Key retail IT trends to watch for in 2011

Key retail IT trends to watch in 2011

1. The use of tablets as part of the instore experience
2. Multichannel fulfillment
3. Better online experiences
4. Mobile platforms & convergence

Full article here

(via retail customer experience)

Mobile Marketer of the Year

Starbucks has just been awarded the "mobile marketer of the year" award in the US.

They're a great example of a (big) brand who has gone all out to trial and integrate mobile into their marketing strategy. I particularly love their use of geo-fencing which offers customers (who opt-in and are located within the geofenced area) discount vouchers for products at their closest store.

According to Mobile Marketers, "Starbucks taps mobile for the medium's strengths: location, timeliness and immediacy, convenience and measurability.."

To read more, click here

via mobile marketer

Creating cross-channel success

In a recent US survey amongst 1000 respondents nearly one in two stated they would be more likely to do business with a retail store if that store had a mobile web site.

This got me thinking about the whole area of cross-channel retailing – particularly as we lead up to Christmas.

The digital channel (defined here as online, web, mobile, apps) is getting a fair bit of airtime lately. I recently wrote about Toys R Us and their iPad catalogue app and today read that Target US (see pic above) have recently launched their own iPad solution. Target are hoping it will help drive purchase intent amongst their expansive and ever-increasingly connected shopper base.

Why does this all this matter?

In a recent interview, Glen Senk CEO of Urban Outfitters in the USA stated that his highest value customers use three or more of their channels and spend six times what a single-channel shopper spends in the process.

Wow. Now that’s a motivation!

Insight? Focus on helping your shoppers shop your brand – not your channels

The US based brand, Moose Jaw is an example of a brand that really “gets” this. Whilst they have a seriously well-planned multi-channel retail strategy, they measure success on the total value of their customers (vs siloed metrics for each channel).

As Jason Goldview from Crossview stated “They [MooseJaw] understand that the more opportunities they create to touch each customer across different channels, the more valuable that customer will be in the long run.”

The other thing I thought was brilliant about Moose Jaw was that they reward customers for interacting with the brand – not just buying from it.

Insight Two? More brand interaction drives greater lifetime value

Brands that successfully implement cross channel retailing share two things in common. First, they know how to manage deployment of touch-points and tactics “in the trenches” (ie: channels). This is important because some of your customer segments may only shop in particular channels and not others. Second, they have vision. They know what kind of bigger brand story and experience they’re wanting to create and use a “helicopter view” to ensure that all channels and touchpoints merge together.


Sources
www.mobilecommercedaily.com
www.retailcustomerexperience.com

Paper to iPad?

In what’s being described by the retailer as a “new and immersive shopping experience,” Toys R Us has launched an iPad version of its famous Big Christmas Book catalogue. There’s a version for kids and one for adults.

Kids can browse the (non-price marked) toys and use virtual stickers to select and place the items they’d most love to receive onto a special wish list. The list can then be shared with Santa, parents and friends via channels including email and SMS. In addition, there is a dedicated section for savings and a store locator making it easy to find the best deals.

As PSFK outlined, online versions of print catalogues haven’t taken off, ‘but iPad versions, with embedded video, as well as the ability to browse whenever it’s convenient and make purchases could be the next big thing’.

Let’s face it, printed catalogues are tangible and cost effective – making them an attractive option to include in the mix. Why spend more if you don’t need to? Research also shows that the great majority of Australians continue to find value in reading printed catalogues (Sweeney Research 2009).

Despite this, one thing is for sure – the ipad will influence and re-shape consumer (and shopper) behaviour. It’s just a matter of time.

One of the key points I liked in the Toys R Us case example was that the retailer was extremely clear about who the catalogue app was designed for (“mums, dads and anyone who knows or loves a child”) and why they’d designed it (“to connect our customers to our brand in new and exciting ways”). They had mapped out a clear strategy where technology was their servant – not master. What’s more, their ipad catalogue app has helped them facilitate a different kind of brand experience – interactivity.

It’s this critical point of brand interaction where the ipad (and other tablet technology) wins-out over traditional print catalogues.

Yes, we’re still a fair way from any type of “tipping point” when it comes to converting print to i-pad catalogues. For a vast majority of brands this will provide a safe reason to ‘watch and wait’ – the “let’s see how others pave the way first” approach. And therein lies the exciting part. For savvy brands, it’s an opportunity to strategise, jump in and take the lead.

Which side will your brand take?

