Archive for December, 2019

The Delta Group, Europe’s premier visual communications specialist delivering dynamic multi-channel marketing services to brands and retailers across the globe, is delighted to announce the successful retention of the Lidl GB account after a competitive tender process.

The contract is for the supply of all printed material. This includes all in-store POS, client facing signage, creative services and store installations.

Jason Hammond, CEO of The Delta Group said: “We are thrilled that Delta’s contract with Lidl GB has been renewed, allowing us to continue to deliver excellent value, innovation and exceptional customer service to one of our largest clients. In addition to supplying all printed in-store marketing material, we are delighted to have been entrusted with providing additional services – namely creative and installations – to one of the UK’s fastest growing brands.”

“I wanted to take the opportunity to thank and congratulate everyone who was involved with the retender. The effort and enthusiasm from our various internal teams – from Account Management to Structural Design and Installation – really shone through and felt that it was the Delta team spirit that distinguished us from our competition.”

Claire Farrant, Lidl GB Marketing Director, said: “I’m glad Delta took on the challenge and really engaged in this tender process. We are looking forward to continuing to build strong working relationships within the Delta team, and together we will build robust POS solutions that delivers our strategic brand messages in innovative and sustainable ways.”

Congratulations to everyone involved in this fantastic win!

It may be the most wonderful time of the year, but Christmas is also one of the most competitive times of the year for retailers.

You’ve decked your shop windows, stocked your shelves full of gifts and ‘festivefied’ your website, but what can you do to ensure the best possible outcome for your efforts this Christmas? Focusing on buyer personas will do the trick, thinks Econsultancy.

Buyer personas can be an incredibly useful tool during key events in the retail calendar. While some personas will be shaped by things like your target audience and retail category, there are broader personas just about all retailers will want to engage this Christmas. Let’s take a look at what they are and how you can target them.

The cautious customer 

We’re in a period of ‘cautious consumption’ says PwC, mainly as a result of political uncertainty. The shift in spending habits isn’t so much about spending less, but rather about changing priorities. For instance, PwC thinks customers will spend less on big-ticket items and events such as travel, and instead devote budgets to categories including ‘health’ and ‘children and babies’.

Retailers therefore need to tread carefully with their marketing communications. For instance, a cautious customer who is also responsible for a family is likely to be more receptive to messaging linked with a sense of necessity over luxury.

They’re also likely to be a long-term planner – during the course of a year they’ll engage with ‘always-on’ brands, as opposed to ‘buy for Christmas’ ones. According to Google, 34% of shoppers say that discovering new products and getting ideas is what they love most about shopping, so gift guides are seriously worth considering too.

The brand loyalist

Consumers spent big in supermarkets last year – £450m more in December than in the previous year in fact, found Kantar. This increase wasn’t from new customers but from current customers spending an extra £9.07 over the month, proving the importance of brand loyalty across every retail category.

If you want to inspire loyalty, it’s a good idea to focus on targeting previous customers. New research reveals that emails are the most effective way to inspire repeat purchases from customers, so this should be a key channel in your strategy.

The last-minute shopper

Seven in ten consumers buy right up to and during the final week before Christmas – that’s a lot of last-minute shoppers.

Google notes how the majority of last-minute shoppers use their smartphones to search for product delivery and availability information, opening times and directions to local retailers. So it’s vital you provide the correct information and make it easily accessible for consumers.

Also, reaching out to this persona with relevant content – such as information on your fast delivery options – could help to seal the deal.

The bargain hunter

Christmas shopping doesn’t end on Christmas Eve; Boxing Day sales are a great opportunity for brands to boost their revenue and get rid of last month’s remaining inventory.

You’ll want to utilise behavioural targeting to identify consumers interested in scooping up the best deals, and use category-specific content that appeals to what they’ve expressed interest in in the past.

If you need help improving the customer journey, Delta Group has the tools, knowledge and experience to help you do just that. Our end-to-end multichannel marketing services can empower your strategic goals and help you better connect with your consumers. Get in touch today.

There’s no denying that Brexit uncertainty is having an impact across the retail sector by affecting consumer confidence. But a boost in Christmas marketing spend this year could be taken as proof of retailers’ optimism as they enter the festive period.

Figures from the Advertising Association (AA) shared by The Drum placed overall Christmas ad spend at £6bn last year, with digital media accounting for a larger chunk of budgets than TV. This trend is predicted to carry through to this year, with £6.8bn expected to be spent on Christmas advertising. TV ad spend will fall again, by 1% year-on-year to £1.4bn, while display ad spend is expected to increase to £1.75bn.

So, what are retailers’ main marketing spend priorities during the festive period?

Iceland’s top marketer, Neil Hayes, also quashed suggestions that ad spend would dwindle over the festive period due to the political and environmental environment. “Christmas happens every year and that’s what we are focused on – we’ll still be selling mince pies on the run-up to the 25th.”

Christmas has come even earlier for retailers this year due to consumers spreading out their shopping more, which has led to search budgets increasing.

The Guardian quotes AA’s chief executive, Stepehen Woodford, as attributing the strong growth in digital advertising to the fact that brands and retailers are following audiences and looking for channels where they can reach out to specific audiences effectively.

He continued: “Small and medium-sized businesses are also driving huge growth online. Twenty years ago small businesses had limited choices but now a one-person business can advertise using digital channels to 100 people if they choose to. It has also opened up routes for a small business to reach global markets.”

We’re sure you’ll agree that the very best Christmas marketing strategies are ones focused on creating compelling and impactful customer journeys. If you need some guidance, get in touch with us today to find out more about our services and previous work.