Lessons in standing out from Trader Joe’s, Migros, Bonobos
A long-held marketing principle is that brand differentiation is fundamental to success. And there’s no doubt differentiated brands experience higher preference, recall, usage and ‘brand love’. For many brands, however, true differentiation is almost impossible to establish, let alone communicate to customers. Research across 17 markets by the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science has found lack of […]
What do privacy changes mean for the relationship between media and creative?
The government’s proposed changes to the Australian Privacy Act coupled with the departure of cookies mean big changes are ahead. But these aren’t just issues for media agencies. Creatives, suits and production people have to come to the party to ensure clients are getting the most from their advertising spend. Ben Willee explains. I know […]
Are we in an advertising recession?
Are we in an advertising recession? SMI data says no but are we splitting hairs? Ben Willee asks the question and mulls the implications. The latest SMI numbers are out and after adjustments, it looks like we have narrowly avoided an advertising recession. The definition of a recession is two consecutive quarters of negative growth […]
Lessons in loyalty from a company with no customers
After working in ad agencies across retail clients for more than 20 years I moved to a startup. It was a fascinating place – innovative and very well-run. Still is. Beyond the wake-up call of an industry change, I found the startup mentality incredibly interesting and refreshing. Finding customers is one thing, but evoking a […]
Why Coles is doubling down on home brands at both ends of the price spectrum
While the ongoing inquiries into supermarket pricing have been generating plenty of headlines in recent weeks, they barely came up during Coles’ Q3 earnings call on Tuesday. Instead, Coles’ CEO and managing director, Leah Weckert, spent plenty of time explaining how the retailer is providing value to customers as cost-of-living pressures continue to weigh on […]
As France weighs fast-fashion ban, is the circular economy the future of retail?
This week, France announced legislation to “limit the excesses of ultra-fast fashion”. Key measures include a ban on advertising for cheap textiles and an environmental charge on low-cost items. While the proposed laws need to pass a vote in France’s senate, they signal an increased need for focus on sustainability in the retail industry. It’s […]
Consumer confidence just got a boost. How can you capitalise on it?
The Reserve Bank’s decision to keep interest rates on hold is set to have a ripple effect throughout the economy. While the smart money says rates probably won’t go down until well into the July-December half, very few people – if any – are predicting more rises. Add to that news of pending tax cuts […]
Is this the end of Australia’s supermarket duopoly?
The allegations of price-gouging during a cost-of-living crisis by Australian supermarkets Coles and Woolworths could finally be the death knell of the duopoly that has long dominated the country’s grocery sector. On Jan 25th, the Albanese government announced the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) will conduct a twelve-month probe to examine if Australian supermarkets […]
Perspective – The year of Birth, Death and Apeshit
2023. We all walked out of a long dust storm back into the office a few days a week. Great to see common sense prevail with flexible WFH arrangements. The relentless push to do more with less meant the people doing more for less ended up doing more for more for someone else. Many were […]
Perspective – The year we started to respect people’s time
Time has flown even faster this year than last, but on reflection, it also feels like the year of slowing down to speed up. In times of uncertainty, it appears we’ve found a way to protect ourselves and regain some of the control we lost over the pandemic. We’ve all read the gazillion opinion pieces […]