Bit of a gimmick but entertaining and engaging none-the-less and quite frankly we need a bit of fun bought back into shopping don't we?
Debenhams in the UK has this week unveiled virtual pop-up stores at some of Britain's most famous landmarks including Trafalgar Square.
The stores are open for two days from today in George Square in Glasgow, Centenary Square in Birmingham, Albert Square in Manchester, Cardiff Castle in Wales and Trafalgar Square.
iPphone or iPad2 users who head down to the locations will see Debenhams’ top party dresses on their screen when they point their devices at the landmarks.
Shoppers will be able to virtually try on the items and order via their mobile devices.
An app, designed by GoldRun, needs to be downloaded for shoppers to see the clothing. Those who take part at the event receive a 20% discount.
See how the virtual store works in the video below.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
RFK's change of colours
Beautiful print campaign by Chilean ad agency SIMPLE for RKF outdoor clothing stores.
Recently launching its Spring 2011 collection, RKF stores created a print campaign inviting their customers to change into more colourful clothes, just like some animals do, from one season to another by changing the colour of their fur or feathers.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Uniqlo's Happy Machine
As part of the Regent Street relaunch, Uniqlo have added some interesting little features to attract talkability and repeat visit in their newly refurbished store.
Not at least of which includes the ‘happy machine' which appears in the middle of the Uniqlo store.
Shoppers are confronted by a structure mounted on a low, varnished wooden plinth. It is, principally, a transparent column in the shape of a cross. Each arm of the cross is divided into three, vertically, with a different style in each section. What marks out what the ‘happy machine’ offers is the astonishingly low price of the garments that it contains. Different styles are timed to be dispensed at various points throughout the day – providing a reason for multiple visits, if you happen to be close to the store during opening hours.
As a tempter, a piece of retail design and a fresh idea, this is pretty good and it has the additional merit of potentially getting people talking about Uniqlo, which should also be the objective of any promotional vehicle.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Advertise to your own customer.
Great article I read today by Jay Habegger about how Retailers Are Creating Media Properties That Will Revolutionize Marketing.
Online retail, by its very definition, exists so that companies can sell products and turn a profit on those sales. The model has grown steadily over the past decade as consumers become increasingly comfortable purchasing goods online. But savvier online retailers aren't merely consumer-facing stores anymore; they're evolving into media companies that can sell advertising and profit off their audience. In the process, they are creating a myriad of new digital co-operative marketing opportunities for themselves and their suppliers.
Retailers become media companies
On-site ad sales remain the most common way for retailers to dabble with transforming assets into paid media opportunities for suppliers. Similar to their use of retail signage or TV display ads at their brick-and-mortar locations, online retailers are transforming online real estate into digital media opportunities. Suppliers and third-party advertisers can purchase ad placements on the retailer's homepage, or within specific product category pages. On-site ad inventory gives advertisers the opportunity to push their message in front of online consumers as they are close to making purchase decisions. What better time for a product manufacturer to target a consumer than when they are already on the retail site? It's a great opportunity for the advertiser, and can boost the retailer's revenue.
The next evolution of digital co-marketing is an upgrade of re-targeting. Retailers have historically used retargeting to boost sales by driving traffic back to their websites, and it's a very effective tool for doing so. They place a cookie within a consumer's browser, and when that consumer leaves the site, the retailer pays for "retargeting" impressions on other sites with the goal of getting the consumer to return and complete the sale. Acting as a media company, the retailer now has the opportunity to sell that cookie and the associated audience data to its suppliers. Thus, it can still generate sales and conversions from retargeting programs, but now it can also transfer the media and creative costs. This approach reduces the retailer's digital advertising expenditure and creates a new revenue stream.
Influencing sales
These retailer-supported ad opportunities also benefit manufacturer advertisers. The ad techniques provide suppliers with a better targeting option that's comparable to today's popular ROI strategies — e.g., search or standard retargeting — and much more effective than standard behavioral targeting. Retargeting based on browsing data from retail sites helps manufacturers find consumers who are further down the purchase funnel, and enables them to directly influence sales within their online channel partners. Which type of impression do you think an advertiser would rather purchase: a generic "in-market TV buyer" via a popular data exchange, or an impression from a major retail partner for a consumer who just visited its TV section?
Watching Amazon, Best Buy
Amazon recently announced that it would sell media impressions across the web, via a DSP, powered by its own customer-browsing data. BestBuy's online cookie program segments its 30 million online shoppers into consumer categories — categories that can be addressed with display ads across large publisher partner sites. As more retailers explore the potential of selling media, their interest will revolutionize co-operative marketing. Whether it's on-site advertisements for co-marketing partners, or the sale of retargeting inventory through a retail audience network, the ad is reaching a consumer who is actively looking to purchase in a supplier's retail channel. As more retailers focus on building audience networks, they will open the door to a powerful advertising tool unmatched by anything else online.