Putting Value On The Radar

Great article on the topic of value - customers want relationships not just low prices

Beyond lowest price - emotional satisfaction is critical

Read it here

Towards A New Understanding Of Value

Earlier this year, the National Retailers Association announced it was going to investigate the effect of continual discounting on Australians’ willingness to buy when goods aren’t on sale. It appears that the collective and seemingly permanent glut of “discount” offers have produced a bargain-shopping monster – savvy consumers who now expect (and regularly wait for) cost savings to appear before purchasing.

And who could blame them? Everyone loves a bargain. Everyone loves good value.

And therein lies the problem.

Across the marketing landscape, the promise of value has become synonymous with discounting. Little surprise we might say, given the recent state of economic woes and the declining middle market. Competition is tight and only made harder by the blurring and multiplication of paths to purchase. Toss in ever-increasing technological advancement and explosion of choice and we find ourselves in a culture where collective consumer expectations of brands have never been higher. We have educated people to expect cost and time savings everywhere. The promise of value is reaching a state of commoditisation.

The more we continue to define value in this way, the more we risk diluting competitive differentiation and true brand positioning.

Let me offer a recent real life example.

Walking up the road to get lunch the other day I stopped in at the local deli and placed my order. Whilst waiting, I flicked open the nearest paper and absent mindedly spun through. About mid way I stopped. Something felt oddly similar. I just didn’t know what. As I backtracked through the pages, it dawned on me that nearly every brand I’d seen advertised was offering a time or cost saving. From large chain retailers to travel providers, the language was wrapped up in the same idea – value.

This perked my curiosity so, on my walk back, I held the thought in mind. As I pondered, I passed by a number of retailers. They were the same ones I’d seen earlier but this time I observed something I hadn’t picked up on before.

The promise of value was screaming out at me everywhere. Literally.

Store after store was using value to drive their competitive point of difference. What struck me was that not one of the brand messages I encountered motivated me to change my behaviour or attitude, let alone move me to purchase.

It suddenly became clear that the more I was promised value, the less I believed I’d receive it. The shopping experience has become saturated with the idea of value – to the point where it now feels narrow, hollow and at worst, irrelevant. It also feels counterintuitive to how many shoppers and consumers define value - getting more than I expected, even if it costs me a bit extra.

With all of this in mind, how do we put the value back into…err…. value?

First, I believe we need to be more targeted and selective about the use of the “v” word in our brand promises and marketing communication. How can you cut through the clutter with clearly defined solutions that solve specific needs of your target market? If saving time and money has become a cost of entry, what else will make your brand relevant?

Second, I believe we need to shift our thinking. What if we re-defined value from “lowest price” to best experience? Through this new lens, time or cost saving can still enter the story but they avoid becoming the entire narrative. It enables us to move brands from a functional promise to an emotion-led experience of value. Innovative brands already tap into this – just look at the rise of destination retailing and sensory marketing as a case in point.

An example of a retailer that I believe delivers “new value” brilliantly is Mecca Cosmetica. What started as an idea in Jo Horgan’s mind 13 years ago has transformed to a multi-million dollar success story. Mecca delivers because they wrap promotions & merchandising around clearly identified shopper missions & needs – not price discounting. Their position in the market is differentiated via their outstanding product choices, unique services and most importantly, memorable customer interactions. They don’t need to ‘promise’ value because they create it each and every time a person walks through the door. Staff are regarded and treated as brand advocates who host the customer experience. Their focus on providing consistently great product and service experiences creates wow-factor, talk-ability and expanded loyalty necessary to driving sales. Their store space is truly a world class brand space.

If we focus less on promising value and more on finding ways for shoppers to experience getting more than they expected, we open ourselves to creative, clever concepts and marketing solutions that drive real shopper engagement, brand loyalty and competitive differentiation.

And surely that's good value for everyone.

The Future of Shopping

Love this because it captures & showcases key shopping trends being seen now with implications for what's next.

(via the brand punk/ resource interactive)

Brands join up with Farmville

Macca's Chicago have just teamed up with Zynga (creators of Farmville + other social media games) to launch a one-day campaign whereby Macca's branded and launched a neighbouring farm on Farmville that enabled players to earn virtual points via McCafe etc to spend within the game. Very cool.

According to Brandchannel:

It’s a significant crossroads for in-game branding and a first-of-its-kind campaign for McDonald’s. McDonald's currently serves 26 million customers daily, while Zynga attracts more than 215 million monthly active users, and FarmVille remains its most popular title.

