Caroline & Rover

Hair and beauty survey

2011-07-15T12:58:00.002+01:00

I am going to get back to the blog posting which has been sadly neglected for some time!

In the meantime, there is a survey that I would ask anyone reading with children to help me with. Would be much appreciated, it is only 10 questions and I am offering a prize draw for £50 H&M vouchers for those who participate.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/63YCB98

a million thanks

wordle

2011-03-23T20:58:00.001Z

loving this from wordle

HMV – How Much Value?

2010-12-09T15:18:00.003Z

News is out that HMV is on the rocks. The share price fell a massive 29% in one day after the group reported like for like sales for the first half of the year fell 11%.

To add to this, HMV is already whining about the cold weather likely to hamper their Christmas sales. This is the key period of the year for any retailer and it looks like shareholders shouldn’t expect any better for the future.

I have to say that I am not very surprised. For a long time I have been talking about how little is being done by the traditional music stores to adapt to the changing market. As long ago as 2007, I guest blogged on David Taylor’s brandgym site about Zavvi , and most of you will remember them going into administration in December 2008.

I blogged that when they took over from Virgin, they just changed the name and nothing else with what I like to call “a hope and pray” strategy. Why did they think Richard Branson was divesting the business? In my opinion because he knew when to get out of a declining business (music and DVDs purchased in store).

HMV are of course now suffering the full force of this declining business and are finally addressing it by changing into a broad based entertainment group, diversifying into live music and events as well as clothing (not sure about this one). But it is all a little too late for me. In addition, they are not addressing their core business: purchasing in store.

A couple of years ago they could have participated in the revolution for delivery of books and music. With such a hugely well known and well respected brand name, they could have shaped the market.

First, they should have been a leader online but they have been trounced by newcomers such as play.com and the might of apple’s itunes. They have only recently relaunched their own digital platform.

And they have done nothing to fill the gap that internet just can’t do as well as in store: experience.

Where are the interactive pods that let me search online for music and then let me download straight on to my mp3 player? Where is the jukebox where I type in names of bands I like and proposes me ones I might like, Where are the pods to play new xbox and wii games so I can try and then buy. Where is the experiential pop ups outside their own stores to get people to interact with their products, sign up or maybe some into the store to see what else there is. If you can get people into your store then they might actually buy.

There are loads of teenagers hanging around town centres with nothing better to do. HMV could have been a mecca for music lovers with events and trials.

But no, they stack CDs and DVDs in rows and you can browse and then pay. Whoppee do.

HMV you have got to invest and catch up quick or you’ll be left with a nostalgic brand name and not much else.

Monkey or Northern Folk?

2010-09-24T17:17:00.006+01:00

The Tetley Folk are back on our screens after an absence of 8 years. Remember Gaffer, Sydney, Archie and Clarence? They featured in Tetley Tea ads for some 22 years before their disappearance, friendly Northern folk promoting 2000 perforations.

Well they’re back in an advert currently running. They are awakened by a drop of the famous tea spilt by a hapless intern in an office (not quite sure about that bit of the story).

In any case Tetley have been steadily losing market share to Unilever’s PG Tips. That’s the ad with the monkey and Johnny Vegas. Very creative ads from both sides, clearly the meerkat is getting the agencies on the animal trend again.

Of course PG Tips had the chimps for many years, so this brand is no stranger to using acting animals even if the latest actor is a stuffed one (must be a hellava lot easier to work with).

So are you swayed by the northern folk or the monkey?

Or are you only interested in a good cup of tea?

It’s an interesting study of product v brand. Of course in such a competitive environment, and dealing with a commodity product such as tea, it is very important to create some differentiation. Nothing wrong with a bit of emotional branding to keep awareness high.

I think it’s a great idea for Tetley to remember what they are about, brands are too quick to throw away great ideas because the marketing team feel like a change (see my blog post on M&S). Remember what makes your famous is mantra from David Taylor (see his excellent blog).

However, in this war of the clever ads, the PG Tips team and the Tetley team mustn’t forget that, for a lot of people, tea is all about the taste. Innovation is key. When triangular tea bags were introduced this was a stroke of genius, allowing the tea to diffuse better in the water.

Consumers are more likely to switch brands for the promise of a better taste, rather than because they have a penchant for cartoon characters.

So the spin is great but let’s not forget that product differentiation and innovation must also be high on the marketer’s list.

Two rules to disappointment your customer

2010-09-13T16:36:00.004+01:00

It’s not easy to get good customer service. Goodness knows, most of us would be shocked to find it.

I am fully expecting to queue for ages at the bank, I am fully expecting to have my phone query re-routed 5 times, I don’t flinch when shop assistants look down on me.

Our expectations as customers are really quite low so this actually leaves bags of opportunity for a brand to do better than average and really shine. On the flip side I have one rule for you to be sure to follow if you are really looking to disappoint your customer.

Rule One: “Over promise”.

I recently sent my iphone for repair. The screen was smashed, I didn’t even drop it but all iphone owners will know how sensitive the little blighters are. Not having taken out apple’s extortionate insurance, I decided to send it to i-phone-repairs.co.uk They looked quite reputable, had done a really good job on their web site. Lots of reassurance I was in the right place.

More importantly they offer a 24 hour repair process. Pretty important when your phone is integral to your business. It’s the main part of their proposition.

So of course you can guess that it is still there 7 days later.

They have quite a good email alert process that lets you know the different stages that the phone is going through. So I had the alert that they had received the order and then another for reception of the parcel but nothing since.

So to be really sure to disappoint your customer further and potentially they make sure they tell everyone about it is to then follow the second rule to ensure extreme disappoint which is

Rule Two: “under communicate”.

In other words, don’t bother telling your customer what is going on. Don’t explain under any circumstances what’s gone wrong in the process, just hunker down and hope it will all go away.

Another good example of this rule in practice is demonstrated by most airlines. They pride themselves on never letting their customers know that the flight will be late and by how long.

So you see how it works?

1) Over promise
2) Under communicate

If on the other hand you want to make your business shine and stand out from the crowd, gaining valuable referrals & recommendations, creating a new customer base and saving you marketing money:

1) Underpromise and excel by doing better
Such as how vistaprint tell you it will take 21 days to send you their business cards but they always seem to arrive in less than 10 days

2) Communicate regularly

If by any chance there is a problem with an order or you’re late replying to a client, let them know. Send a little note and you will be surprised how much people appreciate it.

Getting personal in Le Touquet?

2010-09-01T10:12:00.004+01:00

There are more than 7000 chambres d’hôte in France and I have just got back from one in the very swish seaside town of Le Touquet in Northern France. It’s less than an hour from Calais and boasts expansive sandy beaches as well as being a destination for well-to-do Parisians on a weekend break.

What a great idea the chambre d’hôte is! It’s a personal service in a way that a hotel can never be. Rooms tend to be different from the standard box we can expect from a hotel, more like a home. You can get local advice on what to do and where to go without visiting an intimidating tourist office with its line of leaflets and fierce looking ladies behind the counter.

There is the opportunity to cater for families. Your standard hotel rooms tend to cram 2 extra singles into a twin room to make a so-called family room and that’s if they offer it all. Despite a family of 5 being commonplace in France you can forget it the larger family at a hotel.

Breakfast is included and is often copious. We had to go to the local restaurant that our owners also ran which wasn’t terribly convenient but certainly good quality. Our lovely host also sent us away with a terrine de lapin (rabbit terrine) and 4 strawberry cakes that he had spotted my daughter eyeing up.

So what is the message? Personal touch, convenience, good information, offering something difficult to get elsewhere and going the extra mile. Sounds like a good recipe for a brand.

We stayed at le Clos des Chenes

Tiger teaches us that it’s all in the head

2010-08-09T17:17:00.003+01:00

Tiger Woods has just completed the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at 18 over par, his worst performance as a professional. I bet he was doing better when only 4 foot high. 1I have very little sympathy for Tiger Woods but I do think his precipitous fall in competitive ability, in less than a year, teaches us something very interesting.

Lots have been written about the PR side of his fall from grace, and a equal amount of lines about how the media and fans have reacted to it. However what I find interesting is that it shows just how much his ability to be an outstanding golfer is all in his head.

He can’t just lose the ability to hit a golf ball into a small hole overnight, can he? Just as you or me don’t just suddenly lose the ability to ride a bike or play a decent game of tennis. Not unless there is some physical reason.

