Cool Juice

Boost Juice, East Gardens.  Some cool images for the refurbished Boost Juice kiosk, which  show some brand 'attitude'. (apologies for low quality pics).

Gauche ?

Louis Vuitton, Bondi Junction.  Gauche or stylish ?  Personally I think LV are 'off-brand' with this - it looks too crude to be associated with a premium luxury brand.  What do you think ? Comments below please ..

What Colour is your Coffee ?

Nespresso, Bondi Junction.  Nespresso is matching the trend set by other big brand manufacturers to go 'retail' with flagship stores.  They typically spend up large on fitouts, and are loved by mall owners.  They don't really pay their way in direct sales, but are seen as 'investments' in the brand.  The question is, how do shoppers view them ? Do they feel more positively about the brand as a result ?  Personally I think that while awareness might be positively influenced, many of these brands have high levels of awareness already (think Sony), and sometimes having the brand 'personified' by a salesperson can remove the mystique of the brand.  What do you think ?

Is Diesel over-claiming ?

Adidas, QVB.  Personally I think Diesel might be stretching it with this line.  What do you think ?

iSnack2.0 is marked down

Coles, Surry Hill.  The new 'controversial' much-maligned iSnack2.0 from Kraft has already been marked down. 

Christmas cards from the world

Oxfam, Broadway.  Christmas cards from the world for the world and some interesting decorations :) Do you think Pepsi know or care ?  Or is this line extension by stealth ?

Why We Buy - The Brand

This principle is at the core of everything we are trying to do as marketers - persuade consumers to buy because of the brand. Now, while there are numerous factors influencing a purchase as well, as covered on this blog and others, there are undoubtedly examples of where the brand is the primary driver - think designer jeans for example. Fashion is another. For many retailers their store is the brand - but the same principles apply.

But here's the rub - I believe the way in which consumers evaluate brands is undergoing a fundamental shift. The social responsiveness of brands is an emerging dimension which wasn't even considered 10-15 years ago. The question is, do you as a retailer or marketer, understand the dynamics around your brand(s), how these are perceived by your customers and prospects and why they buy a certain brand and not others ?

It should be simple. Ask your customers. Insight pays.

What does your brand stand for ?

This image,  taken at G-Star Raw World Square, made me think whether many retailers know what their brand stands for.  Ultimately it will depend on how consumers - shoppers and non-customers - view your brand.  How often is there a mismatch between how the retailer sees their brand and how shoppers view it ?  What are the cues that influence the perception ?  Anyway, it gave me some food for thought, not sure how many retailers have spent much time thinking about this.  Your views ?

The New Corner Store

Sydney city - look at how many vendors' fridges are outside this city centre 'corner store'.  Obviously an important source of funding for small corner stores (or convenience stores) - and an important channel for large companies - but doesn't leave much room for the local operator to develop their own 'brand'.  I can remember as a child how we referred to our corner store by the owner's name - 'Kings' or something similar.  

When Edgy Meets Obscure

(Just Jeans and General Pants, East Gardens).

Sometimes I wonder whether fashion chains (and perhaps retailers in general) suffer from a disconnect between their marketing department and their shoppers. Take a look at these windows. I believe most shoppers 'just wouldn't get it' - not that I really 'get it'. While I understand that fashion brands need to appear 'edgy' to their customers, these seem to fall into the 'seemed like a good idea at the time' basket. What WERE they thinking ?

NATURALLY GOOD

L'Occitane, Broadway mall. Outstanding representation of brand values - a bit dreamy about Provence, romantic, warm, homely, natural. All the cues to support this, and they subconsciously reinforce feelings of security and stability.

SPORTY GIRLS

Sportsgirl window, Sydney City, detail. As mentioned in a previous entry, this approach to their windows starts to personify the brand - which is a good differentiator in a crowded fashion market.

DEEP RELIEF

Strepsil, in-mall advertising, Broadway.  Good impact, useful reminder, and very relevant timing for winter, nice warm colours, and the logo stands out.  A minor comment is that the white background perhaps needs a 'frame' to add a little definition, as it could be lost against a busy background.

RESTRAINED SALE-ING

KikkiK, QVB, sale-lite (?) - but in keeping with brand, clever.

LIFELESS BODY SHOP ?

Body Shop, Burwood - Saturday afternoon, very busy in the mall, but very low conversion of passing foot traffic.  The store is well located and very tidily presented.  Has the brand lost relevance in today's recessionary market ?  Certainly there is more competition for the 'conscience' dollar (eg. Oxfam).  Note the values or causes listed on the inside of the door.  The stores DOES look very corporate - perhaps too corporate for a business that is a 'challenger' brand  ?

Video: approx 2 mins long

MAKING AN ENTRANCE

K-Mart, Broadway.  I am generally not hugely impressed by K-Mart stores, however, one thing they do well is use the entrance to their stores as a promotional medium. While it may not work equally well for all retailers, in their case it is 'on-brand'.

EASTER BUNNY RUNS LATE

This video shows the frantic 'last-minute' shopping for Easter eggs at a Coles supermarket on Easter Saturday.  A couple of interesting observations.  Firstly, Lindt seemed to have no problem selling through their premium, quality stock (about 50% sell-through), while  Cadburys appeared much slower moving (about 25% sell-through) at lower price points.  Secondly, note the number of shoppers with lists  (we got OUR Lindt just in time ...phew).  On a more serious note, Lindt have done a superb job of improving their distribution and brand profile over the last year or two.  Having a strong, aspirational brand can help in a recession.  Lindt's packaging is also a strength.

DAZZLING DIVA

Very busy Diva costume jewellery store, Broadway mall. Tuesday, lunch-time.

Targeting Gen-Y, selling low-value, high volume, fast-changing 'disposable' jewellery. Perfect for the recessionary environment. Interesting to note that while it attracts customers from a much broader group, it is very focused. Great, strong branding and use of brand iconography (the heart - for the blokes out there :) )

OFF BRAND OFF TARGET

Poor promo concept inconsistent with brands on display Myer Miranda

RIVETTING

New Levis store format good use of brand iconography Miranda mall