Shopper Culture

Mother's Day: Celebrating All the Mothers in Your Life

Mother’s Day has traditionally been thought of as a day to celebrate your mom. But increasingly, consumers are seeing the day as a chance to show their appreciation for all the special women in their lives who are mothers. Mothercare, a UK-based retailer, created a Facebook video showcasing the average mom’s point of view of the special day:

“It is a day set aside to dedicate and honor the women that give us so much love.”

This expansion of celebration is evident in shopper behavior and spending. According to Forbes, 23.5 percent of Mother’s Day spending will be on wives, 10.5 percent on daughters, 8.5 percent on grandmothers, and 8.2 percent on sisters. 

Retail is responding to this shift. For instance, while Ann Taylor Loft touts its Mother’s Day Must-Haves, they also remind shoppers of all the special women in their lives. As greeting cards are a common gift, retailers are expanding their collection to offer options for different recipients (e.g., aunt, sister, goddaughter). As marketers, we have to consider for whom shoppers are buying when we message around Mother’s Day.

 

Contributed by Jillian Kyle and Molly Paskal

Ikea's Timely And Cheeky Valentine's Promo

How does Ikea make furniture (and its brand) relevant on Valentine's day? Well, @DarraghDoyle spotted this smart and cheeky promotion Ikea Australia put out. 

The offer: free crib for parents whose baby is born on November 14 2013! The implication: get busy making babies today! It's been blowing up Twitter and Facebook, as well as garnering a ton of media exposure.

Bravo, Ikea, for using a simple, affordable promotion to make furniture matter on Valentine's day. It's like taking Oreo's Daily Twist and making it interactive for shoppers.

Price Conscious Shoppers Still Celebrate With Their Loved Ones

Today is a day meant to celebrate loved ones – not only significant others, but all those in our life who we hold dear to us. I still enjoy making homemade cut-out heart cards for my family and friends and, according to the National Retail Federation Valentine's Day Spending Survey, 61 percent of shoppers are also planning to celebrate the day through time spent together with their loved ones and gifts this Valentine’s Day. This year, shoppers will spend approximately $130.97 on Valentine’s Day, which is slightly more than last year.

But while shoppers are spending a tad more on gifts for significant others, friends, family, and pets, they are still keeping close tabs on their wallets. Price and value are on consumers’ minds as they search for last-minute promotions this Valentine’s Day, with 39.6 percent of shoppers shopping at discount stores, according to CBS News. The biggest selling items this year, according to National Retail Federation, are traditional Valentine’s Day gifts including candy, flowers, and jewelry. Although 51 percent of gift givers will give candy and only 19.6 percent will give jewelry, this still stacks up to more than $4.4 billion spent on diamonds for the holiday.

As shoppers are searching to find the best gift at the best price, they are focusing on spending a little more time to compare products and prices across retailers as well as across devices. The National Retail Federation Survey states that 41 percent of smartphone owners plan to use their mobile devices to shop for gifts, while 47 percent of tablet owners will purchase and research gifts with their tablets.

While shoppers are searching and making careful decisions on how to spend their dollars this year, those buying are also looking forward to simply celebrating with their loved ones. What are your plans for Valentine’s Day 2013?

The Second Screen Adds Engagement to Super Bowl Ads

After an eventful Super Bowl XLVII, which included two brothers pitted against each other, Beyonce’s halftime show, the power outage, and the 49ers (almost) rallying, today it’s all about recapping the ads. According to Ad Age, fans eagerly awaiting the 2013 ads were not looking to connect with a brand; rather audiences simply wanted to be entertained. The entertainment this year was brought to audiences by extending the ads onto a second screen. For example, the Coca-Cola Mirage ads added in some humorous competition plus engaged audiences via mobile. As MediaPost points out, we might start seeing more of the creative and engaging side of the Super Bowl ads taking place on a second screen. The first screen might then be used as a teaser to encourage user involvement.

The key to asking audiences to engage further with your brand on a second screen is being sure the payoff is enough. For the Coca-Cola Mirage campaign, users were able to not only vote for their preferred team, but also were able to sabotage the opposition. This addition cleverly turned the ad from a poll to a game and heightened the personalization for players.

Overall, using mobile might be the future of drawing audiences’ attention during the Super Bowl. The potential for personalization, along with a choose your own adventure component also sets brands up nicely for follow-up engagement with consumers.

