Proxi Marketing

 The next trend in the 'Future of Retailing' presentation is something you'd expect to see in a Sci-fi movie - Proxi Marketing

We first saw it in the Minority Report. You know, that part in the movie where Tom Cruise walks through the shopping mall and the shops are calling out to him letting him know that that jacket he tried on last week is now in the sale. OK, so that worked in the sci-fi world based on retina scanning but in todays world this type of proximity communication is becoming a reality through the use of GPS enabled phones.

Many of you I'm sure have already dabbled with permission marketing whereby a customer gives you their permission to contact them every now and then to let you know what's going on instore through the power of text. The problem with this type of marketing is 9 times out of 10 the customer is no where near a store and forgets all about it the moment they close that message.

If only you knew when they were close by and you could then send them something that was specific to that store on that day?

This is where Proxi Marketing comes in. Once your customer has given their permission, your systems will have a very clever algorithm that identifies when your customer is close by through the use of their GPS phone. Once identified you can then send them a message such as "Hi Steve, we see you're round the corner from your local Clapham store. Why not pop in and use this unique discount code and get 10% off any purchase today!". I might be in a rush, I might not need any more music, but just maybe I'm looking for that new Take That album and just maybe I'll pop in and buy it there and then just because I have that discount code.

Of course proxi marketing is not just about giving discount codes. In a world where we are now informed customers, this provides a great stream to communicate endless information that engages todays customer, right here, right now, just outside your store.

O2 is currently trialing this on a London based scheme with brands such as Starbucks, Superdrug and L'Oreal. During the trial in the US, 65% of customers made a purchase as a result of the proxi message*.

Is your brand involved? If not, this could be a great opportunity for you to get onboard and drive sales through this new technology!



* Figures from GDR Global report 2011

High five!

Following our recent talk to a large food retailer around the 'Future of Retailing' we will be sharing some of those findings across the next few months with you all!

So let's get started!

VeinID payment
My bank sent me a new card last week and at last they have joined the contactless movement. Fantastic, but this technology will soon to be the Betamax of the payment world. Even though it makes paying quicker you still need to remember to pick your debt card up in the morning.

Enter VeinID technology.

The biggest trial of which has been carried out by a collaboration between Hitachi and Coca-Cola in Japan with the introduction of high street vending machines that use VeinID as a payment technique.

Let's back up a second. OK, so we all know there has been lots of discussions around fingerprint ID and the potential for using this as a unique payment method. Problem being is, with the use of a bit of silicon and your morning coffee cup I could replicate your fingerprints and empty your account before lunchtime.

However, the vein map in your hand is just as unique and impossible to replicate.

Hence VeinID vending machines. Watch the video and see for yourself!

This unique payment method means the ultimate in convenience no matter where you are regardless if you have your wallet or not.

One way technology will really make our lives that little bit easier in the future.

The human touch

Integrating technology in-store can be great fun and really interactive for customers but sometimes you just can't beat a personal touch.

Waterstones has collected real reviews from real people, staff and customers, and put them right there on the shelf to summarise the books in a friendly, simple way.

 

 

Books are so personal and with such a huge choice it's nice to have a little helping hand from someone you know has read the book. Just like receiving a hand written letter, there's something more powerful and honest about reading something you know someone has taken the time to hand write. With all this new technology flying about it's important not to loose sight of it!

Red Bull Mini Drome

On 15th January 2011 I checked out the Red Bull Mini Drome event at York Hall in Bethnal Green, East London. This was the world's smallest velodrome ramp and the first event of its kind to be held!

I grew up riding a bmx on wooden skate parks in Derby so it felt cool to be at this vibrant and unique ramp event surrounded by fixed gear riders from across the capital!

Male and female cyclists were invited to test their nerve and compete in day of gnarly high-speed action to be crowned king of the ring! Over 100 competitors applied which was crazy to see! A hip hop DJ provided beats for the night whilst a live MC kept the crowd entertained!

After several hours of pedal power, sore legs and bruised egos the event was won by Mongoose pro Chris Akrigg who set a new world track record over 10 laps, recording a time of 35.473 seconds!

Helmets off to Chris and hopefully this could be the start of many more Mini Drome events held across the UK. Check out the link below for pictures of a great days riding!

http://www.redbull.co.uk/cs/Satellite/en_UK/Gallery/red-bull-mini-drome-in-pictures/Red-Bull-Mini-Drome-comes-to-London--021242948380815?GImageId=1242948365551&imgcount=1#/image-1

Image care of Red Bull.

The latest innovation in street furniture

OK, I have just been wowed by the most unlikely of sources...a crossing light!

As a busier Londoner I have almost been run over many times trying to cross the road before the green man disappears! Not sensible, I know.

But this latest invention my help save my life more than once. In Balham high street they have installed new lights that help people know how long they have left before the red man appears with a large digital countdown.

This may not be anything new? You may have it in your high street already. But either way, I'm impressed.

Click the video and see for yourself.

