So let's talk retail training. When you really
look at it, how effective are the methods most
companies are using right now, especially with
the market changing so fast? A lot of folks,
maybe even you, are still leaning on while let's
call them traditional formats. But are we really
checking if they work? Today on The Deep Dive,
we're diving into a pretty compelling argument
from Multimedia Plus. You probably know the name.
They're making this strong case about why cartoon
-style animations might actually be missing the
mark in retail training, and why real video is,
well, turning out to be way more powerful. We'll
even touch on platforms like INCITE, which I
know many of you use, and how they fit into this.
Our mission, really, is to unpack what Multimedia
Plus is saying, go a bit deeper. What does this
actually mean for you as a retail exec? about
things like brand alignment, keeping your associates
and, you know, overall store performance. Let's
get into it. OK, so let's break down this main
issue. It's everywhere, right? Companies using
cartoon animations for training. But Multimedia
Plus argues pretty forcefully that this approach
is often just out of sync with the actual brand
experience you're trying to create. I mean, unless
your brand is genuinely built around animation
or maybe aimed squarely at kids, it creates this
sort of jarring disconnect. Think about it if
you run, say, a high -end luxury store, a really
sophisticated experience, and the training looks
like a Saturday morning cartoon. What's that
telling your team about professionalism? And
it's not just about how it looks on the surface.
Your retail associates, like pretty much everyone
now, they live in a video first world. Their
social media, entertainment, how they learn stuff
online, it's all video. Mostly real people, real
situations. So when their work training shows
up with avatars, maybe exaggerated scenarios,
it just immediately feels disconnected. like
the real important information they consume everywhere
else. Yeah. And what's really fascinating, I
think, is how that specific feeling of disconnection
hits attention spans and, critically, retention.
You lose them. Multimedia Plus points out something
interesting. Cartoons might simplify things,
make it seem easy, but they can actually reduce
credibility, almost paradoxically. Like you said,
imagine training for a complex tech product using
a cartoon character. It's subtly. maybe unintentionally,
downplays the seriousness, the expertise needed,
that lack of authenticity. It chips away at engagement.
Associates might feel the training isn't quite
serious enough for their actual complex job.
It's just so crucial that the training feels
grounded in the associates day -to -day experience.
That's the key for making it stick, making it
effective. They need to hear the language they
use, see environments that look like their store,
understand the customer expectations you actually
have. Cartoons, well, they abstract all that,
don't they? It can make associates feel like,
okay, this isn't really for me, not for my specific
store, my specific challenges. If they don't
see their reality reflected, Why would they internalize
it? Exactly. And this is where it gets really
interesting and maybe busts a myth some execs
might have about video training. The solution
multimedia plus is talking about. It's not necessarily
about hiring film crews for big expensive live
action shoots. They're very clear. Real video
today doesn't always mean physically filmed content.
And that really opens things up, especially if
cost or logistics were barriers before. So what
does real video look like now? It's actually
pretty diverse. It could be AI. generated visuals
you know sophisticated AI avatars speaking with
your brand's voice maybe in digital settings
that look just like your stores but it also includes
things like remote filming this is huge your
own people top sellers managers contributing
real content from their locations using their
phones sometimes and then you combine all that
using smart editing tools you get professional
results without that massive traditional production
headache it's much more agile that's a great
point and connecting that to the bigger picture
the absolute core INCITE from Multimedia Plus
isn't how it was made filmed AI whatever the
key question is does it feel real and relevant
to the associate watching it that's the litmus
test these newer tools they genuinely let brands
even huge ones with thousands of stores create
high -quality training video that's fast flexible
and cost -effective it sort of democratizes creating
really impactful authentic content you can react
faster to new products market shifts get relevant
info out quickly without waiting months for a
big production OK, so we've got this shift towards
real video enabled by new tech. What does this
actually mean for store performance? Why should
a retail leader really care about this shift?
