#‹ blakely saunders ﹕ interactions ›

[attitvdes]

tag dump 1.0

[a-solitary-sea-rover-backup]

Albatross Elseworld Notes

Civil War GG Albatross: The basics seem pretty clear— Clipper ship captain Colin Rodgers, Intrepid Victorian Lady Naturalist Lora Saunders, Steampunk gadgeteer Kurt Burdett, etc. The hardest thing might be coming up with an excuse to have them in the United States interacting with the rest of the Golden Generation who would be more directly involved in the war. Interestingly, Colin would be among the first generation of British colonists born in New Zealand and would probably think of himself as British. (And in any earlier AUs he probably would just be British.)

Albatross 1886: Not all that much different from the above except that it’s peacetime and we could actually do a plot set at the America’s Cups of that era and have Riptide be a robber baron’s spoiled son. Maybe this one is more outright Steampunk whereas the previous was straightforwardly “historical but with superheroes”.

Golden Age Albatross: Just works as a pre-WWII sailor in the final days of sailing barques, had his origin in the Southern Ocean as usual, lots of WWII-set adventures in the Pacific Theatre, maybe regarded as more of a New Zealand patriotic hero. Colin might have a full beard as a “stereotypical seadog”. Lora could be a scientist/spy lady working for the British government who’s his official contact. (Thankfully this is a modern comic so Joey and Tori would be depicted with a lot more sensitivity than we might expect for Māori characters in an actual Golden Age comic.) Silver Age Albatross: This is actually the hardest, with the first famous single-handers and the OSTAR and Golden Globe Race, Colin could have his origin as a sport sailor in the late Silver Age, but he’d be a “debuting during the mid-late 60s” character, not a 50s-into-60s character. (It’s not that ocean racing didn’t exist, there were transatlantic and transpacific races, the Sydney-Hobart is just the only example anywhere near the Southern Ocean IIRC.) I almost wonder if his origin might be altered to be more “scientific” rather than magical, as with the Silver Age versions of Green Lantern, Hawkman, etc— given weather control powers by an accident with a weather control machine? Could have his mustache and long hair (but not quite a mullet) in a hippie-like look, or be clean-cut if the emphasis is on him as a scientist. FIORE definitely get to shine, since this is the era of superscience and enthusiasm for “the conquest of inner space!” There would probably be a lot of comics about fighting giant monsters created by pollution.

Bronze/Iron/Dark Age Albatross: With his superhero debut in in-universe 1982, standard Albatross IS a Bronze/Iron Age character (but not particularly dark.)

Frozen Mana Now/“If the Golden Generation Started Today” Albatross: This is pretty easy— “the last edition of the Race before the current one” moves Colin’s accident up to the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race, and the boats, gear, and technology change accordingly, but broadly things follow the same lines as his usual 1980s history. Instead of a direct parallel to Peter Blake, Colin could be someone inspired and perhaps mentored by him or a fictional counterpart. He might have a mustache or beard in the currently-fashionable styles. Instead of coincidentally resembling Peter Burling despite being based on other, earlier people, Kurt is probably a direct parallel.

[markjsousa]

Building An Independent Retailer Brand Advantage

In response to a rumor that he had died and the subsequent newspaper coverage, American humorist, novelist and social critic Mark Twain said, “The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.”

The same could be said of the independent retailer.

In the Age of Amazon, can the local neighborhood retailer really survive? The answer appears to be a guarded “yes” provided the retailer is up to the challenge.

According to recent findings from the study, “Independent Retailers and the Changing Retail Landscape” local independent retailers have distinct advantages. 850 retailers were asked by Advocates for Independent Business in the November 2017 report to assess their situation. (Granted, a lot has changed in two years, but nevertheless, the conclusions are worth noting.) For example, most report that they are surviving better than national chains. In fact, they observe that Amazon is having a bigger impact on the chains than on them. GAP, Sears, Toys R Us, Payless Shoes, Victoria’s Secret, Macy’s and others in the U.S. constitute a retail apocalypse of 5,000 store closings in 2019 alone, according to MoneyWise. “Chains decided years ago to make price a strategy and, as result, they are vulnerable to online competition,” say surveyed retailers.

“Deep expertise, highly personalized service, the ability to create community and a rewarding in-store experience” were noted as advantages. Overwhelmingly, independent retailers cited better, personalized service in the survey as their strongest advantage.

While this may be good news, small independent retailers are also feeling the pressure, with nearly half in a survey conducted by MyTotalRetail.com saying that e-commerce is having a negative impact on sales. While 88% of small businesses say that “increasing sales” is their key business goal over the next 3 years, many are not ready to embrace the commitment and challenge of launching their own e-commerce offering which, as they see, will only provide some incremental growth. Instead, they are looking for solutions, which may have an e-commerce component in them, that will enhance their existing brick-and-mortar business.