The reason why Tiger played so badly this week was because mentally he is a broken man and this has a direct impact on his ability to hit a ball with a club. Tiger says "I need to hit the ball better, I need to chip better, I need to putt better. It has been a long year."

This is a great illustration of the fact that in sport, as in our everyday lives, we are very much governed by how we feel, what mood we are in, by the interactions we have with other people in our day and how positive we feel about those. We are emotional beings and we may think that if we have learnt it, we can play golf to the same standard every day but this is not true.

When it comes to making decisions about a purchase, it is exactly the same. We are not robots, we don’t make purchases in a logical way (we like to think we do), we EXPERIENCE them.

We make a lot of decisions based on how we feel about the product we are evaluating. We weigh it up on attributes but also on how it is presented, how we are treated when enquiring about it, how much we might value the brand and what it represents.

If the girl at the counter has a miserable face, it matters. If the web site makes buying easy and seems friendly, I might buy something extra. We take it all in and make a judgement. Faced with a very similar product but a better environment or a better member of staff we will go with the one we like.

It’s the heart that rules and not the head. Tiger has lost his heart and that is what is making him only average.

Toyota Swagger Wagon

2010-07-26T16:53:00.003+01:00

As Tony Hayward departs BP and the oil spill might finally be plugged, it looks like the media will have to find some a new brand to bash. Toyota, for one, must have been relieved when their turn was over and BP took over the lime light. A global recall of 9.4 million Toyotas due to unintended acceleration is certainly top of the hit list of PR disasters for the year, along with golfer’s hero Tiger Woods.

"All the Toyota vehicles bear my name," Mr. Toyoda repeatedly lamented at the time, except someone in the marketing department seemed to have misspelled it a long time ago and never fixed it.

As an aside, a forth brand is also in trouble today. Ferrari, another automotive heavyweight appears to think that it is far too big and important to follow the rules. Currently they are attempting to convince us that it did not fix the latest Grand Prix race by ordering Massa to give way to Alonso. Shame on you Ferrari, I don’t believe a word of it and I bet most of your customers don’t either. Trust issues anyone?

Anyway, back to Toyota. What do you do when your brand is in tatters?

Rebuild it slowly but surely, concentrating on the products would be my answer.

Get back to the roots and look at what makes the products great and start communicating on this. Stay well away from any fuzzy brand statements and make sure your customer service is exemplary. People are much more likely to evaluate your brand based on their actual experience and touch points than anything they see on the media. This includes positive and negative. Yes there is no denying that the negative is more difficult to shake off but nevertheless this rule still holds true.

Less people might walk into the showroom but if you make the experience fantastic for those that do, and show them real product benefit, then they will purchase, they will come back and they will tell their friends.

As well as this, I think having a bit of a laugh at yourself is always a good move when you have made a major gaffe. Which is one of the reasons why I think the video launched by Toyota in the US to promote its Sienna Minivan is so genius. The video currently has nearly 5 million views.

It is clever because it is engaging, funny, pokes a bit of fun at station wagon families that might drive the car but overall is very memorable.

Memorable for the right reasons which goes a small way to start re-building that lost brand equity. Not everybody will find it funny but it will certainly be talked about. It is already doing the rounds in the social media space and is in the top 5 videos in the US charts.

As part of the series there are other videos which also manage to display product features of the car like the smart Key or dual power sliding side doors. It reminds me a bit of the Clio adverts that poke gentle fun at the French heritage of the car and we know what a huge success the Clio has been.

Although profits are looking better for Toyota as they are expected to return to black for the April-June period (according to the Nikkei Daily), Toyota still has underlying issues that date back, even before the recall. Share of market in Europe is declining and the South Koreans are taking over. So there is still a lot of work to be done for Toyota to find their competitive edge again.

However in the meantime I am liking their style and not ashamed to admit that the Swagger Wagon looks pretty cool for a mum with 2 kids!

O2 puts a limit on the unlimited

2010-06-16T14:25:00.003+01:00

The news has broken that O2 are going to start limiting the data on our iphones, basically meaning that we have to start watching our emails, internet use and downloading using the iphone. Up til now, all iphone packages included “unlimited” data downloads (within reason) so we have all been happily checking our mails up and down the country, using our apps to find a cash point, and sharing our score in the latest game we are addicted to. I am loving it.

With 10 hours of calls (that I have never got close to) and unlimited texts, I loved the fact that I never have to think about my phone use. In a cluttered and difficult world where you should be switching your supplier for everything from energy to savings accounts every 5 minutes to get the best tariff, it was really soothing to never have to worry about the mobile.

I think O2 are a very clever company in so many ways but limiting data is such a bad idea because it goes against the wishes of the vast majority of their customers.

Having been a customer champion for many years, genuinely working on customer service and being the first to give existing customers deals just as good as for new customers, O2 have shown themselves to be in tune with people’s needs. More recently their ad for broadband, “Niggles and narks” clearly taking on board the general moan that you can’t get any decent customer service when it comes to broadband. Ads all designed to put O2 firmly on the side of the customer.

Then Ronan Dunne, O2’s chief exec announces in his blog that data will be limited for new contracts. Apparently 97% of us won’t be affected, only 0.1% of us are using data over the new limit.

Yes I will be affected, Ronan, because I now have to think before using my iphone. It spoils my enjoyment. It's like when I'm in France and I have to switch to "no data roaming". I feel a bit bereft.

He also claims that it is for our own good. Because why should we pay for that top % using a lot more than us? News for you, Ronan, currently I am not.

This is not a decision based on customer insight.

The reason that this decision has been made as far as I understand it and with the help of a very insightful article from the Guardian is that 0.1% of people are abusing the “no limit”….and the company can’t work out how else to stop them and / or make them pay.

This is sort of thing I would expect from Talktalk. Not the customer-loving O2 brand. I beg you to reconsider. Maybe Orange has a great opportunity to jump in with a message that they won’t charge for data? I would be up for switching.

Controversial ads or just plain funny?

2010-06-04T17:16:00.003+01:00

So the World Cup is on its way and with it, lots of memorabilia and British flags. My local pub looks like it is geared up for the Queen’s coronation and a royal wedding all in one go. Half the nation (mostly male) is going to go loopy for a few weeks, I wonder if the release of Sex and the City 2 was deliberately timed in this way? Extra seats sold as women across the nation flee?

Anyway, happy days for most people while the world’s favourite game takes centre stage. However, on the flip side, rather worryingly, there are already stories circulating however that some people in public situations are being told not to fly the English flag and not to be too overt in their national pride. Most of these stories are unsubstantiated for the moment so I shall reserve any further comment; I just hope that people are going to be allowed to celebrate (or commiserate) in a normal way without being worried about who they might upset.

It was with this thought that I was relieved to hear that the ASA still have some sensible people working there – not taken over by such a level of political correctness that creativity is stifled. I like to think they have a sense of humour too and some of their recent decisions reflect this.

You see I really chuckled when I saw that ad for Homepride ovencleaner that claimed “even a man can do it”.

OK, so I am a woman and some men may feel differently but isn’t it just tongue in cheek? Can’t people see that? Well thankfully the ASA think so, despite being the 2nd most complained about advert in 2009, ASA did not hold up the complaint.

More recently a Burger King advert was also complained about by 52 people. The internet audio ad featured a conversation that began: "Oh officer don't give us a ticket, I was just getting some king lunch," with the officer replying: "I can see that and it looks king good."

Again the ASA did not uphold it. Come on – it’s a clever play on words, you take it how you want to.

So good on them for not stifling all last remnants of creativity as we standardise and legislate in every area, and good on them for letting brands have a go at some more interesting advertising so long as they stay true to the product's attributes and the reality of using them.

Will you remember me tomorrow?

2010-05-24T19:02:00.002+01:00

Getting some cut through in the clutter of brands and advertising is a challenge for any company, small or big. The internet has created competition for local businesses where previously there may have been none. Our competition is now only a click away.

Even for individuals, who are consulting or freelancing, therefore selling their own expertise, competition is everywhere due to remote and virtual services. You can employ a PA, a marketing expert and a bookeeper virtually, the actual people don’t need to be by your side.

