KEY FINDING 2
As mobile changes the way we shop, category norms may also need to be re-examined. IMPLICATION
Considered becomes casual
Casual becomes considered
Categories that were shopped with great consideration may now see a more casual approach. For instance when shopping for appliances, people do their “homework” to shortlist, but often need to improvise or access more information in-store anyway. The model they have selected may not be on the floor and now they need to re-evaluate their choice and learn about a similar model or a competing brand.
The opposite is also happening. Categories that may have gotten minimal consideration before, now receive more attention. Take something as simple as getting coffee. It’s no longer just a matter of walking into a coffee shop. At Starbucks, people can look up locations, load up their reward card, explore nutritional information and even pay in select stores.
Before, this shopper may have returned home to conduct more research on the computer or he may have relied solely on instore customer service to make his choice. Now he has access to new information through his phone. This helps shoppers be a bit more casual about what they need to have in place before entering the store.
Think outside of category norms. If you assume shoppers are well-planned, they may not be. Be prepared for a more casual, improvised and real-time interaction. If you think shoppers are not involved - think again - they may be up for a more engaging shopping experience than we currently offer.
With gas prices the way they are today, people are giving this category a lot more consideration as well. The GasBudyy app helps shoppers find the cheapest gas nearby.
Take Volkswagen for example. They recently launched the GTI exclusively with an iPhone app. It became the number one downloaded app in 36 countries. It was an idea that seamlessly integrated the brand with play and utility for a real measureable return and it redefined how a car can be sold in the digital age. People casually browsed for a car just because they could.
{ Considered }
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{ Casual } { Casual }
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{ Considered }
©2011 Leo Burnett & Arc Worldwide | 5