TotalRetail goes on to cite that 11% of small business owners are making inventory diversification a key goal as another way to combat the Amazon effect. And that a small percentage are considering “hybrid retailing” by offering non-competing but complimentary shopping experiences—think a bookstore with a coffee shop. Almost a third (32%) want to improve their marketing performance but many lack the time or expertise to achieve improvement.

Of course, these are observations derived from surveys of independent retailers in the U.S. and provide an accurate overview of that marketplace. Likely the same could be said for independent retailers anywhere in the world. The owners of these businesses are entrepreneurial and must be self-reliant. But regardless of trends in marketing tactics, survival and ultimate prosperity must be framed from a brand perspective. Thinking about ones business as a brand and taking the approach as a brand marketer is the only way to “fight fire with fire” against major retail brands. What does this entail? At a recent industry conference for independent retailers, several brand experts offered perspectives on how retail brands can win in the age of Amazon. Here are nine:

1. Attitude: The attitude of retailers to identify their “burning platform.” What is it about their business that fires them up to be great — because just being “good” is not good enough. Are customers getting a good experience or are they getting a great experience? This is how retailers find their edge to win in the Amazon Age. When major competitors can outspend you, you compete on the quality of the experience, not the frequency of advertising.

2. Brand Totality: Retailers must understand that a brand isn’t just the logo on the sign in front of the store, but it’s the whole experience. It’s the store’s “brand essence” that’s being defined. This understanding is the basis for everything and it’s just as relevant to the small neighborhood retailer as it is to a global brand.

3. Engagement: Your aim shouldn’t be to “buy” you but to “join” you. This is a particularly important concept to grasp as Millennial consumers take a greater share of the market across most categories. This concept is based on the findings of a survey by Moosylvania of Millennials that “they don’t consume advertising, they participate in brands.”

4. Raw Power: To survive and thrive in the Amazon Age, retailers must remember that word of mouth and online reviews and influencers are 2.5x more powerful to influence discovery than Facebook ads, TV ads and YouTube ads combined, according to the same Millennial Brand Study by Moosylvania.

5. Find And Define Your Niche. “The middle is murder” and why many of the chains have become irrelevant. If your brand is all things to all people, it’s actually meaningful to no one.

6. Build Alliances: Brands, like people, are known by the company they keep. Often brand reputations can be burnished and growth can be accelerated by partnerships that are a win-win. Example: Flooring dealers working with interior designers or real estate agents.

7. Digital Marketing: This covers a large swath of communication strategies, from website to Google ads and SEM to social media to online reputation monitoring and management. As the TotalRetail survey indicated, many independent retailers worry that they are behind the curve– and they are. While traditional media will always play a role, retailers must become proficient with digital media in order to survive in the Amazon Age.

8. Make The Experience Special: The one thing even the most sophisticated e-commerce platform cannot duplicate is real human and product interaction in a virtual world. But just being courteous and knowledgeable isn’t enough. Shoppers expect to be “wowed”–even entertained–while they participate in the shopping experience. The use of in-store technology is often a means of doing this.

9. Master Easy. Complexity reduction and radical simplicity create a frictionless advantage. Where there is friction there is opportunity to improve the customer experience.

An organization’s competitive future is inextricably linked to its ability to nurture big ideas and the people bringing them to life. Retailers are no exception and those that prepare their people to out-serve, out-surprise and out-care will out-maneuver the competition.

Thanks to Derrick Daye, Alberto Brea, Norty Cohen, Todd Saunders, Frank Chiera, Chris Ramey, Terry Wheat and Lisbeth Calendrino for their advice and perspectives shared here.

The Blake Project Can Help: Disruptive Brand Strategy Workshop

Branding Strategy Insider is a service of The Blake Project: A strategic brand consultancy specializing in Brand Research, Brand Strategy, Brand Licensing and Brand Education

FREE Publications And Resources For Marketers

[joejstrickl]

Building An Independent Retailer Brand Advantage

In response to a rumor that he had died and the subsequent newspaper coverage, American humorist, novelist and social critic Mark Twain said, “The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.”

The same could be said of the independent retailer.

In the Age of Amazon, can the local neighborhood retailer really survive? The answer appears to be a guarded “yes” provided the retailer is up to the challenge.

