Today's Wall Street Journal tells us that Target "... is tired of being used." In an article discussing a concept called "showrooming," where shoppers come into a store to see a product in person only to buy it from an online rival - typically at a lower price, Target is asking its vendor partners to create special products for the banner that shield it from price comparisons.
Online sites like Amazon.com pose a significant risk to retailers like Best Buy to Barnes & Noble. The article reports that this years holiday season saw an average 4.1% jump for brick and mortar stores while on line sales jumped 15%. Target's sales were particularly disappointing in electronics, books and movies – all categories that have made a significant shift to online sales.
It appears that Target's vendors may have little choice but to play along because of the second largest discount chain's clout. For a shopper marketing agency like birdsong gregory, this just highlights more opportunities to mine the path to purchase for consumer insights that may benefit our online and B&M clients.
Are QR (Quick Response) codes / 2D bar codes a mandatory for print in today's digitized society? Some feel that it's made trade publications relevant again while other think "how relevant can the technology be if such a small percentage of shoppers actually use it?" Perhaps they're just the crude precursor to augmented reality. Any way you slice it, these bar codes created in 1994 for the automotive industry for their ability to be scanned at high speeds have changed the way people interact with all sorts of printed media. If used strategically, and with viable content or compensation at the end of the line, it can extend the user experience and provide marketers with data. If you simply want to "take them to your home page" you're probably better off spelling it out for the audience. We've helped a number of clients"link" their traditional advertising with not so traditional means. If interested in hearing more call birdsong gregory at (704) 332-2299 and ask to speak to Jared. He loves to talk. No really.
What's this video got to do with shopper marketing or advertising? Absolutely nothing. But man what a skilled job this guy does at parallel parking his car.
Recently there has been a lot of buzz around location-based marketing initiatives, such as Foursquare. These consumer-popular applications allows users to "check-in" at venues or retailers and share their current location with their social networks. In return, these apps give retailers insight into who is visiting their location and when. Marketers also gain access to communicate directly to consumers at their point of purchase.
An article in the October edition of Shopper Marketing Magazine highlights this recent shopper technology trend and its evolution into a new service called geo-fencing. According to the article, "a geo-fence is a virtual perimeter around a real-world area. When people enter that area, their mobile device alerts an app or a service that triggers the delivery of a message" to those who have opted-in.
The outdoor outfitter company, The North Face, has been one of the first companies to test out the budding technology. The North Face used geo-fencing to send tailored messages to consumers when they enter into targeted areas such as hiking trails, sporting events and local retailers. The North Face is using the technology to alert subscribers to local offers, closest retail locations and suggestions for useful gear when they are in the ideal shopper mindset.
Geo-fencing is still a developing technology with a great deal of potential for future customizations that can fit the needs of any brand. Geo-fencing seems to be a great new addition to the ever-growing list of ways marketers are able to influence the shopping experience by reaching their target audiences with the right message, at the right time and in the right place.
We are officially in the middle of shopping season. Terms like Black Friday and Cyber Monday are not only part of our vocabulary, but are increasingly how we search for deals. According to a recent MediaPost article, the search term "Cyber Monday" led all google.com search terms, jumping 120% from last year. "Black Friday" rose 60%.
While it is not news that consumers shop more and spend more during this time of the year than any other, what is news is how we are shopping. This year, more than any other in history, consumers shopped differently. Consider these statistics from this week:
PayPal saw a 511% increase in mobile payment volume on Cyber Monday vs. last year.
17% used a mobile device to visit a retailer's site.
10% used a mobile device to make a purchase.
5% of mobile traffic came from the iPad.
Year to date, online retail purchases are up 16%. All of this points to a healthy start to the holiday buying season and more, illuminates the continued adoption of mobile as a critical shopping tool.
Shoppers are multi-channel creatures of purchase and smart phones are their multi-functional swiss army tool of choice. Shopper behavior has forced retailers to stretch their offerings across channels in order to enhance shopper engagement. Retailers have started to focus on creating a seamless and similar shopping experience regardless of which channel shoppers are engaged.
What does all this mean?
Shopper technology, that is, technology that enhances the shopping experience, has to be a focus for marketers.
Digital Shopper Marketing strategies and insights are increasingly critical for retailers and manufacturers.
Organizational silos that separate online and in-store need to be unified under a renewed focus on shopper experience.
Mobile executions need to consider context. Reapplying traditional or web programs is cutting your effectiveness short.
