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.
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.
Renewing the Customer Experience
Levolor, a leading manufacture of high-end window treatments, was concerned about how their products were being marketed in big box home improvement retail chains. Our goal was to diagnose the scope and scale of the problem and provide a set of recommendations for high impact changes within constrains imposed by the retail chains. The engagement was kicked off with client a workshop to fully understand the situation. A deep dive into web sites, blogs and additional secondary sources broadened the team’s knowledge of window treatment marketplace. Following our background work, a number of in-depth interviews were conducted with customer who had previously shopped for window treatment as well as with design professionals. Results surfaced a number of problems in the way products were shown in-store. Major among them was the customers needed to be certain that such a costly purchase would enhance the look and feel of their home. It was recommended that the marketer update their in-store demos and displays so that customers became more confident they were making a selection that fit the décor of their home.
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.
Boosting Premium Outlet Traffic
Lee Jeans needed to increase the traffic at their premium outlet mall stores. A study was undertaken to identify the factors that caused customers to shop outlet malls in the first place, surface the barriers to shopping Lee stores and evaluate if and how competitive outlet mall stores might be outperforming Lee. In mall intercept interviews were conducted with customers visiting Lee, those passing Lee without going in as well as well shoppers who visited only stores competitive to Lee. Results showed that factors such as the perception that Lee didn’t carry merchandise of interest, power of the store windows and signage to draw shoppers in and price/value perceptions versus competitive stores were major hindrances to attracting store traffic. A wide number of recommendations were made for developing more compelling brand, product variety, windows sign and in-store merchandising approaches.
New Order Process Evaluation
McDonald’s developed a promising new approach for front counter employees to serve customers. The goal of the research was to assess the effectiveness of new system on both customers placing orders and employees filling them. Video and audio analytics were used to capture and code thousands of transactions during a six month trial period at test restaurants. Additionally, personal interviews were conducted with customers and store crews. Results indicated customers they liked the new system and that it reflected positively on McDonald’s in the way customers were served. Employees also liked the new system and found it to be more efficient approach to filling orders.
