SMC x Artika

Overview:

This past fall semester, SMC had the privilege of working with Artika, a company specializing in modern lighting fixtures distributed through major retailers like Home Depot and Costco, as well as their own online storefront. The SMC team steering this project featured two senior project directors, Charmi Sanghvi and Cooper Raposo, along with two project directors, Nick Green and Nicole Wu. Complementing their leadership, a team of four proficient consultants, Julia Turliuk, Will Cooper, Ethan Carley, and Taylor Johnson, contributed their expertise. In the collaborative venture with Artika, we were delighted to work alongside Julie Garneau, Alyssa Valenti, and Claudia Matus from the Artika team.

Problem:

Having an already established presence in various retail outlets, Artika aimed to enhance its online sales and visibility on its own website. With this pivotal objective guiding our project, Artika sought SMC's assistance in pinpointing customer pain points across the various stages of the customer journey. Moreover, they sought our expertise in understanding the impact of social media throughout this journey. Tasked with viewing the landscape through the lens of a customer, Artika desired insights into the frustrations experienced by their consumers and sought actionable strategies to alleviate these challenges going forward in the future.

Solution:

SMC crafted a comprehensive solution for Artika, which was divided into two phases. In the initial stage, our dedicated team analyzed the entire customer journey, spanning from the initial search to the return process. To gain firsthand insights, we made actual purchases, pinpointing critical pain points that would be effectively addressed in the subsequent phase. During the second phase, SMC presented a set of well-formulated recommendations, complemented by clear performance indicators. Overall, this two-phase project was conveyed to the client through a combination of engaging presentations and detailed reports.

Impact:

By addressing the identified pain points in the customer journey, our solutions aim to significantly improve the overall user experience, leading to enhanced customer satisfaction and retention. Through these solutions, the client witnessed a notable reduction in friction points which contributed to increased efficiency and a positive impact. Throughout this project we worked closely with the client, where we presented to the senior and regular account manager of E-commerce at Artika, as well as the digital marketing manager. Overall, the project left a lasting positive impression on both the client’s operational efficiency and their customer relations.