Let's set aside the debates about safety versus getting people walking around outdoors and focus for a moment on a few possible implications of Pokemon Go for shopper marketers. 1) Mainstream adoption of Augemented Reality. Between Pokemon Go and Snapchat, Augmented Reality has gone from industry "shiny object" to a much more commonplace, mainstream habit. And the secret? Entertainment versus selling. People weren't willing to go through the trouble of engaging with the technology just to watch glorified commercials, but they'll do it to see a video of their friends with funny hats on or to catch a Charmander. 2) New mobile behaviors. Part of the danger of... Continue reading

For the insights we spend so much time and energy cultivating, a brief can either be the grave or the graduation. The place where good insights go to die, or the moment when they go out into the world to fulfill their destiny. Integer's Sara Manke presented at this week's Omnishopper conference, covering the importance of great briefs, how to recognize them, how to create them, and how they benefit creative work. She shares experiences from her 15-year history with the craft of brief writing and supplies practical ideas for how to improve the quality of these essential strategic documents. Download the presentation here and reach out to... Continue reading

Happy Arbor Day! Let’s celebrate with a look at trends in paperless coupons. While paper coupons still dominate the landscape, digital coupon penetration has increased every year since 2012 while paper coupon penetration has slightly decreased according to a recent report from Valassis. And as the user experience at checkout improves, adoption is expected to continue to increase. Here are some money and tree-saving techniques savvy shoppers have at their disposal: REDEEMABLE AT CHECKOUT: These apps include deals for a wide array of retailers and brands. Shoppers find deals and scan their phones at checkout to redeem. RetailMeNot: Users browse coupons and deals through the app, and sort... Continue reading

Valentine’s Day has come and gone, and all things pink-and-red-hearted have gone on deep clearance until next year. But in the wake of the season of love, it seems like a good moment to reflect on what brands can learn from people in terms of attraction, relationship building and even love. So many fish in the sea The first lesson is that there are a lot of people out there who are single and ready to mingle. 50% of US adults are not married. Single person households are the fastest-growing household composition. 40 million Americans use an online dating service. The same holds true for brands. Most consumers... Continue reading

Visual communication is becoming a larger and larger part of our cultural vocabulary. In fact, there are some indicators that visual communication is eclipsing the written word. Instagram rises as Twitter declines. A surprisingly comprehensive range of emotions, reactions and assertions can be expressed through custom avatars with Bitmoji. And in November, the Oxford English Dictionary declared the word of the year was an emojii. While marketers have been practicing the art of visual communication since the dawn of advertising, the difference is that now shoppers are fluent in this language as well. So as we mine for insight and solicit feedback, we should take advantage of visual... Continue reading

Good design is continuing its quiet invasion of the mainstream. From Warby Parker’s affordable and stylish eye wear to Snowe’s home goods to Everlane’s progressive take on fashion, the access to design-forward products without a hefty luxury price tag is unprecedented. This has at least two implications for marketers. 1) Bad design stands out more, and in the often snarky and reactionary digital world of instant feedback, that can mean significant backlash for missteps. 2) The bar is higher for good design -- it has to be even more notable to stand out. The good news is that combining good design with Consumer Experience best practices can yield... Continue reading

Most trip type analysis is done based on what's purchased. Through proprietary qualitative and quantitative research, Integer looked at trip types from a shopper perspective. What motivated the trip in the first place? What was the mood or mindset? How did they plan and prepare? At the upcoming Path to Purchase Institute Shopper Marketing Summit (March 16-18), Integer's Sara Manke will be sharing findings and implications from the study. Attendees will learn: What are the seven shopping modes and what are the characteristics of each Which modes are the most common Which modes are the most digitally engaged Which modes lend themselves to more impulse purchases What shopping... Continue reading

Shopping at LUSH recently, I noticed an impulse product near the cash register that I hadn’t seen before: Toothy Tabs. They’re little pills of solid toothpaste – great for traveling. And the packaging even calls them “revolutionary” and “innovative.” The thing is, the ancient Romans used tooth powder. Tooth powder tabs were popular in the 40's and 50’s. Non-paste toothpaste has been around for a loooong time. So what LUSH really did was marry up an outmoded offering with a modern need and gave it new relevance. That’s retrovation. As humans, we have a natural affinity for stuff that has happened in our lifetimes. Karl Mannheim called it... Continue reading