The brave new world of the integrated, informed consumers is here. How have you adjusted your engagement with them?
One of America's iconic consumer brands, Ivory Soap, is getting a new packaging design and a supporting ad campaign, thanks to the sharp minds out at Wieden and the decision by the shot-callers at Proctor & Gamble to spend a few marketing bucks on one of the oldest brands in their stable.
The new Ivory packaging, which features bright colors chosen to contrast with the soap’s pure white, replaces the old, more subdued packaging.
The overall campaign is intended to promote the Ivory brand’s “value and simplicity,” Procter & Gamble said in a statement, while “focusing on giving busy moms and families a product that delivers what they are looking for.” Along with Olay, Gillette, Old Spice, Safeguard and Camay, Ivory is one of six soap brands sold by P.& G.
Obviously, competition in the soap category has changed radically since Ivory was introduced in 1879, with the biggest trend in recent years being the genderization of the category from a shopper marketing perspective, which has seen soaps specifically for men or women. Ivory, on the other hand, bridges this genital divide by appealing to both men and women, with half the brand’s users male and half female.
Directed at mothers ages 25 to 49, the ads, which run through December, include humorous 15- and 30-second TV spots that show how complicated soap use has become. One depicts a group of unusually shaped soaps, including a soap that resembles waffles with syrup and powdered sugar, and asks, “At what point does soap stop being soap?”
If you've never heard of Martin Lindstrom, then you probably don't work in shopper marketing (like the folks here at birdsong gregory). He's the author of six highly insightful and well written books about consumer behavior and retail branding, including one of my personal favorites, Buyology - Truth and Lies About What We Buy. He also recently made Time Magazine's "100 Most Influential People" list.
He wrote a great shopper marketing article recently for Time based on one of his invaluable blog posts. The big premise?
The next time you go grocery shopping, take a look at the signs, the type of flooring, and even the carts. Everything has been designed with an eye towards getting you to grab those three cans of something that was not on your list.
Martin spent some time at a huge "shopper research" facility outside of Chicago (run by a big consumer goods company), where test shoppers spend hours pushing carts through what, to the untrained eye, looks just like a real grocery store. Of course, to the shopper marketers, consumer anthropologists, and other pointy headed brand geeks back in the control room hovering over a bank of glowing video monitors, every detail is carefully analyzed and tweaked. From the type of flooring (people move more slowly over parquet than linoleum) to how special deals are formulated on in-store price signs (using an actual dollar sign decreases the probability of purchase), it's a fascinating look at what goes on behind the shelf.
Quantifying and capitalizing on digital behaviors is a focus of many marketers, as a lot of traditional shopper behavior has migrated online. Based on this, I thought the below infographics from Nielsen on the most valuable digital consumers presented some compelling information.
Based on reaching the tipping point of 50% smart phone penetration, understanding your target market's needs, behaviors and opportunities is going to become even more important.
The Windy City certainly lived up to its name during the annual Shopper Marketing Expo this month in Chicago. We were buffeted by winds up to 55 miles per hour. Fortunately most of my time was spent indoors at the historic Navy Pier. The Expo brings together the brightest minds in the shopper marketing space and serves as an opportunity to share best-in-class examples of practical applications at retail. During one of the dinners I was seated next to a senior brand manager from Kimberly-Clark and we toasted each other for being fellow Gold Hub Prize winners. His team won for work related to Kotex and Poise feminine care products. It was gratifying to realize that our young, agile studio in Charlotte is competing at the level of national and international brands like Kimberly-Clark and their agency partner JWT/OgilvyAction. As we like to say, sometimes the biggest ideas can come from the smallest agencies. Learn more at www.birdsonggregory.com
The technology tipping point is here. More phones are sold than computers, becoming the preferred way to connect and compute in the twenty first century. Nielsen estimates that smartphone penetration will be over 50% by the end of 2011. With the increased adoption there is enhanced integration of technology into everyday life. And more strikingly, in shopper behavior.
55% of smartphone users believe the shopping experience is more enjoyable thanks to smartphones (Internet Retailer).
73% of shoppers would rather use their phone than talk to a sales associate (Internet Retailer).
41% of iPhone owners have made a purchase from their smartphone
These are not just shifts in behavior. They are step changes in beliefs. This is not just about digital shopper marketing. The conversation is no longer about adoption. It is about adapting marketing strategies and tactics to harness the power of this technology for your business.
