In a world of ever-increasing marketing noise, it is more important than ever for brands to cut through the clutter and create meaningful connections with their consumers. But how do brands do this post-pandemic whilst navigating the retail marketing landscape?
Retail marketing has changed. Brands must now use traditional marketing touchpoints, married up with insightful analytics and on-demand services to create experiences that deliver end-to-end customer satisfaction – in store, online and beyond.
In a recent study conducted by Shop! ANZ, The State of Retail Marketing, it was found that despite the diverse nature of communication touchpoints, ‘Companies are needing to do more, with less or the same budgets’.
Brands need to be smarter – which is why those who apply a strategically driven ‘fewer, bigger, better’ approach will be the ones who stand out and have greater impact when it comes to retail and brand activations. Here’s some important considerations when planning your next retail activation.
Strategy First
Shop! ANZ, highlighted that retail marketing has matured, resulting in better and more thought-out shopper programs. We are seeing brands take a much more strategic approach to their retail activations, with creativity and engagement as key priorities, rather than more tactical driven initiatives.
Strategically driven campaigns will undoubtedly perform better and allow marketing teams the time to plan, prepare and create. The involvement of retail marketing earlier in organisations’ planning cycles is considered to be resulting in better calendar management and providing scope for more creative ideas, rather than just repetitive seasonal campaigns.
Create and Innovate
Innovation and creativity are key to delivering stand-out brand activations and retail campaigns and when activities are integrated and streamlined there is more opportunity for creative flair. Shop! ANZ, also found that brands are looking closer to home when it comes to inspiration. There is anecdotally more creativity being deployed as we see more homegrown ideas come to life.
Lisa Cachia, Marketing Director at DisplayWise, commented “We are constantly being challenged to think outside of the box and develop campaigns that will drive awareness, consideration, engagement and conversion. We work with brands end to end, delivering a cohesive well thought-out campaign – it’s no longer a stand-alone activation or execution supporting a single channel”.
Recently created for L’Occitane, DisplayWise created a beautiful on-brand retail activation at Chadstone, Melbourne, over a four week period. Inspired by the taps of their refill station, the brief incorporated the local French brewery culture and showcased their identity in a modern space. The premium activation structure was derived entirely from environmentally friendly materials, creating an eco-friendly display that delivered maximum impact for the brand.
Go Digital
Strategically integrating digital tools into has become an essential requirement of any successful activation. Not only does digital integration assist with real-time insights and analytics but it presents an opportunity to really engage with your audience and increase brand awareness. It is also a channel that is highly optimised for every stage of the buyer journey.
According to the report, 50% of industry professionals were using social media frequently in retail marketing programs in 2017. By 2021, it jumped to 74%. In a digitally obsessed world, incorporating social media into your brand activation is essential. But that’s just the beginning, think AI, lead capture, heat mapping as just some of the technologies that can be integrated into a brand activation to drive engagement, interaction and facilitate measurement.
Quality over Quantity
We live in the age of transparency, and consumers crave authenticity. With so much media ‘overwhelm’, volume does not equal quality and brands that create immersive and memorable interactions will also create stronger connections with their audience and long term loyalty.
Brands that focus on fewer activations can allocate a larger budget per activation and create a more impactful campaign. From custom-made displays that can be repurposed and reused, to enhancing activations with technology and interactive elements, considered activations will deliver a wider audience reach and higher quality experience.
By investing more in each activation to ensure it provides a truly unique experience, brands can ensure they remain top of mind. When strategically planned to connect throughout the buyer journey, activations are one of the best channels to help build brand awareness and equity. By investing in quality, not quantity, fewer, bigger, better activations will help your business thrive.
DisplayWise has partnered with Australia’s best brands and agencies to design and deliver brand and retail activations for over twenty years. If you’re looking for a creative and innovative way to tell your brand story and really make an impact, contact the team at DisplayWise today.
