Using Content to Convert: Seamless Retail Content

In today’s omnichannel retail landscape, the final step—conversion—remains the most elusive. Brands invest heavily in discovery, awareness, and consideration phases, but it’s at the moment of purchase that many stumble. What separates browsers from buyers is no longer just pricing or availability. It’s content: contextual, engaging, personalized content that nudges a decision across the line.

The modern consumer journey is not a funnel. It’s a fluid, dynamic path. Customers jump between devices and channels—Instagram inspiration, mobile browsing, in-store testing, cart abandonment, retargeting, and finally a purchase on a laptop. This is the new reality of commerce, a hybrid, interconnected ecosystem where content must act as a thread that connects every touchpoint.

At this year’s NRF 2025: Retail’s Big Show Asia Pacific, we connected with business leaders and experts who shared how the right content can influence buying decisions across platforms. Their insights echoed a clear message: in a content-saturated retail world, omnichannel advertising must transcend the digital-physical divide and offer consistent, immersive experiences that eliminate friction. So, how can brands use content, not just to communicate, but to convert?

Content as the bridge in the omnichannel experience

The shopper’s path is no longer linear. Consumers may research on mobile, compare products online, seek validation on social media, then head to the store or complete the purchase elsewhere. They move in and out of channels based on convenience, context, and content.

Retailers who recognize this don’t rely on isolated content assets. They create a synchronized ecosystem that helps users wherever they are, ensuring the message, value, and experience stay cohesive. And consistency matters. Brands that master omnichannel content can see up to 40% higher revenue growth. That growth stems from the trust built when messaging and experience are intuitive, familiar, and consistent, regardless of platform.

What drives the click?

To convert, content must do more than inform. It must anticipate. That means personalization powered by real-time data, contextual storytelling, and frictionless functionality.

Catching up with industry leaders at NRF 2025, many stressed the shift from static storytelling to dynamic experiences. Calvin Klein's “Store of the Future” illustrates this well. The brand linked CRM data with CMS systems to dynamically update digital lookbooks, suggest products, and even allow purchases from kiosks even when products weren’t physically available in-store.

“Let’s focus a little bit more on delivering exceptional experiences,” said Tan Wan Shin, Business Lead, SEA at Tag. “That means predicting what the consumers want before they even know it. The way to do this is to leverage the power of data points and connect online to offline, and offline to online.”

As underscored by the Dentsu Creative 2024 CMO Survey, content agility and speed are now top priorities. CMOs understand that static content no longer cuts it. The path to purchase must be fluid, dynamic, and deeply personalized.

Shoppable, informative, immersive: The formats that convert

From short-form product videos to AR try-ons and 3D product spins, content today must be immersive, informative, and instantly actionable. Shoppers now expect to see, explore, and engage before they buy.

This is especially true in APAC, where digital engagement is accelerating. In 2024, the e-commerce market in Southeast Asia was valued at approximately $159 billion. It is expected to grow to $370 billion by 2030, indicating a massive opportunity for brands to craft digital-first content journeys.

This extends to physical stores too. Calvin Klein’s stores included interactive digital kiosks, allowing consumers to digitally browse full product lines, view styling tips, and make real-time purchases, even if stock wasn’t on-site. Meanwhile, in-store content placement is equally strategic. Screens at shelf-level, mobile QR activations, and interactive mirrors turn passive browsing into active decision-making.

In today’s omnichannel retail landscape, the final step—conversion—remains the most elusive. Brands invest heavily in discovery, awareness, and consideration phases, but it’s at the moment of purchase that many stumble. What separates browsers from buyers is no longer just pricing or availability. It’s content: contextual, engaging, personalized content that nudges a decision across the line.

The modern consumer journey is not a funnel. It’s a fluid, dynamic path. Customers jump between devices and channels—Instagram inspiration, mobile browsing, in-store testing, cart abandonment, retargeting, and finally a purchase on a laptop. This is the new reality of commerce, a hybrid, interconnected ecosystem where content must act as a thread that connects every touchpoint.

At this year’s NRF 2025: Retail’s Big Show Asia Pacific, we connected with business leaders and experts who shared how the right content can influence buying decisions across platforms. Their insights echoed a clear message: in a content-saturated retail world, omnichannel advertising must transcend the digital-physical divide and offer consistent, immersive experiences that eliminate friction. So, how can brands use content, not just to communicate, but to convert?

Content as the bridge in the omnichannel experience

The shopper’s path is no longer linear. Consumers may research on mobile, compare products online, seek validation on social media, then head to the store or complete the purchase elsewhere. They move in and out of channels based on convenience, context, and content.

Retailers who recognize this don’t rely on isolated content assets. They create a synchronized ecosystem that helps users wherever they are, ensuring the message, value, and experience stay cohesive. And consistency matters. Brands that master omnichannel content can see up to 40% higher revenue growth. That growth stems from the trust built when messaging and experience are intuitive, familiar, and consistent, regardless of platform.

