In Store Messages – Conveying complex messages to shoppers

We spend a lot of money on signage in stores. There are the production costs and creative agencies fees. For manufacturers there are often fees to pay the retailer too. Plus of course our own time. And yet too often the quality of the in store messages we deliver to the shopper isn’t that good. Creating great in store messaging isn’t easy (which is why we have a training program focused on creating effective shopper communication!). But there are a number of things we can get right. And one of the most important principles is to use the shopper’s language for our in store messages.

In Store Messages – keep it simple (even when its complicated!)

With in store messages most would agree that its important to keep things simple. Shoppers don’t typically want to spend hours (or even minutes) reading our carefully articulated explanations as to why our brand is superior. Depending on the shopping trip, they will spend very little time reading signs and messages. But that doesn’t mean we can’t get across some pretty complicated ideas.

Check out the sign below. For those of you who aren’t fluent in Swedish (or can’t be bothered to open Google Translate and find how to type an ä or an ö on your keyboard) – I’ve done the hard work for you.

The top message says, “The right taste for the right food”. That’s pretty clear to anyone, especially those that perhaps don’t really understand the complexity of beer varieties. Then a simple graphic kicks in and helps shoppers match food to different types of beer.

I love it! Really simple, and helps a shopper who is less familiar with the beer category begin to navigate and explore the category. The message explains the concept in four words! That’s pretty much textbook in store messaging.

In store messages – Use the right language for the target shopper

Check out this next example. Here the retailers is again attempting to get shoppers to explore a complicated category and is explaining that category in simple terms that won’t scare off the uninitiated. Complex cheeses are explained in simple words that every shopper could understand. You don’t need to be a cheese aficionado to understand why you might want to buy a wider variety of cheeses, and which ones you might like.

What I particularly like about this in store messaging is that it doesn’t start with the name of the cheese and then describe it (see beer example below). It starts with the description, then tell the shopper which cheeses have those characteristics. This is powerful in store messaging for two reasons.

Firstly, it enables them to describe a lot of cheeses in less space. Imagine if they had listed out all the cheeses in turn. The messaging would be a lot more complicated. 

But secondly, they’ve thought about the communication from the shoppers’ point of view. An inexperienced shopper doesn’t necessarily recognize the names of the cheeses, but they will recognize the characteristics. They will fit with the shopper mission, and the consumer preference. A shopper might be looking for ‘mild and creamy cheeses’, for example. This execution helps the shopper find what they like. Lastly it encourages them to try new cheeses: explaining that different cheeses taste different, which ones taste similar to the cheeses you might have liked in the past, and so on. 

And for shoppers who want a little more information, they have put a booklet ‘The Ultimate Cheese Guide’ below the sign too. Just in case. 

 

Great in store messages start with a clear target shopper and a clear objective

This demonstrates the power of two of the key concepts we cover in all our shopper communication training. Firstly, make sure you have a clear target shopper, and secondly, have a clear behavioral objective. This retailer clearly understands their target market (shoppers who wish to explore cheese but find it all a bit complicated) and a clear objective (encourage shoppers to buy a variety of cheeses).

Learn how to create powerful instore signage and shopper communication that really works – Now

 

When in store messaging goes wrong

But how about this next example? They’ve got nice images to catch the eye, but there is a lot of text. But surely, a shopper who wants to explore the beer category is going to be prepared to read it? 

Probably not. Or rather, most won’t. 

The first question has to be ‘who is the target shopper’. One assumes, as the aim seems to be to educate the shopper on different beer types, that the target shopper is relatively new to the complexities of the beer category. If that is the case, why announce the beers using category language (Dubbel, Tripel, Blond, Zwaar bier)? Those words might not mean much to someone who doesn’t understand the category. Much better, as with the cheese example above, to use consumer/shopper language in shopper messages. 

Then the rest of the text just looks complicated. It’s a turn off to the shopper brain and only the most committed shoppers would be prepared to plough through this to gain a better understanding of the category. Sitting at home (or in a bar) then yes, of course, no problem. But standing in a supermarket, this level of text is likely to be just noise to the shopper, and will be ignored. 

Same category, different shoppers: different shopper messaging

This shows how important it is to really consider different shopper segments, their understanding of the category, and the in store messages that will help them and guide them to make the purchase decisions we’d like them to make. 

And with complex messages, we still have to work hard to keep things simple for shoppers. As the first two examples I shared show, it is possible to take complex ideas and share them with shoppers in an engaging, in store appropriate way. 

Now of course there may be some shoppers who are totally prepared to engage with this content, and prepared to read it. But why make it so hard? With a little more creativity and shopper focus, the number of shoppers who engage with this communication can be increased dramatically. 

Shopper messaging isn’t as simple as ‘keep it simple’

Getting in store messages right isn’t easy. It requires an understanding of the principles of shopper psychology, shopper behavior and shopper communication techniques. But most of all it requires an understanding of your target shopper, their behavior and mission, and what they are looking for from their shopping trip and your brand. It isn’t as simple as following guidelines or copying what everyone else is doing. Your target shoppers are different, and will engage with content differently.  If you’d like to know more about all these elements, as well as to learn a proven methodology to develop more effective shopper communication, please check out our training programs or get in touch now.