Shopper Culture

Long Live Promotions

Deals have always been a way to win with shoppers. But with rising price transparency and the expectation for low prices among shoppers, the deal has become just part of the equation for success. Today's promotions need a twist or a spin that makes them alluring to shoppers.

Here are just two examples of promotions that have amped up the deal to drive a successful promotion. 

1) Scarcity Inspired Promotions

Amazon has made a cult-like following for its once-a-year Prime Day promotion. Building steam and sales over the year in part because it only comes once a year, but also because what's on sales during Prime Day is sometimes unknown or limited. Shoppers hungry to get the deals while they last are willing to go the extra mile and look forward to this annual event. 

This year should be no different. In fact, Amazon continues to drive interest in Prime Day in new ways this year thanks to their partnership with Whole Foods. Amazon will be inspiring more shopping on July 16th by rewarding Whole Foods shopper who spend $10 at Whole Foods with $10 toward Amazon Prime Day purchases. This cross pollination effort is sure to ignite shopping among avid Prime Day fans and bring some new shoppers into Prime Day with their $10 voucher.

2) Personalization Driven Promotions

Build-A-Bear recently ran a promotion that allowed shoppers to simply "pay their age" for a bear. Not only did this offer many shoppers a great deal (especially when buying a bear for a 3 year old) but it also amplified their personalization positioning. 

NEW STUDY: The Socioeconomics of AI

Our fourth and final installment of our AI study is available for download here.

At the beginning there were more questions than answers when it came to AI’s collision with commerce. But as we wrap up our four-part study, we can reflect on all we’ve learned.

We learned:

In Part 1: that today’s shopper is curious about AI and starting to scratch the surface when it comes to AI capabilities—seeing AI as an assistant that can help with simple tasks like playing music or creating a shopping list.

In Part 2: that tomorrow’s shoppers are open to letting AI make purchase decisions for “chore” transactions including everyday household items. But they are not ready to give up power completely. Rather, they have a desire for AI to enhance its services with a value slant toward finding deals, saving time, or offering more customized suggestions tailored to people’s specific needs.

In Part 3: that your preferred retailer can affect your desires and perceptions of AI. Tech-forward companies like Amazon and Walmart have shoppers that are more open to embracing AI for shopping, while core grocery shoppers are a tad behind the adoption curve.

In this fourth and final part of the study, we examined the data in light of the varying socioeconomic factors affecting today’s shopping culture. We explored whether attitudes toward and adoption of AI technology differed based on socioeconomic factors including household income, education levels, and region.

Click here to download Part 4 of the study Embracing The Machines, AI's Collision with Commerce—and if you missed Part 1-3 please visit Our Studies page to download all of the papers. 

CXpert Panel: Analytics to Action

Creating shopper centric programs that connect with shoppers in relevant and meaningful places is key to building the bridge between brands, retailers and shoppers today.

Are you curious to learn more about CX analytics and action, customer-centric culture, organizational adoption and accountability? Then stop by the CX Talks: The Customer Experience Summit happening in Dallas on May 21st and 22nd. Integer's own Dennis  Dennis Wakabayashi, VP Digital and Commerce Integration, will be speaking on the CXpert Panel: Analytics to Action, led by Diane Magers, CCXP CEO, CXPA and Founder, Customer Experience Catalysts.

Stop by at 1pm for the CXpert Panel: Analytics to Action if you are in town.

Image Source: CX Talks: The Customer Experience Summit 

Taking Back Control of the Omnichannel Purchase

We’ve moved beyond the age of eCommerce as being a separate entity from brick-and-mortar retail. Increasingly, the two are becoming one and the same, influencing decisions across channels and even individual retailers. Shoppers no longer think of eCommerce and in-store as separate experiences or merely transaction points, and as marketers, neither can we.

We can see this in recent statistics concerning Click-and-Collect (or buy online, pick up in store) shopper behavior, which shows that after making selections online, 69% of shoppers will purchase additional items in store when picking up their online purchase.

Or consider mobile search in store, which we’ve seen develop as a standard shopping behavior over the past several years. As Bloomberg reported this past holiday season, 49% of shoppers will first turn to Amazon.com for a product search. From our research, we know these searches often happen in conjunction with an in-store experience when shoppers are in the aisle.

