Wireless Retailer Re-Design
Competition in the wireless phone market is a well-documented story. To maintain their edge, U.S. Cellular sought to study the range of factors affecting customer’s path-to-purchase and in-store shopping experience. We conducted shop alongs and intercepts as our field researcher observed and video tape customers. Following each shop along, in-depth interviews were conducted. The video footage was coded and reviewed by analysts, ethnographers and project leads. Results produced deep insight into three area of importance; information, merchandising and advocacy. Recommendations were provided for enhancing touch points such as online messaging, media advertisements, in-store design, sales associate behavior, phones layout, and plan communications. As a result of all our efforts, the client and agency partner reported a series of “quick wins” and were well positioned to tackle the challenge of performing a system-wide make over.
Next Gen QSR Concept Evaluation
McDonald’s developed three prototype test restaurants to address a range of emerging trends. The Halverson Group evaluated a number of areas including new store designs, customer behavior within the new designs, new merchandising elements and operational efficiencies both in the restaurants and the drive though. A mix-method approach was used which included contextual interviews, mobile eye tracking, and video ethnography.Recommendations for improving the many elements of the test restaurants were given. A “customer point-of-view” section was provided that described customer behavior during each stage of their visit and recommendations for improvement. Additionally, a “deep-dive” was performed on key merchandising elements within each stage, such as the kiosk, interrupt panels, side panels, navigation signs and menu boards.
Amping Up Conversion
As a result of the recession and customer confidence, Famous Footwear sales had been falling for six straight months. Rather than waiting for a natural turnaround in the economy, the company wished to identify actionable opportunities for increasing stagnant sales while maintaining the company’s current differentiation strategy. To tackle the problem, we used a combination of four research methodologies, three quantitative and one qualitative, in ten stores across four regions. Ethnographic customer studies were conducted using video/audio analytics and surveys. Also, using a technologically sophisticated video/audio analytics system installed in each test stores. We captured and coded over 20,000 customer experiences and perform and in-depth analysis of over 3,000 customer-employee dialogue exchanges. Results produced nine strategies for increasing conversion which were then tested. Within a year, same store sales were up 15.5% and the conversion rate was up for the first time in nearly a decade.
Are you behind the smartphone age curve?
A recent Nielsen study shows that the vast majority of smart phone users are under 45 with ages 25-34 making up the most mobile age group with 62 percent owning smartphones, a 21 percent increase since last year. But don’t be deceived, Jamie Carracher of Edelman, Inc, write, “In 2011, some of the nearly 80 million Baby Boomers in the United States have turned 65 and are now “officially” senior citizens. Need context? Vint Cerf, Google’s chief Internet evangelist and one of the fathers of the Internet, turns 68 in June. The web, often viewed as a realm for just the young, is getting older. Carracher goes on to say, “It’s no secret that senior citizens have typically been slow to use new technologies, including social media. But recent trends show older people are among the fastest-growing demographics online. While overall usage of mobile devices is still relatively small among older people, it’s important to note that usage is growing, and in surprising ways. Older people are gaming on their phones. Around 13% of 55- to 64-year-olds and 5% of people 65 and older play games using a smartphone or standard cellphone. “If it’s good technology, seniors embrace it the same as everyone else,” he said. “The key here is if it is truly ‘good’ and they see a real use for it, whether for entertainment or business or lifestyle. They are smart shoppers who aren’t so much interested in useless ‘bells and whistles’ many products contain.” We’d warn that as a retailer today you are behind the curve if you aren’t study your customer’s behavior in order to provide the kind of engaging smartphone apps that help them shop your stores. But to be a leading edge retailer means that you are also developing engaging apps with older customers in mind as ...
The Coke Freestyle Question
The Coca-Cola Company developed a groundbreaking touchscreen soda fountain that offers consumers a choice of 106 difference products and flavors. The fountain held the promise of broadening brand exposure and increasing choice at the point of sale. The challenge, however, was to convince restaurants that it’s a win for them. Four research methods were employed: data mining, video analytics and customer intercepts. Additionally, employee interviews provided further insight into the machine’s impact for a number of test restaurants used in the study. Results were able provide a sophisticated description of how the new beverage system impacted the restaurant chain. We were able to forecast changes in soft drink consumption, determine the impact on customers, and identified whether usability or maintenance issues exited. We also revealed how the system impacted product satisfaction, brand perception and loyalty.
Removing Barriers to In-Store Traffic
Nautica was suffering from slowing traffic at their outlet stores and loss of market share from competitors such as Polo and Tommy Hilfiger. Our research teams were deployed to particular stores armed with an iPad and surveillance technology designed to enhance the execution of customer intercepts, in-store shop-alongs, ethnographic observation and competitive benchmarking. Six barriers were identified as the cause of diminished in-store traffic. To overcome and eliminate the barriers a staged roadmap addressing issues, ranging from modifying the brand story to improving product fit was recommended. As a final take-away, client facilitation help identify two future scenarios. The first projected in-store traffic numbers in the event they followed their current game plan and the second was what we thought was probable if they chose to embrace our data-driven recommendations.
Electronic Shelf Label Design
Walgreen’s was looking for a way to more easily update their shelf pricing by using Electronic Shelf Labels (ESLs) to replace their traditional plastic labels. The innovative new price tags were designed to permit updating of pricing over a wireless computer network, thus significantly reducing costs and improving speed associated with regular pricing updates. To evaluate their effectiveness, we pre-recruited 48 participants and asked them to complete a range of in-store tasks while wearing mobile eye tracking glasses. Follow-up IPad based interviews were conducted as participants watched a “replay” of their shopping experience on video. Our findings provided the client with a rigorous assessment of the ESLs and specific recommendations for improving their usability, particularly for seniors and those looking for sales. Recommendations were ultimately incorporated into the next generation ESLs design.
Differentiating Frozen Meals
Lean Cuisine wished to improve their in-store merchandising at Target and other major grocery chains. To do so they developed a number merchandising and end-aisle alternatives designed to have maximum impact in driving customers to their products, and placed them in test stores. Customers were pre-recruited and asked to complete several tasks. Using mobile eye-tracking devices customer behavior was coded. Further, customers were shown a replay of their eye-tracking and asked to reflect on their thoughts and actions throughout the process. Working in collaboration with the design team, we identify several high-impact opportunities for differentiating Lean Cuisine products. Alternatives resulted in a synergy between product packaging and merchandising elements. The final solutions were achieved by drawing on the brand’s iconic packaging design which evoked healthy lifestyles and linking those to various in-store merchandising effort. As a result, the brand saw a noticeable lift in sales.
