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 Richard Nicoll, managing director of newish shopper marketing agency Saatchi X Dubai, suggests regional marketers need to change the way they think about getting consumers’ attention.
Hi there…
Excuse me…
Hello?
Is it me, or is it getting harder and harder these days to get someone’s attention these days, what with the thousands of bits of information being thrown in our direction, day in day out?
It’s the same with shoppers, trying to get them to listen to what you’re trying to tell them is asking to choose your message for a menu of thousands. So to get through, marketers need to find a new, more creative approach. In retail, that means starting with the reasons why people aren’t buying and then concentrating your efforts on overcoming those purchase barriers. And here are the secrets to doing just that.
Know your shopper: Many brands and retailers think they understand the consumer. But do they understand the whole process that makes up the shopping cycle? Do they know how the consumer thinks and feels when she [or he? Nah, probably she; keep 'em in their place, that's what I say – Ed] switches to shopper mode? Do they know what she thinks and feels at the moment of purchase? Where they buy? What other items they get to go with it? Are they buying it for themselves or someone else? This is the kind of insight you need to truly decipher shopper behaviour – it’s about far more than just what consumers tell you.
Shoppers will often tell you they want immediate financial savings.
However, when P&G wanted to grow Pampers diaper sales and market share across EMEA, they concentrated on building emotional connections with mums through an alliance with Unicef, rather than following the competition and offering immediate financial incentives, ie bogof’s [buy-one-get-one-free] or other price promotions.
Instead, they built a campaign around delivering real benefits to children in the third world – buy a pack of Pampers and P&G/Unicef will fund one vaccination for a newborn against tetanus.
For a few dirham’s more per pack, mums could make a tangible difference, the extra cost could be justified, and she now felt good about buying a more premium product.
By winning hearts and minds, Pampers grew sales and market share, and the lives of people around the world got a little better.
Know your barrier: Whatever you are selling, some of the barriers to purchase are similar. For example, the need for “value” is a barrier in a number of categories. But you need more than that to formulate a strategy. Before you can overcome a barrier you must discover exactly what the barrier is, and then find the insight that will deliver a solution.
Developing this insight is particularly important in the UAE as we have to understand the barriers for 150 different nationalities who all want to shop exactly as they do at home.
Solve shopper problems and understand the context: Extolling the multiple virtues of your products is not enough to motivate a shopper to change their well-worn habits. But if you know what issues they are facing, you can create a solution that will inspire them to purchase.
A few weeks ago I was flying out of Dubai International, and whilst in shopper mode (Having left my bag of toiletries at home) I had some very specific requirements. Short of time and needing a full range of products – all under 100ml – I rushed around putting all my favourite brands in the basket. Still unsure of the exact rules and purchasing with a little doubt, I found a Nivea travel set with everything I needed, all in one package.
So out went all my previously preferred brands and in went the travel set. Brand loyalty be damned, Nivea had provided an inspiring solution to my particular issue, which was entirely related to the circumstances in which I was shopping. Maybe a new brand loyalty has been formed, and an emotional connection made.
Guide them to the shelf: You can market to them as much as you like, but if you can’t get them in front of shelf, the “moment of truth” when the final purchase decision is made just won’t happen. Shoppers need to be guided through store, educated about why they should buy your product and inspired to pick it up and put it in their basket.
Realise that shopping doesn’t just happen in store: Shopping is an on-going cycle of planning, execution and evaluation. And consumer’s behaviour has been inexorably altered by the global recession. We are seeing more and more consumers writing shopping lists before they leave the house, and whilst it’s true more are sticking to it, we know that 70% of shoppers make purchase decisions in front of the shelf, so it’s still all to play for.
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