It might seem challenging to start meeting shoppers everywhere at every touch point with relevant content to move them to transaction. However, there are two fundamental steps brands are taking to ensure they’re guiding today’s eShopper in just the right moments.

1. Enhanced Content

Amazon started incorporating a more advanced version of its “A+” manufacturer content this year, which includes enhanced content like engaging videos, beautiful imagery, and other immersive content that allows product pages to feel like native brand experiences.

Earth Day Reminds Shoppers to Make a Change

When it comes to changing people's habits, sometimes seeing is believing. But what if you cannot see the problem? What if it's so glacier in nature that it goes unnoticed or is downgraded in the minds of the people? Environmental issues such as pollution, are one such thing. They often go unnoticed by culture and are accepted as the status quo.

In the wake of Earth Day, environmental concerns remain high despite ongoing efforts to educate people and encourage sustainable and eco-friendly purchases. Beyond big facts and stats, people are looking for new ways to raise awareness and hopfully prompt people to change how they live and shop for the good of the planet.

Recently, British artist Michael Pinsky created an installation of five geodesic domes, or pollution pods, in London intended to replicate the atmospheric conditions in Beijing; São Paulo, Brazil; London; New Delhi; and Norway’s Tautra Island by recreating the air using safe chemicals. The installation put the spotlight on the issue of pollution and helped people truly see and experience air quality across the globe. The reactions he received proved that sometimes it takes seeing an issue in a new light to really make an impact.

Genderless Beauty On The Rise

The face of beauty today is vastly different than where we've been. And as culture embraces the many faces of beauty, we are seeing genderless beauty become mainstream. Unisex cosmetics, skincare, razors, fragrances and more are hitting the market with bold, simple design and that suits the needs of the consumer regardless of gender. 

For example, Mio Skincare's 'Gym Kit' is does not target men or women but rather health conscious consumers who love fitness. 

Similarly, companies like Basik are offering genderless razors and other household items. The founder of the company explains, "I learned that there, in fact are physical differences in the razors for men and women. Though, these differences are related only to the function of the product, which isn’t always related to the gender of the consumer. For example, the blades are different for shaving beard than for shaving legs, but this doesn’t mean that they should be marketed only towards one gender.” Basik reflects this sentiment through design stating that the company "sees gender-neutral packaging as a factor that can encourage gender equality and create a more sustainable world." 

As gender norms continue to evolve, we expect to see more beauty products align with needs and benefits rather than gender. Shoppers are reacting positively to these new offerings, embracing unisex options that have sleek modern design. But with genderless brands on the rise will classic brands and retailers have to reconsider their communication? Their aisle configurations and shelf sets? Or how they think about beauty overall?

Contributed By: Kira Walstrom, Integer Denver

Image Source: Hellsten

NEW AI STUDY: Embracing the Machines Part 3

Artificial Intelligence, or AI, is a hot topic and its infiltrating our daily lives and even our shopping. Finding a lack of pre-existing consumer or shopper research, The Integer Group undertook an extensive study in the U.S. with over 3,000 consumers to understand how shoppers feel about using AI today and how willing shoppers are to have machines shop for them today and in the future. The result, a four part series, Embracing the Machines: AI's Collision with Commerce.

Today we release Part 3 of the study, in which we examine how attitudes, usage and perception of AI differ based on retailer shopped. Examining finding from the vantage point of the AI-receptive Walmart shopper, Target shopper, Amazon shopper and grocery channel shopper exposes interesting considerations for brands and retailers as they incorporate AI into their world. 

Click here to download Part 3, AI By Retailer

Click here to download Part 1: AI Today and Part 2: AI Tomorrow.

And make sure you are subscribed to Shopper Culture to receive Part 4 of the Study as well as other publications from Shopper Culture straight to your inbox. Click here to subscribe.

Commerce Takes Social Issues Into Its Own Hands

In 2015, Doritos and Oreo stood up for LGBT rights. In 2017, brands from various sectors joined forces to support the Paris accord despite the U.S.'s exit. This year, gun control conversations are causing change at Dick's Sporting Goods and Walmart with these retailers personally taking it on themselves to raise the purchase age to 21.