So how should you adapt? Your customer should be your starting point, not technology. Watch how they are and are not using technology today. Look at trends that will continue to evolve their behavior tomorrow. Find opportunities to provide value beyond the realm of just your products. Just like shoppers have integrated technology into their experience, so should you look for ways to holistically integrate technology into your plans. Not just as the strategy, but as a way to better connect your strategy to your audience. Want to learn more? Visit www.birdsonggregory.com
This is a quick peek inside the refreshed Bloom Grocery store. This showcases just a part of the work that earned shopper marketing agency birdsong gregory a Gold Prize for excellence in the retail environment from Hub Magazine.We introduced new graphics and merchandising efforts in key departments to amplify the new product offering and improve the shopping experience. See more of this work at www.birdsonggregory.com
Retail associate are a personification of your brand. They are front line brand builders or brand breakers. They have a direct impact on your store's shopping experience.
This is a reality that spans retail channels - how associates choose to interact with your customers will form an impression of your brand. Whether shoppers are looking for a product recommendation, need help navigating the store or seeking information, when your associate doesn't take the time or have the answer, you are missing a critical shopper engagement opportunity.
Sadly, we all have examples of bad retail associate experiences. It is an unfortunate retail reality these days. But think about your recent positive associate interactions. What was common about these experiences? I would argue good retail associates are like bartenders. A good bartender engages you and seeks to understand what you want. They are ready to make a product recommendation if you aren't sure what you are having - based on understanding inventory and market trends. They know their tip is directly related to the level of service they provide and as such, they put service before product. They have the background knowledge to make what you need and the empowerment to deviate from a specific menu item to make you happy. There is follow up to make sure you have what you need.
For all the focus put on marketing, don't forget the most important contact point you have with your shoppers. How are you empowering them to build your brand with customers? Maybe it is time to start viewing your associates more like bartenders.
We are in the midst of designing new promotional materials for several communities developed by our client, Crescent Resources. In a clear demonstration of "doing what it takes" to please the client, we offered up members of our own team as models (I use that term loosely) for several photo shoots scheduled over the past week. Above is yours truly and my wife Heidi enjoying some time by the fire. Keep an eye out for our shopper marketing agency's favorite dog, Pete, who's making his model debut soon.
Think the shopper behavior of finding ways to save money is going away anytime soon? Not according to a recent Mintel report.
Shoppers continue to look for discounts. While this is not a total surprise based on the sluggish economy, what is surprising is how this behavior has seemingly shifted away from doing this out of need and into doing this out of enjoyment. According to the report, 64% of US Moms say they are spending more of their time looking for details, sales, etc.
In other words, they are spending more of their personal, pre-purchase and pre-store time seeking these deals. This is no longer just about saving money, but about finding enjoyment in the “hunt” for these deals. It is about the process as well as the outcome.
With the boom of shopper technologies, the challege for marketers is not creating and helping shoppers find deals. Instead, the important consideration is how we are shifting shopper engagement strategies to talk to customers pre-store and at the point of sale to effectively drive brand preference.
There is no doubt that this focus on price and finding deals presents significant shopper marketing challenges. However, given this reality, how you adjust and directly impact your shopper's choice to put your brand in their cart? Perhaps birdsong gregory can help?
We've often said that at birdsong gregory we're more interested in delivering results for our clients than winning awards, but every once in a while the two come together nicely. We were just informed that the collection of work we developed to relaunch the Bloom Grocery Brand has been awarded a Gold Prize from the annual Hub Magazine competition honoring excellence in the retail experience. Our peers in the Gold category include international brands like Disney, Coca-Cola and Proctor & Gamble. And their agencies partners are some of the biggest names in the Shopper Marketing space. It just goes to show you that you don't need a big shop for big ideas. The top Gold winners are competing for the best-of-the-best Hub Cup via on line voting through September 14th. Click here to vote for Bloom.
After reading a recent article in The Times about Google Goggles, I was struck by how rapidly the world of digital shopper marketing is evolving. Google Goggles is a mobile app that uses image-recognition software to decipher landmarks, text, book and DVD covers, artwork, logos, bar codes, wine labels. etc.
Comparison shopping has never been easier, now that you can snap a quick pic of a book’s cover while in store and almost instantly check the price and reviews on Amazon, but the mind races to fathom all the opportunities a good image recognition app could offer a retailer or consumer brand. Here are a couple:
• Massively successful European billboard advertiser JCDecaux is launching an image recognition iPhone app called U snap. Users can take pictures of JCDecaux posters and billboards – which the app will recognize, and provide access to extra content. Several major brands including Orange and Lancome have already signed on, and the app is planned for Android and Windows launches as well.
