Look at the image above. It’s from a TV advert.
Which brand is it for?
Easy, right? Yes, of course, it’s Red Bull.
Look again at it. You will see there is zero branding on it. No brand colours. No product shot. No tagline. Yet we all know it’s Red Bull.
This is because ALL Red Bull communication has a clear visual style. A style that is distinctive. Distinctive from other drinks. Distinctive from other FMCG brands. Distinctive from non FMCG brands. A style that they stick to consistently.
It’s perfect for the fast moving, low attention world that we live in.
Scrolling on a smartphone… it’s instantly recognisable. Forwarding through the TV ads at +30… it’s instantly recognisable. Driving past a 6 sheet poster… it’s instantly recognisable.
Where other brands blend in, Red Bull stands out.
Why are we talking about this? Winning in FMCG means winning with shoppers. To win with shoppers, categories and brands need a few big strengths.
We call them Shopper SUPERPOWERS.
There are 5 of them. We talked about the first one – accessibility – last week.
The second one is VISIBILTY. Being instantly recognisable.
It’s about visual and directive signage. Breaking up the wall of products that shoppers face as they walk around a store and down each aisle.
This means telling shoppers that your category is there. The batteries fixture is a great example. Using the Duracell colours to make the fixture (that has no obvious home in store) instantly recognisable. The Low & No Alcohol in Waitrose is another. The High Protein section in many Lidl stores is another.
Don’t whisper when you can shout.
It’s about visual identity. Reinforcing the key visual cues that shoppers use to recognise you.
Packs that reinforce your visual identity. Shelf ready and outer packaging that reinforces your visual identity. POS communication that reinforces your visual identity. Display units that reinforce your visual identity.
If you’ve got a clear visual identity, use it. Everywhere. If you haven’t, develop it. Quickly.
It’s about being visually disruptive. Breaking the “rules” and being different to everything else around you.
It might be a differentiated form of packaging. Think chilli sauce – in a world of red liquid in plastic bottles, the pack that looks like a stick of dynamite really stands out. A differentiated merchandising solution. Think Lindor balls pick-n-mix. A differentiated display unit. Think Pipers Crisps in wooden units. No big rectangular cardboard boxes for them.
Zig when everyone else is zagging.
It’s about being visible from all (relevant) angles. Design that reflects how shoppers actually shop.
You may have noticed shoppers walk forwards not sideways. They approach most things from side on. Yet a lot of things in stores are only visible from front on. Think category signage, header boards, gondola ends, packaging.
So, you need signage that faces shopper flow. Aldi is a great example. Go into store and you’ll see simple, visual signage that is visible to shoppers walking (forwards…) down the aisle. Triangular gondola end header boards are another good example. Visible to shoppers as they approach from side on. Shelf ready packaging that is as well branded from side on as front on. Particularly in channels like Discounters.
You need to maximise visibility wherever or however you are sold.
To win with shoppers, you need to be VISIBLE.
A store (or website) is a battle for shopper eyeballs.
Shoppers can’t buy you if they don’t see you.
Feel free to forward. Have a great weekend. Speak to you next week.