In the end, the audience chose the Showgirls to win the race for the Coke, but there is a lot of discussion about which ads stole the show. Which ads were your favorites for Super Bowl XLVII?

 

How Will Brands Partake in the Social Olympics?

With Olympic coverage in high gear, many brands seem to be part of the action—from NBC and Visa to P&G and Subway. However, there are only eleven worldwide Olympic partners and NBC, Subway and many other brands are not among them. But that has not stopped them from making a presence and gaining mindshare among shoppers watching the games.

Having Olympic ties (official or unofficial) is powerful. Personally, Subway’s ties to Apolo Ohno and other Olympians has reminded me to stop by my local Subway.  And the heartfelt P&G ads remind me of the importance of the little things in life—from hugs to paper towels and batteries. As I follow the games this year I expect to see messages from the usual sponsors as well as many other “unofficial” ones. Why? Because this year the games go beyond the television set and become the “social games.” One in which athletes, fans and brands will be leveraging Facebook, Twitter and other social platforms to connect and follow the games.

So, how will brands choose to use social media? And will it affect shoppers?

A Sunny Take on the Ubiquitous QR Code in Korea

The effectiveness (along with the proper use) of QR codes is debatable, but we found one retailer that is making brilliant use of them.

Korean mass retailer E-Mart suffered from weak mid-day sales. Inspired by this very specific business problem, they created sculptures that—only during the sunniest part of the day—enabled a QR code shadow that could be scanned for discounts and coupons.

While the QR code took shoppers to the E-Mart app and encouraged online purchases, the E-mart malls saw an increase in traffic as well.

Called the “Sunny Sale,” E-Mart saw a 25 percent increase in lunchtime sales and significant media coverage.

On top of that, they saw a 45% increase in membership and gave shoppers an incentive to experience the convenience of shopping for household products online.

All of this means that a Quick Response code could also equate to longer-term business change.

See more here: 

 

Contributed by Integer Asia-Pacific

Strappy Technology Helps Brands Reach Tokyo Commuters

Many subway riders spend their commutes glued to their mobile phones, which makes in-transit mobile media a lucrative opportunity for brands to connect with shoppers. 

Until recently, underground signal issues might have impeded this type of technology in subways. But networks are working to overcome this hurdle, and advertisers are already tapping in to this mobile opportunity. 

The latest in-transit media technology, Strappy, comes from printing company Shunkosha. Strappy is a cover that fits over subway hand straps and uses a near-field communication (NFC) reader to give passengers access to content simply by holding their mobile phones over it. Advertisers can provide various types of content to passengers including websites, coupons, and videos. 

Because the Tokyo subway transports over 8 million passengers daily, Strappy could be a great way for brands to reach a very wide—and captive—shopper base.

Contributed by Integer Asia-Pacific

Photo Source: Shunkosha 

In Booming Skin-Care Market, Korea Takes a Unique Approach

Skin-care is a booming market all across Asia, but nowhere more so than in Korea, where female beauty regimens on average include as many as 18 different products. This focus—or perhaps obsession—with flawless skin dates back to royal aspirations of yore, according to Dr. Seung Yoon Celine Lee, a dermatologist based in Seoul. “Bright skin meant that you came from a noble family. The concept carries on,” she explains.

Korean manufacturers respond to this demand, and as a result, the rest of the world has begun to look to Korea for skin-care trends and technologies. “They're [South Korea] about 12 years ahead of the States in terms of technology,” said Mary Schook, New York-based owner of M.S. Apothecary.

On a recent visit to Korea, we noticed an interesting category trend: brands using male celebrities and models in female skin-care retail communication, even packaging. Additionally, we observed that the salespeople employed by these brands were often male. Certainly it’s feasible that male celebrities are being used in skin-care communication simply because they have great skin, but we suspect brands and retailers might be employing some different strategies to motivate their female shoppers. And, seeing as Korea is the top market for men’s skin-care, there is a good chance that these brands might be looking to appeal to male shoppers as well.

Contributed by Integer Singapore

 

Men and Unmarried Couples are Biggest Spenders for Valentine’s Day

The 2012 Super Bowl Commercial by Telaflora featured Adriana Lima saying, “Guys, Valentine’s Day is not that complicated. Give and you shall receive.” It has been classified as sexy and effective. Why? Because it features Adriana Lima, but also because it targets men, a group that spends up to $200 on Valentine’s Day gifts with the number one gift being flowers, the main offering of Telaflora.