Dubbed a “neighbor farm” for the one-day campaign which ran yesterday, Farmville highlighted the MacFarm and visitors who helped grow tomatoes or mustard seed crops received in-game rewards dubbed FarmVille McCafe Consumable.

The Consumable is a valuable virtual good that makes game-play easier and delivers energy to players that doubles navigation speed and awards McDonald's Hot Air Balloons for decorating one’s farm.

7-Eleven ran a similar promotion this year (see pic above) when they teamed up with Farmville and integrated Farmville codes onto real products which were sold in 7-Eleven stores (think "Farmville Slurpee")


It allowed customers to "bite - earn - play" as they put it. This was another potent example whereby a brand facilitated the intangible (virtual online game) becoming real.

You know my passionate stance about retail being "anywhere a transaction happens" .......well digital convergence is making this happen (and it's only going to keep getting faster).

This latest Macca's example is further proof that the lines between online and offline have blurred. Savvy brands will continue to find even more ways to create experiences of value within and across these two arenas.

iphone 5 will get us closer to going cashless

The future is mobile and according to Fast Company, Apple is helping it edge forward another step.

Currently under development, iphone 5 due for release in 2011 is being touted to feature cashless payment technology. According to the article in Fastcompany, Apple has just taken out a patent on RFID technology which will enable them build an RFID loop into their iphone circuitry to act as both an RFID tag or tag reader.

This is an exciting revelation that provides further proof that retail has truly shifted to being ‘anywhere a transaction happens’. By thinking of the ‘store’ in these terms, brands open up new opportunities to create even more value, convenience, delight (and differentiation) for shoppers.

The penetration of smart phones will be at the heart of the digital path to purchase. In the USA, Nielsen predicts 51% of all consumers will own a smart phone by 2011. Whilst Morgan Stanley has predicted that by 2014 more Americans will be accessing the internet via mobile devices than desktop computers.

This has massive implications for brands and retailers who will be defined by how they adapt, harness and apply convergent digital solutions into their marketing.

According to the In-Store Marketing Institute, marketers will need to do the following to take full advantage of the new digital era:

1. Focus on insights
2. Look beyond the brand to solutions
3. Focus on message, audience and technology (in that order)
4. Develop relevant content
5. Target
6. Commit the organisation
7. Integrate activity
8. Test
9. Scrutinise partnerships
10. Be ready to adapt

For me, the key points here are integration and ensuring that technology remains the servant (not the master). An exciting time.

Meat Your Match

No longer do you need to worry about choosing the perfect chook. From the most talked about butcher shop in Sydney comes their new educational app "ask the butcher". Once downloaded it helps meat lovers find their perfect cut as well as grab recipe tips for whipping up a meal that would make Jamie proud.

Complementing the app is their "Ask the Butcher" website where anyone can write in and ask for help on meat-related challenges - for example, "How do you cook the perfect steak?" This is a really clever way for the brand to provide value and pre-influence shopper behaviour whilst skillfully capturing (future and existing) customer data to sustain future conversations.

VC's offers home delivery for orders over $100 plus a cooking school and other experiences (like store tours). They are a great local example of a retailer that's truly changing the playing field.

A mobile store in less than an hour?

Retail is anywhere a transaction happens so brands need to do all they can to facilitate shopping experiences for customers that fit into their lives, routines, expectations.

With this in mind, I came across a platform called "mshopper" and wanted to share. It helps retailers set up an m-commerce site within one hour. Obviously proof is in the pudding but as a concept I dig it.....fast, innovative, convenient.

FCUK make shopping (more) personal

Touted as the world's first personal shopping experience on YouTube - FCUK have just launched YouTique - check it out here

As reported on NMA:

The site was created by digital agency Poke. It features a series of stylist videos, such as How to Look Cool on Casual Friday, or How to Sparkle at a Wedding.

Stylist Louise Roe selects and talks through items and accessories from the retailer’s latest collection.

Users are given the option to select an item from the video when it has ended and can click through to a page of the French Connection online store to buy it.

The fashion retailer is the first UK brand to use YouTube’s Annotations feature, which has already been trialled in the US by brands such as Old Spice and Toyota.

(Virtual) Try Before You Buy

Using the power of apps and AR (Augmented Reality), Neuvo a Montreal based watch making company are enabling customers to virtually try-on products before they buy.

As described on Apples app site:

Try It Before You Buy It' is the app that lets you try on and select watches in the Neuvo watch collection without physically touching them.

