About a month ago, Drug Store News published an industry report focused on the current and emerging digital image and content needs in the market. Perhaps most startlingly, approximately four in 10 respondents had no formal or regularly-scheduled audit procedures in place to ensure the accuracy and quality of their company’s product content and image data. Furthermore, the two biggest concerns among respondents were quality and accuracy. Meanwhile, two-thirds of survey respondents suggested that the need for accurate product data had increased during the previous 12 months.

Regardless of where you reside within the retail supply chain, all stakeholders face the same daunting challenge: managing brand integrity, product representation, and related content across various platforms, channels, and retail locations.

In the face of mounting changes across retail and the CPG landscape, the time to ensure consistent, complete consumer-focused content has never been more critical. Whether threatened by Amazon’s courtship of the some of the leading consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands; concerned about the rising number of aggressive players vying for customer loyalty (Lidl, Aldi, Dollar General, Family Dollar, Amazon, Alibaba); worried about traditional distribution channels and the ability to meet consumer expectations; or troubled by evolving models that change the retail and brand marketplace (e.g., Amazon/Whole Foods; Brandless.com; AliHealth; Google’s 1492 project; and many others); it is clear that standing still and continuing to do what has always been done is not an option.

Consumers have come to demand a smooth transition from online to mobile to their in-store experience. Perhaps this is one of the reasons that acquiring shopper loyalty is under tremendous pressure and brand allegiance is a top priority.

The bottom line is that consumers are no longer tolerating incorrect information or inconsistent experiences. It’s simple: get it right or risk losing a sale or customer for life.

I will be discussing this in further detail during my upcoming presentation, which will be held Monday, September 11, from 5:30 to 6:30 at ECRM’s Health Care EPPS in Vegas. Hope to see you there!