THE 5 ‘SO WHATS’ WHICH IMPACTED CONSUMERS AND BRANDS THIS WEEK
1. 75% say their shopping behaviours have changed. Learn how.
A Retail Intelligence survey has found that 75% of consumers felt that their shopping habits “changed” in 2011, while 50% believe their shopping habits will change yet further in 2012.
So what?
The last year was a very tough year for households in Ireland with many still switching and exploring own brands. Brands had to fight harder than ever to retain customers & had to resort to promotional offers to do so. It looks even tougher in 2012, with 23% believing their weekly grocery spend will decrease while 42% believe they will shop for more private label/own-brand items this year. Given people’s evolving shopping behaviours shopping insights & marketing will be key to brands success in 2012. MCCP will discuss how brands can win in store by enabling people’s need that arise in their home at the Checkout Conference on Tuesday 17th of January at the Four Seasons Hotel. More information available here http://tinyurl.com/7t6rcsb
2. 2,500% increase in Irish people acting against moral injustices
During 2011 MCCP reported and followed a trend we call ‘Justice Guardians’ whereby the Irish public are taking it upon themselves to morally police situations & do what is right. As waiting for the respective authority body to step in takes too long. A case in point is the attention brought to the job bridge scheme & the conduct of those offering “jobs”.
Reports during the week highlighted anonymous tip-offs on suspected social welfare fraud has risen from about 600 in 2005
BUDGET 2012: WHERE TO NOW?
The budget announcements have given us an idea of what we can expect to happen to our personal finances over the next 12 months, However from a brand owner perspective have you stopped to think about how this will affect your business & how you target consumers?
Money is tight & the budget will put a squeeze on all levels of income & those in all walks of life. The leak about the VAT increase gave many the time to assimilate its impact but for your brand this will have massive ramifications – price points, packaging, promotion & target market. All these factors can shift with the increase of 2%.
The Budget 2012 has taken a lot out of people before it has even been fully implemented yet there are still opportunities for brands to make a difference & to acquire new roles.
Providing treats, rewards & a helping hand to consumers over the next year is where brands can add value beyond price. For example, with health cuts being a prominent aspect of the budget announcement & with 80,000 people already dropping their private health insurance since 2008, highlighting your brands inherent health benefits could potentially provide more meaning to your brand than pre budget. Do you have the ability to unearth what matters to your consumers that your brand can deliver?
The budget doesn’t appear to offer incentives for consumers to spend money. On the flipside, for those saving money DIRT was increased 3% to 30% under the proviso it would encourage
THE 5 ‘SO WHATS’ WHICH IMPACTED CONSUMERS AND BRANDS THIS WEEK
1. The only baker in the whole village
Ted Baker have set up a village! The store, called Tedbury Village, is split into 4 different sections based on areas of the village – a country pub, a butcher’s shop, an old apothecary and a tea shop. Tedbury Village also includes a local paper called the Tedbury Times. This is a quirky way of establishing a connection with visitors.
So what?
Ted Baker is playing with the idea of a quaint country village that is also an immersive brand experience. The retail experience is a cluttered one & to stand out from the crowd you need to differentiate the shopper experience for your consumers. For the experience to connect with shoppers it must be reflective of the brand identity & essence which is why the Tedbury village works so well. As consumers’ motivations move away from conspicuous consumption & indulgence they are looking for more of an experience when out shopping. Once you can tap into this & merge the element of shopping with exploration you’ve reached the pinnacle of shopper experience.
For some more insight into shopper marketing read Susan’s blog entry here
2. Pushing the expectation levels & delivering a platform for like-minded souls
Dublin band Delorentos latest album – Little Sparks- will be released in conjunction with a magazine of the same name which the band have published. The magazine focuses on creative individuals across the arts in Ireland.
Delorentos says the publication is an attempt “to shine a light on the work some of
THE 5 ‘SO WHATS’ WHICH IMPACTED CONSUMERS AND BRANDS THIS WEEK
1. Starbucks Make Claim For National Hero Status
Starbucks has joined forces with small business funding organisation Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) in the USA to launch an initiative called “Let’s Create Jobs for USA”. They kick started the campaign by donated $5million to the programme which aims to help fund small business’. Starbucks customers can also donate online or in-store.
So what?
