By Elizabeth Boineau
Marketing Matters

“It is only shallow people who do not judge by appearances.”

~Oscar Wilde

If we believe that image is everything, or most of it anyway, then what better time than the holidays to do a spot check on the packaging of your product or service to be sure it exudes the best possible brand presence, full of character and energy, and speaks to your target before the first ribbon is untied?

When there are so many products vying for that same share of attention in today’s marketplace, with its ever-in-overdrive and deliver-it-yesterday mindset, don’t underestimate the power of a strong brand identity, in both visual (graphics, art direction) and verbal (messaging, copy, Web content) communications.

A powerful brand calls out to the target  audience and gives them a better understanding of why yours is the best choice and moves their buying decision in your direction.

For retailers in particular, this season is when many make the revenue that will see them through the less-festive quarters of the year. And this particular season is off to a solid start, both online and off. A look at the numbers shows why you can’t rely on one medium, platform or pathway to reach the customer anymore, and why the brand has to speak loud and clear to the consumer across all media and channels of communication.

Online traffic reporting and tracking service comScore Networks Inc. shows that online sales at the start of the holiday season were up 42% over 2005, with $434 million being spent online. In-store consumer spending increased 6% to nearly $9 billion, according to National Retail Sales Estimate by ShopperTrak.

This shift in buying behavior and retail traffic patterns reflect the increasing power of Web search-driven consumers. Interestingly, one major retailer with a drop in in-store sales had the busiest Web site on the Friday after Thanksgiving: 3.2 million unique visitors logged on to Wal-Mart.com on Nov. 24, according to Nielsen/NetRatings, although in-store sales were off 10%.

This shift, and how retailers respond to it, is a big part of the new game. Those that offer a number of channels for purchases, in addition to a consistent and recognizable brand identity and corporate “package,” will come out OK this and every year to come.

So how do today’s top-ranked retailers seize their piece of the rather plump economic pie, driven by a seemingly energetic buyer? The ones who fared best in the research had pushed their offerings out to the consumer through advertising and other promotions.

As a marketer and consumer, I can personally attest that it was through ad inserts (who could miss the weight-training afforded by the Thanksgiving Day paper?), direct-mail coupons, online offers (does any retailer not offer free shipping these days?) and myriad e-blast enticements pushed though the miracle of wireless Internet.

As I offered a toast to connectivity, I recalled those who had “pushed” their message at me, what they dangled and how it linked to off-line offers I had mass-consumed and/or been sent in a more direct (mail) fashion. Reflections on what they did well, and which ones got to me, are on my own personal list of holiday must-haves:

1. Product or service options that respond to customer needs. Seek to deliver what your customers need and want.

2. Systematic contact and touch-points that employ strong content, but be sure to always be grammatically correct. Use spell check and tap your literate friends as editors.

3. Strong, appealing and consistent graphics. The Web site has to look like the letterhead, the letterhead like the cards, the cards like the ad, the ad like the direct mail, the direct mail like the brochure and so on. They should look like one happy family and not warring factions.

4. Fair, competitive pricing, unless you are a luxury brand that can position itself as the priciest for a reason.

5. Outstanding customer service. Why do you think Wal-Mart had so much online business this year? Their in-store service could stand a revival.

6. Internal communications that are at least as strong as external communications. Employees need to know what’s going on before the public does and should be trained as part of the brand team.

So try adding a few of those to your list of resolutions and see what happens. Maybe the new year will be full of just the right presence.

Elizabeth L. Boineau runs E. Boineau & Co., a Charleston-based strategic marketing communications and public relations firm. E-mail her at eboineau@eboneauandco.com.

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