SHOPPER MARKETING TALKS
BY: RAJ AFABLE
Raj Afable is an award-winning creative director turned
Shopper Communications practitioner. He helped cre-
ate a design agency with the objective of providing
a science to local shopper marketing industry and
engaging shoppers and brands inside the selling-
area. He has been a creative coach, mentor and
consultant and currently works at Print and Mount,
Inc. a total BTL agency that provides design, print-
ing, events and activation services.
Shopper
Communication
should be Consistent
Everybody’s passionate about shopper communica-
tion. Others invest in insight gathering to make sure
consumer feedback is taken cared of from product
development to actual retail experience. But how
serious are we in making sure the whole 360 of this
process is safeguarded to ensure maximum brand
image and experience is delivered inside the retail
store at any given time and day?
Retailers make sure the total shopping experience is easy and
memorable by creating a more modern design by providing appropri-
ate locators, bigger aisles, fully lighted stores and providing shopper
friendly but knowledgeable store ambassadors to assist shoppers for
any inquiries while browsing the store.
Promotional programs are also developed to build loyalty to the retail
outlet and build a more community based and stable network. Other
in-store fixtures are being explored by retailers to make sure shoppers
linger more inside the store to influence and encourage them more to
do the actual purchase.
Parking spaces are also a great barrier to the shopping experience,
which other retailers offer for free as long as you present an actual
receipt upon exit.
Some stores offer an online shopping app where the actual goods are
delivered to your doorstep at your own desired time---this is answering
to an insight from working parents who want to have more quality time
at home after work.
All these retailer efforts
cost a substantial
amount of money
that needs to be
protected and
maximized. Have
you been to a
retail store on a
regular basis?
Have you noticed
newly installed
permanent or
semi-permanent fixtures look amazing but after week or two they
already look horrible and we just let it be because fixing it requires
another budget request? But does it make any good to the brand in
general? Does the retail store keeps its visual merchandising look and
makes the shopping experience still worth it? The store and the brand
suffer more through poorly maintained shopper marketing communica-
tion fixtures. How do we ensure we are consistent in terms of brand-
ing and the shopping experience we provide?
The Brand on the other hand allocate millions each year to make sure
they stay ahead of competitor in their respective categories by creating
campaigns on a regular basis to engage shoppers and consumers.
Ideas are all great as they went through all the process of in-sighting,
focused group discussions, simulations and all possible edits and
re-edits to make sure they come up with the best solution for that
particular campaign.
All those sleepless nights, arguments, exchange of ideas, revisions
and idea presentations need to be protected after actual implementa-
tion. It has to be consistent to make the brand more credible and seri-
ous in its effort to engage shoppers. It should not be a one-night stand
kind of thing; we want to build a relationship with shoppers. We have
to stay beautiful and in great shape all the time or they’ll start to ignore
and look for a more serious brand to engage with.
Are we letting that happen when we have the power to make sure
we keep the shopper loyal to our brand and make and even stronger
bond?
Protect your in-store communication investment. Keep your brand
image and shopper experience memorable at all time. As communi-
cators, we have to make sure our message is crystal clear at
all time not just on the first week of merchandising mate-
rial installation. Keep the retail space
engaging and help in making
the shopping experience
worthwhile, influence and
not confuse shoppers.
Be consistent at all
time, protect your retail
space, protect your
brand…..keep your
shoppers happy.
DISCLAIMER: The
opinions expressed in
this column article are
solely by author and do
not in any way reflect
the stand or position of
the PRA.
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