According to recent findings from the study, “Independent Retailers and the Changing Retail Landscape” local independent retailers have distinct advantages. 850 retailers were asked by Advocates for Independent Business in the November 2017 report to assess their situation. (Granted, a lot has changed in two years, but nevertheless, the conclusions are worth noting.) For example, most report that they are surviving better than national chains. In fact, they observe that Amazon is having a bigger impact on the chains than on them. GAP, Sears, Toys R Us, Payless Shoes, Victoria’s Secret, Macy’s and others in the U.S. constitute a retail apocalypse of 5,000 store closings in 2019 alone, according to MoneyWise. “Chains decided years ago to make price a strategy and, as result, they are vulnerable to online competition,” say surveyed retailers.

“Deep expertise, highly personalized service, the ability to create community and a rewarding in-store experience” were noted as advantages. Overwhelmingly, independent retailers cited better, personalized service in the survey as their strongest advantage.

While this may be good news, small independent retailers are also feeling the pressure, with nearly half in a survey conducted by MyTotalRetail.com saying that e-commerce is having a negative impact on sales. While 88% of small businesses say that “increasing sales” is their key business goal over the next 3 years, many are not ready to embrace the commitment and challenge of launching their own e-commerce offering which, as they see, will only provide some incremental growth. Instead, they are looking for solutions, which may have an e-commerce component in them, that will enhance their existing brick-and-mortar business.

TotalRetail goes on to cite that 11% of small business owners are making inventory diversification a key goal as another way to combat the Amazon effect. And that a small percentage are considering “hybrid retailing” by offering non-competing but complimentary shopping experiences—think a bookstore with a coffee shop. Almost a third (32%) want to improve their marketing performance but many lack the time or expertise to achieve improvement.

Of course, these are observations derived from surveys of independent retailers in the U.S. and provide an accurate overview of that marketplace. Likely the same could be said for independent retailers anywhere in the world. The owners of these businesses are entrepreneurial and must be self-reliant. But regardless of trends in marketing tactics, survival and ultimate prosperity must be framed from a brand perspective. Thinking about ones business as a brand and taking the approach as a brand marketer is the only way to “fight fire with fire” against major retail brands. What does this entail? At a recent industry conference for independent retailers, several brand experts offered perspectives on how retail brands can win in the age of Amazon. Here are nine:

1. Attitude: The attitude of retailers to identify their “burning platform.” What is it about their business that fires them up to be great — because just being “good” is not good enough. Are customers getting a good experience or are they getting a great experience? This is how retailers find their edge to win in the Amazon Age. When major competitors can outspend you, you compete on the quality of the experience, not the frequency of advertising.

2. Brand Totality: Retailers must understand that a brand isn’t just the logo on the sign in front of the store, but it’s the whole experience. It’s the store’s “brand essence” that’s being defined. This understanding is the basis for everything and it’s just as relevant to the small neighborhood retailer as it is to a global brand.

3. Engagement: Your aim shouldn’t be to “buy” you but to “join” you. This is a particularly important concept to grasp as Millennial consumers take a greater share of the market across most categories. This concept is based on the findings of a survey by Moosylvania of Millennials that “they don’t consume advertising, they participate in brands.”

4. Raw Power: To survive and thrive in the Amazon Age, retailers must remember that word of mouth and online reviews and influencers are 2.5x more powerful to influence discovery than Facebook ads, TV ads and YouTube ads combined, according to the same Millennial Brand Study by Moosylvania.

5. Find And Define Your Niche. “The middle is murder” and why many of the chains have become irrelevant. If your brand is all things to all people, it’s actually meaningful to no one.

6. Build Alliances: Brands, like people, are known by the company they keep. Often brand reputations can be burnished and growth can be accelerated by partnerships that are a win-win. Example: Flooring dealers working with interior designers or real estate agents.

7. Digital Marketing: This covers a large swath of communication strategies, from website to Google ads and SEM to social media to online reputation monitoring and management. As the TotalRetail survey indicated, many independent retailers worry that they are behind the curve– and they are. While traditional media will always play a role, retailers must become proficient with digital media in order to survive in the Amazon Age.

8. Make The Experience Special: The one thing even the most sophisticated e-commerce platform cannot duplicate is real human and product interaction in a virtual world. But just being courteous and knowledgeable isn’t enough. Shoppers expect to be “wowed”–even entertained–while they participate in the shopping experience. The use of in-store technology is often a means of doing this.

9. Master Easy. Complexity reduction and radical simplicity create a frictionless advantage. Where there is friction there is opportunity to improve the customer experience.

An organization’s competitive future is inextricably linked to its ability to nurture big ideas and the people bringing them to life. Retailers are no exception and those that prepare their people to out-serve, out-surprise and out-care will out-maneuver the competition.

Thanks to Derrick Daye, Alberto Brea, Norty Cohen, Todd Saunders, Frank Chiera, Chris Ramey, Terry Wheat and Lisbeth Calendrino for their advice and perspectives shared here.