So getting some cut through is even more important than it ever was before. If you can find a way to be a bit different this may go some way in a highly competitive environment. There are plenty of ways to do this and one of these is to be memorable. I wanted to share with you a site I came across for a Lawson Clarke which is highly memorable. He is an advertising copywriter.

Advertising is a creative sector in itself so you really need to be clever to get cut through in this area. Believe me – you won’t forget Lawson if you have seen his web site.

He decided to pose naked on his home page as a parody of the famous 70’s photo from the Cosmoplitan magazine where Burt Reynolds lay naked on an animal skin rug. Don’t worry his modesty is protected by the TV!

The site is then a very simple and easy to navigate portfolio of his work. Take a look at his “contact” section. I believe that it is the simplicity that makes it work as much as the creative idea.

Finally it is also a success because he has considered his sector and his audience. You shouldn’t be creating a grey linear site when you are marketing yourself as an advertising exec. Having said this, standard communication and drab design is not going to be memorable for B to B, financial services or other more traditional sectors either.

So even if you don’t fancy posing nude on your site home page, let’s dare to be a bit different, let’s look at an idea that is not quite as safe as usual and give it a try.

Getting the basics right

2010-05-10T12:36:00.004+01:00

I always have my eye on the French news and I spotted a report from journaldunet.com on what French customers are looking for from a branded site. I don’t think the French are any different from us when it comes to web surfing so we could probably apply it to the UK as well.

The results on the surface are may seem a touch obvious.

78% of people go to a brand’s site for information on the products and services
54% for the online store
44% to find a nearby outlet
38% for help on how to use the product / service
37% for customer benefits
31% for contact with customer services
30% for information on the brand
10% for games / competitions
9% for advertising
7% to interact with other customers
(several responses are possible)

However, I think in reality this is quite interesting. This survey screams to brand owners that the web experience is first and foremost about information and assistance.

Customers want and expect to find clear information about your products and services . We can wax lyrical about social media and it certainly has its role to play for brands but we must first get the basics right.

Information needs to be set out clearly with easy navigation. An easy-to-use accessible site will give the customer the reassurance that you know what you are doing. If your site is putting obstacles in the way, what does that say about the products or services you are selling and their potential to be outstanding?

A simple test would be to put some of your customers, or even a couple of friends in front of your web site and just watch what they do. It is sometimes hard for us marketers to realise which bits the customer will trip up on. Sometimes it is the most obvious. As I have said before, even the really big brands have some big usability issues making it hard to find simple pieces of information. During the volcanic ash episode, my favourite target the air travel sites, notable Jet2 and easyjet’s informations was extremely poor, confusing and contradictory.

For the next step, you could try setting your customers a couple of really easy tasks to find on your web site and see if they manage. Usability testing doesn’t always have to be hi-tech, this method is possible for any small business.

Make sure access to the customer service line is easy to find and welcoming. If this survey is true, a third of all customers are just looking for some kind of assistance. The customer service experience is a moment of truth, when the customer will make up their mind about your brand. A brand advocate can be created from a great experience, since so many are so poor! Take the opportunity to do it well!

But have you already worked in the "widgets that go on the end of pencils" sector?

2010-04-21T17:15:00.002+01:00

As you may have realised I am now a freelancer so I work in quite a few different industry sectors. The variety is one of the reasons I like the job. When I was an “employed” marketer I worked in lots of different sectors, television, sport, insurance, FMCG. I think this is brilliant (Ok so I am a bit biased) – but why does this not seem to be valued by employers?

Why is it, that in almost every job spec, prospective employers want someone with sector experience? Some push it to such an extreme that they seem to want someone who has done the job before and is willing to do it again with no career advancement in site e.g.. “Toy manufacturer seeks marketing manager with over 5 years marketing experience in toy manufacturing – must have management experience”.

In such tough economic times, I believe that innovation that can keep a company growing. There are always ways to grow profit and a challenging environment encourages us marketers to be inventive, either in process or product. So surely one of the ways to foster some inventive thinking is to get a good mix of expertise in the team? Mixing it up with people who have different experiences and can bring something new to the table.

While it may be tempting for stressed out employers to get new staff that can integrate quickly since they know the products and the sector, they may end up with a whole team of staff trained to think that things are done one way and only that way will work.

There is no denying that there a few cases when the network of contacts a person brings to a role has great value but it would just be nice to see some employers open their minds a bit. Imagine the value of bringing in a mobile marketer to an insurance company. Both very acquisition led businesses, but the mobile phone operators woke up to the need for retention far quicker than the insurance industry, so there is much to teach and trial. Imagine bringing FMCG techniques to the a professional services industry such as architects or solicitors? Now that would be interesting!

I would much rather teach new products and a new sector to a bright and motivated new recruit than attempt to teach a recruit with sector experience how to be bright and motivated.

So let’s hear it for a bit of diversity and fresh thinking from our employers.

Speedo Part 2

2010-04-14T10:36:00.002+01:00

I wrote about Speedo only a month ago on how I was impressed that they had used real customer insight on women’s actual shapes to design a new range of swimwear.
Well I’m back this month on Speedo since the brand is unveiling a new pan-European campaign.

It will focus on personal relationships with swimmers, promoting Speedo as a brand that understands that every swimmer is different. So far so good. This ties in with a range that suits different types of bodies and suggests that the brand wants to reach all types of swimmers and bodies, not just those we traditionally associate with Speedo. That is to say the ultra sporty types who get a size smaller so that they can stretch their costume onto their bodies like an elastic band that is about to snap. You know – the type of costumes that for “normal” people, dig into your hips and make your legs look like jelly.

Then Speedo International Head of Marketing Communications Chris MacDonald goes on to say: “As the world’s leading swimwear brand, we understand the benefits that swimming for fitness and relaxation can bring. Our objective for this campaign is to engage with our consumers and explore their relationships with swimming. Speedo’s new brand campaign is striking, emotive and will prompt swimmers of all levels to talk about why they like to swim.”

Marketing speak anyone? “Engage with consumers”, “explore their relationships”, “talk about why they like to swim”. I am a practical marketer. That doesn’t mean I am not strategic but I like a brand to be straight forward in its promises to consumers and then deliver it flawlessly. I love lots of brands and still think they have a huge role to play in marketing, but when I hear this kind of speech, I groan because this type of statement gives us marketers a reputation for creating flowery concepts over long lunches.

What about the product Speedo? What are the costumes like? Why are they the best? Why should I trust your brand to get it right? Is your range super cool and fashionable? Or just really comfy? Or the best materials that make you go faster? Or the widest range, a costume to fit any shape or size?

Do you really care that my relationship with swimming is the following: I swim up and down my public pool to keep fit and I wear a costume occasionally on holiday.

Here’s an idea for you Speedo if you really want to engage with me as a customer – put money into cleaning up my public pool, the changing rooms are skanky. “Speedo cleans up public pools and makes swimming a better experience”. That will really please me. Oh and make a costume that looks good, fits well and keeps its elastic for a few months. Ta very much.

Are Marks & Spencers off their trolley?

2010-03-24T10:59:00.003Z

I read with great surprise that Marks & Spencers have dropped their famous ads for food “it’s not just food it’s M&S food” or otherwise known as “food porn ads” because of the sexy portrayal of the food.

This campaign has been one of the most successful campaigns ever, not only winning awards but increasing sales significantly for the brand. Sales increased by 288% of the hot chocolate pudding after the ad and sales of panacotta increased by 1207%. And this is only for the individual products, the extra footfall of customers walking through the door to buy the chocolate pud must have had an effect on overall sales.

Aside from revenue success, I think that these ads marked a change in the M&S story, when it left behind the difficult years and turned towards the future.

Finally, the concept was just so clever, simply because it wasn’t trying to be clever. Just featuring good food, with great filming and using emotion to sell, instead of blinding consumer with a whole load of different messages about the multiple benefits of the product as us marketers love to do.

So why oh why on earth would you ditch this campaign? Yes it has been around for a few years but so as “have a break have a kit kit” but Nestle aren’t daft enough to throw it in the bin because the marketing staff are a bit bored with it.

Even worse, the new ads to replace them will aim to “concentrate on food quality, provenance and ethics.” Yawn yawn yawn. And the message will be “Just because”.