Happy crossing :)

Top brands - what you said...

Welcome back to one and all! A happy new year to you and may we wish you all the best for 2011.

It seems that the overwhelming response to the last blog has show several clear winners who you all thought were the top brands for 2010. Here is what you all said:

Number 3: Red Bull

The brand that started off as just an energy drink back when Lucozade was sitting comfortably all on its own, has triumphed it the world of extreme, fast, action sports. And 2010 was the cherry on the ever-expanding cake, double champion F1 winners! As Roger Williams from Rail Gourmet put it 'beating the F1 giants at their own game' has been a huge success for the brand and rightfully given them a place in the top 3.

A great example of a brand thinking differently. Want the best selling drink in our market place - lets get involved in all the 'cool' sports and spend our budget there instead of TV ads. And not just get involved but radically change the face of that sport. By sponsoring Travis Rice's new snowboard movie That's it, That's all, they were able to change the way we view the sport forever by shooting in HD for the first time. Now every rider wants a bit of Red Bull and they are everywhere in the world of snowboarding.


Number 2: Waitrose

The supermarket everyone wants to shop at but for most it's simply too expensive and the lack of branded goods makes it inconvenient. But this has been part of the brand make-up for a long time and is part of what makes it different. However, along comes a recession, one of the worst ever. So what do Waitrose do now? People have much less to spend and competition is fierce. Of course their most loyal of customers are still in the stores but the brand needs more customers.

It's a very brave thing to change the DNA of a brand but sometimes it's the right thing to do. In come the independent brands and along comes their very own value range - 'essentials'. In our mind, the right step forward and clearly the right thing for the business. LFL sales are up 5.9% in a time when many others are finding it tough.

As if that wasn't enough, they even created a new format and entered the ring by opening high street stores. Something tells me we'll be seeing more of these in 2011.

A great example of looking ahead and facing the reality of a changing market and doing something about it before it happens. Well deserved second place!



Number 1: Comparethemarket.com

What an advertising campaign. Can you imagine being the board who had to sign off a meerkat copycat site to spearhead the business and take them forward to great and wonderful things?!!! Hats off then to those people who had the belief in VCCP to create such an amazing campaign. As Ian Hetherington from SSP puts it 'The way they have taken something as boring as insurance and made it fun is truly brilliant! Its incredible how many people talk about it in the pub'.

With pop up meerkat doing book signings and topping the Amazon book chart some would say it's 'Simples' others would simply say remarkable.

So congratulations to the meerkats for winning the 2010 Top Brand. But who will shine in 2011? Who will take that next leap of faith the show the world that you can do things differently?

Perhaps your brand...

Top Brands of 2010

Although 2010 has been a tough economic year, we have seen some great brands doing outstanding things over the past 12 months.But who comes out top for you in 2010?

Supergroup? With its now established high-street-cool brand Superdry, it has gone from strength to strength, seeing 60% increase in sales in their 3rd quarter and stores popping up everywhere!

JD Sports? They saw an amazing 64% increase in profit and continue to expand their empire of sports/fashion brands whilst keeping their boutique brands such as Size uniquely defined from JD Sports in a time where many retailers are co-branding stores to save on rent and operational costs.

Aurora Fashions? They have continued their brave drive in the fashion sector and posted EBITDA up 36% establishing itself as a true player in the fashion market. An amazing result considering its rocky past.

Apple? With its record quarterly results of $20bn in revenue, its no wonder they can open a second London store to become once again the mecca of all things electro-cool.

All of these brands have achieved amazing results and growth over the past 12 months in what has been an extremely tough market. But for me, there is a quiet winner that creeps on to the top podium for top brand 2010.

Nespresso.

Now I'm not a coffee drinker, but wow! In the words of Seth Godin, what a truly remarkable achievement.

Every major city I travel to around the world now seems to have the upper slices of social society quivering at the very mention of the word, Nespresso. The Limited edition blends helped raise sales by more than 20% and UK sales growth are steaming ahead at 35.5%.  And I can see why.

Check list:
1. Celebrity endorsement by one of the coolest men in show biz. Ooooh factor, check!

2. Coffee packaged in metallic capsules merchandised like precious jewels, with something to suit every taste. Mmmm factor, check!

3. Super cool and extensive range of Nespresso machines to choose from. Wow factor, check!

4. Sexy packaging that you just have to have. Addictive, must have, must have factor, check!

5. Stores (or boutiques as they like to call them) that crave your attention and make you want to buy everything. Destination factor, check!

Lets be honest, Nescafe was not a cool brand. Its market place has seen the biggest activity in retail terms in the past 2 decades and is now flooded with orange-mocha-frappacinno brands and is a market that is hard to survive in. Hats off then to Nescafe for fighting back and coming up with something amazing that has captured the imagination of coffee lovers worldwide! 'What else' could you want from a brand?!

Email us and tell us which brand was Top of 2010 for you and we'll put them up in the next blog to see who comes out top!

steve@theyardcreative.com