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Screencast of MarketPulse

MarketPulse is a superb last mile effectiveness measurement tool. It helps a brand understand how it is performing with respect to various consumer touchpoints - when compared to it's own benchmarks, or when compared to it's competitors.

It also allows a brand to understand the performance across geos and store types.

Check out the screencast of MarketPulse;

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SHOP FLOOR; THE NEW PRIME TIME. Trend No 4

4. SHOPPER CROSSOVER;

For a number of years we have profiled the shoppers, into various categories, e.g. value shoppers, lifestyle shopper, convenience shoppers, family shopper, etc. After this classification, we have decided on how to approach a shopper based on this profile and what is the nature of message which the shopper responds to.

This “shopper type” has meant that we could decide which type would want discounts vs. which type would buy lifestyle vs. which type would want convenience.

This “typification” meant that we could target relevant brand messages to these specific segments of customers and the expectation has been that once a value shopper always a value shopper.

However, new research indicates that the same shopper shops in discount stores, while he also shops in departmental stores and specialty stores… but he/she shops differently.

Consumers are less loyal to any single channel / type of retailer than they were in the past.
Different needs = Different stores.

What this really means is that a brand needs to increasingly target the shopper close to the moment of purchase and hence at the store level and dependent on the store format.

Consider a shopper at a “cash and carry” store – he or she is there to buy in bulk and is seeking out value for money. So if a cola brand has to be relevant to the shopper, it has to offer a bulk deal or maybe a value pack based offer of 2 free bottles with 10 bottles or it might want to push its mega sized bottles at a discount.

Now consider the same shopper hops into the gas station convenience store for a drink while he tops up his fuel tank. For the same brand of cola to be in the consideration set in this format – it has to be in a very handy size, in an easy to grab location, ready for immediate consumption and maybe bundled with a short-eat.

The fact that the same shopper will respond to very different stimulus at the two locations is because his purpose of shopping is different – value vs convenience.

While the brand would have the uniform overall image, however, its last mile messaging, is what gets the brand into the shopper’s basket.

The brands consumer touch-points need to be relevant to where is it placed and which need state does that format address.

One singular overall “awareness” focussed message / campaign does not work on ensuring conversion in the last mile.

SHOP FLOOR; THE NEW PRIME TIME. Trend No. 3

3. FREQUENT REPLACEMENT;

We are increasingly moving towards or already living in a “disposable product” society. The quest for quality and durability has been replaced by the desire to stay “current”.

The mindset of the consumer is to buy cheaper – replace quicker – stay current on technology. While this is especially true for things which were in the past considered to be indulgent purchases, and which have now become more “every day” and common – say for example a blender or a iron, however, even bigger ticket items are getting disposable.

This is not to say that the consumers are moving away from “luxury” – quite on the contrary, however, that is a different category and has different drivers.

The consumer is keen on staying current rather than investing heavily into something which will last longer – this is also prompted by frequent technology upgrades and fear of investing heavily into something which could become obsolete in a hurry.

While this trend has various levels of adaptation in different geographies, a recent study by NDP Research across North America assigns this as one of the leading reasons why there is growth in private labels beyond the consumer products category.

Take a product category like a blender; the shopper is willing to buy a private label or a basic blender and replace it every couple of years with newer and better blenders rather than buy a machine which will guarantee a 7 year usage life – in which time it is bound to be obsolete.

Now consider this shopping behavior to that of a generation ago when what was purchased was expected to last.

The last mile just got longer!

The one-way, one-message-for-all, top-down brand communication format is on the way out and we need to find a more interesting way of igniting conversations between corporations and consumers.

Storytelling for brands is not just about the images and words. It is about everything you do that touches your prospects and customers. Narrating the brand story through activation is a process of engaging the prospect in an experience about the brand – at consumer touchpoint(s) and with their permission – to positively influence their brand preference and ensure a change in behaviour towards that brand for a lifetime.

The brand experience is fundamental and critical for a couple of reasons. Here are 5 of them;

1. Consumers no longer believe commercial messages. End of story. Read More HERE

2. A consumer’s source of information, research, evaluation and influence are not led by an organisation or brand. Read More HERE

3. The central idea of the campaign has become more important than the media used. The campaign idea needs to create the ripples which should take a life of their own. Read More HERE

4. Brand activation brings with it a large extent of measurability. Read More HERE

5. The customer’s experience with the brand throughout its lifetime will drive the future. Marketers increasingly need to look at extending their roles throughout the lifecycle of the product to ensure future purchases. Read More HERE