According to Big Research’s January 2012 study, men are not just spending money on flowers. They plan to spend, on average, $200 on jewelry and $100 on clothing with a preference to shop at department stores. The amount women plan to spend is nominal by comparison. In addition to shopping at discount stores, this spending gap could be the result of women’s focus on sentimental gifts like handmade cards and romantic dinners at home.

Although targeting male shoppers is an effective marketing strategy, there are other attractive shopper segments among the 60 percent of adults that celebrate Valentine’s Day, a 17.6 billion dollar holiday. Unmarried couples are perhaps a bigger opportunity, especially with marriage rates at a low. In fact, unmarried couples that live together and single, never-married shoppers plan to spend $20 to $30 more on their significant other for Valentine’s Day than married, divorced or widowed shoppers (Big Research January 2012 study). In addition, these shoppers are resourceful. They shop multiple outlets and utilize technology, like smartphones and tablets, to do research and compare prices before making a purchase.

While it makes a lot of sense to focus on men, is it necessary to be gender specific when marketing for February 14^th? What if the Telaflora commercial targeted unmarried couples? Instead of being called sexy and effective, critics may have said it was creative and tactful. How do you plan to increase your share of this $17.6 billion dollar holiday? Will you target men or take a different approach and target unmarried couples?

Contributed by Kimberly Chatman and Kira Torgersen 

What is the role of the retailer in charitable giving?

Many retailers get involved in supporting charitable causes, especially during the holidays. We asked ourselves the question, what should be the role of the retailer in giving? More and more people today are disconnected from charitable organizations, but have found that brands and retailers are a key gateway to giving. As experts in shopping culture, we specifically looked into the role of the retailer for the shopper with giving on their mind.

With this topic on my mind, while meandering an outdoor mall, I witnessed a key ingredient of giving. Many shoppers, on a break from the rigors of holiday shopping, were enjoying the music of a man playing the guitar. Suddenly, a sweet little girl darted out and handed the guitarist a dollar. Stunned by her courage and cuteness he stopped playing mid-song, accepted the dollar and responded with a wink, a smile and asked, "what is your favorite christmas song?" 

The situation demonstrated an age-old principle of giving -- reciprocity. What does the giver receive in return for the gift? In this case, and most of the time, its a warm, heartfelt 'thanks.' It's the Salvation Army representative at the storefront ringing the bell and saying 'Thank You'. Therefore, what does this tell us about the role of the retailer in giving? As the facilitators at the point of giving, are retailers the means of reciprocity? GAP and other retailers, in order to bring more awareness and raise money to eliminate AIDS Fund, sold t-shirts with the Product Red Campaign. Functionally, the reciprocity was a fashionable t-shirt on the back of the giver, but moreso the t-shirt provided the giver a way to signal and show the cause to which they gave. A new offering called CherryCard.org provides participating retailers $.25 cent cards to distribute at the point of sale. Patrons then go online and give the donation to the charity of their choice. In this way, the retailers facilitate the reciprocity through enabling customers to choose where their money goes. 

On the other hand, as researchers of shopping culture, we've heard that 'transactional giving', giving that occurs at the checkout counter, isn't resonating with shoppers. Radio Shack experienced some online backlash earlier in the year from their donation request via the card-swiping checkout machine. Unlike the Salvation Army representative, who smiles and thanks the giver for their dollar, the card-swiping machine or other forms of transactional giving aren't providing a key ingredient in the system of giving -- reciprocity. 

Much more exploration needs to be done to understand retailers' role in cause-based giving. But it appears that when retailers go beyond simply accepting the gift to facilitating reciprocity they better connect with shoppers.  

 

Tales From Russia - First Moment of Truth

In the emerging market of Russia, we learned that in shopper marketing, the first moment of truth is one of the most important steps in a consumer’s path to purchase. After interviewing several consumers in their homes and doing shop-a-longs, we observed an underdeveloped stage of above-the-line media when it comes to household needs and health/beauty products. TV, current print, and other media outlets we are accustomed to are not a highly consumed media in the everyday life of people living in Moscow. So how do they find new products outside of friend and family recommendations? They rely on in-store marketing. The moment when a consumer turns into a shopper.

