by Matina Singh | Dec 28, 2012 | Branding, Business Success, Latest
When we go shopping for anything from food, clothes or cars, we have a lot of choices, at times too many choices. Do we choose a brand that’s familiar to us or do we take a chance with a new one? How do we choose from all these different brands on the retail shelf… and what do they do to set themselves a part from the rest?
With the many choices we have as consumers it’s easy to be overwhelmed – throw in the towel on our decision making process and buy the already known rather than trying something new! But even if we want to try a new product, there are so many out there, we often don’t even know where to begin. Too many of POP materials and communications at the retail level put out by brand makers talk about the feature of their product and totally forget to talk to the benefits – in short, what’s in it for the consumer. Benefit-driven communications is the best way to speak to consumers. Is the brand more efficient? Provide time-saving or cost-saving?
In-store retail merchandising and retail point-of-sale (POS) mechanisms are crucial to make a connection with the consumer to drive both impulse and trial sales. To capture the consumer’s wandering eye, brands and retailers need to constant create new and innovative point-of-purchase (POP) to grab attention where and when in counts the most: in-store. Without these attention-getting on-shelf or in-store communication pieces, many consumers often overlook new products or specials and consequently buy familiar and already trusted brands.
Brand Marketers want to make sure that their brand doesn’t get lost in all the in-store option available to consumers. Here’s a quick check list to do just that:
- Packaging: This is the most important brand POP. It is the piece that will keep on working where ever it is: on-shelf, in-store, in the pantry, in the home. It is all about originality! The brand package needs to carry the brand character, personality and voice and more importantly speak to its benefits.
- POP: Using unique visual elements and colours that speak to the brand in order to draw attention to the product provides at the retail level the necessary impact. Creating effective POP on-shelf that speaks to consumers will entice them to make the change. Using mobiles, shelf-talkers, on-shelf coupon generators, on-shelf digital messaging are only a few tactics that are available.
- End Aisle Displays/ Check Out Displays: Using these in-store tactics are an effective way of making brands stand out. While consumers wait in line or turn the aisle, the “one brand” shelving strategy definitely gets the desired effect. Couple this impact with the right benefit-driven message and brands will be sure to generate the much sought after impulse purchase.
- Floor Graphics and Floor Stands: An effective and creative way to drive consumers right to products on-shelf is using floor graphics leading the way! Of course colourful floor stands filled with products are also effective and provide a solid “real-estate” space, often away from the competitive products.
Effective POP helps snap consumers out of their routine. It engages them at the most critical purchasing moment and affects behavior to drive sales. All brand marketers must be sure to get this part right. It doesn’t matter how great an advertising campaign is… if consumers don’t find the brand on the shelf, the sale is lost. After all isn’t that what it’s all about?
by Jenna Elberson | Dec 26, 2012 | Branding, Business Success
Despite our biological complexity, human beings are surprisingly straightforward and predictable when it comes to emotional reactions. The concept of honor, feelings of goodwill and being beholden to the person or company who gives us something for free is deeply engrained in the human psyche. Smart salespeople and businesses know this and have used it for centuries to close deals.
Promotional products are all around us. When you go to TD Bank for example, a basket of free pens sits on the counter with the bank’s logo printed on the side. The bank knows that this subtle gesture makes the customer feel confident that the bank must be flush with assets. Customers will be more likely to be loyal to the bank, opening new accounts for their children and grandchildren and recommending the bank to friends.
Hugely profitable businesses like pharmaceutical companies provide outside salespeople with promotional products to increase their sales percentages. They give away items such as personalized calendars, desk accessories and coffee mugs so that when it’s time to re-order supplies, the company name and phone number is right there in plain sight.
Extensive marketing studies have proven that businesses can benefit from promotional products. Response rates improve dramatically when potential customers receive free products because the name of the company is better recalled, and a favorable opinion of the company is formed unconsciously. Investing in promotional products is a smart marketing strategy that all businesses can benefit from.
For more information on promotional products look at the informational graphic below:
This graphic was created by Magnets.com, a promotional refrigerator magnet company. Magnets.com is proud to sell items that can boost the business of small and large businesses alike. Click here to learn about Mangets.com.
by Miriam Hara | Dec 24, 2012 | Branding, Business Success, Creative, Design
I will start this post by saying that this is not a jab at technology nor is it a rant on how business is being conducted today. Promise! Over the last 5 years the way business is being conducted has changed significantly, placing a strain on business relationships. Technology has made business accelerate at warp speed… resulting in many of us being strapped for time, overwhelmed and at wit’s end on how to meet expectations. We now have less time available for face-to-face meetings with clients and our vendor/partners. As emails have become the preferred way of business communications, phone calls are a thing of the past! I’m sure you’ll agree that calling anyone that actually picks up the phone, let alone a prospective client is like winning the lottery!
However, regardless of how the day-to-day business is being managed, ultimately relationships and the building of them is the key to any successful business. Through the years we at 3H, have noticed that quality time spent with clients is at a premium; it has increasingly become more difficult to get our clients and potential clients out for lunch, coffee or even a drink after work. That left us with the challenge of how to nurture and cultivate our relationships with our clients and even some potential clients.
Our approach was really a simply one, and one that was very natural – at least for me. You see I love birthdays. Actually, I love celebrating birthdays (I must admit I love celebrating my birthday most of all!). So every year for the last few years, an annual mandate for the 3H creative and design team is to develop, create and design a birthday card theme that would be carried throughout the year. These cards never go unnoticed. In fact, many who are on the receiving end of our birthday cards are quite touched by the thoughtfulness and are surprised that we remembered them on their birthday.
