consumer insights - JAMZ Marketing

Ratings and Reviews Unlock a Goldmine of Consumer Insights

Leave a Comment / Omnichannel, Shopper Marketing, Unified Commerce / By Aaron Richman / July 31, 2024

Ever think about how RATINGS AND REVIEWS can provide CPG marketers VALUABLE INSIGHTS INTO CONSUMERS ACTUALLY BUYING YOUR BRAND?

I have!

And guess what? Ratings and reviews are a goldmine for consumer-packaged goods (CPG) brands looking to gain insights into shoppers. These insights are crucial for understanding customer preferences, improving products, and enhancing overall brand strategy.

5 Ways Ratings and Reviews Provide Consumer Insights

1. Understanding Consumer Preferences

Direct Feedback: Reviews provide direct feedback from consumers about what they like and dislike about a product. This helps brands understand consumer preferences and tailor their products accordingly.

Detailed Descriptions: Consumers often describe their experiences in detail, highlighting specific features they appreciate or find lacking. This granular feedback is invaluable for product development.

2. Identifying Common Issues

Spotting Trends: By analyzing reviews, brands can identify common issues or complaints. For example, if multiple reviews mention that a product’s packaging is difficult to open, this signals a need for improvement.

Prioritizing Fixes: Understanding the most frequently mentioned problems helps brands prioritize which issues to address first, ensuring that they tackle the most impactful areas.

3. Gauging Product Performance

Performance Metrics: Reviews often include ratings on various aspects of a product, such as quality, value for money, and ease of use. These metrics provide a quantitative measure of product performance.

Benchmarking: Brands can compare their product ratings and reviews against competitors to see how they stack up in the market.

4. Enhancing Product Development

Innovation Ideas: Consumer feedback can inspire new product features or entirely new products. For instance, if reviews frequently mention a desire for a specific flavor or variant, this can guide future product development.

Iterative Improvements: Continuous feedback allows brands to make iterative improvements to their products, ensuring they stay aligned with consumer needs and preferences.

5. Improving Marketing Strategies

Targeted Messaging: Insights from reviews can help refine marketing messages. Understanding what consumers value most about a product allows brands to highlight these features in their marketing campaigns.

Customer Segmentation: Reviews can reveal different customer segments and their unique preferences, enabling more targeted and effective marketing strategies.

Here is an example:

Imagine a CPG brand that sells a popular ice cream product. By analyzing reviews, they discover that while many customers love the taste, there are frequent mentions of complaints about the lack of eco-friendly packaging and a desire for a low-sugar variant. Armed with these insights, the brand can improve the packaging and introduce a new low-sugar option, addressing consumer needs and potentially increasing sales.

In my opinion, ratings and reviews provide CPG brands with a wealth of consumer insights that can drive product improvements, enhance marketing strategies, and ultimately lead to greater customer satisfaction and loyalty. 🚀

#CPG #ConsumerInsights #CustomerFeedback #ProductDevelopment #MarketingStrategy #CustomerSatisfaction #BrandImprovement

To see more posts from Aaron Richman click here or visit him on LinkedIn here.

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5 Interesting Social Media Insights Exclusively from Caddle

Leave a Comment / Omnichannel, Shopper Marketing, Unified Commerce / By Aaron Richman / July 29, 2024

Exclusive Insights on Social Media Usage in Canada!

I’m thrilled to share some exclusive research from my friends Caddle, brought to you by ME!

In today’s digital age, social media plays a crucial role in the shopper journey. These platforms are a primary source for discovering new products, shaping purchase decisions through influencer and user-generated content, providing social proof when friends and family endorse a product, and offering compelling visual content that encourages purchase decisions.

For brands, social media provides a platform to expand brand consideration, foster direct relationships with consumers and collect valuable data on consumer preferences, behaviours and feedback to inform marketing strategies.

This is where Caddle comes in. Recently, Caddle, which boasts the largest active daily and monthly panels in Canada with 10,000+ daily active users and 100,000+ active monthly users, surveyed 9,649 Canadians. The survey, weighted by age, gender and Province, explored their usage of four key social media platforms: Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), Pinterest and Snapchat.

Here are some key insights from the research:

Among the four social media platforms, Instagram leads in popularity with 55% of Canadians using it, followed by Snapchat (53%), Pinterest (40%) and X/Twitter (27%).

Canadians are highly engaged with Instagram with 70.2% of users accessing the platform at least once daily, and 38.3% spending 1-5 hours per week on it.

