In Response to Brooke's Post on Grocery Stores.

Do you believe the tricks work? Have you ever fallen for these tricks?

            I wouldn’t call them tricks as much as I would call them a strategy, but yes.  I think almost everyone falls into the trap that grocery stores set up for their customers.  It’s their marketing strategy to bring more money into the store than they would get for randomly placing items on selves.  Stores not only set up products in a way specific way for their target markets, they also emphasize sale items on shelves which are usually placed next to the same product of a different brand not on sale.  For example, if Hidden Valley Salad Dressing is on sale, it is more likely that Newman’s Own Dressing which isn’t on sale will be placed next to one another to draw customers to Hidden Valley.

            While grocery stores seem to have their marketing strategy mastered, other types of stores are starting to pick up on the trend.  For example Ikea, not only are you being lead through a maze forcing you through the entire store, at the end you are brought into the massive gallery where you can pick up the items you saw throughout the store.  You also find all of the sale items in one area and the larger furniture in the “lumber yard”.  Ikea seems to have created a brilliant marketing strategy for their stores and have also started to thrive from it.  Many times I find myself going to Ikea for simple room decorations and walk out with way more than I bargained for, and I am absolutely positive I am not the only one.  What other stores have you noticed focusing on the set-up of the store as the marketing strategy?

Superbowl Commercials

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/24/business/media/marketers-tease-super-bowl-commercials.html?ref=superbowl

Last week an article was released regarding Super Bowl commercials and the new approach they are taking to market their products.  Some companies, Volkswagen especially, have been releasing bits of their commercials to the public to create more of an audience for the actual air date of the full commercial.  Although some may think this is a waste of money to preview a commercial, Volkswagen is claiming that previews will promote conversation from customers to spread the word about the upcoming debut.  By showing pieces of a commercial it is allowing the company to advertise their business through word of mouth and internet sharing.

                The article states that doing this creates a “Halo Effect” on its viewers by encouraging them to watch their commercial as well as makes viewers feel in on the “joke” being made.  Companies know how to maintain their relationships with their customers, and they also know that the Super Bowl is the ultimate way to advertise their products.

                I agree that by releasing pieces of these commercials will make people want to watch their commercial to see the outcome, however, what happened to the element of surprise? I believe that many people look forward to the advertisements because it is a brand new commercial targeted for that specific audience.  I do not think that companies should be previewing their commercials in order to gain excitement from their customers simply because it seems like wasted money.  Companies are 100% aware that there will be millions of people watching the Super Bowl this coming Sunday, and they also know that millions of people are excited for the commercials. 

Do you think companies should be previewing their commercials before the Super Bowl? How might it help affect their marketing strategy?