TAKE A CHANCE

ost of the times, when I see a #job posting, I notice that experience of that industry is mentioned as a prerequisite. Recruiters shortlist or reject applications basis the filter of whether a person has worked in the industry or not. I believe that this approach often makes you lose out on lot of good talent.

One can learn about the #industry on the job too, as long as the person comes with the right values, attitude and aptitude that blends well with the #culture of the organisation.

In my career, I have changed industries thrice. I moved from #retail to #FMCG and then to #B2B in Nutrition. Every time, I was able to do it because someone was willing to take a chance on me, and go beyond the requirement of the industry experience filter. I am thankful to each one of them.

In fact, if you look at some of the successful corporate leaders, they have changed paths, moved to different industries and yet done so well in their careers.

Whenever I recruit, I never let the lack of industry experience stop me from shortlisting an application if the rest of the CV is interesting and exciting.

So my message to all the recruiters and the managers out there is this: Take A Chance and you will be surprised to find some rare gems.

CUTE WATER BOTTLES

Yesterday, I came across a little collection of #Evian bottles in the supermarket 🛒

While it brought a smile to my face, it also got me thinking on the strategy and logic behind these specially designed and packaged bottles 🍶

Some of my hypotheses of the rationale behind their launch are:

1. Shelf stand out: It goes without saying that these bottles stood out from all the other bottle brands on the shelf 🔍

2. Price value equation: Evian water is priced higher than the other bottles in the market. Other than the quality of the water, this kind of unique #packaging also helps in justifying the high price 💶

3. Increased consumption: A bottle design like this induces you to drink more water which is not only healthy for you but also healthier for Evian's business 💰💰

4. Getting children excited for water: If parents are looking ways to get their children to drink more water instead of other drinks, then a fun packaging like this can play a key role 🔐

BUY WITH YOUR TIME

'Time is money' is an aphorism that was coined by Benjamin Franklin two centuries ago. It seems that IKEA Group is keen to prove it to its consumers .

In UAE, #Ikea gave consumers the opportunity to pay for their goods using time as a currency! Yes, that is right. 

Most Ikea stores are located far from the city centres and it takes lot of time for #consumers to reach the store. This is a pain point for consumers. Ikea understood this consumer insight and converted it into a delight for them. 

How?

Ikea put a certain time value to every item in their store. Consumers had the option of paying for those goods, using the time that they had spent in reaching the store. 

Check out this video to see more.

ASSISTANCE OR NO ASSISTANCE?

Shopping behaviour differs from shopper to shopper. Some shoppers prefer to get help and assistance while they are shopping while others like to browse on their own and then reach out for help only when they need it. 

When it comes to beauty products, the shopping experience is even more personal, and hence some customers want assistance while others are happy to shop on their own.

Sephora understands this quite well and therefore, in a lot of their stores, it provides two kinds of shopping baskets (black and red). Shoppers can choose the basket based on their need. This allows the different shoppers to get exactly the kind of #retail experience that they want and it also gives a clear indication to the store staff on who needs to be assisted and who doesn't. 

Such a simple and effective solution!

THE MORE HATE YOU WEAR, THE LESS YOU CARE!

In today's social media world, #trolling is as common as giving likes. Brands get trolled, celebrities get trolled, common people get trolled. No one is spared. You always have two options - either get bothered by the trolls or ignore them. Clothing brand #Diesel came with a third option - Hate Couture. No, this isn't a spelling mistake of haute couture, but a very well thought out approach by the brand. Diesel took all the bad comments and turned them into limited edition merchandise and clothing for celebrities, for consumers and even for their staff. This was done across the fashion capitals of the world, slapping hate across their clothes and converting an insult into a self-declared identity! No wonder, this idea and campaign of Diesel has won the #Clio Gold Award for 2019. Check out the entire case study video to see what they did.

                                             #creativity #kunalviews #marketing #strategy

HAPPY MEAL VS. UNHAPPY MEAL

The rivalry and battle between McDonald's and Burger King is becoming quite similar to the cola wars of Coca Cola and Pepsi few years back. Everyone knows about the Happy Meals from McDonald's that have been there in existence for years! 

Now, as a challenger brand, #BurgerKing had to do something to shift the conversation to its own combo meals. Therefore, a few months back, they announced a range of 'Unhappy Meals' and called it Real Meals. These meals were launched in collaboration with Mental Health America to raise awareness for Mental Health Month of May. This was built on the insight that no one is happy all the time. That’s the message Burger King is trying to communicate with these meals. The “Real Meals” include the Blue Meal (feeling blue), Salty Meal, Yaaas Meal (excited), Pissed Meal and DGAF (Don’t Give a F---) Meal to celebrate "being yourself and feeling however you want to feel."

