Who Needs This Stuff?

Posted on 23. Aug, 2010 by Jon Bird.

In 1975, a Californian advertising executive called Gary Dahl invented the Pet Rock. This was the perfect pet; you never needed to feed, water or clean up after it, because it was literally a lump of stone. Lovingly nestled in straw, then placed in a cardboard box with air-holes in it, and complete with a [...]

What’s Your Reputation Worth?

Posted on 12. May, 2010 by Jon Bird.

em>“It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it”. So said Benjamin Franklin and he was right, up to a point (refer Tiger Woods!) For retailers, it certainly takes a long time, and consistent performance, to build a good reputation for your brand, but once constructed, [...]

A Convenient Truth

Posted on 20. Apr, 2010 by Jon Bird.

In an age where you can purchase just about anything at any time with a mouse click and have it delivered to your door, how are physical retailers retaliating? Some US merchants think they may have found the answer with the drive-through store. Wal-Mart, Kmart and Meijer are all testing the new format in the [...]

Plain English Strategy

Posted on 14. Apr, 2010 by Jon Bird.

In 19th Century England, lawyers were paid not by the hour, but by the written word. This must be the reason for the impenetrable verbosity of the legal agreements we have today. You can’t blame the legal eagles of old though - I’m sure that if you got remunerated for every word you write, you’d [...]

Fighting for Shelf Space in the Customer’s Mind

Posted on 28. Feb, 2010 by Jon Bird.

Imagine the customer’s mind as a crowded supermarket shelf. Where does your retail brand sit? Are you front and centre? Do you take pride of place at eye level? Are you next to the market-leading brand? Or are you an also-ran, relegated to a dusty spot near the floor?
This is one way to think about [...]

“Yell and Sell” versus “Value and Brand”

Posted on 07. Feb, 2010 by Jon Bird.

In the second decade of the 21st century, you’d think we would be way past “yell and sell” retail TV advertising. But no, our senses are still assaulted daily by the likes of Victoria’s Basement, Harvey Norman and Godfrey’s. The formula is simple (well it aint called “yell and sell” for nothing). Cram as many [...]

The Hermès Brand Experience

Posted on 08. Jan, 2010 by Martin Osborne.

The Hermès brand, with its equestrian origin has greatly evolved since 1837 to become a statement of luxury. This prompted me to research the evolution of this iconic brand, from bridle to Pop-up Bar, in search of the essence of this unique brand experience.
Hermès first excited me in the early 1990’s when I had the [...]

Retail Aroma Therapy

Posted on 07. Jan, 2010 by Martin Osborne.

There has been an awareness around using “scent” or “aroma” for marketing purposes since the 1960’s, interest in this market sector has rapidly increased in the new millennium. Brand futurist Martin Lindstrom says as little as 50 years ago buying groceries was an experience that thoroughly stimulated all of the senses. Householders traipsed through the [...]

Brand Experience

Posted on 07. Jan, 2010 by Martin Osborne.

Brand represents the intellectual and emotional associations that people make with something. An experience is the interaction between people and their environment, anything our senses perceive. Experience co-exists with brand in our thoughts and feelings. Successfully co-ordinated Brand Experience can prompt and accelerate a target groups compulsion to take action and intensify and strengthen their [...]

Sable & Argent

Posted on 06. Jan, 2010 by Martin Osborne.

Following a recent product launch at Sable & Argent, I’d like to share my interactions with this great Australian brand. Sable & Argent is a one stop shop located at Wooloomooloo in Sydney, retailing and servicing Motor Scooters, Fixies, bike apparel and accessories. An integrated cafe adds to the experience and increases dwell time.

Promotional activities [...]