The Blake Project Can Help: Disruptive Brand Strategy Workshop

Branding Strategy Insider is a service of The Blake Project: A strategic brand consultancy specializing in Brand Research, Brand Strategy, Brand Licensing and Brand Education

FREE Publications And Resources For Marketers

[glenmenlow]

Building An Independent Retailer Brand Advantage

In response to a rumor that he had died and the subsequent newspaper coverage, American humorist, novelist and social critic Mark Twain said, “The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.”

The same could be said of the independent retailer.

In the Age of Amazon, can the local neighborhood retailer really survive? The answer appears to be a guarded “yes” provided the retailer is up to the challenge.

According to recent findings from the study, “Independent Retailers and the Changing Retail Landscape” local independent retailers have distinct advantages. 850 retailers were asked by Advocates for Independent Business in the November 2017 report to assess their situation. (Granted, a lot has changed in two years, but nevertheless, the conclusions are worth noting.) For example, most report that they are surviving better than national chains. In fact, they observe that Amazon is having a bigger impact on the chains than on them. GAP, Sears, Toys R Us, Payless Shoes, Victoria’s Secret, Macy’s and others in the U.S. constitute a retail apocalypse of 5,000 store closings in 2019 alone, according to MoneyWise. “Chains decided years ago to make price a strategy and, as result, they are vulnerable to online competition,” say surveyed retailers.

“Deep expertise, highly personalized service, the ability to create community and a rewarding in-store experience” were noted as advantages. Overwhelmingly, independent retailers cited better, personalized service in the survey as their strongest advantage.

While this may be good news, small independent retailers are also feeling the pressure, with nearly half in a survey conducted by MyTotalRetail.com saying that e-commerce is having a negative impact on sales. While 88% of small businesses say that “increasing sales” is their key business goal over the next 3 years, many are not ready to embrace the commitment and challenge of launching their own e-commerce offering which, as they see, will only provide some incremental growth. Instead, they are looking for solutions, which may have an e-commerce component in them, that will enhance their existing brick-and-mortar business.

TotalRetail goes on to cite that 11% of small business owners are making inventory diversification a key goal as another way to combat the Amazon effect. And that a small percentage are considering “hybrid retailing” by offering non-competing but complimentary shopping experiences—think a bookstore with a coffee shop. Almost a third (32%) want to improve their marketing performance but many lack the time or expertise to achieve improvement.

Of course, these are observations derived from surveys of independent retailers in the U.S. and provide an accurate overview of that marketplace. Likely the same could be said for independent retailers anywhere in the world. The owners of these businesses are entrepreneurial and must be self-reliant. But regardless of trends in marketing tactics, survival and ultimate prosperity must be framed from a brand perspective. Thinking about ones business as a brand and taking the approach as a brand marketer is the only way to “fight fire with fire” against major retail brands. What does this entail? At a recent industry conference for independent retailers, several brand experts offered perspectives on how retail brands can win in the age of Amazon. Here are nine:

1. Attitude: The attitude of retailers to identify their “burning platform.” What is it about their business that fires them up to be great — because just being “good” is not good enough. Are customers getting a good experience or are they getting a great experience? This is how retailers find their edge to win in the Amazon Age. When major competitors can outspend you, you compete on the quality of the experience, not the frequency of advertising.

2. Brand Totality: Retailers must understand that a brand isn’t just the logo on the sign in front of the store, but it’s the whole experience. It’s the store’s “brand essence” that’s being defined. This understanding is the basis for everything and it’s just as relevant to the small neighborhood retailer as it is to a global brand.

3. Engagement: Your aim shouldn’t be to “buy” you but to “join” you. This is a particularly important concept to grasp as Millennial consumers take a greater share of the market across most categories. This concept is based on the findings of a survey by Moosylvania of Millennials that “they don’t consume advertising, they participate in brands.”

4. Raw Power: To survive and thrive in the Amazon Age, retailers must remember that word of mouth and online reviews and influencers are 2.5x more powerful to influence discovery than Facebook ads, TV ads and YouTube ads combined, according to the same Millennial Brand Study by Moosylvania.

5. Find And Define Your Niche. “The middle is murder” and why many of the chains have become irrelevant. If your brand is all things to all people, it’s actually meaningful to no one.

6. Build Alliances: Brands, like people, are known by the company they keep. Often brand reputations can be burnished and growth can be accelerated by partnerships that are a win-win. Example: Flooring dealers working with interior designers or real estate agents.

7. Digital Marketing: This covers a large swath of communication strategies, from website to Google ads and SEM to social media to online reputation monitoring and management. As the TotalRetail survey indicated, many independent retailers worry that they are behind the curve– and they are. While traditional media will always play a role, retailers must become proficient with digital media in order to survive in the Amazon Age.

