Shopper Culture

It’s Prime Time for Brands to Air Their Dirty Laundry

At a time when people are scrutinizing how much the media can impact perspectives (and…elections) like never before, some brands are taking the opportunity to showcase past mistakes with the hope that, by doing so, they will be able to demonstrate their commitment to rectifying past mistakes and win over shopper loyalty. The overarching sentiment is, “that’s who we were, but not who we are anymore. Trust us.”  

One great example of this is National Geographic’s recent race-themed issue. In it, National Geographic explores how race defines, separates, and unites us, while also taking a look at the role the magazine’s own content may have played in driving our ideas about race. To do this, National Geographic recruited historian John Edwin Mason to analyze its photos and articles published over the past 130 years. Mason found that subjects of color were typically depicted as “savages,” and bare-chested women were often photographed to entice male readers. In Mason’s words, National Geographic promoted the view that the “black and brown world was primitive and backward and generally unchanging.”

This content is running in National Geographic current issue because—in its words—“For decades, our coverage was racist. To rise above it, we must acknowledge it.”

Brands Captivate & Inspire During 2018 Olympics

At its core, the Olympics are about pushing the boundaries of human limitations. The primordial elements that cement the Olympics in our hearts and minds center on perseverance, competition, achievement, and even defeat. It’s the rugged path to Olympic victory, often requiring seemingly superhuman skills, that captures viewers’ attention across the globe for two straight weeks. It’s a powerful ethos and brands jump at this opportunity.

A lot of the advertising during the Olympics attempts to harness the triumphant spirit of the event and is ultimately designed to pull at our heart strings. Brands do this to create an emotional bond with their viewers, establishing a deeply rooted link between what people are feeling and the brand itself. 

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.

How to Ally Data and Creativity

Data is truly the new buzzword of our generation and a tool we have to master. Because it shows us new way to bring interest into customer’s life and meet their true expectations. Yet, many only used as a way to justify an idea, as a strong proof of an intuition, rather than to illuminate or guide a creative solution. It seems like we deal with data on the one hand, and creativity on the other hand. But, what if data and creativity were processed and thought at the same time in order to be both pertinent and inventive?

It seems that Spotify took this path when the brand launched its campaign called ‘Playlist.’ Showcasing the different playlists (which are made by the users) available on the platform was a clever way of highlighting the brand’s interest in their consumers. Putting them at the center of the ads, and celebrating their peculiarities—which really just shows how they make the service their own—is a great way to ally data and creativity.

How Brands Can Optimize for Seasonal and Commercially-Driven Events Like Prime Day

Retailers and brands are not just focused on getting their fair share of major holidays, they are finding ways to make the most of the down season. Prime Day is one such example. These new "holidays" can have a big impact on brands, so how can brands optimize their presence during these events?

Integer's eCommerce thought leader, Nicole Vinson, joins Profitero's Keith Anderson to discuss just this on the Profitero Podcast Series. Click here to listen to the podcast which covers topics including:

• How brands can optimize for seasonal and commercially-driven events like Prime Day
• Why prioritizing product content for mobile and voice devices is becoming so important
• Emerging marketing and merchandising vehicles that brands can leverage, such as Amazon Media Group (AMG)

Image Source: Profitero Podcast

WHITE PAPER: 10 Years in Shopper Culture

June 2017 marks the tenth year of Shopper Culture, a global discussion about the impact of shopping culture on brand strategy. Over the past decade, Shopper Culture has captured thousands of observations, comments, insights, and predictions that represent just a fraction of the changes that have taken place in the dynamic and ever-evolving world of shopping. To celebrate the past decade of Shopper Culture, we are thrilled to launch a special white paper that takes a look at several behaviors and trends in the vast world of shopping culture that have come, gone, or simply evolved. And, while many things have changed, some things truly do stay the same. Discover more and download here.

Is The Superbowl More Effective Than Social Media?

Companies are willing to spend upwards of 5 million dollars on a Super Bowl advertisement because it's one of the biggest ad engagement opportunities of the year. But what happens if you don't have that kind of money? Well, The Honda Dealerships of Southern California have developed a different way to prompt Super Bowl viewers to engage with their brand; they are encouraging consumers to continue doing something they do every year--judge commercials and tweet. 

These Honda dealerships have preemptively put a dollar amount on every possible cliché Super Bowl advertisements could include. For every dollar that adds up, the dealerships (with the help of their agency, Secret Weapon) will match the amount with a donation to the Boys & Girls Club of America.

Secret Weapon has watched commercials from the last three Super Bowls and noted common trends, assigning each a dollar amount. These trends include babies ($1,000), hipsters ($5,000), famous people ($500) and talking animals ($1,000) among others. Throughout the event, Honda of Southern California will be live tweeting each cliché they spot and supplying updates on the total donation. The total dollar amount will be immediately donated to the Boys & Girls Club.