Only Snapchat has a higher engagement rate with 73.4% of users on the platform daily. However, only 27.3% of users spend 1-5 hours per week on it.

Engagement rates and weekly usage rates for Pinterest (25.4%/23.4%) and X/Twitter (51.3%/26.4%) are lower than the competition.

In terms of customer satisfaction rates, Snapchat leads with 54.5% of users stating they are “very satisfied” with the platform followed by Instagram (35.4%), Pinterest (35.4%) and X/Twitter (30.5%).

A final thought: It’s essential for brands to understand that platforms like Instagram and Snapchat, with their high engagement rates, are pivotal in influencing purchase decisions. Brands should leverage the power of influencer partnerships and user-generated content to drive authentic engagement and build trust with the consumer.

_____________________________________________________________________________For more information on the Caddle go to www.getcaddle.com or reach out to Colleen Martin on LinkedIn.

For information on my consulting services visit www.jamzmarketing.com

For more insights from the shopper marketing world check out my blogs at www.jamzmarketing.com/blog.

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Example of how consumers complete a ratings and reviews on the Caddle mobile platform.

Ratings and Reviews Increase Sales Conversion for CPGs

Leave a Comment / Omnichannel, Shopper Marketing, Unified Commerce / By Aaron Richman / July 20, 2024

In today’s competitive marketplace, ratings and reviews have become an essential tool for CPGs to drive consideration and sales. Makes sense since consumers rank ratings and reviews as the #1 KEY CONSIDERATION WHEN MAKING PURCHASE DECISIONS. But there are a variety of ways brands can use ratings and reviews to their advantage.

Here is a list of the top 5:

1. Building Trust and Credibility

Authenticity: Ratings and reviews from real customers provide authentic feedback, which builds trust. Potential buyers are more likely to trust a product with positive reviews from other consumers. This authenticity is crucial in an age where consumers are increasingly skeptical of traditional advertising.

Social Proof: Ratings and reviews help consumers see that others have had positive experiences with a product reassures potential customers, making them more confident in their purchase decision. Social proof is a powerful psychological phenomenon that can significantly influence buying behavior.

2. Influencing Purchase Decisions

Peer Recommendations: Consumers often rely on the opinions of others when making purchasing decisions. Positive ratings and reviews act as recommendations, encouraging others to buy. This peer influence is especially strong in categories like beauty and health products, where personal experiences are highly valued.

Detailed Insights: Ratings and reviews provide detailed insights into the product’s performance, helping potential buyers understand its benefits and drawbacks. This information can be crucial in the decision-making process, , as it allows consumers to make informed choices based on real-world usage.

3. Enhancing Product Visibility

SEO Benefits: Ratings and reviews contribute to SEO by providing fresh, user-generated content. This improves the product’s visibility in search engine results, attracting more potential buyers. Search engines favor content that is regularly updated and relevant, and reviews help achieve this.

Higher Click-Through Rates: Products with high ratings and reviews and numerous reviews are more likely to attract clicks from search engine results pages (SERPs), leading to increased traffic and potential sales. High click-through rates signal to search engines that the product is popular and relevant, further boosting its visibility.

4. Reducing Purchase Anxiety

Addressing Concerns: Ratings and reviews often address common concerns and questions about the product. When potential buyers see that others have had positive experiences, it reduces their anxiety about making a purchase. This reassurance is particularly important for high-involvement purchases where the risk of dissatisfaction is perceived to be higher.

Transparency: Honest ratings and reviews, including both positive and negative feedback, provide transparency. This helps consumers feel more informed and confident in their decision. Transparency builds trust and can differentiate a brand in a crowded marketplace.

5. Encouraging Repeat Purchases

Customer Engagement: Engaging with reviewers by responding to their feedback fosters a sense of community and loyalty. Satisfied customers are more likely to become repeat buyers. This engagement shows that the brand values customer input and is committed to continuous improvement.

Product Improvement: Ratings and reviews provide valuable feedback that can be used to improve the product. Enhanced products lead to higher customer satisfaction and increased repeat purchases. By listening to customer feedback, brands can make data-driven decisions that enhance product quality and customer experience.

Here is an example:

Imagine a customer is considering buying a new skincare product. They read several positive ratings and reviews highlighting the product’s effectiveness and gentle ingredients. These reviews address their concerns about skin sensitivity and provide reassurance. Feeling confident, they decide to make the purchase. After a positive experience, they leave their own review, further boosting the product’s credibility and encouraging more sales.