Social issues are a powerful way for companies to not only live their mission and reinforce their values, but also connect with shoppers. Stacy's support for women's rights became consumer-facing in the past few years when they choose to change their packaging for the movement during March, which is also Women's History Month. Outdoor brands like Patagonia and REI let consumers know about their passions through initiatives like 1% for the planet and #OptOutside. And companies like Mattel and Campbell's are expressing their values through commercials that feature modern expressions of Barbie for girls today as well as same-sex parents sharing soup with their son. 

While social issues can be powerful in breaking through the clutter in the marketplace, it can also be controversial. Companies that choose to take a stand must do so consistently and without falter. Supporting social issues cannot be seen as a stunt. Rather it must be woven into the brand values, CSR and more in perpetuity in order to truly make an impact on culture and with shoppers. 

Contributed By: Kira Walstrom, Integer Denver

Image Source: Unsplash

NEW AI STUDY: Embracing the Machines Part 2

Artificial Intelligence, or AI, is a hot topic and its infiltrating our daily lives and even our shopping. Finding a lack of pre-existing consumer or shopper research, The Integer Group undertook an extensive study in the U.S. with over 3,000 consumers to understand how shoppers feel about using AI today and how willing shoppers are to have machines shop for them today and in the future. The result, a four part series, Embracing the Machines: AI's Collision with Commerce.

Today we release Part 2 of the study, AI Tomorrow, in which we examine how shoppers perceive their interactions with AI will evolve in the next five years and to what degree AI will be making the decisions for shoppers. Click here to download Part 2, AI Tomorrow.

Click here in case you missed Part 1, AI Today, which establishes a benchmark of where shoppers are in their relationships with AI: their perceptions, attitudes, and current adoption of AI in shopping and what it all means for brands and retailers.

And make sure you are subscribed to Shopper Culture to receive Parts 3-4 of the Study as well as other publications from Shopper Culture in your inbox soon! Click here to subscribe.

A New Marketing Strategy: Kidification

For some time now, brands and companies have focused their strategies on reaching younger audiences including Millennials and, most recently, Gen Z. While everyone seems to be targeting Millennials, many of them have grown up. The Millennial family and kids are now in the spotlight, and brands are looking for ways to win not only with the parents but also with the kids. As a result, there have been a lot of kidification strategies in the marketplace; the ones below are just a few examples we’ve observed.

Online Kids: Fun for Kids, Safe for Parents
Kids are online in a whole new way nowadays. This became very apparent with the December launch of a new offer from Facebook: Messenger Kids. The concept is like the original: a real-time chat with the possibility to send photos, videos, and emoticons. The only significant difference: parents are creators of their kids’ accounts and have to approve their contacts. This initiative is reminiscent of the launch of YouTube Kids in 2016, which offered a simplified interface with an international-content aggregation dedicated to the little ones—but with a message focused on security to reassure parents.

Indeed, there is a paradigm shift: products do not have to be designed for kids, but rather can be adapted from an adult version, anchored in habits to a simplified and secured version. This acknowledgement of the kids desires, and their parents, desire for security is the key to success for such a target expansion strategy.

 

A Marketing Guidepost in 2018

Ringing in the New Year offers a fresh opportunity to pause and reflect each year. As campaigns vie for the attention of consumers everywhere who are looking to get fit, read more, and practice better self-care, the question begs to be asked: what can we, as marketers, do better? Surely there are plenty of existential answers to be explored, but quite simply, are we reaching our shoppers where they are, emotionally as well as physically?

A quick review of 2017 reveals many shifts in the way consumers experience content. Instagram allows for multi-photo compilations, Twitter loosened its character limit constraints, and photo filters continue to evolve across platforms. Social media users afraid of missing out on limited-time content had to face that ephemeral “stories” are no longer ownable by Snapchat alone, but compete for views on Instagram and Facebook as well. If that wasn’t enough, brand content is evolving to a greater degree of personalization within stories too.

Diving deeper into the trends, though, there seem to be greater undercurrents of change at play than simply shortened attention spans. In an era of cultural awareness and individual empowerment, the self-expression of consumers transcends the language that we have been using to target them. They are not simply “Millennials” or “Moms” – their identity includes an intersectionality that overlaps race, gender, sexuality, and class. With this search for self-expression, there is a growing hunger for brands that relate to their life experience in an authentic way.

