Funny things people. Like herding cats you might say from a marketing point of view. Particularly when they’re shopping. Unpredictable, unforgiving and mighty promiscuous. And very, very powerful because they are the ones that ultimately make or break retailers and brand owners. I’m defining retail here, by the way, as any physical environment where some transaction relationship takes place. It’s as much about car dealerships and banks as it is grocery stores and consumer electricals.

Here’s a thing – retail marketing is moving up the food chain big time. It’s not just about shelf wobblers anymore. Marketing folk are having to get their ‘brand’ heads around the fact that the ‘point of sale’ is where brand decisions are being made (not at home on the sofa). And shoppers are getting smarter. They will visit multiple locations to get what they used to buy in one, if they perceive they’re getting better value. Importantly the retail landscape is recognised as a hugely powerful medium (from a frequency and coverage point of view). It is challenging those more traditional but ever so fragmented media alternatives.

Now those big grown up retailers cottoned on to this a long while back – so they charge lots of dosh for space and promotional share of voice in their shops. However it is hardly accountable. Because there isn’t much measurement going on. Including simple assessment of media value and compliance checking.

The retail dynamic revolves around three parties. The retailer, the brand owner and, oh yeah, the shopper. The retailer of course wants growth in each category and doesn’t care much for brand owner market share. Read More →

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