The Omnichannel guide
Omnichannel vs multichannel: What are the key differences?
![Picture of Lisa Lozeau](https://images.ctfassets.net/fo9twyrwpveg/54gY6eyo4T9Y5Lk0KBxUxU/5a2a28059c8b92efe4f25d54f625d3a2/0.jpeg)
Lisa Lozeau
Updated: July 24, 2024
The Omnichannel guide
- 1. The Omnichannel Guide
- 2. Omnichannel vs multichannel: What are the key differences?
- 3. Tips for developing a successful omnichannel strategy
- 4. Designing an omnichannel experience
- 5. Omnichannel marketing: Delivering experiences at scale
- 6. Mastering the art of omnichannel commerce
- 7. Omnichannel customer service improves customer satisfaction
- 8. Omnichannel content management (CMS)
- 9. 5 tips for efficient omnichannel delivery
- 10. Signs your brand needs an omnichannel platform
This is chapter 2 of the series, The Omnichannel guide
Summary
Omnichannel and multichannel sound similar. Both strategies use multiple communication channels to reach and engage customers. The key difference between omnichannel and multichannel strategies is that omnichannel puts the customer at the center and orchestrates messaging across channels.
Instead of pushing individual (and often inconsistent) messages out to each channel, omnichannel integrates multiple channels strategically to create connected, rich, relevant user experiences that deepen customer engagement.
In this chapter, you'll learn why omnichannel is the clear winner in the omnichannel-vs.-multichannel debate.
What is multichannel?
Multichannel is any strategy that uses two or more channels to reach and engage customers. It could be two channels, like a website and mobile app, or many channels like email, social media, website, mobile, direct mail, in-product applications, and physical stores.
The thing that separates multichannel from omnichannel is that in multichannel marketing, the various channels operate independently. The focus is usually on pushing product-centric messaging out. Marketers might understand that customers engage differently on various channels, but a multichannel approach fails to connect those multiple touchpoints to create a seamless customer experience.
For example, I see an ad on TV for pumpkin spice coffee at my favorite breakfast shop. Excited that fall flavors are back, I open my app to order one and instead see a two-for-one donut special. I’ve never even ordered donuts here.
Now I have to search through the app for the pumpkin spice coffee. I’m already feeling annoyed when I get to the breakfast shop and find out they don’t have the fall coffee flavors yet. Since I paid on the app, they can’t refund my money so they offer me a free donut. This disjointed experience is so frustrating that I delete the app and start searching for another breakfast shop.
Multichannel strategy pros and cons
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Pros: You can reach customers on many channels and start learning what content works best on each channel.
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Cons: Marketers can’t easily understand the end-to-end customer journey or connect and personalize messaging across touchpoints. This results in inconsistencies between channels; content that feels repetitive across channels; and messaging that fails to align customer expectations on different channels.
What is omnichannel?
Omnichannel is a customer-centric strategy that uses multiple channels in coordination. It meets customers on their preferred channels and provides cohesive, seamless experiences as they move from one channel to the next.
Omnichannel marketing doesn’t mean pushing the same content out across every channel. A good omnichannel experience mirrors the way people naturally communicate and engage with each other. Think about how you would share a job promotion on LinkedIn vs. a text to your friend or telling your family in person. The information is the same, but you would explain it differently depending on the audience.
This is what a good omnichannel experience feels like. Every touchpoint is tailored to the customer, rooted in context, and authentic to the channel. An omnichannel strategy rewards people who engage on more channels with a richer experience (not annoying inconsistencies).
![Omnichannel vs Multichannel](http://images.ctfassets.net/fo9twyrwpveg/4r5QRXBa8GanCvjOrVELRh/ecb8e88f1dc8674ad00de43ddfb74f83/omnichannel-multichannel.png)
Multichannel and omnichannel marketing are similar. Both use more than one channel, but omnichannel puts the customer at the center, meeting them on their preferred channel and providing a consistent experience throughout the customer journey.
Omnichannel in action: How KFC boldly tells their story through compelling digital experiences
For the iconic quick-service restaurant, KFC, meeting diners where they're at increasingly means serving up Finger Lickin' Good food and memorable experiences through digital channels.
In keeping with their brand's bold personality, they empowered marketers to unleash their creativity across channels and regions, all while keeping experiences on brand and cohesive.
See how Contentful is giving KFC the tools to unify its brand and support markets with very different needs and digital experiences.
The benefits of an omnichannel approach
An omnichannel approach has many benefits over a multichannel marketing strategy. Consider these recent omnichannel statistics from CapitalOne Shopping:
Omnichannel benefits | |
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Increase sales and conversions | Omnichannel customer engagement increases average sales revenue 9.5%. |
Increase loyalty and engagement | Retailers using three or more channels increased consumer engagement 251% more than single-channel retailers. |
Build better customer experiences | 90% of consumers expect a consistent brand experience regardless of purchase channel or device. |
Connect with customers where they are in the moment
While harder to measure, your ability to meet customers where they are in the moment increases the likelihood that they’ll take the desired action. A customer walking around with their mobile phone might have a minute or two to interact with a text message, while someone opening an email at their desk could spend their lunch reading a newsletter.
Instead of shouting across every channel, an omnichannel approach encourages you to think about where the customer is and tailor experiences to meet their needs in that moment.
For example, to reach gamers, KFC created a menu of food that gamers could eat with one hand and enabled them to place an order without leaving their game console.
Omnichannel vs. multichannel: Omnichannel is the clear winner
Omnichannel is clearly a winning strategy and an almost universal expectation among consumers. Brands like KFC, Disney, Starbucks, and Sephora set the bar and leave customers wondering why their favorite brands can’t provide that kind of experience.
Why brands struggle to make omnichannel marketing work
Brands know customers want seamless omnichannel experiences, but it's hard to deliver on that demand when preferred channels and customer behavior keep changing. To deliver seamless experiences, brands need:
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To connect customer data across channels and understand customer preferences, how customers like to engage with your brand on each channel, and how those channels work together to build customer experiences. This enables data-driven decisions, personalization, and sets a foundation for AI tools.
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A mindset shift around how content is distributed. Not all content fits well on every channel. Teams need the flexibility to pick and choose which parts of the overall story fit on each channel.
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The right technology. Pulling together data and content to support omnichannel requires tools with strong integration to connect silos. Companies that rely on legacy tools are falling behind. Out-dated technology makes it hard to unify data and content across channels so they can build omnichannel experiences at scale.
Up next: Omnichannel strategy
Learn what an omnichannel strategy is, how it delights customers and boosts sales, and the steps to develop a comprehensive content strategy.
Written by
![Picture of Lisa Lozeau](https://images.ctfassets.net/fo9twyrwpveg/54gY6eyo4T9Y5Lk0KBxUxU/5a2a28059c8b92efe4f25d54f625d3a2/0.jpeg)
Lisa Lozeau
Lisa Lozeau is an expert in content strategy, content creation, and content marketing, where she has utilized these skills as a writer at Contentful for over 6 years. She has led marketing programs across several industries on a variety of platforms. Well-versed in the limitations of traditional CMSes, she is passionate about innovative solutions.