What drives the click?

To convert, content must do more than inform. It must anticipate. That means personalization powered by real-time data, contextual storytelling, and frictionless functionality.

Catching up with industry leaders at NRF 2025, many stressed the shift from static storytelling to dynamic experiences. Calvin Klein's “Store of the Future” illustrates this well. The brand linked CRM data with CMS systems to dynamically update digital lookbooks, suggest products, and even allow purchases from kiosks even when products weren’t physically available in-store.

“Let’s focus a little bit more on delivering exceptional experiences,” said Tan Wan Shin, Business Lead, SEA at Tag. “That means predicting what the consumers want before they even know it. The way to do this is to leverage the power of data points and connect online to offline, and offline to online.”

As underscored by the Dentsu Creative 2024 CMO Survey, content agility and speed are now top priorities. CMOs understand that static content no longer cuts it. The path to purchase must be fluid, dynamic, and deeply personalized.

Shoppable, informative, immersive: The formats that convert

From short-form product videos to AR try-ons and 3D product spins, content today must be immersive, informative, and instantly actionable. Shoppers now expect to see, explore, and engage before they buy.

This is especially true in APAC, where digital engagement is accelerating. In 2024, the e-commerce market in Southeast Asia was valued at approximately $159 billion. It is expected to grow to $370 billion by 2030, indicating a massive opportunity for brands to craft digital-first content journeys.

This extends to physical stores too. Calvin Klein’s stores included interactive digital kiosks, allowing consumers to digitally browse full product lines, view styling tips, and make real-time purchases, even if stock wasn’t on-site. Meanwhile, in-store content placement is equally strategic. Screens at shelf-level, mobile QR activations, and interactive mirrors turn passive browsing into active decision-making.

Watch industry leaders explain why, in a world where content is king, the ability to cut through the noise depends on how relevant, responsive, and personalized it is.

Content’s Role in Online-to-Online Conversions

Immersive content is equally critical in nudging online behavior across platforms as it is in in-store activations. While much emphasis is placed on online-to-offline journeys, online-to-online journeys are just as important. A customer might view a product in-app, receive a cart reminder via email, and finally complete the purchase on a desktop browser.

Smart content tactics include:

• Cross-platform cart reminders: Prompts shown across different devices that remind users of items left in their cart. These help to recover potential lost sales.

• Dynamic retargeting: Personalized ads for products previously viewed, often featuring updates like limited-time offers or price drops.

• Personalized pricing alerts and promotions: Real-time notifications for discounts on previously browsed items, increasing the chance of conversion.

A great example of this in action is Nike’s mobile app integration in APAC, seen across markets like Singapore, Shanghai, and Seoul. Nike connects app-based content with in-store experiences to deliver personalized, data-driven interactions. When a Nike member checks in at a store using the app, they may receive real-time offers based on their browsing history, for instance, a limited-time discount on shoes they had previously explored online.

The app also provides tailored product recommendations based on each customer’s preferences, prior purchases, and activity patterns. In flagship stores, features like Scan to Try and Shop the Look let customers interact directly with merchandise through the app, triggering size requests or checkout right from their phones.

This blend of personalized digital content with physical store convenience is further enhanced through location-based activations. In markets like Guangzhou, Nike has invited app users to in-store events, fitness sessions, and product workshops turning a routine store visit into an immersive, high-conversion experience.

This approach reflects a broader industry shift. Brands like Nike are showing that omnichannel success hinges on content that adapts to each channel and personalization powered by CRM systems. As Jacky Mak, Marketing Director at yuu Rewards Club, explained in a related context: “You need to make sure your content is customized according to different channels... Be it on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or even Telegram. To deliver personalized communication, you need a strong CRM backbone that unifies online and in-store behavior.”

Key Takeaways: Content That Converts is Content That Connects

Conversion is not a destination, it’s a journey. And content is the path. Across our NRF conversations and real-world campaigns, one truth stood out: brands that prioritize seamless, strategic, and engaging content experiences are winning the conversion game.

What sets successful retail brands apart is their ability to craft content that connects the dots across the entire ecosystem — from app to shelf, email to store, and mobile to desktop. This ecosystem isn’t just a collection of touchpoints. It’s a unified, strategic framework where data, creativity, and technology work together to deliver relevant, consistent, and seamless experiences.

Here’s what works:

• Personalized, AI-powered content tailored to user intent

• Gamified and immersive experiences that entertain and educate

• Cross-platform consistency, from app to shelf

• Unified CRM + CMS systems that automate relevance at scale

• Localized content that doesn’t compromise brand identity

The brands that stand out are those that “cut through the noise” by delivering exceptional, predictive experiences. And those experiences rely on a cohesive content ecosystem that brings together storytelling, automation, personalization, and platform integration.

In an age where the next click could happen anywhere, content isn’t just communication. It’s conversion fuel.