Online retail, by its very definition, exists so that companies can sell products and turn a profit on those sales. The model has grown steadily over the past decade as consumers become increasingly comfortable purchasing goods online. But savvier online retailers aren't merely consumer-facing stores anymore; they're evolving into media companies that can sell advertising and profit off their audience. In the process, they are creating a myriad of new digital co-operative marketing opportunities for themselves and their suppliers.
Retailers become media companies
On-site ad sales remain the most common way for retailers to dabble with transforming assets into paid media opportunities for suppliers. Similar to their use of retail signage or TV display ads at their brick-and-mortar locations, online retailers are transforming online real estate into digital media opportunities. Suppliers and third-party advertisers can purchase ad placements on the retailer's homepage, or within specific product category pages. On-site ad inventory gives advertisers the opportunity to push their message in front of online consumers as they are close to making purchase decisions. What better time for a product manufacturer to target a consumer than when they are already on the retail site? It's a great opportunity for the advertiser, and can boost the retailer's revenue.
The next evolution of digital co-marketing is an upgrade of re-targeting. Retailers have historically used retargeting to boost sales by driving traffic back to their websites, and it's a very effective tool for doing so. They place a cookie within a consumer's browser, and when that consumer leaves the site, the retailer pays for "retargeting" impressions on other sites with the goal of getting the consumer to return and complete the sale. Acting as a media company, the retailer now has the opportunity to sell that cookie and the associated audience data to its suppliers. Thus, it can still generate sales and conversions from retargeting programs, but now it can also transfer the media and creative costs. This approach reduces the retailer's digital advertising expenditure and creates a new revenue stream.
Influencing sales
These retailer-supported ad opportunities also benefit manufacturer advertisers. The ad techniques provide suppliers with a better targeting option that's comparable to today's popular ROI strategies — e.g., search or standard retargeting — and much more effective than standard behavioral targeting. Retargeting based on browsing data from retail sites helps manufacturers find consumers who are further down the purchase funnel, and enables them to directly influence sales within their online channel partners. Which type of impression do you think an advertiser would rather purchase: a generic "in-market TV buyer" via a popular data exchange, or an impression from a major retail partner for a consumer who just visited its TV section?
Watching Amazon, Best Buy
Amazon recently announced that it would sell media impressions across the web, via a DSP, powered by its own customer-browsing data. BestBuy's online cookie program segments its 30 million online shoppers into consumer categories — categories that can be addressed with display ads across large publisher partner sites. As more retailers explore the potential of selling media, their interest will revolutionize co-operative marketing. Whether it's on-site advertisements for co-marketing partners, or the sale of retargeting inventory through a retail audience network, the ad is reaching a consumer who is actively looking to purchase in a supplier's retail channel. As more retailers focus on building audience networks, they will open the door to a powerful advertising tool unmatched by anything else online.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Bodum has opened a new interactive store in Paris dubbed Bodum-lab.
The new concept store is located on the high profile Avenue de Opera and will provide customers with the opportunity to test kitchen equipment inside the store. Experience and involvement were the key concept of the new store, says the kitchenware brand.
"Handling and using the kitchenware is very different from just looking at it in its box. Just as when you buy a new shirt. You want to be certain that the shirt looks good and that it fits you," said Jorgen Bodum, CEO of Bodum.
The new store also features professional chefs who demonstrate the kitchen equipment. Also, demonstration films are displayed on screens while customers test the equipment.
Once the customer finds the perfect equipment they are looking for, they can order it online, while they are in the store, and the store will deliver it directly to their home addresses.
The new store also gives the customers a chance to make comments, criticism and feedback.
"Our great confidence in the quality of our products means that we are not afraid of direct feedback from our customers. We have already benefited greatly from suggestions from our customers through channels such as Facebook and Amazon. Bodum-lab is a natural next step in our direct dialogue with customers," said Bodum.
Bodum is a tableware and kitchenware family owned company that was founded in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1944. The company was founded by Peter Bodum. Its first store was established in London in 1986.
Currently, Bodum has more than 300 stores globally which includes stores in Sydney, Copenhagen, Paris, Lucerne, Zuerich, New York and Tokyo. The company also sells its products in more than 55 countries.
Bodum has already produced a total of 4000 product lines, including vacuum coffee maker Santos which became a worldwide hit, and the French coffee press Bistro. Its products also include tea pots, textiles, kitchen equipment, BBQ's and more.
Bodum said the new concept will be a trend in all stores that will be set up in the future. The introduction of the new lab interactive store is expected to attract both Parisians and tourists visitors.
Inside retail
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