Just because what? Just because…the new marketing director wanted to make his mark? Just because… the new CEO is coming soon and we need to look innovative? Just because….we fancy a bit of change? Just because…ditching on of the most memorable and revenue generating campaigns in recent history seemed like a good idea in the pub the other day?

I think this is a classic case of marketers forgetting what makes a brand famous (see David Taylor and Brand Gym since this is one of his favourite subjects) and binning far too early the core of a campaign instead of updating it. Tragic.

Got your speedos on?

2010-03-10T21:31:00.004Z

While there are some brands that are desperately trying to establish themselves and create some kind of meaning and story around their name, others are trying to actively shed an association with their brand. For example I am sure that Burberry would prefer not be linked to the “chav” side of life. And Toyota will be looking to shed their newly acquired image of poor quality and mass recalls.

But what does the brand Speedo suggest to you?

It’s certainly iconic, and almost a brand that defines a category in the way that Hoover or sellotape does. But although part of me has a little image of a bloke wearing something skimpy, there is also a bit of a “fuddy duddy” association around the edges.

Well, Laura Rattray, a designer from Speedo is trying to change that.

Unusually she is not in a headlong rush to make the brand youthful and hip again. Laura has put some real thought into the new Speedo range, studying her target audience and coming up with something that replies to a real need.

Although we are presented with a myriad of colours in swim suits every season, it seems that there is really only one basic style decided some time in the 50s. Would that be the one that makes your wobbly bits bulge out?

So, she worked with researchers at London’s Hammersmith hospital to scan the body images of 5400 “normal” women and found that most of us will fit into three shapes hourglass, pear-shaped and top-heavy. She then designed “made to measure”suits in these styles that are designed to fit and flatter today’s women.

I think this kind of innovative thinking shows that you can still innovate in a mature category if you are willing to think differently and think customer.

I am all for it. As a spokesman for Speedo reminds us - wearing a swimsuit is pretty close to getting naked so I am sure there would be some brand advocates created if Speedo managed to get us looking a little better and more confident at the local pool.

Thanks to the Daily Mail for the article and Alex Grier who brought it to my attention.

Beaches – which one exactly?

2010-02-18T20:07:00.004Z

It’s snowing yet again outside and it is definitely the time of year to think about booking the big Summer holiday. Don’t be fooled by the recession, a large % of British people count the annual holiday as a necessity and not a luxury.

Although you still can’t beat a brochure and thousands of trees are destroyed per year just for my pile under the coffee table, a large amount of us will turn to the web to research if not to book our annual summer getaway.

I will say it directly now, I have never found a truly good travel web site. Not one. If you have one to bring to my attention – please do. From the large corporates of Thomson and Thomas Cook to the niche operator, they all work off a similar sort of database that can’t see to cope with a “normal” customer request such as “family room, somewhere with sun, no more than 4 hours of flight, all inclusive with a kids club please”.

You have to know the date you are going and which airport you are going from before you can get any choices. Now. I live in Peterborough so I can go from quite a few airports including most of the London ones, East midlands and Birmingham but the travel site will insist you choose first. At best they propose “all London”. And maybe I don’t know the date I want to go, maybe I just want one of the 6 weeks of school holiday and I’ll have the cheapest one please.

Anyway more specifically, for a luxury option, I tried the Beaches site. The family branch of the better known Sandals Resorts, this is “top of the range” stuff. So surely they have a good approach?

First up, they want exact dates and which airport in Jamaica I want to fly to before offering me hotels. Hang on a minute, isn’t it the hotel that dictates the airport? And then, I get the error message, “nothing for that date, give us a ring”.

No alternative, no suggestion, no results at all, never mind relevant ones, just a great contribution to the “how to annoy your customer best” guide which I am seriously considering writing.

So I tried the “hotel only” option and no soon as I get a price, another big usability “no no”, they want my full details and create a log in and password. Excuse me, I was trying to have a browse.

This is one of the biggest reasons for drop off of customers early on in a journey. Ask for their exact details too early on and they give up with the effort and the nosiness. However if you draw the customer into the site, offering them choice, changes of date, a cheaper price, a different airport, a different hotel that is £200 more but with a special facility you might like, you engage the customer and they gain in confidence and interest.

It is proven that customers need to feel in control and love flexibility. Not to be confused with complexity.

Anyway, the Beaches deluxe holiday was just a pipe dream so back to battling with the Going Places web site and the search for a box for four in Benidorm….

Wijet

2010-02-05T10:00:00.002Z

On the day when British Airways announces it is likely to make a record loss this financial year, it is always reassuring and really quite exciting to see new entrants into the airline market.

You might think that this would just about be the worst environment ever to launch an airline but a good idea is always a good idea , regardless of the economic climate. And if that idea is about offering a service that is luxury but cheaper, that is perfect for today’ world.

That’s why I am really liking the idea of Wijet, a French company that aims to make private jet travel more accessible. Laugh out loud you may - private jets when companies are cutting back to the bone? But actually this concept is quite clever and is based, I believe, on real customer insight.

There is apparently, a trend towards the day trip for businesses when top management would like to visit multi sites at a time and in a way that is convenient to them. Private jets provide more confidentiality and less of the formalities of the big airports. Imagine, the team can have a management meeting in the sky and visit 3 clients all in one day, saving one of the most valuable commodities of execs: time.

It’s not stupidly expensive either. According to Corentin Denoeud and Alexandre Azouley, the two start up’s founders, Wijet is less expensive for 25 European destinations, flying from Paris than the total of business class tickets, when 3 or 4 execs are flying.

The price is fixed at 2200 euros (£1900) per flying hour which compares to their rival Netjet who sells a 25 hour package for the modest sum of 110 000 euros (£95 800) which works out at 4720 euros (£4110) per flying hour.

Wijet flies from the small Parisian airport of Le Bourget, closer to the centre of Paris than the main airport of Roissy Charles de Gaulle.

Not content with offering business travel, Wijet are also aiming their service at day shoppers. Quick shoe trip to Milan anyone?

I think these guys are brave, innovative and have spotted a gap in the market. If their customer experience is top notch, and they can keep their cost base under control, they could do really well.

iPad – success or flop?

2010-01-29T16:06:00.004Z

What a lot of buzz about the iSlate that turned out to be the iPad? It’s got the whole world talking about it so the Apple marketing machine is still on top form.

So is this all buzz and no substance? Or is the iPad set to be another roaring success?

I think part of us would like to see Apple make a mistake for once, maybe it’s the British way to pull down the giant and see the underdog take a slice, but I don’t think it’s going to happen this time. I predict a success.

There are some arguments that say the product has no real technical innovation. Probably true but I haven’t studied it enough to know. There is another argument that says if you have the iMac and you have the iPhone there is no real need for this product. Also probably true.

However, it looks great, it works like an iphone with all the ease of use that goes with it, and what’s more it’s priced very competitively. I think it will appeal to women and families.

This is not a product for gadget man that has everything already. This is not a product for that bloke who keeps going on about how the Nokia phone is superior (you know the one).

This is a product that will appeal to families where one laptop is always being fought over. This product will attract females who want to use it to communicate, look at photos and browse the web. And you can bet that it beats windows 7 hands down on touch screen ability.

Apple are great at communication. Looks to me like the iPad will be great for all forms of communication so I am voting “success”.

Is Starbucks chucking away its identity?

2010-01-25T10:17:00.003Z

It’s been tough for the coffee shops in this past year of recession. You don’t need to be Einstein to realise that a £2.50 latte is one of the first things to go when tightening your belt.

However the biggest chain in the world Starbucks has posted better results than expected. In the U.S. home market, Via is cited as taking the credit for this.

What is Via I hear you ask? It’s instant coffee. Yes instant.

Isn’t this just defeating the whole object of Starbuck, making real coffee?

It’s one of those brand stretch ideas that just stretches the wrong way. It clashes with the brand identity. It might have contributed financially in the short term but I would advise concentrating on far better ideas that DO fit into the brand, such as packaged beans and new drinks such as bottled lattes Of course the company needs growth and this can’t just come from store openings but it’s got to be the right sort of growth and takes share of customer purse. If you are a real coffee lover, you’re not going to go for instant.

Another idea Starbuck has got for growth is the opening of a new concept store, the Coffee and Tea store. Thanks to trend hunter for this.

It’s supposed to be more individual, more local, more rustic sort of coffee house, stocking a range of coffee and teas that the mainstream stores can’t offer.