In my opinion, ratings and reviews are powerful tools that help CPG brands build trust, influence purchase decisions, enhance visibility, reduce purchase anxiety, and encourage repeat purchases. By leveraging this feedback, brands can drive sales conversions and boost overall sales. 🚀

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I am Aaron Richman – Your Dedicated and Expert Shopper Marketing Consultant

Leave a Comment / Omnichannel, Shopper Marketing, Unified Commerce / By Aaron Richman / July 17, 2024

Aaron Richman Shopper Marketing Consultant

Hi, I’m Aaron.

Husband (33 years) to Michele Richman.

Father of two successful young men (@Zachary Richman and @Jordan Richman).

Entrepreneur and Shopper Marketing Consultant at JAMZ Marketing, founded in 2003.

I’m passionate about combining my love of sports, mentoring young people, and community service. I have been a volunteer coach, Director of House League and Board Member for several local sports organizations. Fun Fact: I even won a bronze medal in basketball for Canada as an Assistant Coach at a major international competition!

Clients and friends often tell me my personality is as colourful as the shirts that I wear.

Sharing insights and my point of view on key industry news and trends impacting the shopper marketing/omnichannel/connected commerce world is both a creative outlet and a passion. But trust me, my two-time Cannes Lions awarding winning son @Zachary Richman is the copywriter in the family.

As a Marketing Consultant my primary goal is to HELP BRANDS DRIVE SALES CONVERSION focusing on retail, CPG and technology companies within in the omnichannel space. I work with some of top agencies and CPGs) in Canada.

My expertise includes:

Shopper and retail strategy
Shopper digital media planning (RMN and RAMP)
Data analysis
Senior-level client service

I aim to provide thought leadership through my content and, when the opportunity arises, when we work together.

Currently, for the first time in several years, I HAVE CAPACITY TO TAKE ON NEW CLIENTS.

If you’d like my perspective on a trend or want to see if we’re a good fit, feel free to reach out on LinkedIn or email me at aaron@jamzmarketing.com.

Looking forward to connecting with you!

#MarketingConsultant, #ShopperMarketing, #Omnichannel, #ConnectedCommerce, #ContentCreation, #MarketingStrategy, #ClientSuccess, #CommunityEngagement #Mentorship, #Leadership #thoughtleadership #Networking #MarketingInsights #availabletowork #retailstrategy #CPG

To read more about Aaron Richman click here. To read my blogs click here.

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5 star ratings & reviews drive sales conversions

Ratings & Reviews are #1 in Driving Consumer Purchase Decisions

Leave a Comment / Omnichannel, Shopper Marketing, Unified Commerce / By Aaron Richman / July 12, 2024

♫ Might as well admit it I’m addicted to…RATINGS & REVIEWS! ♬ Aren’t you? If so, you are among the vast majority of consumers (99.75%) who consult Ratings and Reviews when shopping online or pre-planning shopping trips before purchasing a product. (I need to meet the 0.25% who don’t use reviews! 😊)

How important are Ratings and Reviews?

Consumers rank Ratings & Reviews as the #1 key consideration when making purchase decisions (90%) ahead of family/friend recommendations (74%), search engine ranking (56%), Facebook and Instagram (28% & 26%) and brand influencer endorsements (17%).

BUT RATINGS AND REVIEWS ARE NOT JUST FOR ONLINE PURCHASES AND PRE-SHOP PLANNING!

More and more shoppers are using their mobile devices IN-STORE to research products by comparing and looking at product reviews.

A recent survey shows 84% of consumers use smartphones to look at Ratings and Reviews when considering IN-STORE purchases.

Just the other day I found myself in @Shoppers Drug Mart checking out reviews on @Google and @Amazon looking for consumer insights on an after-shave brand I had not purchased before. Focus group of one, but I purchased the product so … REVIEWS DO DRIVE SALES CONVERSION!

So, how can retailers and brands bring the power of Ratings & Reviews IN-STORE?

Recently, when exploring in-store photos on Shelfgram I came across a shelf media execution by Native deodorant that included a call-to-action of “50,000+ 5-star reviews”.

Photo courtesy of Field Agent and Shelfgram.

Also, Walmart Canada is testing digital shelf signage (see video below) that includes product and price information while integrating Ratings and Reviews. This is a splendid example of omnichannel marketing, as Walmart is making Ratings & Reviews accessible to shoppers online at Walmart.ca and in-store.

So how do you make Ratings & Reviews more easily available in-store while we wait for retailers to integrate digital signage?

Simple.

