Marco Ieva

Retail shopper marketing: the future of promotional flyers

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the recent evolution of store flyers to illustrate how a tool of traditional marketing can be applied to generate insight on customer “couch-to-cart” behaviour thus supporting an innovating shopper marketing approach. The authors support this position by elaborating on three themes: first, the recent evolution of flyers, driven by incorporation of customer insight derived from loyalty data and by new features enabled by flyer digitalization; second, the evolution of the flyer planning and management process, related to opportunities and challenges in the retailer organisational structure; and third, the rise of online flyer aggregators. Design/methodology/approach – The authors used field interviews. The authors included the perspectives of different subjects involved in planning and delivering flyer-based promotions. Secondary data were also collected regarding flyer activities of a sample of 67 retail groups across 15 countries and four industries. Find...

Towards digital loyalty programs: insights from customer medium preference segmentation

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify patterns of medium preference for loyalty programs (LPs) among members to support the case for segmenting customers based on their medium preference. Design/methodology/approach A survey of nearly 2,000 customers who are enrolled in at least one supermarket LP was employed. LP members are segmented based on a latent class clustering model and then profiled in terms of socio-demographic variables by means of a multinomial logit regression model. Findings Medium preference is heterogeneous and differs at the customer segment and at the LP touchpoint level. Five segments emerge which display different medium preference patterns. LP medium preference is associated with age, gender, affluency and number of different LPs the customer is enrolled in. Practical implications Retailers, e-tailers and brands can benefit from this customer segmentation when faced with the challenges of adding online features or migrating their LPs online. Marketers should differentiate their investment in online and offline LP touchpoints according to the medium preference for each LP touchpoint of the customer segments of interest. Originality/value Retailers, e-tailers and brands are today introducing online marketing strategies and tactics, such as LPs, that have been traditionally used offline. So far, however, they have failed to answer the question whether online and offline LPs and related touchpoints have the same preference among consumers. Literature on LPs has not explored customer preference for the LP medium or the consumer characteristics related to medium preference. This work is unique in providing an overview of medium preference for LPs and their touchpoints.

Online versus Offline Promotional Communication: Evaluating the Effect of Medium On Customer Response

ABSTRACT The effectiveness of online versus offline promotional communication is an important marketing issue. This study estimated the effect of online versus print promotional communication on customer response. It employed a field experiment comparing the effectiveness of print versus online store flyers to evaluate the memory and actual shopping behavior of more than 9,000 retail customers. Evidence shows that print and online flyers achieved equal results in terms of purchase behavior and memory. The findings thus suggest that retailers and brands can focus on cost and reach when making investment decisions about print and online advertising.

Mapping touchpoint exposure in retailing: Implications for developing an omnichannel customer experience

The purpose of this paper is to identify the patterns of customer exposure to touchpoints by segmenting consumers based on the frequency of their exposure, and to understand the relationship of patterns of exposure with customer loyalty intentions (relationship commitment, self-disclosure and positive word-of-mouth) and demographic characteristics.,An online survey of almost 4,000 customers was employed in a supermarket retail setting. Customers were segmented based on their frequency of recalled exposure to multiple touchpoints, by means of a latent class cluster analysis, while considering the role of demographic characteristics. Afterwards, loyalty intentions variables were regressed on the resulting customer segments.,Based on the touchpoint exposure, six customer segments emerge. The main differences across segments relate to the intensity of frequency of exposure and the types of touchpoints customers have been exposed to. Sex, age, shopping role and geographic area of residence are related to segment membership. The identified patterns of exposure explain relationship commitment, self-disclosure and positive word-of-mouth: clusters displaying higher exposure to touchpoints display higher loyalty intentions than clusters displaying lower exposure.,The study offers actionable implications for brands and retailers on how to manage touchpoints for implementing omnichannel strategies.,As far as the authors know, this study is the first to identify exposure to multiple touchpoints and understand the role of demographics as far as touchpoint exposure is concerned. It also provides interesting findings on the relationship of different combinations of touchpoints with customer loyalty.