I have got mixed feelings about this. As a speciality coffee shop, Starbucks can’t exist on a large scale. It has to be standardised, not all staff can be passionate baristas and some types of specialty coffee can’t be provided to 15 000 stores. So I can see why an offshoot store might make sense to provide new products, test them out and attract a new customer segment that won’t go the big corporate store.

However I cringe when Starbucks describes the concept.

“Coffee & Tea offers customers new opportunities for discovery, a high level of interaction and a deep connection to the local community.”

Sorry – what?.

“Customers can participate in and enjoy musical performances and poetry readings; they can also bring in their favorite LPs to play on the sound system”

Can any one find an LP? Isn’t this a bit hippy nonsense?

“This coffeehouse design is …. eclectic and raw, featuring locally sourced and reused materials that are one-of-a-kind.”

Eclectic and raw? Pleeease.

“Materials sourced from existing Starbucks locations: floor and ceiling are original; bar top and doors were repurposed from the Seattle University Village store prior to its renovation; chairs were sourced from area Starbucks stores and refinished; and chalkboard frames were made using shipping pallets from the Starbucks Support Center in Seattle”

I actually do like this bit. Grabbing bits of old Starbucks and making them into the new store. One thing though that strikes me after reading all this: is it a Starbucks coffee shop, yes or no?

I think there is some brand confusion here. The stock market is demanding growth and of course Schultz needs to deliver. However the growth strategies need to be well thought out and should look at share of customer purse rather than store openings or new customers.

What things can we sell to the existing customers who are coming inside the door? Think of that massive footfall and how to make the most of that? What other products and services can a coffee shop sell? As well as the bottled take away drinks and beans as mentioned, what about gaming? Newspapers? Books?, Coffee courses?

Anyone heard of BOGOL?

2010-01-20T18:31:00.001Z

By now most consumers are familiar with BOGOF, buy one get one free. It has been the most regular tool in the sales promotion bag for some years now. But this week, Tesco has announced that it is trialling a new scheme “Buy One Get One Free Later”, or as I have christened it – the BOGOL. So what is that about?

Well it seems to have come from a really good consumer insight, (as most of tesco’s ideas seem to). Some customers are interested in Tesco’s Bogofs but can’t use the produce before the sell by date. This is likely to be most common amongst smaller households.

What a neat little idea! According to Tesco, customers can pick up their free product the same day or the next week.

A – ha! So there is the crux of the clever idea. What better way to ensure that customers come back into your store the following week? Personally I flit between two supermarkets, just to vary the experience and for a touch of variety in the products.

No denying that Tesco have done a superb job in the loyalty arena with their club card but the BOGOL offer is better in some ways since I actually have to go in to the store. And who has ever heard of ANYONE going into the shop for ONE item and coming out with just ONE? Or is it just me that walks in without a basket and ends up juggling seven items like a demented clown?

When you consider the strong growth in a one person households as well as lone parent households, the insight becomes all the more powerful.

Oh and Tesco also claim they are helping us with our food waste reduction. Anybody smell greenwash?

Great idea Tesco but let’s not bother trying to pretend you are helping me reach my green target. It’s a great marketing / customer loyalty idea – be proud of it!

KFC = Kan’t forget the customer?

2010-01-12T15:09:00.002Z

KFC – I never eat it, haven’t been for over 10 years. But I do know what they are about. It’s clear, it’s in your face, it’s junk food in a bargain bucket. It tastes good and they don’t care. I love it.

I am already tired of all the TV programs, magazine articles and gym membership leaflets coming through the door. Just as silly season has ended, the mad diet season begins. We must be healthy, we must purge our Christmas sins, we must avoid sugar and fat and run around the park.

But one TV ad caught my eye. It followed the new DVD from the latest newly size 8 celeb, and it was for Kentucky Fried Chicken, or as it is now known KFC.

Chicken, fries, bakes beans, creamy coleslaw and wait for it, full fat coke for a special price. Why cook mum when you can give them what they want?

There must be about 5000 calories in one of those meals. OK I exaggerate, but not much. But KFC don’t care, they know that when people want junk food, that is what they want.

I have to admire this brand for sticking to their principles. While MacDonalds was promoting salads, and Pizza Hut was re-branding to a healthier Pasta Hut, KFC never once waivered from their proposition. Chicken junk food, Finger lickin good. And who can forget the Colonel, an integral part of the KFC brand identity since forever. You have got to hand it to them, they never bowed under the pressure, they just give the customers what they want.

However, new owner group Yum! have in my opinion, entirely missed the point by trialling grilled chicken in the US. What’s more they have reportedly spend over ¼ billion dollars pushing it, offering a free piece to every customer.

The franchisees in the US, who are clearly more in touch with their customers than their parent company, disagree so strongly that they are suing their own company. They believe the brand is losing its focus.

You might not agree with junk food advertising and like me, you may believe that UK has a very serious obesity issue but these fast food places are not the issue, we are, as a society. You also have to admit that the marketing team in charge of KFC have had the (chicken) balls to stick to the brand values thus far and I think they should be allowed to continue.

Cast your vote: British Airways or Ryanair as worst airline?

2010-01-05T09:50:00.002Z

I can’t decide which air company I like less. They are both really trying their best to convince me that they are the worst air company in the world but the decision is really very difficult.

Hidden charges and seats like a slab of concrete or staff that look at you like they want to spit at you and try to ruin your holiday by striking? Mmmm….strong competition.

Airlines have already been in crisis for a few years now. Ever since Ryanair and Easyjet put the cat amongst the pigeons with an entirely new lean business model with low running costs and low fares, the older established companies have struggled. For a while, before the “Great Recession” BA seemed to have found a bit of a niche with business travel charging companies extortionate amounts of money to get horizontal on a plane. But then budget cuts came and profits plunged. BA had never really tackled their enormous cost base they have been carrying since the glory days.

With fresh strikes announced for February, looks like BA’s reputation with customers will plummet to new lows.

I travelled with BA this Christmas, it was efficient, it was on time, it was roomy but the staff are snotty nosed and condescending. They are actually lucky that they didn’t get lynched by us, the poor customers, who nearly missed out on spending Christmas with relatives abroad.

But the fact that the cabin crew would rather see the company go bankrupt than take a change in working conditions, that even their colleagues in Gatwick have accepted (and frankly on the face of it, I can’t see the problem?), begs a fundamental question to me.

The BA staff aren’t living the brand are they?

They clearly don’t feel part of the future of the company or even its present. The cabin crew are the face of the company. They are the front line, the people that we, as customers, deal with. We don’t meet the marketing department, we don’t see the pilot, we see a bit too much of Willie Walsh apologising on TV but we don’t know him, a large part of the way we view the company is based on the check in staff and cabin crew.

Whatever the master plan is, whatever changes are needed in the company, and whatever the final vision is, BA must start communicating it better to their frontline staff before us the customers. If the staff don’t believe then the customers won’t. Striking staff is totally disengaged staff who don’t give a stuff about the consequences.

Here’s a company that needs a huge internal marketing job. We talk a lot about external marketing but internal marketing in an organisation of this size and with significant changes to be made, is essential. If staff don’t understand the change, they won’t support it.

So back to Ryanair. So the seats are rubbish, the staff don’t care, Michael O’Leary doesn’t care, but it’s cheap. I can live with that, it’s refreshingly honest. Where it goes wrong for me, is then ruining that clear approach with hidden charges. Bag charges, credit card charges, mysterious “expenses” lumped in with airport tax and impossibility to check in children online which means an obligatory £8 charge to check in at a desk (each). If your proposition is basic but cheap you actually do need to be cheap. And you need to be honest about the prices. I’m not saying that Ryanair won’t still be a success because they have a monopoly on certain routes and if you want cheaper, you’ll choose them, but I think that the low cost proposition is a clear one and there is just no need to wind up your own customers.

So have you made your decision? I am still debating myself….

Jimmy Choo's or Shoe Zone?

2009-12-14T13:57:00.002Z

We’ve had the Kate Moss collection at Top Shop , Lily Allen for New Look and recently H&M featured a special Jimmy Choo’s selection.

Seduced by a lower price tag for one of Britain’s best loved designers, I popped into a London store to take a look. (It was limited stores only and lowly Peterborough didn’t make the grade).