Integrate a QR code into your shelf media, POS, displays and packaging with a call-to-action to check out Ratings & Reviews. For brands already using QR codes to drive shoppers to receipt validation contest pages, recipe sites and brand pages this tactic is a no-brainer. While you’re at it, add a QR code linking to Ratings & Reviews in your flyer ads too!

Plus, if you want to gain insights into shopper engagement with QR codes check out Tapscan, which offers a platform featuring real-time reporting on shopper engagements by retailer, time day/week, language, location and more.

Finally, there are a lot of companies that offer Ratings & Reviews services in Canada to help brands drive consideration and sales conversion. Caddle, Field Agent, Samplesource and Shopper Army just to name a few.

Therefore, if you want to engage a leading Shopper Marketing Consultant to help navigate the Ratings & Reviews world, check out my contact information on my website or LinkedIn profile and let’s start a conversation.

Sources: Power Reviews, Uniqode

Native deodorant photo courtesy of Shelfgram and Field Agent Canada.

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Printed flyers in Quebec impacted by shutting down of Publisac

Grocery Shoppers Moving to Digital Flyers as Readership Increases by 20%

Leave a Comment / Shopper Marketing / By Aaron Richman / June 14, 2024

Printed flyers, often found in mailboxes, rolled-up in elastic bands on doorsteps, or tucked within the pages of our community newspapers, are a familiar sight, offering shoppers discounts and promotions on grocery products from local supermarkets. In Canada, the distribution of printed flyers has historically served as a significant promotional strategy for retailers and CPG brands, providing a potent means for businesses, to reach and engage consumers to drive pre-shop consideration and get products on the weekly shopping trip list. However, traditional printed flyer distribution methods have been disrupted in the last 12 months leaving millions of households in Canada without access to flyers highlighted by two major developments.

First, in Quebec, the owners of Publisac shut down its flyer service after 45 years leaving over 2 million households without (see story here: https://rb.gy/eeojmv).

Second, in Ontario, the Toronto Star’s sister company Metroland Media Group announced it was closing print production of 71 community newspapers with only a handful continuing to publish online. (see story here: https://rb.gy/12moyy)

As a result, Canadian shoppers are increasingly using digital methods to seek out weekly grocery deals through retailer websites, retailer apps and third-party platforms like Flipp who aggregates weekly ads, deals and coupons from various retailers into one convenient location. Recently, Flipp, in partnership with Angus Read, released its 10th Annual Flyer Readership in Canada 2024 research study which shows:

*83% of Canadian shoppers report reading flyers; a decrease of 3 percentage points in the last year.

*Digital flyer readership increased +20% in the last year

*For the first time ever, digital flyer readership exceeds print flyer readership in all age groups.

*Overall, 54% of Canadian household shoppers read only or mostly digital flyers. This number increase to 77% for Gen Z and 75% for millennial shoppers.

*Among all digital flyer readers, the top 3 sources of the digital flyer are 1) retailer websites (48%), retailer apps (38%) and Flipp (32%)

To get a full copy of the Flipp readership study you can click here: https://rb.gy/ijc9o8

The Flipp app is a one-stop marketplace for deal in digital flyers. — Flipp app allows grocery shoppers to browse digital flyers with local deals.

Flipp helps retail and CPG partners create, curate and distribute local promotion and savings content to millions of highly-engaged shoppers every day through its mobile app.

In my opinion, digital is the future for flyer readership in Canada. And what excites me the most is technology from companies like Aristid whose software platform enables retailers to personalize millions of flyers every week for individual shoppers based on purchase behaviour. This allows retailers to deliver a flyer with the right product mix, at the right time, at the right price adjusting for local store pricing and product assortment with updates based on inventory levels.

To learn more abour Aristid click here: https://rb.gy/f3oz2xUntil next time, thanks for visiting.

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Shopping Lists help drive sales conversion!

Leave a Comment / Shopper Marketing / By Aaron Richman / August 19, 2023

One of the questions I get asked most often by my CPG clients is “how can we improve our sales conversion rates?” via Ecommerce sites or in-store.

Typically, I advise clients that driving higher conversion rates starts in the pre-shop phase of the shopper journey by driving consideration utilizing shopper digital media with a goal of literally getting their brand on a consumer’s shopping list. Why is this so important? Well, according to a new research study from my friends at AdAdapted from their whitepaper titled “The CPG Pre-Planning Report”, shopping lists are an important part of the path to purchase.

Here are a few top-line insights:

82.1% of shoppers use a shopping list “often” or always.

80.1% of consumers use both pen-and-paper and digital grocery shopping lists.

