SUMMARY: The brand experience includes how the brand is sold at retail and that is a problem for brand marketers. Brick and mortar retailers are hurting right now because they can’t find good help without paying more money and that’s putting more pressure on margins.
A customer selects a frozen pizza from the grocers display case but notices that the package has freeze burn. Do you think that customer will blame the retailer or the brand? The answer is that the brand will take most of the hit.
We keep hearing about the brand experience but what marketers are missing is that the brand experience applies to the where and how the product is sold as well. How many product or brand managers actually go to retail stores to see how their product is displayed within the category?
Yesterday for example, while shopping at Whole Foods, I noticed
When it comes to shopping, consumers are relatively open-minded—after all, just 4% say they only consider one brand when making purchases, according to new research from BuzzFeed and media agency network Wavemaker. But a whopping 72% say they only consider two to four, which is why brand loyalty should always be a top consideration for brands. In other words, if you lose a customer because of a retailer you’re probably not going to get them back.
The other issue facing retailers is that it’s really hard to find people who want to work retail even at $15 an hour. There isn’t a retailer that I know who isn’t looking for help in all areas. Even if you find people are they really going to be the kind of people who care about your customers?
Brand marketers have to get up off they asses and experience their brands as a customer not as a marketer. The brand experience extends to retail not just advertising.
