Building Brand Recognition – The Dos and Don’ts

In the ever-evolving world of retail, building brand recognition continues to be that ever-present thorn in your side, that branch that seems to continually be out of reach. Once established, brand recognition is never static, and loyalties change like the seasons (if not even more often). Does this mean then that attempting to create and harness brand loyalty has become a fruitless endeavour? We don’t think so.

Here is our list of the top dos and don’ts when it comes to building brand loyalty. Don’t give up – just think differently.

Do: Recognize that there are differences between the generations as far as brand loyalty. The research shows that differences do exist, and that often the younger generations are less loyal than their predecessors.

 

Don’t: Assume that, since many Millennials tend not to identify as brand loyal, that they should be largely ignored as an attainable target group. Furthermore, don’t assume that because the older generations tend to identify as more brand loyal that they then make easy targets and that once obtained will never switch.  

Do: Consider a customer loyalty program that offers real incentives – but make sure that those incentives are attractive enough to have real value. A points system that takes years to materialize isn’t much in the way of motivation.

 

Don’t: Assume that this is the be all and end all of the brand loyalty game. Just because a customer gets something in return for their purchase, doesn’t necessarily mean that they won’t ever shop anywhere else.  

Do: Take visual merchandising seriously. Develop a plan to grab consumers’ interest. Take advantage of seasonal themes, the science of colour, and even interactive displays if possible.

Don’t: Retailers – change things up and then leave them for months at a time. Stagnant displays quickly lose their value. Things need to be fresh and creative to attract attention.

Brands – don’t set it up in store and assume that the retailer will manage it correctly. Make sure you have a system in place to ensure that it is stocked and located in the right spot throughout the entire campaign period.  

Do: Offer various avenues for customers to provide feedback. Social media is a great space for this, if managed correctly, as is the good old suggestion box.

Don’t: Offer various avenues for customers to provide feedback and then ignore that feedback. When a customer takes the time to provide you with this information, use that valuable intel appropriately. Research shows that only a small minority will ever provide feedback (most will just choose to shop elsewhere or buy something else), so take whatever information you are given and act upon it. And, whenever possible, respond to feedback you receive (i.e. on social media). Customers want to feel as though their opinions matter (and they honestly do).

Building brand loyalty is a game without a finish line, and when you take the time to work with what you’ve got you can actually make some important inroads. Take this list of dos and don’ts and apply it to your own approach.

For more about building brand recognition please contact Storesupport today by calling 1-877-421-5081.

How to Avoid a Product Recall Panic

Product recalls are an unfortunate reality in the consumer packaged goods industry. Both brands and retailers have to deal with this on a regular basis, and when managed poorly the outcome can be disastrous.

Here is a list of just a few of the most recent product recalls from the CPG industry:

-        Advantage Health Matters and Noorish Inc.: various products containing chia seeds or sprouted chia seed powder from the marketplace due to possible Salmonella contamination have been recalled.

-        A-R Perogies brand perogies and tortellini recalled due to undeclared wheat.

-        Various Old Country and Winnipeg Old Country brand meat products recalled due to undeclared mustard.

-        Goody Shop brand sweet goods recalled due to undeclared eggs, milk and wheat.

-        Boulangerie l'Escale brand products recalled due to undeclared soy.

When a product is recalled, either through a voluntary or mandatory recall, the end result is the same - that product needs to leave the shelf. When a product is recalled, the typical process is as follows:

·        The product is removed from the shelf

·        The product is shipped back to the warehouse

·        The new product packaging is re-labelled if required

·        The new product is shipped back to the store

What differs here is how the entire process is handled. If the recall takes too long, and the shelves remain empty as result of the recalled product, brand loyalty can quickly suffer due to the delay. However, if handled quickly, and safe products are delivered and restocked in a timely manner, loyalty will be far less impacted.

When a company practiced and proficient in dealing with product recalls is utilized, many of the costs associated with dealing with a product recall can be avoided. With many of the examples above, the product recall solution was as simple as a product re-labelling. When product is shipped back to the warehouse for re-labelling, the costs can become quite substantial. However, when you work with a merchandising company who can perform the re-labelling in-store, these costs are significantly reduced, as is the time it takes to have the product back on the shelf and ready to sell, thereby diminishing the loss of profit associated with most product recalls.

If you are facing a product recall, Storesupport’s emergency response services can help you deal with the entire recall and help mitigate any losses as a result of the recall process. Contact us today for a quick resolution: 1-877-421-5081.

The Future of the Retail Industry

It is no secret that the retail industry is in the midst of a customer revolution. With the rise of online shopping, the more recent trend of retail downsizing to compete, and the impact of generational differences when it comes to consumerbehaviour, retailers are faced with an abundance of issues that take time and resources. The future of retail, for many, has become something far more nebulous than in years past, and seems to be changing even more quickly than ever before.

