NFC smartphones growth set to outperform Aussie brands’ uptake

January 26, 2013
2013 outlook, Australia, Mobile
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I recently commmented on most Australian brands not leveraging mobile internet consumption and smartphone uptake. I have just come across some more stats and predictions here, which if turned out to be true will only contribute to making the gap between marketers’ mobile uptake and consumer mobile usage wider. If brands needed more evidence that mobile is fast becoming a key comms and sales channel that can no longer be ignored well here it is…time to get serious and invest into it!

Woolworths turns Sydney bus shelters into shops (Tesco’s Home plus-style)

January 25, 2013
Australia, Mobile, Retail
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Just read about Woolies’ latest effort with its ”bus shops”.

Although it is a commendable effort on Woolies’ part, it is nothing new – Tesco did this first very successfully in Korea by bringing its stores to the people in the subway:

It is encouraging though to see that Aussie retailers are investing into m-commerce.

Target’s latest smart move as it gives its online store exclusivity on 6 new brands

January 25, 2013
Online shopping, Retail, USA
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In a further effort to differentiate from its online rivals (Wal-Mart, Amazon, BestBuy) and combat showrooming by having products that can’t be bought elsewhere online, Target has just made 6 new brands exclusive to its online store. This move follows another bold decision by the retailer only earlier this month to offer its customers a year-round online price match. This only shows Target’s ongoing committment to tapping into the ever increasing online shopping uptake as well as its determination to protect its customer base from other online retailers and keep its customers coming back for more as much as possible.
Australian retailers may want to take a page from this retailer’s approach but also other US retailers (check out Walmart’s response to showrooming) on how to grow online sales.

Personally I am a huge fan of both Walmart and Target’s agile approach in the online shopping space – given their size, their ability to quikcly respond to and embrace consumer behaviour changes is to be commended.

Tesco latest TV ad drives shoppers to its online store

January 24, 2013
Europe, Online shopping, Retail
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Brilliant ad! It makes online shopping so much more interesting – and this is also very true : the best online shopping experience I have ever had with a supermarket was in the UK (not with Tesco but Sainsbury’s, its competitor). Their personal shoppers DO pick the freshest fruits and vegs for you, which was the biggest barrier for me as a consumer to shop for fresh produce online. After trying online shopping with them i never put a foot back in their store. Which makes me wonder…. Could this the beginning of the end for bricks-and-mortar supermarkets?

More on this ad here.

Marketing bugdet cuts continue for the APAC region

January 24, 2013
2013 outlook, Australia
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Source: Warc’s latest Global Marketing Index panel.  As marketing budgets continue contracting in APAC and with digital marketing spend in that region still being one of the lowest compared to other parts of the world (US or EU), this adds renewed pressure on large digital agencies to be competitive on price and deliver work for their clients cost effectively..

Australian brands are missing out on the ever-growing mobile consumption

January 23, 2013
2013 outlook, Australia, Mobile
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Yet more pretty damning evidence here. Wake up Australia!

Ford reinvents itself as one of the most social marketers in its category

January 21, 2013
Automotive, Branded content, Social media
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Ford is a great example of how a brand gets its audience to spread the word about a new product by inviting them to share in their own experiences. Read all about here at fastcocreate.com.

Nissan turns to story telling

January 21, 2013
Automotive, Branded content, Story telling
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Nissan is one of the automakers alongside Ford that has turned to creating its own content to give meaning to its brand promise of ”innovation and excitement for everyone”. As TV ads on the merits of its products just won’t cut it anymore, the automaker explores other avenues such as sponsorship and collaborating with its product planning and development team to create compelling stories for its electric and top of the range models. Check out: http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/trends/whats-driving-nissan/4003367.article