side effects and prognoses, or a pair of young parents in the baby-care aisle looking for advice on feeding formulas, or even a sommelier looking to try a new wine or whiskey, all of these people will have a better shopping experience if the in-store staff are educated.

Results speak for themselves

It’s the smart thing to do: educate employees. And now there is a way that retailers and FMCG brands can do it smoothly and effectively. For 20 years the team at Smart Media have been bringing innovative in-store advertising solutions to the forefront of retail marketing.

Now they’ve taken it a step further, utilising the most valuable assets retailers have: their employees. It’s a win-win-win situation. Staff enjoy their jobs more because they’re equipped and empowered to succeed. Retailers enjoy the positive outcomes associated with a happier, more capable workforce. FMCG brands enjoy their awareness improving with the people in positions to make it count.

In practice this platform equipped staff for one national retailer with nearly 90,000 course downloads, boasting an impressive completion rate of 94%! It’s beyond effective and won a South African Shop! Award in 2023, it’s something retail employees actually engage with. If you’d like to learn more about our Smart Staff platform and what it can do for your business contact the team at Smart Media today.

About Smart Media

South African retail is a challenging industry facing challenging times.
Customers today have limited time, patience and disposable income. Getting noticed amidst the perceived sea of sameness requires constant innovation that can be expensive and exhausting. But as business leaders and shopper marketers, we all want to stand out. To be relevant. To be the preferred, smart choice.

That’s where we come in. Smart Media’s boutique size affords us agility that big companies can’t match. We’re able to take measured risks and capitalise on opportunities overnight.

Our clients see us as their outsourced, in-store innovation partners. The extension of their team who can trial the things they’d love to (or know they should but simply can’t.)