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On September 16, the 9th edition of the Stratégies Summit was held at the Pavillon Gabriel in Paris. An enriching and lively morning of testimonials and conferences on the new challenges facing brands. We're talking about challenges, because more than ever, brands that have embraced recent changes have, in some cases, achieved real feats in record time. 3 fundamental marketing themes: usefulness, especially in this period of COVID, proximity to the consumer, and personalization, even hyper-personalization. |
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Utility, Proximity, Personalization: what's the link?
These 3 themes have in common the customer, who is at the heart of the concerns of " Client Centrix " companies.
Changes in consumer behaviour, such as access to information, informed decision-making, consumption patterns, etc., are pushing companies to provide immediate responses.
There are 51 million Internet users in France, connected for an average of 2 hours a day.
For example, customer reviews often come from third parties, and are not always taken into account by brands. In this case, it will be relevant for brands to provide USEFUL information themselves. This enriched service, with advice and recommendations dictated directly by the brand, will help to increase proximity with the customer.
Online sales and after-sales services are also opportunities for contact and interaction, linking utility with proximity.
The promise of a close, lasting relationship requires a consumer-centric approach.
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This brings us to personalization, already a major issue, but one that has been greatly accelerated by the crisis, hence the term "hyper-personalization". As such, retailers need to integrate the personal sphere of consumers to be consistent and offer a personalized service or product. We still need to convince the two-thirds of customers who feel that brands are not sufficiently responsive to their adaptation needs. |
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What about Data ?
Finally, to get to know their customers better and provide them with a tailored offer, retailers will need to adopt a " Data oriented " or " Data driven " approach, and handle data in a qualified and ethical manner.
Nevertheless, today, one in two consumers is not ready to share his or her personal data.
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Finally, the crisis has underlined the importance of brands in this approach to utility and proximity. Brands have played a central, even social role, offering upgraded services for upgraded consumer benefits. Everyday customization makes performance USEFUL. |
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S'engager pour mieux engager: companies and consumers in search of meaning
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The morning continued with a round-table discussion with 3 guests from the retail sector: Danone, Ceetrus - the Auchan Group's real estate arm, and IMEDIAcenter - a retail and e-retail advertising agency. They all recognize that the crisis is driving consumers and citizens to make changes, often already initiated but accelerated by the context. |
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These include the need for reassurance (inevitably in this health safety crisis), the need for transparency (and digital makes this possible!) and the search for healthy, useful products.
Engagement is a strategic turning point for brands.
Interestingly, however, they also agree that the situation is paradoxical, with people continuing to overconsume.
According to Vianney Dumas, Director of Innovation at Ceetrus, consumers are getting involved and are looking for brands and even places that are committed: " Customers want local, social links and services ".
The basic contract is no longer the quality/price ratio, even if price is still the priority, it's no longer enough.
At this conference, Vianney Dumas shares the real estate group's objectives: the transformation of shopping centers, in collaboration with local communities and residents, into living spaces. They will be multi-use, offering access to culture and leisure. New districts. The ambition is to create living centers that will be platforms for useful local services.
What about "engagement communication"?
Guillaume Mounier, Head of shopper & Activation at Danone, reminded the audience that "the brand has been communicating since the 70s on the impact in the territories".
To embody the change, he looks back at the initiative taken by the group on Gariguette.
| Launched in January 2020, the "Danone aux Fruits d'Ici" range of fruit yogurts has been enriched with a new recipe, "Gariguettes 2020, les rescapées du Sud-Ouest".
This limited edition offers an outlet for the industry, which was particularly hard hit during the confinement period. This reference was produced at the Villecomtal dairy in the Gers region, drawing on Fruits Rouges & Co's expertise in selecting fruit with precise specifications. |
photo credit © Danone |
This case perfectly illustrates an example of collective responsibility: action will have saved fruit and jobs.
Here are a few key concepts for "responsible" communication: pedagogy, authenticity and verifiability of information.
Not all brands are mature about engagement; they are still in the minority(less than 20% according to Brandfinance).
Commitment at the heart of our raison d'être and performance
While some retailers are slowly but surely making the shift to engagement, others are historically and natively engaged.
Such is the case with MAIF, a socially responsible insurance company. Cécile Ribour, Communications Director, explains how MAIF has always integrated the search for positive impacts into all its actions. MAIF has a strong and long-standing tradition of commitment to all its stakeholders, be they the environment, its employees or its customer-members. The company is driven by this raison d'être, and has enshrined it in its articles of association, as part of its mission statement. (For further information: Loi Pacte)
Time for containment
The discussion continued with lively testimonials from Burger King and Orange.
How did they react? What posture did they adopt in the face of confinement?
- Burger King & Buzzman
Carole Rousseau, Head of Marketing at BK France, and Loïc Coelho, Director of creative agency Buzzman, talk about how they tried to strike abalance between responsibility and creativity.
In a highly reactive manner, the fast-food chain lent a hand by donating charlottes to nursing staff and making its drives available for screening.
On the business side, with the group's restaurants completely closed, the question arose: why continue to communicate? The duo revealed that a certain responsibility rests on the brand, but that Burger King must continue to entertain its community. The Burger King ads have had a positive echo and impressive media impact.
Back to image: https: //www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0j1XC9SBxI
- Orange & La Chose - #Onresteensemble
| Eric Tong Cuong, agency president The Thingunderlines the the difference between a campaign and a sales proposal.
With Orange, they had to invent a campaign to serve the brand's vision and its usefulness during this period of crisis. Back to image: https: //www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0j1XC9SB |
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By Sarah Carbel