No strings attached

We're moving Wild Onion Marketing into a new direction:  shopper marketing.  This plays more to our heartland of retail marketing, sales promotion, data, mobile technology, and merchandising.  More on that later, but thought we'd start to move the blog more in the direction of issues and trends within the shopper marketing arena.  First stop, invariably:  retailers.

A friend who used to work with me previously served as Lord Sainsbury’s PA in the UK.  Sainsbury, CEO of the huge multiple grocer bearing his name, used to regularly travel the country visiting outlets on the company jet or via limo.  Of course, when Lord Sainsbury was arriving, stores were swept clean, shelves stocked immaculately, staff uniforms pressed.  Like a good regiment, the staff would be lined up, ready for an enthusiastic greeting of their founder and CEO/Chairman.

Lord Sainsbury would arrive, and promptly have the regional and store management show him around.  All would be pleasantries until … the butcher’s counter.  Suddenly, Lord Sainsbury would stop, point down at the floor, and ask ‘what’s that’.  Staff would stare at the floor, seeing nothing amiss.  Managers would sweat, butchers twitch, as Sainsbury would repeat his enquiry to utter silence.  'What's that', he'd repeat.

Soon, a tirade would erupt, as the infamous Sainsbury temper would ensure all within earshot knew that the famous owner had visited.  And invariably regret the day they were born.  The cause?  A loose piece of butcher's string, swept under the counter but not out of sight.  To Lord Sainsbury, it was not a piece of twine, but a symbol of waste, slovenly management, lackadaisical attitudes.

Striding out of the store, Sainsbury used to explain to my colleague that these store staff would likely see him only once or twice during their employment (which with retail turnover at 25% is probably true).  He wanted to ensure they remembered a message from his visit.

Now maybe your CEO is not quite as temperamental as Sainsbury, or slightly draconian in his employee relations.  But the point is this:  waste can happen throughout a store, especially in the area of shopper marketing.  Poorly executed programs, complex operational instructions, lack of attention to detail in design or development of whatever the campaign may entail:  all are common issues.  

The goal for any retail marketer, especially in the competitive environment most retailers or e-commerce providers face, is to ensure your customers have the best environment in which to buy.  In essence, help the 'buyer buy', not simply the 'seller sell'.  Extend that attention to detail to how you promote, merchandise, service, stock, deliver.  

Make no bones about it, it's hard - many moving parts, difficult to control staff, and paramount need for speed of execution.  But remember the string - and avoid getting strung up in the process!!