This app works with your iPhone's camera to overlay a scaled image of the Neuvo watch of your choosing over a picture that you take of your own wrist. To get the full effect you can hold the iPhone up against your wrist to see what the watch really looks like when you wear it. If you like the watch but want to try other models and compare them you can save the image to your iPhone's photo library. When you've made your choice the app can connect you directly to Neuvo's website and on-line store.

AR is being used across a whole host of other areas - check out Shiseido's virtual cosmetic counter and Lego's kiosks (now being rolled out globally) as two well-known, recent examples

IKEA rocks it with Facebook in Sweden

This is all over the web but wanted to share as a great example of how IKEA utilised existing social media (in this instance, Facebook) to promote a new store opening in Malmo, Sweden.

Click this link to view the clip

Macca's Japan Contactless Payment

Brilliant article about what Macca's Japan are doing with their contactless payment system, "Toku". According to the article published in Mobile Commerce Daily, 8 million customers have already signed up.

The author of the article, Red Gillen stated:

“Customers (now about 18 million of them) register as members of McDonald’s “Toku” promotional program. On a weekly basis (in time for the weekend), McDonald’s sends program members a mobile e-mail, with a list of coupons and promotions available that week. Customers then have two choices. One is to use their mobile browser to open mobile coupons, which are shown to McDonald’s cashiers (a promotional code is clearly visible). The other, if customers have already downloaded the McDonald’s app (which 8 million have already done), is to download the coupons to their contactless mobile wallet.”


What's amazing about this is that we're not only seeing a contactless payment system in place but a loyalty-redemption program that can be tailored to specific shopper preferences.

There continues to be a lot of talk in the market at the moment about NFC (Near Field Communication) enabled devices with iphone 5 (and Nokia next-gen) predicted to be the handset leaders in 2011. Having NFC enabled mobile phones will likely be the tipping point for contactless payment in the US.....probably about 5 years away in our market but definitely still something for us to keep a close watch on.


(via mobile commerce daily)

Facebook Gets Physical

Been meaning to blog about this one for a couple weeks now...

Earlier this month Facebook launched the sale of gift cards through Target stores in the USA.

For me, this launch provides another great piece of evidence of the online-offline blur = a totally online brand (Facebook) merging into a physical store location (Target USA). According to Mashable, Facebook are looking to launch the card through three other national US retailers this year.

The Facebook "credits" card will operate as virtual cash redeemable on games (think Farmville), web applications and virtual goods.

According to one report on Inside Facebook, "the virtual goods market is expected to reach $1.6 billion in the US alone this year... with $835 million coming from social games alone"

Muesli direct to your door

Came across this little gem today - a company called muesli mixer based out of Melbourne. They allow you to choose and mix your own muesli from 55 ingredients then home deliver to your door. Sure it's a bit on the pricey side (and from what I can tell, they're not the first to market with this concept) but I predict these guys are going to go gang-busters. Why? They've taken a simple idea and created an engaging online ("store") experience making it personal, convenient and fun along the way. They're being talked about a lot on blogs and in-press at the moment so keep an eye out.

Hit Refresh scores more votes than the US election

Mashable has just reported on the continued success of Hit Refresh in the USA. This is one of my favourite examples of a big brand 'doing good'. Hit Refresh has seen Pepsi redirect their entire superbowl spend into making this program happen.

I love it because it leverages a brand truth beyond "CSR" to join, create and embed positive difference into culture.

Nic Mackay from The Human Race spoke about brands 'doing good' a few months back at Battle of Big Thinking in Sydney. He said " When 'doing good' is at the centre of everything a business stands for and does, genuine business advantage will arise'

Couldn't agree more.

Read article here

(article via mashable/ thanks Christian)

Retail Futures

This year's "Best Global Brands 2010" report from Interbrand held some particularly interesting refrences to the future of retail. Key points of interest for me were their predictions surrounding multichannel retailing, retail-as-brand space and convergence of technology into the retail space.

Three stand-out points for me related to the following:

Store space as brand place:

'For the first time in history, retailers are
being forced to see themselves as brands"

Retail as anywhere a transaction happens

Mobile shopping effectively
flips the priority from the box to the screen.
Retailers have no choice but to focus and
concentrate their brand power in order to
create experiential moments of delight and
emotion at these wireless touchpoints.
However, in the short-term, most retailers
still lack an understanding of the qualities
of their brand and how it translates in the
shopper’s mind. Acting like a brand demands
clarity of voice, diff erentiation, innovation
and value-add like never before. Virtual
and physical brand spaces both need to
become rich, personal and meaningful

Changing the way we shop

Consumers aged 16–34 are most likely to use technology, including
smartphone apps and e-commerce sites. Smart retailers are testing iPad apps, text
alerts, mobile sites and social networking to become more involved with multichannel shoppers. The more closely engaged the shopper, the more loyalty and frequency can be expected. Over the next five years, companies will gain even deeper insights into behaviors around mobile shopping so that they can create multichannel strategies, shelf principles and store designs that are in sync with the mindset of tomorrow.

