The marketing landscape is ever evolving, with new trends, ideas and innovations constantly shaping and remolding the ways we have to approach our work. That means that as Visioneers, we are always looking ahead. It isn’t enough to assume we already know the answer; we challenge our own notions about best industry practices and search for ways to better reach our desired audience. Within the work we do for our various CPG clients, that is even more true.
On your average grocery store trip, you have probably noticed just how many choices there are for items that are similar, or in some cases, the same. What entices a shopper to choose one brand of, say, peas, over another?
The answer to this question becomes multi-faceted when we also consider that shoppers are primarily purpose-driven and tend to operate consistently. The majority of shoppers – anywhere from 54% to 80%, we discovered – say they shop with a grocery list to guide them. While discovering new products can be fun, most shoppers aren’t in “discovery mode” when they head to the grocery store. Grocery shopping is a chore, not an avenue for inspiration – in fact, most consumers (72%) are in and out of the grocery store in under 44 minutes, according to a study by Drive Research. The timeframe that we as marketers have to catch a shopper’s attention is limited, and we are battling against the consumer’s desire to purchase only the items on their list as quickly as possible.
Generally, 80% to 100% of the items on a grocery list end up purchased. This is unsurprising; grocery lists allow shoppers to stick to budgets and make it easier to follow healthier diets. In our observances of shopper behavior, we found that the grocery list served as a sort of trip itinerary for a shopper’s grocery store visit. Shoppers check lists occasionally and only visit the specific aisles that house the items they need. This behavior doesn’t leave much room for browsing new items, in spite of the fact that shoppers say they enjoy discovering new products.
How do we break shoppers out of their routines and encourage discovery? You need disruptive displays that make people do a double-take. Think, eye-catching colors, interesting designs and simple, yet impactful, verbiage. Be purposeful with your design choices in a way that invites shoppers to pause as they are strolling along their pre-planned route. Maybe avocados, for example, weren’t on their list initially, but with the right combination of intuitive color choices, thoughtful design and bold calls to action, a shopper is much more likely to leave with a bag.
Although creating an eye-catching display might seem like a straightforward task, it becomes deceptively tricky when considering how that display stacks up against others in the same section. Many produce displays, for instance, utilize vivid greens, ostensibly to evoke associations with freshness and earthiness. These color palettes might seem dynamic prior to launch, but because so many different displays also include these tones, individual displays end up lost when considering the produce section as a whole. Compare this idea to the success of a display our Visioneers put together for Avocados From Mexico, in partnership with Susan G. Komen. These displays paired the bright, glowing greens of the Avocados From Mexico brand identity with Susan G. Komen’s brilliant pink hues, allowing our product to stand out from the rest while also encouraging important Health and Wellness messaging alongside support of Susan G. Komen’s breast cancer awareness cause.
Besides what you do for your product in-store, you also need to reach your audience before they even decide to shop. You can do quite a lot to catch shoppers’ attention and divert them off of their predetermined grocery store list – but it is even better if you can land yourself on their grocery list. There are a few ways to tackle this. Social media is a great avenue for showcasing all the exciting ways a simple item can be used. Entice your audience to recreate a mouthwatering recipe that utilizes your product, such as what our Visioneers have done here on the Mission Foods Instagram. Additionally, as eCommerce continues to be a convenient and popular means for grocery shopping, forming relationships with influencers can help drive sales sometimes without shoppers ever entering the store. Driving up interest online could land your product in a consumer’s Instacart order, for example.
Are you ready to develop your unique campaign? Augustine Agency can turn your visions into reality. Let’s chat.