In-store is a term used to define modern-day shopping outlets, such as; supermarkets, hyper markets, mini marts and shopping malls – a one stop shopping outlet where a customer can get all their shopping needs in one place.
In-store or indoor marketing is a mode of product promotion, under experiential marketing, where the manufacturer directly meets and engages with the consumer (end user) at the point of purchase, through a hired brand ambassador, to achieve the intended objective(s), for instance; creating awareness on unique features, availability and accessibility of the product – new and old, driving sales, pushing product trial, conducting demos or sampling.
A brand ambassador, in the context of in-store, is someone with specific traits, hired short-term to represent the brand in the face of its target audience. Brand ambassadors go through thorough brand training to be able to demonstrate a high level of professionalism, brand knowledge and passion, while talking to consumers. Their role transcends creating awareness and selling, as they must also collect vital market insights and feedback from the consumers and traders, and submit it to the brand team for analysis and decision making. Brand ambassadors must also cater to product merchandising while at the store, and make certain that the brand portfolio is winning at the shelf in terms of organisation, shelf share and standards, and countering stock-outs.
The success of an in-store campaign depends on how good the pool of brand ambassadors you put out into the stores are. For brand ambassadors, an in-store campaign is like a marathon – you start it with a good bust of energy and then start getting tired in the middle of the race, and merely drag your feet to the touchline. This is because they have to keep constantly on their twos for 8 hours a day, talking to customers. They only get one hour off, as lunch break. If they are left high and dry, without proper supervision and monitoring, their production levels will drop exponentially, and they will simply just show up at the store to twiddle thumbs and fingers for wage, by mid-campaign.
When presenting in-store proposals to clients (brands), I normally emphasize that a good eye be put on monitoring and supervision. CTA Space has a system where spot checks, through the mystery-shopper technique, are conducted by the back office and brand ambassadors are evaluated on KPIs, on every single check (store visit) using an instant reporting tool. The grades they score determine the performance of the supervisor that oversees them. Therefore, once brand ambassadors are deployed into the stores after training and vetting, they are divided into various teams of five and each team is given a supervisor. The onus is the supervisor’s to ensure that every member of his or her team is constantly performing, because, their grades, as established from the back office monitoring report, shall directly impact the performance of that supervisor. I normally say, “supervision is the spine of in-store marketing – you don’t want to compromise on that!”
But it’s not all tense with this highly effective customer engagement avenue called in-store. It’s got some good fun in it too. It becomes fun when you manage to get everyone that’s working with you, to invest their emotions and passion into the brand first, and then the campaign. Everybody working on an in-store project must wear the heart of the brand on their sleeves. This is not just another way to offer constant fuel to their energy everyday, but also, to drive believability, among consumers, in what the brand ambassadors are telling them. It’s so easy to sell something you love and believe in, because the customer will see right through your authenticity and trust your pitch.
Now, my role on an in-store project, as a project manager at CTA Space, is to ensure that all the above is in check first, and then keep the client abreast on daily performance with sales and interactions across all the stores under activation, at close of business, through a dedicated WhatsApp group, where all stakeholders pertaining to the project are members. And in between, I have to scan stock status across all outlets and, through keen forecast, make sure that the distributor replenishes stock-outs immediately. I also have to ensure that all promotional materials are up, and all promotional mechanics are implemented locally by the stores, while keeping tabs on competition and reporting real-time. It’s not your cup of tea, but it has become mine over time.
“Everybody working on an in-store project MUST wear the heart of the brand they represent on their sleeves”, Nashiba, PM CTA Space
On the surface, you will think an in-store campaign is so easy to execute that you can do it yourself. Many have. And once they’ve done, they’ve only discovered that there are so many systems and logistics involved, which they didn’t expect, and they’ve gotten stuck. The loss on investment is immeasurable once an in-store campaign goes wrong.
Personally, everyday offers me a new lesson in the world of in-store marketing. The ups and downs have become something like an addictive drug for me, but I won’t be looking for a support group for this one!
The most addictive part is the traction that the campaign gains after the initial week of launch, when most of the challenges are put to bed. That first week can drain you, if you don’t have the right experience to deal with it and overturn things. I love it!
Give me an in-store project right now.