The irony doesn’t escape me either! A birthday card sent by mail is really a very traditional and low tech approach in business relationship building…. but I must say, it has garnered strong relationships for us. It has been the perfect blend of marketing, design and sales! The cards are all created and designed by the 3H creative team, allowing us to showcase our design and conceptual services. Our cards, of course, are very branded – all are purple and titanium. This not only builds the recognition of the 3H brand… it also illustrates to clients that we are effective brand builders.
Some of the concepts we’ve tackled were: Colorology, Destiny Number, Name Letter Profile, Birth Date numerology. Last year the 3H birthday card featured the Celtic Leaf Profile. The cards we send out are all created and designed by the 3H creative team. Each card is personalized. You can see these on our Pinterest Birthday Board. Feel free to download them and read about your Celtic Leaf Profile. It’s really quite accurate!
I’ll like to end this post by another heartfelt, low-tech message: Happy Holidays to one and all!
by Matina Singh | Dec 21, 2012 | Branding, Business Success, Interactive
In the age of technology one really must question the effectiveness of in-store POP. In the recent POPAI’s 2012 Shopper Engagement Study, it states that the in-store decision rate has climbed from 70% in 1995 to 76% in 2012. Can’t believe it right? Although initially I had my doubts, the more I thought about it the more I got to thinking that it’s just about right. It’s not that POP is no longer valid, it’s that POP has had to evolve and keep up with technology.
First let’s take a look at your shopping habits, do you use online flyers or read online reviews before you head to the store to make a purchase? The consumer is changing, with the stores right there at their fingertips on mobile paired with in-store efforts, it gives your brand a leg up with consumers. This allows them to see, read and understand the item they want first, before making a purchase.
Is your brand focused on just in-store efforts or do you use social media, mobile shopping apps, mobile coupons and “red flag deals” type-sites to boost your consumer/product relationship.
What else is your brand focusing on? I mentioned before in-store and mobile incentives and I believe these new techniques, along with the ability to flip through an online flyer, helps a consumer make a decision on your brand. It’s quick, and with the world becoming more fast pace and people always on the go, this is a great strategy to tap into. But what if your consumer just pops into the store without that online flyer, will they simply make a decision in-store based solely on the attractiveness, clarity of a product or in-store coupons? Needless to say… when all else fails, packaging plays a huge role.
So let’s talk packaging. In order to get your product off the shelf and into their shopping cart your product packaging needs to speak to the consumer’s needs. The product package itself needs to be appealing; this is the first important feature. Ultimately it’s the only POP space a brand really owns. Read more about packaging here. Use your empathy here and put yourself in your consumer’s shoes; what kind of keywords, design, in-store and mobile incentives would grab your attention? You will need to make your brand stand out from the rest by appeal and the call-to-action. Not only does your brand need to be unique, but it must stand out from all of your competitors.
With all this said don’t forget to use social media to get customer feedback about what they like about your brand, packaging, use of color, basically what makes your brand standout from the rest because this can be a great benefit to your brand and improve ROI.
Your brand needs to be adaptable to this ever-changing world and so does your in-store, on-shelf strategy. Customers love discounts, contests and being interactive. Create in-store buzz by having an event. One that comes to mind is Oreo cookies. They gave children the chance to stack as many Oreo’s in 30s to win a prize and parents received an in-store coupon.
Ultimately, in the end what it takes is to be unique, creative with the technology that is available. Couple that with the understanding of your consumer and you’ll have a solid in-store presence to generate those consumer pick-ups… and sales!
by Jenna Elberson | Dec 18, 2012 | Branding, Business Success, Social Media
I was asked the other day what a podcast was, and as much as I’m well versed in that area I went back to look up the definition and did some research so that I could better explain what a podcast is. We can’t call it radio station on the Internet anymore as more radio programs are being launch live on the Internet.
So what is a podcast?
Podcasting, or audioblogging as it was first called, arrived on the scene in the 1980s, but became hugely popular between 2002-2008. Even though it’s not as popular now it’s still a main source for talk audio shows. Podcasts can be a great source of knowledge if you’re looking for some blog ideas or to learn how to do something new in the world of marketing. Even still the main reason people still use this tool is to promote their interests and hobbies with round-table discussions. This allows for a lot of open ended discussions and unbiased opinions. This can be a great way to talk and learn about… let’s say Social Media. These Podcast discussions may provide solid strategies on any topic from communications focus to sales focus or client servicing focus. Reaching out and speaking to people that are in the same industry to have the same interests offers a wealth of ideas from like minded people! I use it as a problem solving channel… part of the process to get around an business issue that I have a hard time seeing clear of.
For all my social media need I head over to The Social Media Examiner. They usually have a weekly podcast that goes up!
http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/category/podcast-episodes/
Regardless of what area of marketing you are in these can always be a great source of knowledge and it’s a fantastic source for content creation. In essence it’s also a content channel that offers up a wealth of ideas for marketing content!
If you have a blog, use it to your advantage. As with any communications channel, it’s a two say street. It is an exceptional way to express your opinions and ideas about the business and marketing arena – used effectively it is also a great tool to showcase your brand. Use it to reach out to your followers and other members of the marketing community to help and educate them on trending topics, new marketing strategies. This adds value to your community and can springboard you to being perceived as an expert.
In marketing, it’s all about the mix. The mix of channels and the way you use those channels are important. Blogging can be great fun and a chance to put your personality into your writing, but the chance to use your actual voice; emotion and enthusiasm to get your point across can be an even better addition to your brand. So how about utilizing a Podcast instead?
When we go shopping for anything from food, clothes or cars, we have a lot of choices, at times too many choices. Do we choose a brand that’s familiar to us or do we take a chance with a new one? How do we choose from all these different brands on the retail shelf… and what do they do to set themselves a part from the rest?