Given Ireland’s desperate need & acute focus on job creation in media, the presidential election & every day conversation it’s surprising that more brands here are not credibly aligning themselves with this cause. MCCP believes a white space opportunity exists for a brand to champion Irish people’s number one concern & priority ‘get Ireland working’ and become a national hero.
2. A Quarter of 9 Year Olds Are Obese. Should childhood obesity be outlawed?
The government are considering introducing a ban on fast food outlets near schools as results from a report published by the Department of the Environment found that 25% of nine-year-olds were either overweight or obese. Based on this finding & others within the report is it fair to implement this proposal?
So what?
At what point do we stop waiting for a regulatory body, state department or another third party to curb or monitor our actions. When will we take responsibility for our actions or will this always be the protocol? After all it took law and taxes to cut out smoking in the work place and cut down on plastic bag usage. Do we need a law or tax to cut
The 5 ‘so whats’ which impacted consumers and brands this week
1. Twitter voting for the X Factor
Viewers of X Factor USA now have the ability to vote for their favourite act in a host of new ways. X Factor USA have announced that you can cast your vote through Twitter; The Xtra Factor App in addition to toll-free calling & text voting.
So what?
This is a sign that media is having to move towards consumers social media habits rather than expecting them to adopt to voting procedures. By implementing & encouraging social media discussion television shows have made their programme more than just entertainment. It’s now a discussion piece allowing people to give their two cents on the social media highway of twitter or Facebook by simply including a hashtag phrase. What X Factor need to address is where is the line between keeping the show relevant & popular versus maintaining advertising spend and revenue from phone voting?
2. Majority back universal health care
The Pfizer Health Index found that 53% of Irish people were in favour of universal healthcare, even if it meant a 1% hike in income tax. Only 15% were opposed to paying more tax for such a health system.
So what?
With an aging population & our national health service in of a state of disarray people’s future wants & needs are in a state of flux. The gap between what we as consumers expect and what we are being offered by HSE is widening. This highlights consumers’ willingness to pay more for services deemed important enough. How can this be
THE 5 ‘SO WHATS’ WHICH IMPACTED CONSUMERS AND BRANDS THIS WEEK
1. New Loyalty: Short Term Benefits, Long Term Recognition
Nexercise is an iPhone app that brings a dose of gamification to the world of fitness, with medals, discounts and even free merchandise offered as rewards for physical activity.
So what?
By implementing a reward scheme into the workout the app feeds into the human conditions basic needs of fulfilment. The health benefits aren’t an instant gratification for exercising whereas winning points and medals give the consumer an immediate feeling of accomplishment. Loyalty schemes that give long term benefits to people should consider this instant gratification as a potential inclusion.
2. Self-service check out is promoted
The self-service check out is seen promoted as the convenient option for shoppers who wish to pick their items, pay & go. However, almost two thirds of respondents in a recent Empathy Research survey stated that their preference is for a traditional cashier-staff checkout. The self-service option is seen as a provision for reducing staff costs not enhancing the shopping experience for consumers, with 70% believing so.
So what?
The retail grocery sector is an extremely competitive market & for retailers checkout speed equates to saving costs on staff. However, our justaskMCCP survey has uncovered that brands that offer value (over and above price) would influence 2 in every 5 people to purchase them. Both surveys tell us that people aren’t just looking for rational benefits, speed, cost and efficiencies. We are emotional beings looking for personal service & help.
3. Blackout for Blackberry has further ramifications amongst customer base
The recent server fault that disrupted
THE 5 ‘SO WHATS’ WHICH IMPACTED CONSUMERS AND BRANDS THIS WEEK
1. Emergence of the consumer-lender
Visa is in the process of launching an initiative that will enable a mobile-to-mobile service repayment of money, instantly to your phone. The global credit card provider says that the service could revolutionise how we borrow or lend small amounts from, and to, each other. There will be no need to tap in sort codes and account numbers. The money can simply be transferred to anybody listed in your mobile phone address book.
So what?
Visa plans to roll this out across Europe in early 2012 with the app only available for Android smartphone users. With this development on the horizon will this give consumers the feeling that they can turn to their friends and family for a quick loan rather than the more conventional banks as this system takes the hassle out of transferring money. Are we looking at the start of what could be the consumer-lender?
2. The new rules for loyalty
66% of shoppers travel from one store to another in search of advertised deals a recent survey from Empathy Research has found. A further 75% of shoppers noticed ‘half price’ deals & in store offers of late.