Of course I wasn’t expecting to find much left over after the initial rush but there were a few pairs. I was surprised however to see how awful they were. Not the design so much as the quality. They would have fitted in nicely into the Shoe Zone’s bargain basement range. With a £50 price tag these I thought that they could at least have used leather, not plastic.

So what does this say about one of the hottest brands out there?

I understand that high end fashion has to reach down to the masses. It’s a financial reality with rising costs at the supply end and a recession that is hitting even the richer end of the customer spectrum. However, where Top Shop got it right, Jimmy got it wrong. The Kate Moss collection starting at about £120 and going up well over £200 is pricey for Top Shop but you’ve got to give the public something to aspire to. Too affordable and it just isn’t desirable.

Your average Jimmy Choo’s are about £300 a pair, so if H&M had priced their collection at £120 for example and used some decent quality materials, I would have said that would have been a better choice.

Yes I am sure they sold well and some members of the public are chuffed with themselves but what about the core customer? What about the ones that pay £300? Do they really want to see a Tesco checkout girl sporting plastic Jimmys with the same label as them? I think not.

Luxury branding is about aspirations. As the recession continues to bite I wonder if more brands will let the prospect of good sales figures turn their heads and stamp on their core customer?

If anyone has seen the current Sonia Rykiel collection, let me know if it is any better.

Wot no toilet?

2009-12-07T09:11:00.000Z

On a recent trip to London I was reminded of that annoying concept that only seems to appear in London, cafes with no toilet.

Why is that? Are they afraid that the homeless and drunks of the streets will appear on their doorstop and use their facilities? Are they afraid that customers might dwell there too long with their lip gloss? Are they afraid that you might buy only a measly packet of biscuits just to use the loo? Or do they just not give two hoots about their customers?

How many people can manage a latte without a wee? Come on girls, you know what I am saying! Why on earth do the Costa coffees and Prets of the world think it is ok not to bother giving us the usual facilities.

Not only is it bad customer service and certainly leaves me unimpressed and bursting to go, I would actively avoid cafes without toilets. So your £2.99 for a coffee has just gone somewhere else.

As opposed to it being something cafes grudgingly supply to you it could actually be made into a positive. A good clean loo is actually a selling point. I remember where the good loos are in a town. And an exciting and different loo can make you actually specifically visit a restaurant. There are toilets in a particular restaurant in Paris that are so exciting with an aquarium, and pretend peep holes, that is worth the detour.

So come, let’s have some decent toilets and be proud if people come off the street to use them. They might buy a coffee for the trouble.

Are exhibitions on the way out?

2009-12-04T09:40:00.001Z

I was fortunate enough to attend the Carole Nash NEC Bike show last week. I worked in the bike industry for a couple of years so I know it quite well. The bike industry is suffering just as much cars despite less media coverage about it. New bike sales are significantly down year on year, and we are seeing major manufacturers downsizing teams in Superbikes and Moto GP or pulling out altogether

What about the punters though? The NEC show is a mecca for any bike enthusiast – a chance to see next season’s bikes unveiled and buy a load of gear. But this year no Harley Davidson stand, no Honda stand. Two of the major brands have pulled out of the show and Ducati had a tiny stand that looked like an afterthought. So is this a symptom of a declining industry? Or is it that exhibitions just aren’t what they used to be?

Both have stated that they are concentrating on customer experiences and showcasing bikes on track days or demo days rather than exhibitions. This indicates that the brands are really looking for closer customer contact and interaction than an exhibition can provide. It also suggests that the return on investment isn’t there.

This is backed up by the fact that the leading bike insurance provider Bennetts pulled out of the NEC show over 5 years ago. Not going to the show?! It was a sacrilege at the time but hasn’t done them a jot of harm thanks to the British Superbike sponsorship in its place. Arch rival insurance provider Carole Nash has taken the opposite view, as title sponsor of the whole event, they have put large sums of cash into the event with a huge expensive looking stand.

Interestingly, both Harley and Honda are attending the London Motorcycle show in February. It is highly important that all the major manufacturers are at a bike exhibition for visitor numbers to maintain. Clearly bike industry providers have alternatives to exhibitions these days so what can the NEC bike show do to improve their proposition?

Well I could come up with a really clever solution but actually in this case it comes down to a simple insight. Chatting with exhibitors, cost is a major factor. Not just the cost of the stand but the cost of staff. A lot of staff are working silly hours over 10 full days (not counting the trade day) and juggling the day job at the same time. A brand just can’t afford to employ 10 staff exclusively on the stand and what would be the use anyway since temporary staff aren’t able to talk confidently about the brand and models?

The NEC bike show is doing a lot right. As an organiser you have to work hard to attract the numbers. Competitions, VIP guests, events at the show. All of this creates a lot more interest for the visitor than just stands. However if they just condensed these activities into 5 days instead of 10 days, it would make for a more exciting and full day for the visitor and would reduce costs for exhibitors by up to a third.

So in conclusion it’s a question of being practical and getting the customers expectations to meet the trade’s scope and budget during these tough times and the NEC Bike show will be the focal point in the biking calendar for many years

Binge Drinking Britain this Christmas

2009-11-23T12:19:00.002Z

So alright, even I am getting a bit Christmassy. Tis the season to be jolly, buy presents – oh and drink a lot. Binge drinking Britain will be at his height. A frenzy of office parties and boozy afternoons with your clients and contacts. We won’t care that alcohol is ruining the nation’s health and is at the source of a large amount of anti social behaviour. We will just be enjoying ourselves!

Will we heed the government warnings to drink responsibly? What does that mean?

“All future Scotch Whisky adverts and printed point of sale materials are to carry a responsible drinking message” as reported in Marketing Week on Friday 20th This is the sort of industry initiative that we see regularly. It supposed to make us have some constraint in our drinking. Do they really believe this will have any effect?

Responsible drinking is the industry buzzword. Bacardi also use it on their web site. Note the exclamation mark after “Drink Responsibly!”. It’s as if Bacardi don’t even believe it themselves. And why would they? Slapping “danger” messages all over alcohol or cigarettes has never influenced anybody.

So how could we communicate a bit of restraint differently?

The industry and the government could start by realising that as consumers we are completely blind to the obvious messages on every bottle and web site. “Drink in moderation”, “Drink aware”.

I am not suggesting that there is a quick fix solution to Britain’s deep rooted social problems but we could start realising that customers have a brain and we could start thinking what alcohol customers want and need to help themselves make better decisions.

Consumer Insight 1

A lot of consumers don’t actually realise how much they are drinking.

Wouldn’t it be far more practical and helpful to offer details of the units in a drink? 1 large glass of wine, which is now the norm in many bars and pubs is 250ml. For an average strengthened wine at 12% alcohol, that is 3 units . A lot of people would be surprised at that. I am convinced a large % of people have no idea they are consuming so much alcohol in one go. In one night you could easily consume 9 units out of the 14 recommended for women per week.

Could pubs display more of this kind of practical info rather than a “drink responsibly” generic poster? Could the spirits manufactures replace their “drink aware” statements on POS and bottles with something that indicates how many units we are consuming when we pour?

Consumer Insight 2

Alcohol drinking is a social phenomenon. Quite often we drink with friends at regular moments in the week. A bit like smoking, it is a bit of a habit.

What about a bit more industry product initiatives such as more low alcohol products? Low alcohol wine or alcopops would be a great way to cut down. I know a few people who would be interested but I never see these products anywhere if they even exist. Ask for a low alcohol beer and the landlord looks at you a bit sadly and that is presuming he stocks any.

As I said I certainly don’t have all the solutions, but it would be great to see those involved in the alcohol industry thinking in a more innovative way that doesn’t treat customers like non-thinking robots.

10 trends for retailing on the web

2009-11-16T16:04:00.006Z

I am loving the report just come out Verdict Consulting for Web Loyalty on etailing for the future. There are 10 trends predicting and a lot of them talk about things close to my own heart.. Have Verdict been reading my blog? Here is a brief synopsis of what they are:

1. Growth will be more difficult
Since 2004 growth rates for internet retailing have been in the twenties even rising 35% year on year but this kind of rapid growth has now slowed largely due to the recession and more careful shopping, Verdict are predicting nevertheless a significant growth of 13.3% during 2009. Verdict recommends that etailers need to be more strategic in maximising online revenue.

My Comment
The slowdown means companies could well get more out of concentrating on converting customers rather than fighting for the attention of more new customers.

2. The recession has impacted on line
Verdict estimate that £1.6 bn of revenue has been lost due to the recession. It is thought that customers have moved towards a clear low price and value message and that a critical lesson for the online channel will be to add value and persuade customers to trade up in what they buy.

My Comment
We mustn’t however confuse low cost with value. Customers want to pay the right price but this may not be the lowest price. Consumer still take brand and service into consideration. People are still buying during a recession but they often want their purchases for a better price. It is up to companies to demonstrate the value of their products.

3. Acquiring new customers will be tougher
A key driver of the rapid growth in online retail appears to have been simply the numbers of new online shoppers, in other words the movement from offline to online. However this trend will also inevitably slow in the next few years which means that online retailers will need to work harder to find their growth in other ways. Verdict advise switching more marketing budget to maintaining existing customers and driving repeat business.

My Comment
Couldn’t agree more!

4. There will be more mouths to feed
Another challenge is that the online retail space is now far more crowded than ever before. This, in short, means consumers now have a great deal of online choice. More confident consumers, a greater choice of online retailers, and higher price sensitivity of shoppers means that the average number of websites visited by consumers has increased markedly. Verdict advise deep knowledge of your competitors’ online offerings coupled with sophisticated testing of different customer acquisition strategies to stay ahead of the market.

My Comment
Companies will really need to differentiate themselves and be improving their customer experience constantly to stay ahead of the game. Verdict think that consumers are more willing to try brands that they haven’t heard of, I don’t think this is necessarily true for bigger purchases. In any case less known brands will need to offer lots reassurance on their sites to give consumer the confidence to purchase.

5. Expectations will rise
It will become increasingly difficult to service online shoppers in the coming years. They are becoming more demanding and their expectations are escalating, which means that going forward retailers will have to work much harder to meet their needs.

My Comment
This is so important and yet so many companies fail to spend enough time telling customer why they should shop with them. Another great point.

6. Loyalty can be increased
The ease at which customers can flit from website to website and compare products means that loyalty in online retailing is significantly lower than in store retailing. That said, there remain many opportunities for retailers to foster online loyalty across range, price, convenience and service functions. Verdict recommend a combination of one-off tactical deals to excite the customer, combined with long-term strategic programmes with extra value benefits to lock in customers.

My Comment
What’s more, if your customer experience is good, purchasers will tell their friends all about you as well as coming back to you.

7. Conversion will be key
Another major challenge facing online retailers is how to boost conversion –the proportion of site visitors who actually buy something. Further ways in which to boost conversion often surround making it easier for customers to check out and make a purchase. Rapid check out functionality, and offering cheap, reliable and quick delivery and return procedures also help here. Verdict also recommend personalisation.

My Comment
Back to ROVER. Reception (greeting), options (that are personalised – even better), value for money, efficiency and reassurance. Enough said.

8. Basket abandonment is here to stay
This is when a customer places products in to their virtual basket but does not go on to complete the transaction. We estimate over £2bn of potential sales are lost every year due to abandoned baskets; a figure which is likely to grow slightly over the next few years. Providing clear, accurate and detailed information on products, prices and additional charges is a key way to reduce basket abandonment.

My Comment
Quite often it is the sum of a few online difficulties that means customers abandon the shop. Usability studies can help to iron these out. Keeping the customer in control of their purchase at all times is also key.

9. Customers will be channel blind
Traditionally there have been three standout ways in which people buy goods. These are in store, via a catalogue or online. Customers generally purchase goods through a single channel from beginning to end, though on occasion through a combination of two channels for example a customer researching the product online before going into store to purchase it. However, going forward not only are there more channels through which products can be bought, but also the lines between the channels are blurring. The buying process may well move through three or four separate channels from conception to creation. For example, a shopper might choose their shopping on their mobile phone/PDA, order it online and collect in store. Others might use an affiliate site as a start point which then directs them to a retail site for further information and the product might be bought in store.

My Comment
And this is exactly why your customer experience needs to be consistent across all channels. Love it.

10. It’s more than about selling
Retailers invest significant amounts of money in order to attract visitors to their websites so that customers will spend money with them. However, these customers can also generate revenue in the form of monetisation. This involves allowing third parties to pitch their offers to a retailer’s web traffic.

My Comment
The business should be careful that the offers make sense to their consumers and add to their brand, not detract from it. If you are in luxury goods, having an Aldi offer will not help your brand image but having a test drive offer of the new Audi might enhance your brand.

15 years of Eurostar

2009-11-09T16:06:00.007Z

Can it really be 15 years since the French joined the British by train thanks to Eurostar? The butt of many jokes before it was launched and saddled by enormous debt, it could have been a huge disaster. Instead, it is an exciting and efficient method of transport that allows its customers to get into the heart of 4 major city centres in the time it takes you to get into the Heathrow car park.

When it was launched in November 1994, the age of cheap air travel was arriving with Ryanir already carrying 1.6 million passengers a year. London to Paris is a mere 40 minute flight so why take the train?

It’s just a far better customer experience all round.

1) Leave right from the heart of Paris or London. Paris’ leading airport, Roissy is a good 45 minute train journey from the centre of Paris and is vying for the crown of “most depressing airport in the world”

2) Check in only 20 minutes before

3) Keep your bags with you and not have them thrown around by a grumpy air baggage handler

4) No deep vein thrombosis or earache - have a walk down the train to stretch your legs and definitely more leg room than easyjet or ryanair.

To celebrate its 15 years, Eurostar are planning a new press, radio, outdoor and digital campaign by Fallon to encourage viewers to visit their social media site Littlebreakbigdifference.com

It seems like Eurostar are emphasising the ease of travel and promoting shorter trips if not day trips. One execution will read ‘Paris for an anniversary gift; Paris because it's Saturday'.

All good stuff, it is just a shame that their booking system is still so clunky I tried to book a ticket once and gave up. Once you have chosen a couple of tickets, you have to start again if you want an earlier or later train and the site makes it difficult to see the cheapest return options. When I clicked on “Continue booking” as a guest , there was a system error. The time before that the whole booking engine was down.

In conclusion, it really is a great actual customer experience once you are at the station and is so efficient that I even have a friend who lives in Peterborough and commutes to Paris to work. What’s more, the trains even run when the French transport workers are on strike.

However, the online customer experience needs a lot more TLC.

Hope the people from Eurostar sort that out before they spend millions on a swish advertising campaign and then lose a signficant % through poor usability. Can anyone afford that in these hard times?

Never mind the X factor, watch out for the Hassle factor

2009-10-29T10:30:00.003Z

According to research just out, one third of all consumers think it’s just too much hassle to change energy suppliers. And yet, prices of electricity and gas have soared over the past few years.

I am not so surprised. For a start, utilities are just not that sexy are they? A bit like insurance, a sector I have worked in myself. We always found it difficult to get consumer engaged in what is essentially a commodity. Ask me to spend one hour researching the perfect pair of boots – yep I’m there. Ask me to spend 5 minutes looking for car insurance or to change my gas supplier – yawn…... It doesn’t help that in this multimedia age, many of us are using a PC at the same time as listening to music and have the TV on. Difficult to grab my attention and get me motivated.

You can never underestimate the barrier to purchase that is the “hassle factor”.

Whether the purchase is online or offline, successful companies will make the experience as simple and smooth as possible. Put up even one significant barrier in these type of sectors and you will lose the sale.

In fairness switching utilities is quite easy and sites such as uswitch compare prices and do it all for you. The new energy supplier contacts the old and gets the transfer done. Something insurance companies should seriously consider. And yet still consumers “can’t be bothered”.

Apparently consumers are unconvinced about the savings to be made by switching. So my advice would be to offer fixed price plans and guarantees to undercut rivals over a longer period of time. Good value for money combined with a no hassle approach is a winning combination.

Secondly, the utilities need to look at incentivising and not just nectar points as EDF are proposing. Offer me a free pair of shoes from one of my favourite sites in return for switching? I’m there. A brand affinity program could do wonders for this sector to get a bit of “wow factor” into the proposition. If you can’t be a sexy product, team up with a sexy friend. Get your target audience motivated and leap over the hassle factor barrier.

Marks &Spencer back on top

2009-10-16T14:41:00.005+01:00

You have to admire Marks and Spencers, how many other brands can last over 100 years? We have seen the demise of some other very well-known and established brands such as MFI and Woolworths, but M&S are still on form.

Yes they had a few shaky years not that long ago, but they have made significant changes and a back to good times.

I love M&S because you know where you are with them. The experience you get is the one you expected. Those food ads were so inspired but they also work because when you buy it, the food really is good! Statement of the obvious but think about MacDonalds - who are they trying to kid with their Big Mac looking all round and perky on their ad, instead of flat and shoved into a Perspex box in reality?

M&S staff actually appear to like their customers because well….the staff are the customers. The 40 something woman behind the till can identify with the customers shopping for clothes. And yet other brands will continue to try and sell to 30 something housewives using spotty youths (see my Argos post).

M&S are the kings of the customer. They give a proper welcome to customers because the staff are well mannered and helpful. They refund, no quibbles. They are not the cheapest but they have really grasped the good value message with their “Dine in for £10” campaign.

At the recent M&S investor day, Ian Dyson,Finance Director outlined his "2020" programme to create long term sustainable growth. £1bn capital expenditure on IT and the supply chain. Aims to be customer focused, multichannel and international.

For once I actually believe a statement from a corporate person that talks about being customer focused. I think he means it.

M&S are also making changes to improve their online experience so that it is closer to the offline (store) experience. This is very sensible since customers are likely to do both and will purchase more if they are reassured with a similar experience. Also sensible since growth is expected to come from direct sales. M&S reports to have 32 million customers but only 2.5 million shop online. The potential is a further 8 million who shop online but elsewhere.

Finally, they don’t rest on their laurels, at the same investor day John Dixon announced that “customer service needs to be improved” –good stuff, can always be better.

Please your customers, increase your sales, please your investors. Simples.

CRM crashes out with Audi

2009-10-12T15:04:00.004+01:00

We hear a lot about CRM (customer relationship management) and how it can help our business. I believe this to be true. However I also believe that CRM is only a technology, it is how you use it that counts.

Friends of mine, already Audi owners, recently received a neat little piece of mail asking them to come in and look at upgrading their car. They weren’t really thinking of changing at this time but were seduced by a secondary message suggesting they might be able to get a better financial deal by coming into their local concession. So my friends made the effort to get an appointment and come in. The mailing was probably well targeted and had the desired effect.

So far so good.

From then on, it all fell apart. During the appointment the salesman was arrogant and cold suggesting that my friends already had had a good deal 18 months ago and couldn’t expect to get any better. The Audi rep talked exclusively to the male of the couple (what could a female expect to know about cars?) Finally he informed the prospective buyers that there really were no deals to be had and when asked, he claimed not to be entirely sure why they had received the letter in the first place.

Another classic case of the right arm not being in sync with the left. Head office had done a great job in segmenting, targeting, and finally producing a nifty bit of direct mail, but the local concessionary had unravelled the customer experience in about 20 seconds. Basic breach of the R of rover for Reception. Audi didn’t even get as far as the R for Reassurance, not to mention the brand damage of a company that thrives on being a luxury brand. My friends have told about 15 people the story so far.

What did my friends do? They walked straight into Mercedes across the road and bought a new C Class. They also got a better finance deal with half the APR. They had no intention of changing their car but were seduced by a great deal and top class customer service.

So CRM is great so long as the chain isn’t broken and the promises you make upfront are backed up all along the journey. Can anyone afford to be letting customers slip away during such tough times?

Can anyone think of any good reason to visit an Argos store?

2009-10-08T13:20:00.002+01:00

Is it just me that thinks Argos are stuck in an 80’s time warp? Surely that decor was the same one 20 years ago? I know they are cheap and that’s a summary of their brand positioning. I know that there is a catalogue which is good to look through. However once I have decided what I might want to buy, I realise that I have to go in store.

What a drab experience that is likely to be. I will have to negotiate long queues to pay, my product may be out of stock and then I have to wait in a crowded waiting room to be called to A or B or C.

At Argos I am a number.

And when it is called, I have to fight my way to the counter through people whose number hasn’t be called but are hovering there anyway. The staff are usually young, untrained and pretty clueless. Overall nul points in the customer experience stakes.

What a different experience it could be?

Argos have the massive advantage over traditional catalogue companies of having a retail arm. So they have a window for their products. When internet shopping arrived, they could have positioned themselves as having all the advantages of internet shopping: cost and comparison all in the comfort of your own home, without the disadvantages: not being able to see or touch the product and get it same day.

Argos could have made their stores the place to go to see the products. Imagine your product was brought out for you to inspect? Or that they developed a virtual world where you could use the terminals to see products in 3D, turn them 360 degrees? There are so many ways that the shop could be made into a shopper’s heaven. My advice: get a great designer and a great customer experience expert and make a concept store to show shareholders what it could be.

In addition, Argos could have done a tremendous job on upsells. Once you are in the store there could be 100 ways to sell you something else while you’re there. Instead of which we are treated to the “discount” rack.

Way before the same internet promises, Argos were offering money back guarantee. But they stagnated on discount positioning and never took utilised their initial advantages.

Argos has survived so far but for how much longer? Owner Home Retail suffered a share fall end of September when Credit Suisse downgraded its recommendation to “underperform”.

Credit suisse had this to say a week ago “The downgrade is driven by our negative assessment of Argos, increasing our conviction that structural risks and increased competition are likely to restrict its ability to grow medium-term sales and earnings margins.Pricing analysis suggests that Argos' pricing model is under pressure.”

The discount route is being offered by many outfits now including the formidable Tesco Direct. With only price as a differentiator, little or no clear brand positioning coupled with a very average customer experience, can they survive the recession? The jury is out.

Customers in Control

2009-10-06T15:14:00.004+01:00

One of the ways to give a great customer experience is to offer real choices so that the customer can really get involved with the purchase.

But should you really bothered if the customer is involved? You might be thinking that the sale is the only real thing of importance. Well research and personal experience has shown that the more engaged a customer becomes during the purchase process the more likely they are to buy.

In other words, the more you hook customers in by giving them opportunities such as changing their product colour, upgrading to a higher spec, the less likely they are to make the effort to go elsewhere.

There is a risk that I could spend my time writing blogs about rubbish customer experiences and let’s face it, the material is there. However I found a good example of great choices recently when I was buying business cards on http://www.vistaprint.co.uk/

The choices were abundant with different paper quality and finish, ability to add your own photo or choose from a large range of preset designs.

Right from the start I was pulled into the process by the offer of free business cards but then quickly realised I liked the look of some of the paid-for extras. By the time I had designed my own card it was unlikely that I was going to search again for another supplier.

This site also followed another of my ROVER rules with customer reassurance that they are in the right place. A price guarantee tick box as well as a satisfaction guarantee tick box were well presented at the bottom of the purchasing pages.

The only downpoint to the process was having no less than 3 upsell screens before I could get to checkout which caused some frustration. An option to skip those pages would have been useful. So choices are great so long as the customer is in control at every moment.

Who is Rover?

2009-09-30T09:46:00.000+01:00

Rover may sound like a trusty hound and he is in a way, but he's not a real dog. No Rover is more like friend, although a virtual one.

Rover is helping me remember a few things about customers that may be a bit of a radical thought for some people: customers are not stupid.

There you go, I have said it. Too many companies are still acting like they are! They actually think that the sultry youth in the shop who folds your new dress into a sort of scrunch and shoves it into a bag with a grimace won't make a difference to you shopping there again (It's you BHS). They actually think that we won't mind spending 50 minutes on the phone to someone in a "service" centre because the broadband is offline again and that we'll stay with the company anyway and won't tell our friends to stay well clear (it's you TalkTalk).They actually think that you can easily book a flight on their web site and that you don't mind paying £60 for your baggage (it's you Ryanair).

I would suggest these companies take a look at ROVER and just remind themselves of something really surprisingly simple about customers and what they want

R for Reception
a proper greeting in a timely fashion, in the place they decide and they way they decide
O for Options
A choice of options and the ability to make an informed choice.
V for Value for money
Evidence of value for money.
E for Efficiency
A simple and efficient purchase process.
R for Reassurance
Lots of reassurance that this is right place and this is a great purchase.

Not rocket science is it?