• Amazon Mobile includes the “Amazon Remembers” feature, which allows you to take a picture of any product, and (using the Mechanical Turk service identify the product and put it in your wish list. This isn’t real-time yet, but several product categories (movies and books) are already automated.
• Layar is one of many popular augmented-reality apps on the AppStore which allow you to see the iPhone’s camera output in real-time, with supplemental data overlaid on it. For example, take a picture of street you’re walking down to see what stores lie ahead.
Our shopper marketing agency has devoted countless hours over the past year strategizing, formulating and finally launching a new brand position for our grocery store client, Bloom (see the case study to learn more). Knowing there was a lot at stake, we commissioned a research study to gauge shopper sentiments about the store experience before we relaunched the brand. Now that the relaunch is complete, and shoppers have had a few months to soak in the new surroundings, we went back and completed a second wave of research to see what they think. The results are very promising. We saw a 7% lift in the likelihood of shoppers to recommend Bloom to their friends, a 15% increase in likeability for key departments in the store, and 15% improvement in store navigation. Those stats along with a double-digit increase in overall same store sales, how's that for ROI?
Diet Coke first hit store shelves in 1982 and has been a top seller ever since. But even legendary icons can use a bit of updating. AdWeek asks industry experts to chime in on the new packaging design. Click here for the whole story and to learn more about birdsong gregory's philosophy on design, shopper marketing and the state of advertising read our Manifesto featured on our new web site.
While f-commerce continues to lead the digital shopper marketing push for retailers and manufacturers, it is quickly becoming obvious there are critical differences between f-comm successes and duds. From a recent NY Times article, Doron Simovitch of SortPrice offers 7 f-comm tips:
Engage users creatively (and consistently) with likeable wall posts to support your f-commerce offering
Provide exclusivity with promotions, discounts and sales that are exclusive to your Facebook fans
Attract new fans with added incentives with one-time promo codes, coupons or discounted shipping for those Liking your page
Solicit input by asking your fans directly how you can improve the f-commerce experience
Make Facebook a PR tool with wall posts that provide news beyond retail – such as charitable and community service initiatives
Incorporate Facebook into Customer Service by enabling customer product reviews, a forum to share shopping experiences, and proactively, publicly and transparently addressing customer concerns
Keep an eye out for new features and tools with new f-commerce tools such as flash sales, group-buy offers, and contests – designed to may the f-commerce experience more fun and social
While there is benefit for brands to have a f-comm presence, it is important to ensure your strategy reflects the unique opportunity the Facebook shopping experience provides. It is not just another commerce outlet - it is an opportunity to engage your audience, allow them to interact with your products through unique offers and provide compelling incentives to purchase and share.
1. Visibility Contrast is key, which is why a strong logo and lots of white space work (think Special K) – especially when shelves are filled with a visual cacophony of slogans, logos, and CTAs.
2. Shopability Consumers can easily be overwhelmed by the breadth of a category, so making your product easy to find and, most importantly, easy to understand, is critical. If you have different products for different applications, the layout should be consistent and facilitate comparison. For example, colored caps on similar colored bottles can bring branding and product differentiation into harmony.
3. Differentiation Since purchase decisions are often intuitive and emotional, packaging needs to embody or represent key aspects of your brand. If you're selling health food, your packaging needs to look healthier than the competition. If you're selling high end auto care products, you should make the rest of the shelf look downright proletarian.
4. Simplicity Consumers don’t spend a lot of time studying the items they throw into their shopping cart, and accordingly, the package needs to convey a clear message. Adding more claims, for example, won’t increase the time the shopper spends reading the package and can even dilute the message.
5. Consumability Smart packaging design can increase sales and help anchor your shopper marketing strategy when it makes a product easier to store (think fridge packs) or to readily consume (think "on-the-go” packaging).
6. Sustainability We are all increasingly concerned about the environment, and packaging design needs to address our collective need for greater sustainability. Fortunately, it’s increasingly easy to align a product’s marketing needs with those of the world around us. For example, eliminating secondary cardboard packaging can make a product more visible (and more unique).
Think the shopper behavior of finding ways to save money is going away anytime soon? Not according to a 
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