It’s easy to forget that much of what’s practiced in today’s retail business is based upon a foundation that was set over the last 100 years. While there has been an introduction of technology, such as bar scanning and sophisticated inventory management systems that have improved operations and service, basic marketing techniques have remained relatively unchanged.

Mass media (TV, radio) is still a large portion of marketing spend, and direct-to-consumer communications are primarily non-personalized Free Standing Inserts (FSI’s) and mailers. On-premise marketing also continues to be centered on POP signage that directly supports national campaigns with little or no localization.

All of these practices ignore changing consumer behaviors. The New Consumer expects retailers to speak to their individual interests and preferences.  This is true of direct-to-consumer communications, as well as on-premise signage at a specific store. These New Consumers want to feel a sense of relationship to the places they frequent. Walking into a store and seeing signage that speaks to your interests and lifestyle gives you a sense of ownership in the store. That ownership can mean the difference between a retail location being a convenience or a destination.

Responding to this need requires a rethinking of the retail space and the way you communicate with customers — both within the store and directly. Consider these ideas:

• Customize each store’s menu boards so it features local customer favorites
• Add signage that speaks to local events (high school teams, concerts, etc.)
• Include signage in other languages that appeal to local demographics
• Localize store signage to reflect community tastes and interests (specific products or traffic patterns)
• Frequently rotate the store’s graphic themes with changeable graphic panels (perhaps with graphics that reflect the community)
• Integrate direct-to-consumer communications (mail, e-mail) with store signage
• Build completely personalized direct communications (graphics, messaging and offers) based upon specific consumer preferences and community themes

There are other ways to create a sense of relationship with your customers. Many marketing campaigns may seem difficult or expensive; however, having the right partners to execute them can make this easy. Focus your attention on expanding your creative thinking and the rest will fall into place.

New Consumers aren’t just interested in relationships; they also have a thirst for new things to talk about in order to feed their social media habits. In my next blog post, I will discuss why agility should be a cornerstone of your marketing program.