For full report visit brand channel and download the white paper

APG Awards

Happy to say that the McHappy Day APG entry is now in......took some work but happy with the result....fingers crossed it makes the finals....

No cash? No worries

Contactless payment is a technology more brands are adopting into their retail* spaces.

For me, this is direct evidence that the promise of "convenience" is now far, wide and even more expected by customers/ shoppers.

In the US, Visa has just recently launched their contactless payment alternate for New Yorker commuters using a bus, subway, train and taxi. Payment can be made via a pay-wave card or by downloading an app to their smart phone. According to the article in Mobile Commerce Daily "the programs in New York and New Jersey are part of Visa’s long-term strategy of extending the speed, security and convenience of Visa acceptance to new locations."

To a different type of Subway, contactless and cashless payment is starting to evolve more rapidly particularly in high-demand convenience industries such as QSR. In countries such as Asia (think Japan and Korea) and the USA it's helping to facilitate easier customer transactions. Customer benefits include convenience (ie: 'order ahead'), speed and personalised service whilst restaurants are being attracted by increased revenue from larger order sizes (evidence from GoMobo points to this), faster order handling and greater opportunity to build & retain loyalty.



* retail = defined as anywhere a transaction occurs (not just a physical store)

30pc of consumers accessing retail content on mobile are not online or in-store

The August SMART report just published by Millennial Media USA, has found that nearly 30 percent of subscribers accessing retail content on their phone cannot be reached online or in-store.

The research was conducted in partnerhsip with comScore with the purpose of investigating mobile retail advertising, usage and growth over the past year.

The study points out the opportunity for brands to connect with this potentially 'forgotten' audience when planning their forthcoming retail Christmas campaigns.

For the full report look under 'research' on Millennial's website here

Bronze and Gold Effies for McHappy Day!

I am so thrilled that we've won GOLD and BRONZE for our McHappy Day work.
This was a total team effort and it's thrilling to have been part of it.

You can read here

AdNews: McHappy Day wins Bronze and Gold Effie awards

Or go here for the winning case study in full

Effies Australia Website

Store as brand space

This combines three things I'm pretty passionate about...

1. Innovation

2. Japan

3. Retail

Guess you could say the three fit together........just check out this great example from Adidas in Tokyo. Fantastic example of a brand that's using their retail space as an opportunity to provide a branded encounter. They've set up the store as a run club first, place-to-buy-stuff second. By doing so, they're creating a unique brand experience for Adidas that gives their fans another reason to stay loyal and keep returning over and over. Love it.

Full story + more pics here: http://weekenderjapan.com/?p=15968

Tesco brings mobile shopping into the mainstream | News | New Media Age

Another example showing retail = anywhere a transaction happens....

Check out:

Cover story: Tesco brings mobile shopping into the mainstream | News | New Media Age

Uniqlo Love

It's no secret that Uniqlo are headed our way. They're one of my favourite retailers - innovative, immersive branded experience creators. My first experience with them was in NYC back in '03 ...it was love at 'first shop'. They've just won another award for their '09 Lucky Switch Campaign (below). No surprises there.

Thought the above pic was cool - 580 people already signed up to "bring Uniqlo to Australia" on Facebook....(yes I'm one of them)

Talk about brand loyalty...this is brand love (and they haven't even arrived yet).

Cool.

Inside the magic with Disney.....

Disney have just launched their new retail store....here is a peek inside.
They've done an incredible job blending social media and digital merchandising to create an immersive, highly interactive brand experience.

Retail at it's best..

The Aisle Evolution B&T June 11 2010

I spoke with B&T about brands at-retail. Here's the story...

Towards new dialogue for brands-at-retail.

When it comes to the retail space, I think we risk talking “POS” to death in the marketing media. It feels like POS has become synonymous with the whole ‘retail story’. Don't get me wrong - POS is critically important but it's just one aspect.

We need new dialogue about how to create effective, engaging brand experiences at-retail. Technology plays a key role in this.

Why? At its core, retail is about moving people to purchase.

