The companies that truly succeed are those that get off the “follow the leader tread mill” and focus on what truly is relevant to their customers. It’s not about omni-channel or what you think you know. It’s about the insights your customers are not telling you. Those deep emotional needs that current companies are not […]
Does Your Brand Have A Lasting Legacy? Read More »
Trends come and some go while others mark permanent industry shifts. It can be hard to figure out when to invest in a new idea and when to walk away. In this episode, we speak with Janet Groeber, Director of the Retail Design Institute and Susan Reda, VP of Education Strategies from the National Retail Federation about what’s hot
Retail Trends To Keep an Eye On Read More »
Personalization is a retail trend that everyone is trying to figure out – and with good reason. Positive experiences with personalization can boost the number of items purchased, amount of money spent and net promoter scores, according to a BCG-Google Customer Survey. However, there are some pitfalls brands need to be aware of when developing a strategy to offer more personalized experiences. Pitfall #1:
Personalization Pitfalls Retail Brands Need to Avoid Read More »
Packaging is a complex and evolving topic. It’s one third of CPG and one fourth of the 4 P’s of Marketing, therefore a crucial consumer-facing element in any strategy. So it comes as no surprise that a great technique to generate buzz and potentially gain viral status is leveraging the best and most accessible canvas:
Packaging Strategies That Will Get People Talking Read More »
Emotions drive the majority of our purchase decisions and most are at a deep rooted subconscious level. Our previous blog on neuroscience research reviewed the new tools available for marketers that are wanting a stronger understanding of how their customers feel towards various research stimuli. However, there are a variety of factors marketers and retailers can consider
Increasing Sales With The Five Emotional Levers Read More »
There are various types of research and it can be difficult to determine when best to use them as you look to gain insights throughout the transformation process for both internal and external stakeholder validation. To assist in planning and implementing a consumer study here is a worksheet with eight easy-to-follow and understand steps. WHAT
Worksheet: Finding the Insights that Drive Foresight Read More »
Physical stores have the potential to become the most powerful media channel available to brands, but it requires that everything about the physical store, how it’s planned, located, designed, staffed, and measured must be re-engineered. Today we speak with futurist, author, businesses advisor, and the founder and president of Retail Prophet, Doug Stephens. Transcript Melinda: Hi,
The Store as a Media Channel Read More »
For brands, the key to growing marketshare and consumer loyalty often lies in fulfilling consumer’s deep subconscious emotional needs that other brands have failed to meet. Delivered through innovative and at times disruptive products and solutions, many companies have accomplished this feat by moving a consumer from needing something to desiring it. Getting to the heart of what drives
Using Neuroscience to Better Understand Consumer Behavior Read More »
In the last decade, an ever-increasing share of the consumer market has been moving online. Although e-commerce sales have yet to eclipse brick-and-mortar retail transactions, the integration of young millennials and Gen X consumers into the market has pushed the trend further into the digital world. While many core marketing principles still remain the same in the
Marketing in an E-Commerce Era Read More »
We’re back with Kunal Chopra for Part 2 of our discussion about artificial intelligence. In Part 1, Kunal defined artificial intelligence and gave us a high level understanding of what it. Now we’re going to talk about the application of artificial intelligence to the world of retail. In this episode, Kunal is going to tell us
Part 2: Artificial Intelligence and the Retail Industry Read More »
When you hear the words “artificial intelligence,” what pops into your mind? Maybe you think about Westworld or self-driving cars or robot soldiers, maybe chatbots or video game characters. But what exactly constitutes AI? Today we’re talking to Kunal Chopra, a business transformation and management consultant who specializes in optimizing delivery models. This is going to
Part 1: Artificial Intelligence and the Retail Industry Read More »
The International Luxury Hotel Association will be hosting their eighth event, INSPIRE ’19, at the Four Seasons Miami from December 3-4, 2019. As part of the conference, SLD’s Jean-Pierre Lacroix will be speaking on the future scenarios that will have the greatest impact on the luxury hotel industry. Seeing the Future Around the Corner Most
Shikatani Lacroix Design’s founder and president, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, will be speaking at the 2019 Think Global Conference, hosted by The International Trade Council. Jean-Pierre’s talk will be centred around how brands can future-proof their organization, and will leverage 30 years of industry experience and research. Steps to Future-Proofing Your Organization Taking a short-term view of
Think Global Conference Read More »
Shikatani Lacroix Design is proud to have once again sponsored the Award for Packaging Design (Series) at the annual RGD Student Awards. The 2019 winner of the award is Jeremy Kang, a student from LaSalle College, whose gourmet food gift set incorporates branding identity, packaging design and illustration. “Saintly Flavours is kind of an homage to
SLD Sponsors RGD Award for Packaging Design (Series) Read More »
The core consumer is the foundation of a brand. Companies are formed to solve their pain points, campaigns are designed to pique their interest, and products are developed to keep them coming back. However, oftentimes a promising new consumer arrives on the horizon – leading to the dilemma of how to spend precious corporate resources
How to Turn Growth Consumers into Core Consumers Read More »
Every project needs to be clearly defined from the onset to ensure the efforts and investment provide the greatest chance for success. A poorly defined direction or desired outcome has the potential of creating internal strife, anxiety and lack of cohesion, putting at risk not only the given initiative but many future projects as companies
Worksheet: Project Charter Read More »
It’s fairly bold to dub yourself the most interesting anything, so if nothing else, Showfields, and their “most interesting store in the world” gets points for audacity. But dig a little deeper into the mysterious retail experiment, House of SHOWFIELDS, and it’s hard to deny that there is something interesting indeed about the concept. Showfields is
“The Most Interesting Store in the World” Read More »
In a previous article, we discussed some retail trends related to packaging, including e-commerce optimization and plastic-free packaging. The commitment to reduce the use of plastic in packaging has now become simply a matter of “when,” not “if.” CPG giants, including The Coca-Cola Company, MARS, PepsiCo, and Unilever have pledged to use 100 percent reusable, recyclable or compostable
Sustainable Packaging That You Can Plant, Eat and Re-Use Read More »
Do you understand your customer? It’s no longer enough to just know their age bracket, gender, and general interests. Do you know what emotions they’re feeling while looking to satisfy their needs? What thoughts go through their head when walking through a retail store? What online platforms they browse and what time of day they
How to Develop a Customer Journey Map Read More »
Since the breakthrough of technology, Millennials have changed the way retailers must accommodate shopping patterns. However, as “digital natives” Gen Z shoppers are creating an even bigger impact and challenge for retailers to provide the desired retail experience. Although Gen Z’s are typically thought of to be heavily reliant on technology, their shopping habits are
Gen Z’s Perspective on Retail Experience Read More »
