INTRODUCING
THE POTENTIAL POWER OF SHOPPER MARCOMMS
Maximise the conversion potential of retail and shopper marcomms
We know a thing or two about shoppers, marcomms and how the human brain works. So when it comes to shopper marketing, we help leverage the right marcomms solutions, identifying the creative and messaging that will stand out and engage within the retail context.
OUR POV
RETAIL
A PLAYGROUND
OF POSSIBILITIES
In a world where consumer choice has never been higher, those pesky consumers wield a lot of power when it comes to where and how they choose to shop. Treat customers right though, making it easy for them to buy and fulfil their missions, and they’ll keep coming back.
THE ROLE FOR SHOPPER MARKETING
Shopper marketing across the whole customer journey has never been more important. Get the messaging and shopper comms in the right places at the right time of a journey and there is scope to influence choice, challenge certain behaviours and open up infinite new possibilities...
Ensure customers know your brand and offering. Land the right level of information to let customers know about products, offers, or ways to buy or wider ways engage.
inform
Pass on key messages when human interaction is limited; e.g. thank customers, say sorry for missing stock, or just wish them an awesome day, etc
interact
Challenge customers to think about new possibilities; inspire about new options and ways to approach / solutions to their needs, drive innovation or the good kind of disruption
inspire
Finding the right mix of shopper marketing and POS to inform, interact and inspire requires a delicate balancing act...
THE BIG
RETAIL COMMS BALANCING ACT...
Attention
Engagement
The context
Engaging in the moment
Attention grabbing comms
We help retailers and brands find the right creative ingredients to standout and draw the eye. In a retail environment the key principles of advertising still apply: using contrast, movement, distinctive brand assets, and drawing on different and disruptive images.
But attention grabbing comms need to be used sparingly - have a genuine purpose and engage with something relevant. Otherwise distraction and disruption can be dangerous for a shopper - stopping to make them think. And as everyones favourite Dragon’s Den investor Deborah Meaden once said “The number 1 thing you don’t want is your customers to think, because when they have to think, they’ll think themselves out of a decision“
Attention without engagement can just be a distraction for a shopper on a mission. Any comms need to engage through relevant messaging, dialing up emotions and finding interactive or creative ways to deliver stories or info. We help capture the most relevant messages at the point of the customer journey, and how to maximise the storytelling potential.
Context, context, context
The impact of shopper marcomms is all context dependent.
The shopper missions and mindsets, level of concentration and focus, personality profiles, or wider environmental factors (others in the party, busyness of stores and sensory environment) will all impact on the potential of shopper marcomms to cut through and engage. By understanding how context affects the ability to capture attention and engagement we can inform smarter retail shopper marketing strategies.
LEVERAGING THE RIGHT
RETAIL CHANNELS...
AND LAND THE SHOPPER MESSAGES THAT MATTER
There are some parts of a shopper journey where the marketing messaging will play a greater role and impact. With so many potential channels that can be leveraged across the shopper journey, it is crucial to understand the role of each and find the right balance to land relevant messages in the right places.
ATL marcomms
CRM outreach
Category entry points
Increase the pull with targeted offers / deals and messaging
Keeping the brand top of mind
Marketing around the different occasions and proximity to key missions (e.g. ATL / CRM for seasonal buys)
Digital
displays
The trigger points
POS materials
Store
touch points
Targeted ads based on search terms and browsing behaviours
Product & packaging
WE BELIEVE SHOPPER MARKETING CAN WORK HARDER...
Digital
touch points
In a world where retail experiences can sometimes feel homogenised, samey or just a place to sell ad space to brands, we feel there is a greater role for key channels to deliver more.
Let’s take the physical store channels often under-utilised or underwhelming customers...
Signage and navigation
Product pages
Reviews
Home page
Purchase pages
External review sites
Influencers / social content
Store window / entrance:
the emotional window to the store (and the soul)
If like us you remember growing up and visiting the Christmas windows of the big department stores of Selfridges, Fenwicks, Hamleys, etc. this can be a right of passage. And whilst the products of the day can often be forgotten, the feelings of wonder, discovery and magical brand immersion can last a lifetime.
Store windows and entrances play a key role in setting the scene for the shopping experience - framing and anchoring the products and prices within the store; acting to inform and inspire shoppers and influence the shopper mission just as it starts, or just adding a bit of fun and magic to a trip out. Even if you don’t have a physical store presence the premise is the same for online; but it just means your home page needs to work even harder to deliver some of the magic.
Digital displays
When done well digital displays can be a real attention grabber to enhance the delivery of info and better enable tailored messages at key times. And whilst the very nature of the movement of digital ads grabs attention, the danger is that without relevant messaging and engagement it can just be another distraction and sensory overload in an already busy environment. So finding the balance is key.
In a world where we are already glued to digital screens most of our days, introducing more digital needs to be relevant and rewarding for shoppers.
Signage and POS messaging
The classic overhead signage, end-caps, banners, wobbler, shelf signage, floor ads, etc. - all the POS materials that can be provide new info in fixture to inform and direct shoppers to specific offers and brands. Or they can add to the noise of a clutter environment when simple clarity is needed.
Whilst shoppers expect such shopper activation they often claim to ignore such messaging - yet in reality these can often work at a passive level to guide shoppers and subconsciously influence how they shop and what to focus on.