They launched these meals in special boxes and also did a campaign called #FeelYourWay, which you can watch on the YouTube link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjxRUEA0Tdo&t=14s

hashtag#QSR #marketing #kunalviews #challengerbrands #branding #insight #consumer #McDonalds #food #colawars

WORLD'S SMALLEST MCDONALD'S NOW OPEN!

So what is so special about the smallest McDonald's? This McDonald's, that has opened in Sweden will not serve humans but rather #bees! 
Yes, you read that right - Bees. It is aptly called McHive, having an outdoor seating, a pation, wooden panelling and two drive-thru windows well. 

Why? Honey bees have been dying at an alarming rate, with few species almost on the verge of extinction. Bees are an integral part of #nature, helping in pollination and thereby allowing nature to prosper across places. McDonald’s franchises across Sweden are taking initiatives to save bees from extinction by doing various activities and bringing awareness to people. Opening a McHive is a part of that initiative. 

This is an example of businesses caring about more things than topline and #profits.

hashtag#retail #McDonalds #kunalviews #environment #protection #conservation #QSR #restaurant

SHOP TILL YOU DROP!

hashtag#Primark, the Irish retail brand recently re-opened their flagship store in USA's King of Prussia mall in Philadelphia. They wanted to ensure that everyone visiting the mall gets to know about it in a unique and eye-catching way. So they created gigantic #shopping bags filled with merchandise and asked employees and shoppers to carry these bags all around the mall like walking billboards, delivering their message of Amazing Fashion at Amazing Prices. Such an #activation could not be missed by any visitor and with the number of pictures that people took of these bags, news even travelled among friends and families of those visitors.

                           #retail #marketing #idea #creative #advertising

COLOUR ME AND BRING ME TO LIFE!

In Australia, #Kellogg's has teamed up with #Crayola and launched special cereal boxes that come without the standard colours. They are then encouraging consumers to colour the boxes in their own way, upload the picture to a webpage that brings the colored image to life via Augmented Reality (AR). This is brilliant at so many levels: 1. It breaks the monotony on the retail shelves and makes their packs stand out. 2. They give an even stronger reason for parents to buy their packs in comparison to other cereal brands in the market. 3. By giving the opportunity of colouring the box, Kellogg's engages even with children who may otherwise not enjoy the cereals so much. 4. There can't be a bigger Aha moment for a kid than to see his or her own creation come to life through #AR. 5. The entire ritual from shopping, consuming, colouring, uploading and sharing brings the entire family together, thereby creating an emotional bond with the brand. 6. By giving daily prizes to the best creations, the brand keeps the conversation going even after the colouring has been done. 7. A simple #packaging hack like this brings in so much of #PR and earned media for Kellogg's as well as Crayola.

                                     #CPG #FMCG #marketing #brand #creativity #idea

TODAY AT APPLE

When you are #Apple, you are not in the business of selling products, you are in the business of selling an experience. The question is that once you have opened hundreds of stores all around the world, how do you keep generating footfalls continuously, not only from your existing customers but also from your potential customers? By offering them new experiences in the retail stores! 'Today at Apple' is a series of creative and educational programs that take place at the Apple stores, designed to inspire customers to learn new skills and take their passions further. Launched in 2017, this simple yet effective activation strategy ensures that people keep coming back to the stores to learn, to play and to form a stronger emotional bond with Apple, which is the ultimate goal of every brand. This case study won the Brand Experience & Activation Grand Prix at #CannesLions last year.

                                    #activation #brand #marketing #retail #strategy #Cannes

Retail: Starbucks opens its biggest store in the world

In a time, when #brands are struggling with their retail space, trying to maximize their returns per square foot and wondering whether brick and mortar still makes sense in the digital world, #Starbucks defies all convention and goes forward with a massive store launch in #Tokyo.

 It is not yet another cafe, but rather a #retail theater! It's an experience, and the moment you give #consumers not just a physical product but also an emotional experience, you have a winner on your hands. 

Calling it a 'Roastery' is a way to premiumize the Starbucks brand further. It not only acts as a brand amplifier but also as an #innovation lab where new menus, products and designs can be tested out before being rolled out at a larger scale.

The #coffee space will continue to get more exciting! 

You can read all about it the link below:

Starbucks opens it biggest store in Tokyo