The impact of social media. Social media giants like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have all taken a strong position of influence in the retail world – and when it comes to customer service the impacts are often incredibly tough to deal with. It is increasingly common to find individuals taking to their social media platforms and venting about poor service, thereby influencing their own followers and shaping consumer behaviour. Now, more than ever, both brands and retailers need to be cognizant of the fact that social media plays a major role in shaping purchasing decisions – the numerous studies can’t be refuted at this point – and thus it needs to be taken seriously. Stop trying to avoid social media, or its impacts on the retail industry – this isn’t going to go away.

The impact of online shopping. No matter the sector, online shopping has come to dominate a large segment of retail purchases. The ease and convenience of shopping online, from anywhere, has led to many changes, including retail downsizing, in order to compete. Even the CPG industry is feeling the heat and dealing with the emergence of online grocery shopping (albeit to a lesser extent) – and drive-thru groceries are springing up across Europe and the US – their eventual emergence on the Canadian scene is inevitable.

The impact of emerging US retailers in the Canadian market. It seems that those big box stores that used to attract customers shopping south of the border have come to dominate in the Canadian market, and this has meant a decrease in sales and brand loyalty for many bricks and mortar locations. On the plus side, however, some retailers, having made the move north, are now finding themselves faced with unforeseen challenges in what has proven to be a very different market. Regardless, as U.S. stores continue to make the move upwards, Canadian retailers will be forced to consider changes of their own to keep sales up.

The future of the retail industry as it stands is tenuous, and unless you are keeping track of the ever-evolving changes, you will quickly find yourself at the back of the pack. Stay informed, and make the changes necessary to remain in the market.

For more about the future of the retail industry and how you can continue to compete, please contact Storesupport today by calling 1-877-421-5081.

Customer Service Insight: The Role and Perception of Customer Feedback

In the retail world, customer service is an issue that far too often plagues retailers. It can often be difficult to successfully manage customer service levels to ensure high satisfaction 100% of the time. With so many different factors impacting how a customer feels when they leave your store, even the best customer service sometimes misses the mark.

Customer feedback is one of those nebulous entities that many companies use to honestly gauge customer service levels, and to see areas of improvement. However, others ‘use’ it to give the perception that the company is concerned. And no matter how the feedback is used, that perception plays a major role in overall satisfaction.

Check out this infographic from Empathica Inc. The information contained within it, based on a study of the customer service experience and customer feedback, shows some startling things quite clearly.

Important point: The survey found that 85% of respondents have provided feedback to retailers in the past, but only 46% believed it was ever used to improve the customer experience. Sure, we understand that, even when that feedback is taken into consideration and changes are made, that these changes may not be blatantly evident. But what about those little changes that customers expect but don’t ever see, thus leading to the low percentage of people who believe that feedback is actually used?

Even more pertinent is the fact that social media presences have become the go-to places to air customer service grievances, and so taking note of any feedback, replying, or making changes becomes even more crucial.  With a wide viewing audience and the ability to easily influence buying behaviour, when it comes to customer service, social media shouldn’t be ignored.

So, how are you using your customer feedback? For more about maintain high levels of customer service please contact Storesupport today by calling 1-877-421-5081.

You can check out the full article here: http://www.empathica.com/press-release/while-85-percent-of-shoppers-provide-feedback-few-believe-it-will-have-an-impact/

Achieving Retail Compliance with Your Visual Merchandising Strategy

As a brand, you are no doubt aware of the power of visual merchandising. When you can catch a consumer’s attention and encourage them to buy, your display has done its job and you are reaping the hoped-for benefits. But effective visual merchandising takes time and money, and isn’t as simple as throwing together a stand and hoping for the best.

Furthermore, when you take the time to develop a visual merchandising plan, it never pays to set it up and forget about it. Brands: you know what we are talking about. Spending the time and resources to establish a merchandising strategy only to leave it in the hands of a retailer is often a recipe for disaster. There is no telling what can happen to a display that is left unattended at a retail location, and we often hear of brands who have visited a store to find their display moved, empty, or even worse, filled with a competitor’s product. When this happens, there is no way to know how your sales have been impacted, and no way to recoup any losses because of a retailer’s actions.

Yes, we are aware that there is a certain level of dependency that is inevitable when you list a brand at retail. You can’t be there 24/7 to ensure your visual merchandising is being utilized and managed correctly. But you do have options – you don’t just have to sit idly by.

So, what can you do? Aside from setting up a folding lawn chair and watching that display like a hawk (a solution that will likely get you hauled out by store security among other potential issues), a great way to ensure compliance is by enlisting the services of a retail merchandising company – one that can provide a dedicated resource to your brand. By performing regular visits to ensure proper placement compliance and checking to make sure that your display is well stocked, with your product, can give you peace of mind that comes with knowing what is going on on the store floor. With regular updates and reporting on what is going on, both positives and negatives, you can then take action when required.

Don’t just leave your visual merchandising in the hands of a retailer and hope that things will turn out ok. Keep track of their conduct and ensure compliance with the help of a visual merchandising company.

To learn more about how a visual merchandising company can help ensure that your displays are actually achieving what you want, and to reduce the level of dependency you currently deal with at the hand of your retailers, please contact Storesupport today by calling 1-877-421-5081.