Branding 

Brands need to have a clear promise (brand essence) at their centre.  This is a combination of rational and emotional benefits.  Beyond this core there must be a clear understanding of how brands present themselves to consumers through the following iterations:

a) “what the product does for me”

b) “how I would describe the product”

c) “how the brand makes me feel”

d) “how the brand makes me look’

Once a clear positioning has been articulated for a brand, we use Brand Architecture to determine how this is communicated in terms of design, colours, smells, sounds, photography, and materials, ensuring there is a consistency wherever & however a brand is presented to consumers.

As a result the brand will have the right ‘look & feel’, and have the necessary ‘content depth’ to talk and build an on-going relationship with consumers.

Retail Marketing

Successful retail marketing needs to create a symbiotic relationship between a brand, shoppers and the retailer.  A relationship where there is a clear benefit for all three parties. We work to find this sweet spot in creating big ideas at retail.

With the advent of mobile digital technology, shoppers extensively use social media to share their opinions on their shopping experiences and the brands they purchased. Other consumers are influenced by these opinions when they make their next purchase.  This creates an infinity loop of “search, shop, share”. Retail Marketing solutions need to understand this consumer behaviour when developing retail channel strategies.

Today’s consumers expect their purchases to be “instant, personal, and everywhere”. This has enormous implications for todays retailers and FMCG companies, from the management of inventory, delivery mechanisms and flexibility of production capabilities. We help companies develop these game changing solutions.

 Todays consumers are increasingly discerning and demanding.  They not only expect to buy products when and where they choose but they also expect to receive exemplary service, whether that translates into convenience, low prices, or a great shopping experience.  We must never forget that emotional choices almost always trump rational choices.  Therefore great retail marketing requires brands and retailers to engage shoppers and offer them a memorable experience in order to achieve a positive reaction from shoppers.  We call this “engage, experience, & act” strategies.

We use our Obvium planning tool to firstly identify who are the shoppers (and their current relationship with the brand) and who are the final consumers of a brand.  Secondly we look to understand the shopper missions and retail channels where the brand is available.   Thirdly we look at current “search, shop, share” shopper experiences to identify barriers & triggers to purchase, as well as new opportunities for the brand.  Lastly we create communication ideas and a retail media map for how those ideas should be expressed in the most cost effective manner at each contact point.

Story Doing

Today’s brands should aspire not only to be “category captains” but also to be “content captains”.  Brands must be authorities in their chosen category and be able to tell interesting stories that offer credibility and bring the brand to life.  But more than “story telling”, brands must walk the talk by “story doing”.  We ensure that brand’s walk the talk by reaffirming their brand promise and delivering relevant content at every contact point with consumers and shoppers.

KISS

We always strive to Keep It Simple & Sexy.  This is the filter for everything we create and do for our clients.  Are we showing the brand’s best self?  Is the packaging attractive?  Is the communication evocative?  Is the content involving?  Are the solutions consistent and easy to understand? Is the strategy simple to implement?  Are we going to sell more of a brand’s products or services? Are we taking the brand & consumer relationship to the next level?  Have we given our client the necessary tools to sell the solutions and implementation strategy to all levels within their organisation?