We need to shift our thinking about retail marketing from its current focus on “the point of transaction” to a conversation about holistic brand interactions. When Apple created their new retail formats I'm guessing that they thought in terms of "brand touchpoints" / "brand experiences" and "retail destination". The POS was part of a bigger, holistic brand discussion. The places Apple looked for inspiration when designing their retail spaces were totally outside the box - to the point where they are now legendary. Apple have taught the market a lesson - the proof as they say, is now in the pudding!

I absolutely believe that when we talk "retail" we are talking "brand." The two go hand-in-hand. By just focusing on "POS" (the “point of transaction”) we risk limiting our thinking about what's possible for retail brands...........what we can do to really make retail work its hardest to deliver brand experiences, encounters and interactions.

It is these things that will drive sales, loyalty and repeat visit - POS should be just one touchpoint in the whole story - not the entire narrative.

Store Space As Brand Space: Disney Stores

I truly believe that the retail space IS the brand space. Anyone who works with me knows I harp on about it.......alot. Why? Because (far from being the ugly cousin of marketing) retail is the place to create experiences - powerful, tangible interactions that keep customers coming back for more.

Look no further than Disney for rampant innovation and turnaround in the retail space.

No surprise with Steve Jobs on the board ...........they're about to launch a heap of new stores in the USA (at the cost of US $1m each) creating retail destinations where customers are completely engrossed in total sensory magic (Disney-style, of course).

I could go on but perhaps you should just hear it from the source.

Full the full overview, check out The Hub's interview with Jim Fielding (President, Disney Stores Worldwide):

http://www.hubmagazine.com/archives/the_hub/2010/mar_apr/the_hub35_disney.pdf

Another Reason to Love Lego

Lego is using play to help educate kids about renewable energy.

Is there anything this brand can't do?

I LOVE YOU LEGO!

From Calorie to Carbon Counting

Sweden, as a whole, usually never fails to impress me. They really are ahead of the curve ball across many issues - particularly related to diability, family and community.

But this post is not about any of those............

I've been impressed by how one particular burger joint ("Max Burger") has made the strategic leap from calorie counting to carbon labelling. To enable their customers to make informed choices about their menu, Max have assigned a carbon rating against each of their products.

According to the New York Times, sales of more climate-friendly products, like chicken fingers and veggie chili, have risen 20 percent since Max started putting climate information on the menu last year.

This is a definite prediction for our shores.........it may take a few more years but I know we'll soon to be choosing products on more than just calories alone.

Food for thought?

Positive Exposure NYC

Positive Exposure is one of my most admired social cause ideas. The founder, Rick Guidotti, combined his talent as a photographer with his passion to educate and make an inspired difference.

The result is Positive Exposure.

They're about to run a fundraiser in NYC with Fashion Designer Ralph Rucci and Vogue Magazine’s Editor at Large, Andre Leon Talley as co-hosts. I would love to attend - shame I'm here in Sydney!

Positive Exposure fuse disability and fashion. They have created a conversation about genetic difference in a way that is humanising, inspiring, empowering.

Difference is rarely embraced in our society. Mainstream media bombards us with what "normal" supposedly looks, sounds and feels like. It's very misleading. We need to see people of all abilities depicted in brand-centric communication. The more we "normalise" disability and include it in our collective social image, the less we will unconsciously discriminate.

7 Disruptive Foods Changing the Way We Eat

7 Disruptive Foods Changing the Way We Eat

Posted using ShareThis

Packaging - A Key Brand Touchpoint.

Are many brands missing the trick when it comes to making the most of the branding real estate they have on pack?

Packaging is about both function and emotion. Traditionally, packaging was always focused on function but now, more than ever, marketers realise the opportunity for packaging to tap into the emotional. Those doing it well use packaging as a way to literally enable consumers to experience their brand promise.

Even once considered “value” or “staple” categories feature brilliant examples of packaging innovation (e.g. pet food, laundry, bread, salad mix).

Packaging = a brand experience, a place to communicate your brand values and essence to engage with the shopper. But even more so, it’s a way to ensure repeat interaction between shoppers and your brand.


Why in these tough economic times can packaging be a great way for brands to make the most of an asset when they all have to define what they are about and what the brand’s values are?

Packaging is a critical brand touchpoint – one of the last places for a marketer to engage a shoppers head and heart.

A shoppers decision to buy or not buy is affected by multiple influences – some are inside the control of the marketer and others aren’t. A big area that marketers can control is the look and feel of packaging. It is a critical communication touchpoint for brands – it is the last place for a marketer to engage a shoppers heart and mind.

