\ue003rom the holistic
approach to shop-
per marketing is

Michaels. By asking shoppers why they
purchased, not just what, when and how
much, it discovered their need went beyond
cra\ue003t materials to inspiration and \ue003un. The
store itsel\ue003 wanted more personality, so
its brand positioning was brought to li\ue003e

allow the retail brand to shine through. The re\ue003reshed jewelry section especially delights shoppers. Innovative design, merchandising

and sta\ue000ng gave it a boutique look and
\ue003eel, while shopper insights led to a new
shel\ue003 organization with the right breakups,
fow and SKU placement. As a result,
store productivity has gotten a boost and
customers are giving Michaels credit \ue003or

shopper data than their retail partners,
who in the past simply merchandised
categories based on POS data. But behav-
ioral data \ue003rom shopper marketing shows
that consumers don\u2019t think in categories.

that,\u201d says Amanda Yates, vice president o\ue003 strategy and analytics. \u201cThe toughest part o\ue003 the two groups working toward a new strategy seems to be getting both o\ue003 them to decide to compromise \ue003or the

The past year has seen an explosion o\ue003 interest
in shopper marketing. Reportedly 60 percent
o\ue003 brands and retailers are investing in shop-
per marketing e\ue002orts, up \ue003rom six percent
previously. Most, however, admit to being in
the learning stages o\ue003 the emerging practice.

media, brand marketing, trade relations and
consumer promotions, as well as reset-
ting shelves and rethinking categories, like
the new initiatives recently announced by

A short but impressive list o\ue003 case studies,
\ue003rom the \ue003ew retailers who\u2019ve made their e\ue003-
\ue003orts public, shows that although the in-store
\ue003rontier may seem like the Wild West o\ue003 trade
activities right now, the physical space o\ue002ers

tion between retailers and manu\ue003acturers in order to share in\ue003ormation and build on what\u2019s working, and a growing awareness that customers alternate between being

\u201cconsumers\u201d and \u201cshoppers.\u201d The switch is
fipped at the point where people are actu-
ally engaged in window-shopping the store
or aisle, perusing the shelves, browsing
the website or paging through the catalog.
Knowing what\u2019s happening at that moment
is key. That\u2019s why a signi\ue001cant \ue003actor in

management\u2014and goes all the way down
to the promotional level. For the last seven
years, we\u2019ve been working on an approach
we call Shoppernomics, created around our

A deeper level o\ue003 intelligence allows the
retailer and manu\ue003acturer to anticipate the
needs o\ue003 the shopper and arrange the store
to infuence them, not merely accommodate
them. That was the thinking behind Cadbury
Adams/Halls\u2019 study to \ue001nd out how shoppers
behaved around the cold remedy purchase.

and in-store research to \ue001nd out what was involved in the decision-making process, it discovered issues around merchandising, packaging and experience. One surpris-

shel\ue003 or including suggestions \ue003or new color combinations suits the prevailing shopping style. In a case like that, you\u2019re not spending millions on media. You\u2019re leveraging your

brand\u2019s position, increases share, enhances ROI, saves marketing/trade money\u2014all the while making li\ue003e easier \ue003or the customer.

D. Lee Carpenter, Chairman & CEO
Jill Davis, Editor
Lucas Human, Design/Production

Recession or no, our research shows that
shoppers enjoy \ue001nding something new in
the store. It\u2019s human nature. Whenever
retailers bring energy and inspiration to the
game\u2014even when shoppers are think-
ing long and hard be\ue003ore opening their
wallets\u2014they still give the store credit \ue003or
a better shopping experience. And \ue003rom a
better experience comes all good things:

program. For our client Burger King, it\u2019s a
combination o\ue003 value and excitement, \ue003rom
Burger Shots to the Whopper Bar, a hip
new restaurant we helped them create.

A key di\ue002erentiator o\ue003 the BK brand is fame-
broiled burgers. We brought this attribute
to li\ue003e through various design elements. The
overall look is darker and urban-industrial
with textures o\ue003 \ue001re and metal, yet the space
is simple to use and \ue003riendly. The smaller

That plus the revitalized brand twist is helping BK enter venues no one would have considered them \ue003or previously.

enough to get you where you want to go. Companies know that doing something is better than doing nothing. And some are

seems to be lack o\ue003 speed. While looking
back on other times o\ue003 crisis, a CEO o\ue003 a
dot-com recently recalled how his company
managed to survive and thrive because he
pushed \ue003or radical new ideas. But in hind-
sight he realized his biggest mistake was
moving too slowly. Had he been quicker,
he\u2019d have a bigger share o\ue003 the market
today. The same o\ue003ten happens in retail.

Last year our clients were urgently ask-
ing us \ue003or \u201cQuick Wins\u201d in the store. This
year they are more cautious. Despite the

are being care\ue003ully evaluated to minimize
risk and preserve capital. But time is o\ue003
the essence. We can\u2019t let uncertainty rule.
Surveys suggest that shoppers are taking
more time to research their purchases
both at home and in the store. That means
they\u2019re looking at your competition.

tools that help speed up decision making, such as research and modeling to create a business case \ue003or change or to deliver the

able. We\u2019ve got one o\ue003 the best that keeps proving itsel\ue003 very power\ue003ul and e\ue002ective, StoreBoard. So i\ue003 it\u2019s simply not wise to

noticed creative retailers are putting more
emphasis on service, getting credit \ue003or
solving customer problems and earning
trust. That will de\ue001nitely score points.

Whether you decide on a dramatic reinven- tion o\ue003 your brand or a more simpli\ue001ed retail experience that\u2019s emotionally engaging, the intelligence and invention available today

the opportunities. You can add intensity and di\ue002erence without compromising\u2014 sort o\ue003 like Angry Sauce on a Whopper.

For more in\ue003ormation or to be placed on our mailing list, visit our website: www.interbranddesign\ue003orum.com and complete the contact \ue003orm. Reprints o\ue003 articles or excerpts without the express written permission o\ue003 Interbrand Design Forum is prohibited. Ideations will print 4 times in 2009. Subscriptions: $125 annually in the U.S.; $150 elsewhere.