8. Make The Experience Special: The one thing even the most sophisticated e-commerce platform cannot duplicate is real human and product interaction in a virtual world. But just being courteous and knowledgeable isn’t enough. Shoppers expect to be “wowed”–even entertained–while they participate in the shopping experience. The use of in-store technology is often a means of doing this.

9. Master Easy. Complexity reduction and radical simplicity create a frictionless advantage. Where there is friction there is opportunity to improve the customer experience.

An organization’s competitive future is inextricably linked to its ability to nurture big ideas and the people bringing them to life. Retailers are no exception and those that prepare their people to out-serve, out-surprise and out-care will out-maneuver the competition.

Thanks to Derrick Daye, Alberto Brea, Norty Cohen, Todd Saunders, Frank Chiera, Chris Ramey, Terry Wheat and Lisbeth Calendrino for their advice and perspectives shared here.

The Blake Project Can Help: Disruptive Brand Strategy Workshop

Branding Strategy Insider is a service of The Blake Project: A strategic brand consultancy specializing in Brand Research, Brand Strategy, Brand Licensing and Brand Education

FREE Publications And Resources For Marketers

from WordPress https://glenmenlow.wordpress.com/2019/03/19/building-an-independent-retailer-brand-advantage-2/ via IFTTT

[ecuadstudentexhibitions-blog]

Feb 28 - Mar 9, 2016

Assuming Permanence Concourse Gallery, Emily Carr University

The observation that we assume permanence in our perception of objects and things, produces equally viable questions about the act of assuming impermanence. In these playful interactions between artist and object, object and viewer, one perpetually moves from one side to another, creating new modes of seeing and thinking in the process.

Artists Blake Critchley, Alexine McLeod, Liz Saunders, Natalie Schmidt, Amanda Crain, Marika Vandekraats

Video Documentation Sahand Mohajer + Jan Schädle Ubeda

[markjsousa]

Building An Independent Retailer Brand Advantage

In response to a rumor that he had died and subsequent newspaper coverage, American humorist, novelist and social critic Mark Twain said, “The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.”

The same could be said of the independent retailer.

In the Age of Amazon, can the local neighborhood retailer really survive? The answer appears to be a guarded “yes” provided the retailer is up to the challenge.

According to recent findings from the study, “Independent Retailers and the Changing Retail Landscape” local independent retailers have distinct advantages. 850 retailers were asked by Advocates for Independent Business in the November 2017 report to assess their situation. (Granted, a lot has changed in two years, but nevertheless, the conclusions are worth noting.) For example, most report that they are surviving better than national chains. In fact, they observe that Amazon is having a bigger impact on the chains than on them. GAP, Sears, Toys R Us, Payless Shoes, Victoria’s Secret, Macy’s and others in the U.S. constitute a retail apocalypse of 5,000 store closings in 2019 alone, according to MoneyWise. “Chains decided years ago to make price a strategy and, as result, they are vulnerable to online competition,” say surveyed retailers.

“Deep expertise, highly personalized service, the ability to create community and a rewarding in-store experience” were noted as advantages. Overwhelmingly, independent retailers cited better, personalized service in the survey as their strongest advantage.

While this may be good news, small independent retailers are also feeling the pressure, with nearly half in a survey conducted by MyTotalRetail.com saying that e-commerce is having a negative impact on sales. While 88% of small businesses say that “increasing sales” is their key business goal over the next 3 years, many are not ready to embrace the commitment and challenge of launching their own e-commerce offering which, as they see, will only provide some incremental growth. Instead, they are looking for solutions, which may have an e-commerce component in them, that will enhance their existing brick-and-mortar business.

TotalRetail goes on to cite that 11% of small business owners are making inventory diversification a key goal as another way to combat the Amazon effect. And that a small percentage are considering “hybrid retailing” by offering non-competing but complimentary shopping experiences—think a bookstore with a coffee shop. Almost a third (32%) want to improve their marketing performance but many lack the time or expertise to achieve improvement.

Of course, these are observations derived from surveys of independent retailers in the U.S. and provide an accurate overview of that marketplace. Likely the same could be said for independent retailers anywhere in the world. The owners of these businesses are entrepreneurial and must be self-reliant. But regardless of trends in marketing tactics, survival and ultimate prosperity must be framed from a brand perspective. Thinking about ones business as a brand and taking the approach as a brand marketer is the only way to “fight fire with fire” against major retail brands. What does this entail? At a recent industry conference for independent retailers, several brand experts offered perspectives on how retail brands can win in the age of Amazon. Here are nine:

1. Attitude: The attitude of retailers to identify their “burning platform.” What is it about their business that fires them up to be great — because just being “good” is not good enough. Are customers getting a good experience or are they getting a great experience? This is how retailers find their edge to win in the Amazon Age. When major competitors can outspend you, you compete on the quality of the experience, not the frequency of advertising.