WHITEPAPER: Big Ideas Thrive at the Intersection of Branding & Selling

There has always been a healthy tension in communications between branding and selling. Between sales and marketing. Between opening people’s minds and opening their wallets. Big Ideas are born of that tension. They reflect collaboration across disciplines. And, when done well, they build value for brands, retailers, and shoppers. 

In this white paper, we will discuss why Big Ideas matter, why they are difficult to achieve, and how they can come to life in a holistic manner with an illustrative look at multiple brands, categories, and campaigns across the globe.

Download Big Ideas WhitePaper to read more.

Content Is King, But Can It Also Be Another Revenue Stream?

Mondelez International is making headlines with their new media strategy - branded content that's so entertaining, it not only helps build their brands but also adds a new revenue stream. Their "fearless" plan comes in three phases: it all begins with a live Skydiving stunt for Stride Gum, followed by a partnership with Buzzfeed, and lastly, a series of mobile games.  If the way to consumer's hearts and wallets is from entertaining content, why not make that content and make extra from distribution rights, brand integration, and ad space? Their goal is to "break even (globally by 10%) or turn a profit by 2020."

"Interruptive advertising is irrelevant," they argue. "This new approach will make our media spending more sustainable," they say. It sounds great on paper and I understand the holistic 'why not' but let's be realistic. 

Remember Flappy Bird? The low budget game from a no-name Vietnamese developer? OK, now try and remember the last branded mobile game you downloaded (research reasons don't count). No? I didn't think so. 

The Great Chicken vs Egg, Media vs Creative Debate

If I had a dollar for every time I heard the question, “Should creative or media come first?” I would rival Trump’s piggy bank (and maybe then I’d be running for president!). Let’s face it, “creative then media, media then creative” is the advertising quintessential of “chicken then egg, egg then chicken” debate.

On one hand, having a brilliant and disruptive creative idea is the kindling that could inspire equally brilliant and disruptive placements of said idea. On the other, having strategic insight into all of the constantly evolving media possibilities can spark a brilliant and disruptive creative idea.

Your 'Dancing Cat' Search Cues ‘Smelly Cat’ Pre-Roll

We’ve all heard the many adaptations of: “if content is king…” Including the retort: “…context is queen.”

Case and point: the recent Netflix YouTube campaign to promote the addition of ‘Friends’ to their television roster. The “Friendly Pre-Roll Campaign” is the first pre-roll campaign to utilize responsive search to serve relevant clips from the oldie-but-goodie sitcom. Meaning if you searched for “funny dance videos” on YouTube, your video might open with a pre-roll of Monica and Ross’ infamous “routine.”

White Paper: Understanding the Video Game Shopper

Still think video-gamers are all awkward teenagers playing Zelda in their parents' basement? Think again.

Gaming is mainstream and the mainstream retailers are supporting it.

Click here to download the latest white paper on video game shoppers.

You might not only be surprised to learn who plays video games but perhaps even more surprised to find out who is buying the games to begin with. 

Google's Mobilegeddon

What is Mobilegeddon? Google took a bold move and recently altered its mobile search algorithm. From this point on, if a site is not mobile-optimized, it will be de-prioritized in Google’s search rankings—meaning shoppers may never even see your site because it’s hidden at the bottom of the search pile.

Can Google justify this decision? Yes. Google strives to provide the best possible user experience for their users. According to Flurry Analytics, people now spend approximately three hours per day on their mobile devices and if a shoppers experience is seamless on their device, there’s a higher likelihood they’re going to make a purchase. 

Why does this matter?

How Bad is Survey Data? For Mobile Video, Really Bad

Wow. Nielsen recently compared their survey data with actual usage data to measure quarterly video viewing on phones & tablets. 

According to the survey data, people watched 5 hours 23 minutes of video in Q4 2013. According to the Electronic Mobile Measurement tool (which measures actual mobile usage), people watched 1 hour 23 minutes. That's right, survey data overstates this by something like 500%.

Two quick lessons emerge:

Digital Signage Expo 2013

The Integer Group will be attending and participating at the Digital Signage Expo later this month in Las Vegas, February 26-28.

Our very own Amy Vollet will be leading a group discussion on Cultivating Connections with Today's Omnichannel Shoppers on Thursday, February 28th from 11 to noon. Amy will discuss how the evolving digital tool set available to today's shopper creates exciting marketing opportunities.

We'll share the presentation here after the conference. In the meantime, read Amy's article on DOOH and the Changing Media Landscape. If you are interested in attending DSE, visit the website for the full agenda and registration information. Come say hello!