Want to learn how merchandising plays a role in product selection and choice in Russia? Want to know what in-store tools and promotions work best in emerging markets? Want to learn the Integer approach to shopper marketing in the global market?

Click here to download the Tales From Russia study.

-Contributed by Stephen Moon

 

 

Millennials Go Mobile

There are more than 75 million Millennials in the U.S.¹, and, whether they’re graduating from high school or college, many are facing the challenges of adjusting to adulthood. For instance, learning to cook. In college, life is chaotic, and students look for quick and cheap meals. When they begin to find time for normal meals and a budget for groceries in postgrad life, they look for new food options. 

An important go-to tool for surviving these changes: mobile apps. Forty-one percent of Millennials own smartphones (according to Warc.com), making this fertile ground for brands and retailers to speak to this generation and reach them in transition. Back to the cooking conundrum—apps with recipes and cooking tips not only resonate but encourage the overlap of online and offline behavior. Before heading to the grocery store, many Millennials (myself included) look up recipes on mobile apps and use them to create shopping lists. My personal favorite is Epicurious^®. Though I don’t always stick to my list, I continue to reference my phone as I walk through the aisles of my local grocery store. Knowing that Millennials are mobile-dependent, I ask this question: Why aren’t more brands taking advantage of this space and catering to my subconscious need to make impulse purchases?

As the number of smartphone users continues to rise, and not just among Millennials, marketers must take notice that shoppers’ offline and online worlds coexist. For more about bridging the online and offline shopping gap, you can click here to download the Digitail^® edition of The Checkout.

-Contributed by Molly Paskal

¹ Iconoculture 2010, General Market Fast Facts

 

Tales from Russia - Who Can You Trust?

  Do consumers around the world really have one thing in common? They find out about a product by means of advertising or a friend. However, not every region is the same when it comes to understanding and trusting that a product will work. In developed markets where name brands have established a level of trust and credibility with consumers, one can hear about a new product, learn its benefits and experience the outcome by a converstation 100% facilitated by a brand. But in emerging markets, like Russia, where brands are somewhat “new,” does this facilitated conversation have the same impact? What media works and where do consumers go first to learn more about a product?

Click here to download the Tales From Russia study.

-Contributed by Stephen Moon

 

Tales from Russia - Pride and Consumption

There it was, the new fragrence by Dior^® seen everywhere on the streets, in magazines, and plastered on the side of buildings. It was displayed proudly on the living-room armoire. Still in its box, it sat there like a beaming gold status symbol for anyone entering the room to see. While in Moscow, we visited a woman who took great pride in everything she purchased. From a store full of cosmetics stored in the refrigerator and drawers, to a lineup of body care displayed in the entry way, to that bottle of fragrance proudly sitting in the living room, she took great pride in the items she purchased and wanted the world to see them. This woman, like many others we visited, related products and name brands to social status. Much like her desire to have a larger home, move to a more affluent part of the city, and entertain more friends, she related health and beauty products to being successful and took great pride in her accomplishments.

How can everyday brands use marketing and branding along with packaging that elevates the product to being displayed on the living-room shelf? Beyond the transaction and usage, what other factors are playing a major role in emerging-markets consumption behaviors?

Click here to download the Tales From Russia study.

-Contributed by Stephen Moon

 

Tales From Russia - Product Benefit vs. Product Performance

“3X more cleaning power than the next leading detergent”. “3 blades”. “5 blades”. “Most technologically advanced”. These are all claims anyone in shopper marketing is accustomed to seeing. Product performance. As marketers we are grounded in understanding the technology that goes into new products and telling consumers why our shiny, new toy is better than their old one. For years we have believed that technology and product enhancements will win the hearts and wallets of consumers around the world. However, while recently spending time in the emerging market of Russia, we were alarmingly told otherwise. After spending several days with consumers in their homes and on their shopping trips, we quickly learned that product performance is not enough. What will 3X more cleaning ingredients do for me? What will extra blades on my razor do that my two blade disposable won’t? In a market that does not have a history of product innovation, people have no performance benefits to compare new technology with. So how do Western innovative brands overcome this lack of performance benefit? How do we communicate the benefit of our product through performance claims? 

Click here to download the Tales From Russia study.

-Contributed by Stephen Moon