Following Rebekah Brooks arrest, and with many consumers questioning the ethics of the tabloid newspaper industry, your brand could be increasingly vulnerable on the basis of your media spend. So can investing in the online space and looking to influence consumers directly through new media channels safeguard your corporate image.

PwC says internet marketing is projected to rise by 11.2% between now and 2015, to £17.7bn. This certainly suggests that more and more brands are recognizing the power of digital marketing and the ability to open a two-way dialogue with consumers instead of relying on a third party.

Lindsey Reaney
PR Account Manager & Digital Consultant

Great promotions use all of these methods to reinforce the message your customer carries into store. So it’s vital that your above-the-line activity has the right backing in-store to succeed! Strategic use of barkers, floor stickers, FSDUs, in-store radio, retail events etc. will guarantee your launch or promotion generates maximum sales.

Issues with timing between your campaign going live and your product’s availability can see customers trying to buy a product they can’t find. Or worse still, your product hits stores but nobody knows due to a lag in your above-the-line campaign.

Timing is everything, and at Golley Slater we have the expertise to deliver outstanding results every time by coordinating in-store and above-the-line activity.

Our specialist retail team works together with brand owners, helping them connect with shoppers.  To see one of our campaigns for Lenor click here.

Emma Sutcliffe
Golley Slater Retail
Leeds

The most important factor about this trend is not the product – it is the occasion and its validity in our modern lifestyle. Despite this, retailers annually promote the ‘spring clean’ event when very few of us will go anywhere near a feather duster.

Some of the best loved occasions have been engineered — from ‘Jif lemon day,’ to the more contrived ‘Doritos and a movie.’ But then there’s the inevitable jump onto the world cup bandwagon which often lacks a little imagination (Read about it in Marketing). Yes, the snacks and drinks market will see the undoubted benefits as it fits with the occasion of watching football, but how much more petrol will Esso sell offering free cardboard ‘medals’ with every £15 spend.

The occasion and product have to fit and create an emotional connection. By identifying the mood and matching it to both a suitable product and event, we have recipe for success. Retailers are constantly looking to create occasions, so what better way to support them, sell some products and raise your game.

Emma Sutcliffe
Golley Slater Retail
Leeds

Weekday meal preparation has changed, with 4 out of 5 of us now favouring so-called ‘combination cooking’ (mixing both raw and ready prepared, store bought ingredients). The research also shows shoppers don’t plan meals and lack confidence in the kitchen. They want more information about how to cook healthy meals for their family when they are short of time and what to buy when they are at the supermarket.

An opportunity exists for brand owners to provide meal suggestions when shoppers need them most, in-store. Providing shopping lists and recipe ideas will direct shoppers to your branded product and may even tempt them into new categories.

Our specialist retail team works together with brand owners helping them connect with shoppers, analyse the latest trends and create campaigns to increase sales which meet with the changes in shopper behaviour.

Emma Sutcliffe
Golley Slater Retail
Leeds

*Ref Institute of Grocery Distribution, shopper research report, Meal Occasions

Brands have always been able to play quality as the differentiator over retailers own label, but the gap is closing and in some categories is now negligible in the minds of shoppers. Therefore quality must now encompass a wider range of factors including perception, taste, performance, usage, convenience or meaningful association.

The question remains ‘Will the activity win over price conscious customers?’ If the promotion builds additional recognition and value for some well loved brands then it has a good chance of success.

Click here for the full article.

Emma Sutcliffe
Golley Slater Retail
Leeds

We visit all the leading retailers on a weekly basis to identify new store and sales innovations. We carry out category audits and competitor analysis for the brand owners who we work with, to initiate creative campaigns that build brands and sales.

At a time when retailers are demanding ever more support from brand owners, by knowing about the most recent developments in each retailer you can ensure you stay ahead of the competition.

* Why have they stopped buying?
* What are they buying instead?
* Why aren’t they even bothering to go down our aisle?

Focus groups be dammed, when was the last time you simply watched your customers shop!!!

It’s quite a revealing exercise.

When you understand how customers behave when they are within touching distance of your product, you can tell them what they need to know so they will reach out and put it in their trolley. Working from that moment will help any brand owner focus on the right messaging and the most cost effective retail marketing mix.

The role of Golley Slater is to help you understand your customers, produce meaningful deals, communicate compelling offers and develop engaging promotions. That’s it!

In truth there are lots of messaging opportunities with each retailer, shelf POS, 6 sheets, ads, floor media, security shrouds, .com, retailer magazines, store and manager communication plus sampling. We can help you select the most effective media for the budget and the comms requirement.

In terms of pushing the boundaries, retailer guidelines and budgets can restrict the options available, but we find by working in collaboration (client-retailer-agency) you can get things through.

Within our work for P&G we look at technically what can be achieved, this has included scented barker, push pods, health & beauty mini mags and baby DM pieces. We have also seen both moving and illuminated POS but this is normally reserved for corporate activities (such as Halloween and Christmas).

Examples of cross-siting, we have just produced an on-pack promotion for Ariel which includes a discount for George school uniforms. This has helped secure secondary display and POS in the George section of all Asda stores. (Just think of the retailer goodwill in helping sell their products).

Brands in conjunctions with their agencies book slots and present creative in-store ideas. Some of these are accepted, the majority however are rejected.

Through a weekly POS clinic hosted by Asda, we have been able to get a permanent Pampers nappy sizing barker sited in all stores. This does not conform to POS design guidelines but as it builds value in the category it was accepted.

Our approach is to constantly look for creative opportunities in conjunction with you and then presenting onto retailers together.