2. Brand Totality: Retailers must understand that a brand isn’t just the logo on the sign in front of the store, but it’s the whole experience. It’s the store’s “brand essence” that’s being defined. This understanding is the basis for everything and it’s just as relevant to the small neighborhood retailer as it is to a global brand.

3. Engagement: Your aim shouldn’t be to “buy” you but to “join” you. This is a particularly important concept to grasp as Millennial consumers take a greater share of the market across most categories. This concept is based on the findings of a survey by Moosylvania of Millennials that “they don’t consume advertising, they participate in brands.”

4. Raw Power: To survive and thrive in the Amazon Age, retailers must remember that word of mouth and online reviews and influencers are 2.5x more powerful to influence discovery than Facebook ads, TV ads and YouTube ads combined, according to the same Millennial Brand Study by Moosylvania.

5. Find And Define Your Niche. “The middle is murder” and why many of the chains have become irrelevant. If your brand is all things to all people, it’s actually meaningful to no one.

6. Build Alliances: Brands, like people, are known by the company they keep. Often brand reputations can be burnished and growth can be accelerated by partnerships that are a win-win. Example: Flooring dealers working with interior designers or real estate agents.

7. Digital Marketing: This covers a large swath of communication strategies, from website to Google ads and SEM to social media to online reputation monitoring and management. As the TotalRetail survey indicated, many independent retailers worry that they are behind the curve– and they are. While traditional media will always play a role, retailers must become proficient with digital media in order to survive in the Amazon Age.

8. Make The Experience Special: The one thing even the most sophisticated e-commerce platform cannot duplicate is real human and product interaction in a virtual world. But just being courteous and knowledgeable isn’t enough. Shoppers expect to be “wowed”–even entertained–while they participate in the shopping experience. The use of in-store technology is often a means of doing this.

9. Master Easy. Complexity reduction and radical simplicity create a frictionless advantage. Where there is friction there is opportunity to improve the customer experience.

An organization’s competitive future is inextricably linked to its ability to nurture big ideas and the people bringing them to life. Retailers are no exception and those that prepare their people to out-serve, out-surprise and out-care will out-maneuver the competition.

Thanks to Derrick Daye, Alberto Brea, Norty Cohen, Todd Saunders, Frank Chiera, Chris Ramey, Terry Wheat and Lisbeth Calendrino for their advice and perspectives shared here.

The Blake Project Can Help: Disruptive Brand Strategy Workshop

Branding Strategy Insider is a service of The Blake Project: A strategic brand consultancy specializing in Brand Research, Brand Strategy, Brand Licensing and Brand Education

FREE Publications And Resources For Marketers

[joejstrickl]

Building An Independent Retailer Brand Advantage

In response to a rumor that he had died and subsequent newspaper coverage, American humorist, novelist and social critic Mark Twain said, “The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.”

The same could be said of the independent retailer.

In the Age of Amazon, can the local neighborhood retailer really survive? The answer appears to be a guarded “yes” provided the retailer is up to the challenge.

According to recent findings from the study, “Independent Retailers and the Changing Retail Landscape” local independent retailers have distinct advantages. 850 retailers were asked by Advocates for Independent Business in the November 2017 report to assess their situation. (Granted, a lot has changed in two years, but nevertheless, the conclusions are worth noting.) For example, most report that they are surviving better than national chains. In fact, they observe that Amazon is having a bigger impact on the chains than on them. GAP, Sears, Toys R Us, Payless Shoes, Victoria’s Secret, Macy’s and others in the U.S. constitute a retail apocalypse of 5,000 store closings in 2019 alone, according to MoneyWise. “Chains decided years ago to make price a strategy and, as result, they are vulnerable to online competition,” say surveyed retailers.

“Deep expertise, highly personalized service, the ability to create community and a rewarding in-store experience” were noted as advantages. Overwhelmingly, independent retailers cited better, personalized service in the survey as their strongest advantage.

While this may be good news, small independent retailers are also feeling the pressure, with nearly half in a survey conducted by MyTotalRetail.com saying that e-commerce is having a negative impact on sales. While 88% of small businesses say that “increasing sales” is their key business goal over the next 3 years, many are not ready to embrace the commitment and challenge of launching their own e-commerce offering which, as they see, will only provide some incremental growth. Instead, they are looking for solutions, which may have an e-commerce component in them, that will enhance their existing brick-and-mortar business.