54.3% of survey respondents use pen-and-paper while 49.6% note using a digital grocery list “often” or “always.”

Individuals across all age demographics utilize both types of lists, but Gen Z and Millennials tend to use digital shopping lists more often.

Consumers have a range of digital options available for managing their grocery lists including basic note-keeping apps (58.8%), digital grocery list apps (41.8%) and retail eCommerce apps (40.4%).

Shopping list apps are increasing in popularity with grocery shoppers

For more insights you can download a copy of AdAdapted’s full report by clicking here.

AdAdapted ads solution helps brands get on shopping lists and into shopping carts

And if you want help getting your brand onto shopping lists and into shopping carts consider AdAdapted’s media advertising solution which focuses on a new advertising genre: shopping list marketing. It is a solution many of my clients have used to drive consideration and sales lift.

A top line overview:

AdAdapted is a mobile only ad platform using patented technology.

AdAdapted’s solution allows brands to reach an exclusive shopper audience by serving ads via digital shopping list apps across North America. In the USA, there are 130 million Americans who have a grocery shopping list app on their mobile device with 46 million active users every week. In Canada, there 6.2 million Canadians who have an app with around 750,000 active weekly users.

The solution also allows brands to also serve ads on any other app on a shopper’s phone using mobile device IDs. For example, if a shopper has a digital shopping list and The Weather Channel on their mobile device, AdAdapted can serve ads to both apps.

Using patented Add-It™ technology allows shoppers to add the featured product to their shopping list app or directly to a retailer shopping cart without leaving the app.

Utilizing first-party data AdAdapted can hyper-target ads, for example, to category users, competitive brand buyersand within proximity of key retail stores.

If you want to know more about AdAdapted’s shopping list ad solution feel free to contact me at aaron@jamzmarketing.com or check out their website by clicking here.

Until next time, thanks for visiting.

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Loyalty Rewards Programs Help Retailers Retain Customers

Leave a Comment / Shopper Marketing / By Aaron Richman / August 2, 2023

Canadian grocery shoppers love loyalty rewards programs! This according to a recent research study from Caddle that shows practically all Canadians use at least one type of loyalty reward program led by the PC Optimum card with 91% penetration. And with the cost of groceries continuing to rise, rewards programs will maintain their popularity with consumers who are seeking out value-based offers in order to stretch their weekly shopping budget.

Sobeys Scene card loyalty rewards program POS in-store.

For grocery retailers, the benefits of loyalty rewards programs are plentiful and include:

* Customer acquisition – According to the Caddle research study, loyalty programs rank second behind price on things Canadians consider when deciding where to shop. Moreover, 51% of shoppers state loyalty programs play a key role in choosing where to shop.

*Customer retention: Loyalty programs are highly beneficial to grocery retailers, bringing them repeat customers, larger basket sizes and higher customer lifetime value. In fact, if a retailer stopped their loyalty rewards program, 74% of shoppers would change their shopping habits by shopping at the store less frequently.

*Zero-party Data: Loyalty programs allow grocery retailers to capture historical purchase data that can be utilized to improve marketing strategy, to develop seamless online and in-store shopping experiences and to personalize messaging and offers to individual shoppers.

Finally, despite high consumer usage and satisfaction, retailers face two key challenges moving forward to ensure their loyalty rewards programs. First, shoppers want more personalized offers with 44% of Canadians stating more relevant offers would motivate them to use their loyalty rewards program. And second, shoppers want the ability to redeem loyalty points in more places than just the retailer stores.

It will be interesting to see how loyalty rewards programs evolve over the next 12-18 months. If you have a comment, please leave one. Until next time, thanks for reading.

Check out the full Caddle report on The Shifting Landscape of Consumer Loyalty by clicking here.

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Shopper Marketing Minute – Product Innovation and COVID

Leave a Comment / Shopper Marketing / By Aaron Richman / June 19, 2020

In this episode of Shopper Marketing Minute, I discuss whether or not the timing is right for CPGs to be introducing new product innovations into the marketplace during COVID19. For full transcript see below:

I’m interested in this topic because recently, I have read two articles with differing points-of-view. The first article indicates many CPGs are cutting back on product innovation, choosing instead to focus on streamlining the number of products they manufacture to increase the speed to market of core brands to meet the demands of shoppers. The other article was based on a survey that shows two-thirds of CPGs are actively working on product innovation today and they plan on bringing them to market as soon as possible.

My opinion — it is important for CPGs to deliver new products shoppers want based on changing food trends and to develop new revenue streams. However, the two biggest unanswered questions for CPGs are: