Media

We live in an increasingly digital world; most of our daily interactions are dominated by online and sms communication.  Modern consumers require the “personal touch” to solidify brand awareness and secure a positive affiliation with a specific product or brand.  This was proven with the recent I&J Centenary in store campaign executed by below-the-line marketing specialists, Isilumko Media, powered by Studentwise.

In every aisle at your local supermarket one finds displays and other promotional material advertising product capabilities, benefits and bargain buys; the perception could be that the in-store promoter is becoming ever more redundant.  Even sampling and tasters are being prepared and distributed by supermarket staff.  Question is: how does this impact on the overall success of an in-store supermarket campaign?

Lauren Durant, Operations Director of Isilumko Media strongly advocates the use of promoters in-store; “The personal interaction available when using in-store promoters has never been more relevant as the urban consumer moves further and further into a “no contact” zone.  As immediate as digital communication may be, a live interaction between customer and promoter cannot be beaten.  Not to mention the long-term positive effect a good promoter can have on the activation and the perception of the brand as a whole.”

I&J kicked off their Centenary campaign focusing on in-store media such as  aisle dividers, discount coupons and on-pack advertising to promote their celebratory on-pack SMS competition; offering loyal I&J customers a chance to  win cash prizes for educational funding.   Print advertising in consumer magazines was included in the mix to further solicit sms entries. After four weeks, the campaign saw the addition of 150 supermarkets across the country that played host to in-store promoters over two weekends – the proverbial “cherry on top” to bring the Centenary campaign to life.

Initial response to the sms competition was slow.  The 3-week plateau in entries experienced a sudden spike of more than 800% in the fourth week when the in-store interactive promotion started.  After the first  weekend of promotions, midweek entries settled to a level much higher than the initial response before the introduction of the in-store promoters.  Competition entries experienced another substantial boost over the second weekend of in-store promotions; in fact higher than the first.

Durant adds; “Until recently there has been little proof, outside of basic sales numbers, of the effectiveness of the in-store promoter; but the numbers here tell a wonderful story that substantiates the role of these seemingly immaterial marketing players.  The personal interaction customers enjoyed with the in-store promoters led to an increase in the level of desired action – which in this case was competition entry.  Not only did entries spike, but entries were maintained at a much higher level than before the inclusion of the promoters, further adding to the value of an in-store brand ambassador.”

The necessity of including one-on-one interactions into the media strategy is undeniable.  So the next time you’re planning an in-store promotion remember that with a little help from a competent promoter  it is possible  to grab the attention of the consumer, without simply adding to the clutter already present in the supermarket!