More marketing dollars are going to be diverted from traditional paid-for media into enhancing in-store communication touchpoints, such as packaging. Internationally, P&G are diverting more dollars into shopper marketing budgets than ever before.


Big benefits of investment in packaging?

Beyond function and brand essence brilliant packaging helps:

Make using the product easier and thus more enjoyable
Cut-through amid the clutter of competitors and me-toos
Signal brand quality & innovation
Justify a more premium price point
Generate word of mouth (e.g. Another Bloody Water)


Are agencies concerned that in hard times, on-pack is actually an area that will suffer badly as brands ‘un-invest’ in it?

Only those who don’t do it well. Scarcity breeds innovation.


Great Packaging Examples


Uniqlo / pantone (USA)
Innovative, stand out design. Generates talkability long after store visit done.

Ella Rouge gift card (Australia)
Evidence that even “experiences” need to be packaged and that done well, it doesn’t take much to stand out.

Y water (USA)
Great example of multipurpose packaging – a water for kids that translates into a toy when clipped together.

Another bloody water (Australia)
Eevidence that not all who scream loudest, win.
Brilliant packaging from the truck to the bottle.

Method (USA)
Classic example of raising the bar on what it means to operate in a traditional “low interest” category (cleaning products).

Anything from Waitrose, UK.
Beautiful, clean, product-centric.

B_E_E Products (Beauty Engineered for Ever) NZ
A fantastic example of a product whose packaging lives and breathes its values and brand promise. It speaks to the shopper – makes it personal. Stands out a mile on shelf.

Febreze Décor Collection (USA)
Stands out a mile on the shelf. Good-bye to ugly and boring air freshener packaging.

The Un-Celebrity

I came across an interesting commentary by Nancy Lublin today on Fastcompany. She talked about our social obsession with leadership and the fact that we've become too focused on the people with the sexy job titles (visionary/founder/entrepreneur) to the point where

"we're not spending nearly enough time crediting the folks who turn all that visionary stuff into tangible reality: the chief operating officers, the midlevel managers, the staffers."

I loved this point of view. It was really refreshing to read precisely because of it's anti-establishment view.

For me, Lublin tapped into a truth about our collective cult of celebrity and obsession with individuality. More than ever, people want to be famous. And more than any point in history, the ordinary guy on the street has got a pretty good shot at it if he can think of something clever enough to promote about himself via a Blog/ You Tube/ Reality TV. Dare anyone mention "chick chick boom."

What Lublin gets to in her piece is the tension between prominence versus significance. Surely it's better to be doing something of significance than something merely because of prominence? Think about how many "famous" people you can name. Now what about the people who aren't famous but who do something of significance? I bet a different list comes to mind.

I also liked her view because it also tapped into the paradox of choice (the more we have, the less we're happy) and the transparency and accesibility afforded by social media and Web 2.0.

As Lublin said:

"We have too many wannabe leaders. This doesn't sound like a bad thing -- the next generation should have dreams and ambitions. But which ones? The drive to start, grow, be in charge of something -- anything! -- has spawned a generation of people hunched over laptops at Starbucks, yearning for that big idea that will make them the next Larry or Sergey. But not everyone can create the Google of the future, and many of those who don't will think they're failures. In fact, they're just chasing the wrong dream. I recently met someone who said, "I'm the guy who makes sure the bills are paid and the numbers make sense, and I like that. I've got no desire to be the CEO." The working world would be a happier place if more of us aspired to roles that were just right -- if we valued job fit and performance at every level and stopped overemphasizing the very top."

For the full read:

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/144/do-something-lets-hear-it-forthe-little-guys.html?partner=homepage_newsletter

Social Media and Mental Health Care Reform

I am really passionate about charity communication and social marketing. Today I came across this new movement aimed at driving awareness about the appalling state of mental health in this country........along with refom for mental health care.

It's powered by "Get Up"..............I have signed up for this.....think it is an extremely worthy cause and one that requires clear strategies to overcome pending disaster.

I love that Patrick McGorry (Australian of the Year) is the face of this campaign. They've made it easy to understand (providing real human impact measures) and participate in.

Good one.

Key Trends in Consumer Packaged Goods

Datamonitor's Product Launch Analytics, which tracks new product launches in food and drinks around the world, outlined the following consumer packaged goods that are predicted to be hitting supermarket shelves in 2010.

Personally not so sure about "meat flavoured products" but hey, happy to be proved wrong on this one!......

Here goes:

• A more humane world - Animal rights have emerged as a growing worldwide concern as consumers want to know more about how the foods they eat were raised and prepared.
• Growth in meat flavoured products market - A flurry of meat flavoured product launches in the US over the past few months has combined with innovations from the UK.
• Plastics back in from the cold - New types of degradable packaging enable plastic to biodegrade in years, not centuries.
• Skin care you wear - Innovations like skin-enhancing bedding and sun activated clothing show that wearable skin care could be a breakout hit in 2010 and beyond.
• More muscular functional drinks - Muscle Milk and similar healthy and active lifestyle beverages could be the next hot niche within the functional drinks market.
• Superfruits get more exotic - Candidates for the next hot superfruit for 2010 and beyond include Baobab, Borojo, Maqui and Yumberry.
• Ingredients: the fewer, the better - Packaged food and drinks companies around the world are seeking to say 'better for you' in innovative ways.
• Bamboo cleans up - Bamboo has become the ingredient of choice for companies that want to bolster their sustainability credentials.
• From energy shots to relaxation shots - While the shot format has been around for some time in various world markets for dairy-based drinks, the format has exploded in popularity in other markets.
• A gluten-free world - A doubling of new gluten-free products since 2005 with major consumer packaged goods companies now jumping on the bandwagon.

Mecca Good vol 2.

Here are the pics (p.s I'm not a Gemini and I still bought it).............

Mecca Good

One of the reasons I love working with brands at-retail is the endless option for creating amazing and unexpected customer experiences.

Technology can really add wow factor but so can simplicity.

Case in point: Mecca.

I am a huge fan of Mecca Cosmetica. Love the space. Love the people. Love the products.

Mecca is brand not bland for the following reasons:

1. Sets its own playing field - no other competitor offers what it can (= scarcity).
2. Creates a brand experience each and every time via store lay-out, product range, packaging and staff experts ( = tangibility).
3. Treat customers like friends - you're welcomed, trusted, rewarded, engaged (= talkability).
4. Simple, beautiful POP. Makes you want to leave spending twice as much (= shoppability).
5. Take customer service and value to new levels (= loyalty + lovability).


Inside every Mecca store is a wall of individually packaged products that are swapped over regularly. Each of the products selected for this wall is moderately priced making it even more tempting to "add on" in your basket as you check out.

Recently, Mecca combined their wall of temptation (at least, that's what I'm calling it) with a fantastic promotion. They personalised products based on astrology signs then gave customers the chance to meet the well known astrologer in person, and naturally, in store. What a winning idea. No surprise it sold out. It really proved their knowledge of their market and their customers. Simple. Memorable. Effective.

A Super-Market Experience

In Coles today and had the most amazing customer service experience. This is the second time it's happened (different person). Really impressed me. I turned up for a 'transaction' and what I got was an experience (and now I'm talking about it). Cool.

Got me thinking (again) about how it is the human encounters that turn the retail experience from bland to brand. Those little details that make the difference between talkability and forgetability.

When Apple hire and train their people, they don't just look for "floor staff" they hire "brand ambassadors." They employ people who are fans of Apple - obsessed, tech-literate Apple-junkies who live and breathe every nuance and brand detail Apple has to offer.

What if we could do the same with a brand like a supermarket. Imagine if Apple or Virgin opened a supermarket - how different would it be from our usual experiences?

Here are my top 5 ideas for transforming the ordinary retail experience into something amazing:

1. Be a brand that stands for something beyond the expected. Be brave -dream big.
2. Create personal brand-value for each & every one of your team members.
3. Empower your brand ambassadors (staff) to surprise & delight customers in unexpected ways.
4. Transforming "customers" to a "fans" means consistent delivery of your brand promise every time. Create systems and processes that allow this (rather than inhibit it).
5. Make the experience personal. Build loyalty at every opportunity.

Brands Engaging Youth

Shift? Advertising to Entertainment - stop interrupting what they're interested in & start being what they're interested in.

10 tips:

1. Create an experience....an interaction.
2. Audience co-creation + ownership. Don’t take yourself too seriously.
3. Make sharing between tribe members easy. Allow them to help create the story.
4. Use humour. Enterain.
5. Be authentic. Everytime.
6. Be transparent. Everytime.
7. Consistency across all touchpoints. Don't give it all away up front.
8. Enable belonging. Teens are tribe-centric.
9. Add something useful.
10. Don’t assume anything. Trust + respect get earned by being relevant.