TotalRetail goes on to cite that 11% of small business owners are making inventory diversification a key goal as another way to combat the Amazon effect. And that a small percentage are considering “hybrid retailing” by offering non-competing but complimentary shopping experiences—think a bookstore with a coffee shop. Almost a third (32%) want to improve their marketing performance but many lack the time or expertise to achieve improvement.

Of course, these are observations derived from surveys of independent retailers in the U.S. and provide an accurate overview of that marketplace. Likely the same could be said for independent retailers anywhere in the world. The owners of these businesses are entrepreneurial and must be self-reliant. But regardless of trends in marketing tactics, survival and ultimate prosperity must be framed from a brand perspective. Thinking about ones business as a brand and taking the approach as a brand marketer is the only way to “fight fire with fire” against major retail brands. What does this entail? At a recent industry conference for independent retailers, several brand experts offered perspectives on how retail brands can win in the age of Amazon. Here are nine:

1. Attitude: The attitude of retailers to identify their “burning platform.” What is it about their business that fires them up to be great — because just being “good” is not good enough. Are customers getting a good experience or are they getting a great experience? This is how retailers find their edge to win in the Amazon Age. When major competitors can outspend you, you compete on the quality of the experience, not the frequency of advertising.

2. Brand Totality: Retailers must understand that a brand isn’t just the logo on the sign in front of the store, but it’s the whole experience. It’s the store’s “brand essence” that’s being defined. This understanding is the basis for everything and it’s just as relevant to the small neighborhood retailer as it is to a global brand.

3. Engagement: Your aim shouldn’t be to “buy” you but to “join” you. This is a particularly important concept to grasp as Millennial consumers take a greater share of the market across most categories. This concept is based on the findings of a survey by Moosylvania of Millennials that “they don’t consume advertising, they participate in brands.”

4. Raw Power: To survive and thrive in the Amazon Age, retailers must remember that word of mouth and online reviews and influencers are 2.5x more powerful to influence discovery than Facebook ads, TV ads and YouTube ads combined, according to the same Millennial Brand Study by Moosylvania.

5. Find And Define Your Niche. “The middle is murder” and why many of the chains have become irrelevant. If your brand is all things to all people, it’s actually meaningful to no one.

6. Build Alliances: Brands, like people, are known by the company they keep. Often brand reputations can be burnished and growth can be accelerated by partnerships that are a win-win. Example: Flooring dealers working with interior designers or real estate agents.

7. Digital Marketing: This covers a large swath of communication strategies, from website to Google ads and SEM to social media to online reputation monitoring and management. As the TotalRetail survey indicated, many independent retailers worry that they are behind the curve– and they are. While traditional media will always play a role, retailers must become proficient with digital media in order to survive in the Amazon Age.

8. Make The Experience Special: The one thing even the most sophisticated e-commerce platform cannot duplicate is real human and product interaction in a virtual world. But just being courteous and knowledgeable isn’t enough. Shoppers expect to be “wowed”–even entertained–while they participate in the shopping experience. The use of in-store technology is often a means of doing this.

9. Master Easy. Complexity reduction and radical simplicity create a frictionless advantage. Where there is friction there is opportunity to improve the customer experience.

An organization’s competitive future is inextricably linked to its ability to nurture big ideas and the people bringing them to life. Retailers are no exception and those that prepare their people to out-serve, out-surprise and out-care will out-maneuver the competition.

Thanks to Derrick Daye, Alberto Brea, Norty Cohen, Todd Saunders, Frank Chiera, Chris Ramey, Terry Wheat and Lisbeth Calendrino for their advice and perspectives shared here.

The Blake Project Can Help: Disruptive Brand Strategy Workshop

Branding Strategy Insider is a service of The Blake Project: A strategic brand consultancy specializing in Brand Research, Brand Strategy, Brand Licensing and Brand Education

FREE Publications And Resources For Marketers

[glenmenlow]

Building An Independent Retailer Brand Advantage

In response to a rumor that he had died and subsequent newspaper coverage, American humorist, novelist and social critic Mark Twain said, “The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.”

The same could be said of the independent retailer.

In the Age of Amazon, can the local neighborhood retailer really survive? The answer appears to be a guarded “yes” provided the retailer is up to the challenge.

According to recent findings from the study, “Independent Retailers and the Changing Retail Landscape” local independent retailers have distinct advantages. 850 retailers were asked by Advocates for Independent Business in the November 2017 report to assess their situation. (Granted, a lot has changed in two years, but nevertheless, the conclusions are worth noting.) For example, most report that they are surviving better than national chains. In fact, they observe that Amazon is having a bigger impact on the chains than on them. GAP, Sears, Toys R Us, Payless Shoes, Victoria’s Secret, Macy’s and others in the U.S. constitute a retail apocalypse of 5,000 store closings in 2019 alone, according to MoneyWise. “Chains decided years ago to make price a strategy and, as result, they are vulnerable to online competition,” say surveyed retailers.