Right, that's the bottom line question. How does
this real video actually grab people, make the
learning stick, and lead to better results on
the floor? Multimedia Plus highlights a few key
things. It directly models the behavior you want
to see, it reinforces the right brand tone, and
it aligns the internal culture with the customer
experience. Think about a specific product demo
showing exactly how to sell that key feature.
or handling a tricky customer return with real
empathy shown, or even just a visual merchandising
guide, step by step. Realistic video gives that
context. It shows the ideal way. It doesn't just
tell. That kind of learning is just stickier,
more memorable, and way more actionable for associates
because it looks like their world. Yeah, absolutely.
And it's also about meeting them where they are,
isn't it? Making training feel as current as
everything else they interact with. Your teams
are already consuming stuff that looks like training
every single day on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube
shorts, quick tips, how to's, insights. They're
learning constantly in this short, focused human
video format. And multimedia plus really handles
this point. If your internal training doesn't
have that same feel short, clear, direct, real,
it risks being seen as outdated or out of touch.
Associates, especially younger ones, want immediate
applicable insight. They want the why just as
much as the how. Why this product? Why this process?
Video is just uniquely good at delivering that
whole picture quickly, memorably in the format
they already prefer. And there's another layer
here which is fascinating how this real video
approach actually strengthens your brand from
the inside. Your training shouldn't feel separate.
It should feel like just another part of the
overall store experience, consistent, intentional,
visually aligned with everything else you do.
It's culture building. Imagine your brand is
all about vibrant personal service. If the training
videos consistently show real associates nailing
that vibe in real store situations, That reinforces
it constantly. So using real video consistently,
it helps embed your brand's tone, your environment.
It builds internal culture and sharpens customer
-facing performance. Massively important. And
when the content feels like it's theirs, it reflects
their world, maybe even features people they
know, embodies their brand. Multimedia Plus says
it significantly increases engagement and ownership.
Training stops being just a task they have to
do. It becomes part of their professional identity.
They're more invested in living up to those standards
because they see it demonstrated authentically.
OK, so this shift to real video is powerful and
it gets even more practical when you bring in
modern platforms. This is where something like
INCITE comes into play, which again, many of
you are probably familiar with. Multimedia Plus
points out how platforms like INCITE do more
than just, you know, push content out. They actually
elevate the whole training function for retail.
Specifically, INCITE focuses on delivering mobile
-first training video to every associate, right
there in their pocket. Which means training is
there when and where they need it, maybe a quiet
moment on the floor, on their commute, whatever.
It fits how they use their devices already, removes
that friction. It's bringing the learning to
them, not making them chase it down. Exactly.
And beyond just easy delivery, INCITE offers
these smarter data -driven tools that give you
real, measurable results. It lets you track engagement
precisely, you see who watched what, not just
who clicked play, but who finished, how they
interacted, that's key. But then it goes further,
you get embedded knowledge checks to actually
assess comprehension, giving immediate feedback
to the associate and, crucially, data back to
you. And maybe the most powerful part, it lets
you use data to drive coaching all in real time.
For retail leaders, that's huge. You get insights
into effectiveness now, not three months later.
You can see who needs help, where the message
isn't landing, and intervene quickly. And that
real -time data, combined with how flexible video
is, allows for incredible tailoring. Multimedia
Plus is spot on. Retail is too fast and too complex
for one -size -fits -all training. It just is.
You've got different regions, products, customer
types, constant new campaigns. Video, through
platforms like INCITE, lets you customize messages
fast. Target specific roles, regions, even individuals
who need a specific skill boost. You're not just
blasting everyone with the same thing. You're
personalizing learning at scale, making sure
it's relevant, timely, and deliver it in a way
that actually works. So wrapping this up, the
core takeaway from Multimedia Plus seems pretty
clear, and it definitely makes you think. Cartoon
-style content may grab attention, but it doesn't
build confidence. It might be easy, but it doesn't
deliver where it counts. Right. And the power
of real video, whether it's filmed in your store
with your team or generated smartly with AI,
it's modern, scalable, and above all, relevant.
Relevant to your associates, relevant to your
brand, relevant to your customers. So thinking
about everything we've discussed, all these insights
on moving from maybe generic animation to authentic
real video, how could embracing that strategy
truly change your brand, your internal culture,
your customer experience, maybe even your bottom
line, something definitely worth considering.