I’m often asked why we need shopper marketing (thankfully less now than before). There are many possible answers. The consumer isn’t always the shopper, for one thing. And even if they are the same, their behavior and responses are different. But here is a difference that you might not have thought about: Shopper marketing exists because shoppers and consumers have fundamentally different relationships with brands. In a nutshell? Shoppers don’t love your brand!
Think about how and when you love a brand
There are some brands I really love. Not many, but some are truly awesome. But let’s explore that love. When do I love these brands? Where do I love them? I love them when I’m consuming. I love them at the point of consumption (or at the point of anticipation of consumption). I love my minty shower gel when it zings me in the morning in the shower. I don’t give it a second thought for the rest of the day. At that precise moment, it is awesome. Ten minutes later I’ve “dumped” it for that Illy coffee which is hitting the spot at the breakfast table.
The harsh marketing truth – we are all promiscuous
Marketers – Consumers are promiscuous. I don’t mean within a category necessarily, but my love lasts for a few precious moments of consumption, and then I’m off professing my love for the next brand. Our relationship may be long lasting, but the periods of intensity that you, my dear brand, are in the zone with me, are fleeting.
This is especially true when I’m shopping. Most brands fail to create that quality of relationship with shoppers. Apple may be able to recreate it in their stores, but they are the exception (owning their onw stores helps!). Out there in the store the shopper may not even be the consumer. But even if I’m the end consumer, I’m now in shopping mode, not loving mode…. And that makes me a completely different target.
The difference between consumers and shoppers
Here on the shelf the brand I love is just another product, and it’s hard for marketers to conjure up that “consumer-love” that exists at the point of consumption. In the store brand relationships are diluted by all of the other stuff that is going on: the noise, the deals, the trolley and the kids. There are thousands of products, thousands of messages, thousands of stimuli. Its pretty crowded and it can be very easy for that one nugget of brand love to get squeezed out.
Your brand is no longer the star of the show
And most of all, your brand is crowded out by all of the other elements of my shopping mission of which your brand is only a small contributor: my budget, my time, the check-out queue, the other things I need to buy today. A shopper’s mind is full of stuff. Often mundane, but it fills the mind. When we talk to consumers about our brands (for example in a focus group) the brand and the consumption moment is the star of the show. That gives a very myopic view of the world. Out there in shopper-land, we have to remember that our brand might well be a small part of the supporting cast.
Why would you think that consumer messaging would work for shoppers?
At this point, as a shopper, I am so far removed from the intimacy of the consumption moment – it is hard to believe that marketers believe that what works for me as a consumer would also work for me as a shopper. And yes I do often buy the same brand, but not always because I love it. Shoppers often out of habit – it’s easier that way, and no other brand is offering enough of a reason for me to switch.
But it doesn’t have to be this way, dear brand. Whilst the in-store environment may never be quite as intimate and close as those consumption occasions we share, there are things you can do to woo me in the store.
What can brands do to create love in the store?
- Be realistic. Not everyone loves your brand. And those that do probably feel that love in or around the moment of consumption – only at that point of relevance.
- Rekindle the romance. Can the magic be conjured up in-store? Is it possible to remind the shopper, there in the store, of just how special that consumption moment is? And, no, I don’t mean playing your commercial on in-store TV – but what cues can be delivered to rekindle the romance? It might be difficult to build significant brand value in a store, but reminding shoppers of values that already exist is often eminently possible.
- Check if the consumer is the shopper. If they are not, then that consumer love is even harder to work with. The shopper almost certainly has little love for your brand. Live with it.
- Recognize habits – don’t disrupt them. If your brand relies on shopper habits, then please let’s not disrupt those habits. Execution focus must be on availability, and almost certainly on the home shelf. Take care with promotions, or any activity which makes it harder to maintain availability. The last thing we want to do is to force shoppers to change their habits.
- Add value to the shopper. Consider if there is anything that can be done to add value to the shopper (and I don’t mean a coupon!). What would make their life easier as a shopper? Easier to carry? Easier to shop? Easier to find? Choice of sizes? By understanding the shopper’s value points as distinct from the consumers, we may be able to find something to build just a little ‘shopper-love’.
Understanding brands as they work across consumers and shoppers requires a paradigm shift. Successful brands need to win with consumers and with shoppers. That means understanding the target shopper, their missions, mindsets and behavior as well as understanding them as consumers. We need shopper insights as well as consumer insights, to understand why these shoppers do what they do, and crucially why they don’t do what we want them to do. We need to understand the barriers and enablers for purchase, as well as for consumption.
By understanding the difference between the brand relationship at the point of consumption, and that at the point of purchase, our plans in both areas can be much more effective. If you want to know more about how shoppers differ from consumers, or how to create shopper insights that unlock brand growth, check out some of our training programs or get in touch now.
