The health emergency caused by the Covid-19 pandemic made us more aware of the importance of the digital world. It was precisely digital tools that allowed us to stay in touch despite the quarantine, in our private and business lives.

At the same time, the enforced isolation has shown us that humans are social creatures needing a constant physical contact with both their peers and their environment.

In this challenging landscape, the phygital marketing approach has proven successful. Companies that have adopted such strategies were able to seize key market opportunities during the crisis.

But what does “phygital” mean? 

This term is a combination of the words “physical” and “digital”, indicating the coexistence of the physical and digital environments. 

More and more analysts nowadays are emphasising how the physical experience is a critical stage in the purchasing process. They want to achieve the best possible results in the product encounter phase, when loyalty is built.

Consumers are eager to experience the brand and discover its values directly, to get to know the product or service in an immersive and unforgettable way.

By contrast, digital features are mainly transactional and are related to the purchase phase. This makes the study of an omnichannel and integrated strategy increasingly necessary.

In marketing and communication, the phygital approach is all about optimising the customer experience by using traditional marketing tools together with digital technologies, for a seamless and smooth experience.

By adopting hybrid strategies that combine physical and digital actions, brands can engage in an ongoing dialogue with their customers, both online and offline, in an omnichannel perspective. This constant dialogue is interactive, immediate and immersive in nature. 

While the first two characteristics are clear and almost obvious due to the relentless acceleration enabled by digital technologies, immersion is the cornerstone of this marketing approach. Its goal is to make it easier for the customer to stay in touch with the company, and ensure that clients do not notice they are switching between different search tools. The less the customer is aware of it, the more successful the company is: this strategy offers the client an intuitive, enjoyable and uninterrupted experience.

The challenge comes down to knowing how to combine the two environments, with their very different logics and multiple purchasing processes. The pandemic has made us realise that in today's world we need to compete in both. Mutatis mutandis, evolution is the key to success.