Measuring the emotional connection shoppers make with in-store communication & merchandising is challenging. Over the years, companies have added things like eye-tracking and virtual shopping to enhance shopper understanding. This is extremely important to identify what is seen and how long they fixate on in-store displays & point-of-purchase signage. It also allows us to measure different ways to communicate in-store; especially comparing today’s reality to a future reality.
Over the last 5-10 years, companies like PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, and Coca-Cola began adding Neuroscience Tools to better understand consumer & shopper decision-making. This helped solve one big problem…what people say is not always reflective of an actual memory, or how they truly felt about a brand or retail experience. It isn’t that they are lying. They just aren’t aware of what they actually saw or were experiencing. Consumers commonly will provide a rational response.
Neuroscientific and Behavioral Tools help us unlock what is occurring in the nonconscious, offering a holistic approach to human understanding and decision-making.
Many companies use these newer tools to test advertising and marketing communication. However, it is very effective to apply these tools to measure the effectiveness of merchandising, digital, and mobile marketing campaigns. We want to ensure different marketing vehicles are seen, are relevant, and lead to purchasing. We also measure how effective each are to relevant demographic targets and shopper segments.
Coming up with ways to measure the effectiveness of one merchandising or promotional strategy vs. another is critical to ensuring a positive Return-on-Investment (ROI). These new measures allow for more strategic discussions with decision-makers, and keep the consumer and shopper as the primary focus of marketing and communication.
Learn how Neuroscience Tools are applied to merchandising and some key principles you can immediately apply to your business.
