Month: March 2011

It is undeniable that technology has changed the face of retail experience over the past few decades. Technology has made every step in the process more efficient from the moment that the products first come into the stores to the checkout counter where it ends up in the hands of the consumer.  As more and more firms embrace the relationship era of building a loyal customer base through excellent customer service, more innovative technology is emerging to support these business operations too.  In this post, I want to focus on three technologies that could redefine the shopping experience in the near future.

First, we have the virtual change room.  Many prototypes of this possible device have already been created and are being tested in some markets.  Through motion sensing technology, similar to that used in the Xbox Kinect platform, consumers are able to virtually browse through a store’s catalogue and “try on clothing” all with a flick of the wrist, saving the consumer time and the retailer floor space.

Another recent development is the iFood Assistant, created by Kraft. This shopping tool is able to suggest to consumers a menu and all of the ingredients required for that menu, just by scanning the consumer’s facial features and estimating age and gender with a built in webcam.  The concept behind this creation is to point consumers in the right direction when it comes to buying the groceries and expanding there recipe book, because Kraft recognized that many consumers who walk into the store don’t know what they are making for dinner.

The third technology, Mobile Phone Shopping, has already been adopted by retailers in various countries. This allows consumers to browse through the store and make purchases not at the checkout counter, but through their mobile phone.  Who doesn’t hate waiting in line for the cashier, especially during the Christmas season?

No matter what the goals of retailers are, technology is there the give them the edge in a unique retail experience.

A very recent ad campaign was launched by the Thai Military Bank (TMB) titles “Make THE Difference”. The purpose of this campaign is to motivate people to be proactive in making a difference to their own worlds. The first video released in this campaign tells the story of how the football (soccer) team from a floating village in the south of Thailand called “Koh Panyee” was formed and became a champion football club. Take a look at the video below:

The message of the campaign is simple, but powerful, and the advertising agency has certainly illustrated the story in a beautiful way. However, I find it difficult to make the connection between the campaign’s vision to inspire people and the company’s core objectives (banking service for those who serve in the military and their families). My guess is that the TMB is using this campaign in hopes of improving their brand image and also reaching a larger audience to increase brand awareness. Choosing Youtube as a primary communication channel for their ads was good way to spark conversations around this campaign.  Youtube is already a popular platform for users to share their stories and experience the stories of others. Despite the risk of some users openly criticizing the videos and expressing their dislike, TMB can trust that the Youtube community will help them spread the word around.

Over this past week of March, I have observed the slight change on the coffee cups in the hands of students around campus.  At first I was puzzled, but taking a closer look at the cups, it suddenly hit me…Starbucks has begun phasing in their new logo! This month seemed light years away back in January when the decision to introduce a new logo was announced, but it has finally arrived. Over the next few years – few months, even – the world will witness the results of change to such an iconic brand.

As Cristalle Lau pointed out in her blog post, Starbucks received tons of criticism from their hard core coffee drinkers prior to the release of the logo in production.  Many warned that Starbuck’s was following in Gap’s footsteps with the failed launch of their new logo only months before.

While loyal fans cringed at the thought of change, others embraced it. A study done on the effects of altering well established logos supports this difference in opinions between brand ambassadors and less dedicated consumers. It states that:

“Those with strong brand commitment will see the original brand logo– and the associations–as representing themselves and the integral relationship they have with the brand.”

What the angry loyal fans don’t realize is that Starbucks may be looking for opportunities to expand into new markets. Studies also suggest that removing the English text makes Starbucks more accepted globally. They are engaging in a market development strategy by reaching new markets, and perhaps a product development strategy by stepping away from coffee and leveraging their brand to introduce new products. Personally, I am excited about the modernized logo, it’s about time they freshened up their brand image.  Whether it propels their brand further or cuts away value for its current consumer base, only time will tell.

When it comes to marketing a product, firms want to come to up with the latest campaign that appeals most to their target market.  But to what extent of freedom should firms be allowed, before their marketing efforts may have negative repercussions?  Rachel, from the AdvertisInc blog squad shed some light on this very important (but often ignored) topic in her latest post: “Say NO to Smoking”.  She highlights the new campaign run by Camel to target adolescent girls and young women with their trendy No.9 Cigarettes ads, placed in popular girl’s magazines.  By riding on the elegant brand of Chanel’s No.5 perfume, Camel is attempting to associate their Cigarettes with the image of sophistication and femininity, what every trendy teenage girl strives to achieve.

Girls’ Glamour Magazine

Should Camel be allowed to influence young girls in such a manner? I certainly don’t think so. Although they may not be violating any government regulations with this sort of advertisement, the question of ethics comes to many people’s minds.

Another company who has gotten a lot of buzz from the media on the ethical concerns of their campaign was Groupon, one of the fastest growing companies in North America.  They spent millions of dollars to secure a spot during the Superbowl, only to stir up anger in many viewers and minimal return on their investment.  Their “Save the Money” campaign was an attempt at making a light joke with some serious world issues, but the audience didn’t find the punch line funny at all.  Take a look at the ads below and decide for yourself:

As firms recognize the increasing importance of marketing, marketers are pushed to come up with more innovative campaigns. However, where is the line drawn between being creative and being just plain offensive?