So what?
MCCP Trendstream has found that behaviours such as ‘store carouselling’ & ‘deal scrutinising’ are shifting from adaptive to entrenched behaviours for many. Loyalty cards are no longer creating loyalty & retailers need to find new & innovative ways to create shopper retention & repetition. MCCP Consumer Dialogues has found that consumers are feeling a lack of inspiration in-store and
THE 5 ‘SO WHATS’ WHICH IMPACTED CONSUMERS AND BRANDS THIS WEEK
- Reward with me with something different please
Loyalty cards have grown in popularity over the years with 90% of consumers actively collecting points as part of the supermarket scheme. However, shoppers are more interested in non-supermarket items in exchange for reward loyalty points. Almost two thirds of those surveyed said they were more interested in services, such as furniture removal or short breaks, than grocery items.
So what?
Brands are inclined to reward consumers with more of what their consumers already buy from them e.g. frequent flyer points. But it seems form this survey consumers want something different. Many brands have had success offering unrelated products. Orange mobile in the UK offers consumers 2 for 1 cinema tickets as part of their “Orange Wednesdays” campaign. Other brands have reaped rewards from offering complimentary products such as Quinn Insurance who offer driving lessons. It’s best not to always assume your consumers want more of what they are already buy from you.
2. FOMO can lead to €10 million in 3 months
In the three months to the end of August, €10m was spent in the Republic of Ireland on the various daily deal sites, such as Groupon, Pigsback and GrabOne. That equates to 325,000 vouchers being sold.
So what?
A number of factors are contributing to the success of daily deal sites. Stretched consumers are still looking to enjoy themselves & relax on a budget. But at MCCP we believe the bigger driver is FOMO (fear of missing out). The FOMO has been so great with these daily
THE 5 ‘SO WHATS’ WHICH IMPACTED CONSUMERS AND BRANDS THIS WEEK
1. We are the Guardians of Justice
We’ve all heard about how the government have initiated a jobs scheme that aims to get the unemployed back out there working again. Well, the consensus amongst the general public is that some employers are taking advantage of this – designing job specs that are over the top & heavy on workload. While offering little remuneration. The public have set up a blog to highlight these deceptive “job specs”.
So what?
Taking advantage of such a scheme is eroding the very essence of it’s being by demoralising workers yet again from getting out there and attempting to find work. But rather than waiting for someone else to police the scheme and snuff out “fraudsters” the Irish people are taking matters into their own hands naming and shaming these employers on the blog http://jobbridgetonowhere.tumblr.com/. For too long Irish people waited for someone else to find the bad apples in governments, banks and other institutions. Are we finally seeing the Irish up against unfair, inappropriate practices & becoming justice guardians?
2. Bupa taps into two core recessionary needs
Bupa’s new campaign – ‘Bupa By You’ is a natural evolution of the brand’s ’Helping You Find Healthy’ campaign launched earlier this year which demonstrated that healthy means different things to different people. The lateset campaign highlights Bupa’s adaptability and affordability & it’s product meets this ambition by providing customers with the ability to personalise their insurance cover to best reflect their individual health needs, priorities and budget.
So what?
This campaign sells control
THE 5 ‘SO WHATS’ WHICH IMPACTED CONSUMERS AND BRANDS THIS WEEK
Crowdsourcing is a highly-effective tool that used correctly can be instrumental in improving products and services for consumers. User generated content is widely used across the internet but the pooling of these resources is helping people and organisations to understand people’s frustrations and rectify the problems. The website is based on the successful FixMyStreet.com which which had over 60,000 problems reported last year. An Irish version is essential in the next step in consumer – authority relations
2. Adidas preparing for change
Adidas, the sportswear group, is targeting older consumers in advanced markets and younger shoppers in fast-growing economies as it seeks to drive revenues upwards. The customer segment attracting the company at present is the ageing population in many Western countries, often boasting impressive levels of disposable income. Alongside this audience, young shoppers in emerging markets are another appealing demographic, as their purchasing power is rising rapidly, a shift benefitting firms like Adidas.
So what?
With Adidas targeting an older demographic as well continuing to focus on their usual younger cohort this will bring an older customer into the retail space. Already Adidas have two different product lines – performance & fashion. How will the product portfolio be changed to reflect their new