1 minute read
WHY CAN’T WE...
In Psychology you learn about the primacy and recency effect and the power that it has over your memory and overall impression. Basically, it is a fancy way of saying that a consumer’s first touch and last touch are critical in their experiences with a brand, store, service or relationship.
I have always been a big believer that retailers’ private brands should be strong embracers of this primacy-recency psychology – private brands should be the first thing that a shopper interacts with entering, and the last thing when checking out.
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At Stew Leonard’s markets, as a shopper, the first thing you see is their mission emblazoned on a stone, that the customer is always right. Thinking of this through private brands’ eyes, any retailer could tell you what their own brands’ mission is when you enter the store. This could be incredibly powerful.
When you check out, why can’t we make private brands the main thing you interact with, reinforcing a positive image and the “recency effect” in the consumer’s mind.
Trader Joe’s showcases own brands in the checkout line in many of their stores with unique chocolates, nutrition bars and other impulse products. They very much support the first, last (and even middle) touch philosophy bolstering their own brands.
Asking ourselves “why can’t we?” around private brands opens our minds to further possibilities, but it also has the effect of never being satisfied. Hopefully the ideas above are just the tip of the iceberg and can open up more dialogue about ideas where we can grow and push. I would be interested in a part 2 of this article and would welcome your “why can’t we” ideas, so please email me with additional thoughts.
Perry Seelert is retail branding and marketing expert, with a passion for challenging conventional strategy and truths. He is the Strategic Partner and Co-founder of Emerge, a strategic marketing consultancy dedicated to helping Retailers, Manufacturers and Services grow exponentially and differentiate with purpose. Please contact Perry at perry@emergefromthepack.com