The Checkout: Holiday Edition

This year’s Holiday Checkout issue helps brands and retailers connect with consumers at the right time, on the right channels, and with the right message. We delve into three main topics: differences between men and women, mobile behaviors among general consumers, and habits of digitally-savvy Hispanics. By examining what consumers are thinking, feeling, and doing across the customer journey during the holiday season, we reveal low-hanging fruit on ways to improve audience targeting and engagement.

This issue brings to life the differing value equations that men and women have around quality, cost savings, time savings and experience. Additionally, we explore the exponential growth of mobile phone usage—115% year-over-year—during the holiday shopping season. When seeking information on what to buy, time-crunched consumers are going to their phones and have high expectations for their experience on digital interfaces. Hispanics, specifically, are bona fide digital deal finders, especially when it comes to offers delivered via their mobile phones, email, and social media. Find out more by downloading The Checkout: Holiday Edition.

NEW AI Study: Embracing The Machines Part 1

Artificial Intelligence, or AI, is a hot topic. Whether people realize it or not, AI is changing the way we consume information, make choices, navigate the world, and shop. AI has already embedded itself in multiple facets of shoppers’ everyday lives and is becoming crucial to brands and retailers as a predictor for both market and shopper behaviors.

Finding a lack of pre-existing consumer or shopper research, The Integer Group undertook an extensive study in the U.S. with over 3,000 consumers to understand how shoppers feel about using AI today and how willing shoppers are to have machines shop for them today and in the future. 

The findings have been distilled into a 4 part series that includes Part 1: AI Today, Part 2: AI Tomorrow, Part 3: AI At Retail, and Part 4: The Economics of AI

Today we release Part 1 of the series, which establishes a benchmark of where shoppers are in their relationships with AI: their perceptions, attitudes, and current adoption of AI in shopping and what it all means for brands and retailers.

Did you know that 23% of shoppers see AI as a Personal Chef? Or that over 70% over shoppers feel curious about AI? Click here to download the study and get all the fact, figures and insights on AI Today.

And make sure you are subscribed to Shopper Culture to receive Parts 2-4 of the Study as well as other publications from Shopper Culture in your inbox soon! Click here to subscribe.

The Future of Shopper Marketing Is Commerce Marketing

The conventions of shopping have been disrupted. Everyone is a shopper. At all hours, day and night. In every imaginable place. So, as marketers we must take the labels we’ve latched onto for so long and throw them out the window.

Commerce marketing is the undeniable future of shopper marketing—if not its present.

Integer’s CEO, Mike Sweeney speaks to the reality of commerce marketing in a byline article in Adweek this week–“The Future of Shopper Marketing Is Commerce Marketing.”

He notes that “Shoppers are moving seamlessly between online and offline shopping behaviors, traditional and ecommerce. At the same time, consumers and shoppers have become one and the same. The lines between borders, cultures and audiences are in near-constant flux. We must continue to evolve our capabilities as marketers, and build, grow and advance our clients’ organizations with them.”

Click here to continue reading about the evolution from Shopper Marketing to Commerce Marketing.

Spotify Takes Us Back In Time

Spotify recently launched a new feature called Your Time Capsule. What is it? A personalized playlist of thirty throwback jams. With an unrivaled algorithm, the music-streaming service pinpoints your favorite musical period and delivers curated picks evoking a nostalgic yearning for yesteryear. The accuracy is uncanny. Jimmy Eat World, Foo Fighters, The White Stripes, and No Doubt. Yup. That sums up my ‘90s awkward angst in a nutshell.

Aside from a fun trip down memory lane, there’s also a hidden marketing lesson.

While there’s obviously a fine line between invasive annoyance and useful engagement, we can’t underestimate the power of detailed personalization. Done correctly, it can be an added value that sparks a special affinity. The proof is in the numbers. Bombarding people with useless messages leads to consumer fatigue. In fact, according to a recent study conducted by Fox School of Business, social media advertising can boost short-term purchase by roughly 5%, but it also increases the likelihood that people will unfollow the company by 300% in the long term. Touché.

Don’t be that brand. Be the brand that does something useful. Be the brand that tunes in and makes people’s lives unexpectedly better.

Image Source: Spotify