Innovation in Brand Promotion: Reacting to the Economic Crisis with Digital Channels and Customer Insight

Despite increases in promotional pressure by manufacturers and retailers to counter the effects of the economic crisis, promotional effectiveness is decreasing. Brands are reacting by experimenting with innovation in promotion, enabled by new digital channels, customer insight derived from individual customer information and new intermediaries. We respond to a call for research on promotion innovation (Grewal et al., 2011) by analyzing the post crisis promotional scenario. We see it shaped by the convergence of three industries: loyalty, payments and apps. Players and solutions from these three areas are merging to make a blend of loyalty and price promotion available for brands to deliver over digital channels and in targeted ways. We discuss managerial implications and new research opportunities.

Store Brand as a Customer Experience Touchpoint and Its Contribution to Store Loyalty

Store Brands (SBs) have been growing internationally over the last decades, spurring many managerial and academic studies. The present work aims to take a fresh perspective on SB by highlighting its role as a retail touchpoint within a Customer Experience (CE) framework. This study examines SB as a touchpoint, together with many other retail/store touchpoints that consumers interact with during their CE journeys. By means of a survey on more than 2000 consumers, we identify the relative role of SB within the CE journey in terms of reach, and its contribution to store loyalty when all other CE touchpoints are considered. First, we show that SB is a touchpoint that can reach a high share of retail customers and we highlight its overlap with other touchpoints. Second, considering that touchpoint “positivity” is defined as the customer’s affective response to the encounter with a touchpoint, the study estimates the relative contribution of SB positivity to store loyalty. SB positivity is found to be an important predictor of store loyalty. Results carry several implications for academics and practitioners.

Who Is the Social Coupon Shopper? Understanding the Drivers of Social Coupon Adoption: An Extended Abstract

Marketing literature has investigated coupons as tools that support customer acquisition and trial of new products for a long time now (Blattberg and Neslin 1989). With the advent of the Internet, coupons have become digital and major retailers and consumer goods manufacturers offer them online. E-coupon websites are platforms that enable consumers to browse through numerous product and service categories and download coupons that appeal to their preferences (Fortin 2000). As a result, consumers are encouraged to self-tailor promotions and discounts. Hence, redemption rates for e-coupons are expected to be higher because coupons will be user-requested (Fortin 2000).

Beyond the "mobile versus PC" dichotomy: Profiling online shoppers based on device usage

Availability of a growing number of devices for information searching and purchasing online is affecting consumer habits and company strategies. This paper investigates device usage patterns in the online Deal of the Day (DoD) shopping process. The study employs a cluster analysis of respondents based on their device usage. Four clusters emerge and are profiled by means of a benefits and costs approach based on demographic and psychographic characteristics. Multi-device behaviours for information search and DoD purchasing and multi-device behaviours are found to be dominant. Smartphone exclusive users display higher purchase frequency than multi-device segments. Tablet and smartphone users are found to be Market Mavens. Several implications for marketers are discussed.

Do Store Flyers Work? Implications for NBs and PLs from a Subgroup Analysis with Experimental Data

Store flyers are one of the key media featuring retail and brand promotions. However, the importance attributed to store flyers is not matched by an understanding of how customers respond to them. To shed light on flyer effectiveness, we employ a field experiment to estimate the response of 5000 retail customers to store flyers. We perform an Intention-To-Treat analysis and a Subgroup Analysis as post-hoc analyses with the aim of identifying unusual or unexpected treatment effects. Empirical evidence questions the effectiveness of untargeted flyer distribution. Subgroup Analysis provides further insights at customer segment level.

Memory for Private Label Versus National Brand in Feature Advertising

Feature advertising is perceived to be the most cost-effective way to deliver information that would influence consumers’ store choice. Retailers increasingly use store flyers as a common form of feature advertising. Promotions featured in store flyers represent two sources, manufacturers and retailers, who pursue different objectives—support sales of National Brands (NBs) and increase store traffic and PL sales, respectively. Store flyers design implies a very difficult trade-off between promoting PLs or NBs.