“Deep expertise, highly personalized service, the ability to create community and a rewarding in-store experience” were noted as advantages. Overwhelmingly, independent retailers cited better, personalized service in the survey as their strongest advantage.

While this may be good news, small independent retailers are also feeling the pressure, with nearly half in a survey conducted by MyTotalRetail.com saying that e-commerce is having a negative impact on sales. While 88% of small businesses say that “increasing sales” is their key business goal over the next 3 years, many are not ready to embrace the commitment and challenge of launching their own e-commerce offering which, as they see, will only provide some incremental growth. Instead, they are looking for solutions, which may have an e-commerce component in them, that will enhance their existing brick-and-mortar business.

TotalRetail goes on to cite that 11% of small business owners are making inventory diversification a key goal as another way to combat the Amazon effect. And that a small percentage are considering “hybrid retailing” by offering non-competing but complimentary shopping experiences—think a bookstore with a coffee shop. Almost a third (32%) want to improve their marketing performance but many lack the time or expertise to achieve improvement.

Of course, these are observations derived from surveys of independent retailers in the U.S. and provide an accurate overview of that marketplace. Likely the same could be said for independent retailers anywhere in the world. The owners of these businesses are entrepreneurial and must be self-reliant. But regardless of trends in marketing tactics, survival and ultimate prosperity must be framed from a brand perspective. Thinking about ones business as a brand and taking the approach as a brand marketer is the only way to “fight fire with fire” against major retail brands. What does this entail? At a recent industry conference for independent retailers, several brand experts offered perspectives on how retail brands can win in the age of Amazon. Here are nine:

1. Attitude: The attitude of retailers to identify their “burning platform.” What is it about their business that fires them up to be great — because just being “good” is not good enough. Are customers getting a good experience or are they getting a great experience? This is how retailers find their edge to win in the Amazon Age. When major competitors can outspend you, you compete on the quality of the experience, not the frequency of advertising.

2. Brand Totality: Retailers must understand that a brand isn’t just the logo on the sign in front of the store, but it’s the whole experience. It’s the store’s “brand essence” that’s being defined. This understanding is the basis for everything and it’s just as relevant to the small neighborhood retailer as it is to a global brand.

3. Engagement: Your aim shouldn’t be to “buy” you but to “join” you. This is a particularly important concept to grasp as Millennial consumers take a greater share of the market across most categories. This concept is based on the findings of a survey by Moosylvania of Millennials that “they don’t consume advertising, they participate in brands.”

4. Raw Power: To survive and thrive in the Amazon Age, retailers must remember that word of mouth and online reviews and influencers are 2.5x more powerful to influence discovery than Facebook ads, TV ads and YouTube ads combined, according to the same Millennial Brand Study by Moosylvania.

5. Find And Define Your Niche. “The middle is murder” and why many of the chains have become irrelevant. If your brand is all things to all people, it’s actually meaningful to no one.

6. Build Alliances: Brands, like people, are known by the company they keep. Often brand reputations can be burnished and growth can be accelerated by partnerships that are a win-win. Example: Flooring dealers working with interior designers or real estate agents.

7. Digital Marketing: This covers a large swath of communication strategies, from website to Google ads and SEM to social media to online reputation monitoring and management. As the TotalRetail survey indicated, many independent retailers worry that they are behind the curve– and they are. While traditional media will always play a role, retailers must become proficient with digital media in order to survive in the Amazon Age.

8. Make The Experience Special: The one thing even the most sophisticated e-commerce platform cannot duplicate is real human and product interaction in a virtual world. But just being courteous and knowledgeable isn’t enough. Shoppers expect to be “wowed”–even entertained–while they participate in the shopping experience. The use of in-store technology is often a means of doing this.

9. Master Easy. Complexity reduction and radical simplicity create a frictionless advantage. Where there is friction there is opportunity to improve the customer experience.

An organization’s competitive future is inextricably linked to its ability to nurture big ideas and the people bringing them to life. Retailers are no exception and those that prepare their people to out-serve, out-surprise and out-care will out-maneuver the competition.

Thanks to Derrick Daye, Alberto Brea, Norty Cohen, Todd Saunders, Frank Chiera, Chris Ramey, Terry Wheat and Lisbeth Calendrino for their advice and perspectives shared here.

The Blake Project Can Help: Disruptive Brand Strategy Workshop

Branding Strategy Insider is a service of The Blake Project: A strategic brand consultancy specializing in Brand Research, Brand Strategy, Brand Licensing and Brand Education

FREE Publications And Resources For Marketers

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