I came across this today and thought I’d share it. It’s not a complete solution yet, but seems to be a trend worth watching. Their target is online content publishers; for researchers, the missing element is (minimally) video clipping for inclusion in web-based or traditional reporting.
take an empty retail space and allow brands to sell their wares/services in a regular mall environment. We’ve seen this before at the holidays, where an ornament store or a wrapping service takes over an empty storefront; after the holidays, they leave and the space is hopefully rented quickly. This has been called “pop-up retail” in the past.
But this idea is different. Their permanent storefront is always turning over new tenants. Have a new car you want to showcase? Rent the mall store for a few weeks. Have a new product line you’re launching? Rent the space. No long-term commitment. Create some buzz (driving traffic to the mall); reach a wider audience at the mall (and have them seek out more product info through other channels, which will hopefully lead to sales). Sounds promising.
In Glasgow, they’re trying something similar. Due to open this year at the Glasgow airport is “planeshop.” The company website describes planeshop as “a permanent shop with a flexible concept. Brands takeover planeshop for a limited time, so there will always be something exciting to see.”
Last week’s Los Angeles Business Journal highlighted a variation on this theme. The Glendale Galleria, a very popular shopping mall north of LA, between Pasadena and Burbank, is showcasing local talent. Called “Local Collection,” it’s a consignment shop for local designers who otherwise might not have any retail presence; the focus is on jewelry, apparel, and housewares. The hope is that if a designer does well, they might open a small shop in the mall (openings are readily available). Thirty designers were picked by mall management from among the 100+ applicants. The designers don’t pay rent, but split sales 50-50% with the mall. It turns out that the mall is earning very close to what it would have from a full-time tenant. In my view, it’s Etsy.com come to life.
These trends tap into a resurgence of interest in “local” – local designers, locally-grown produce, local places to meet friends and socialize. What’s your take on this? Do you see this as a trend that will last and will complement online retailing?
Social networking sites, first MySpace and now Facebook, are losing their cache with young adults age 18-24. And that has implications for marketing to this hard-to-reach group.
Mindshare, a WPP agency, has been doing some interesting work in trying to understand how best to reach this media target. I read about their “Scout Network” several months ago. They recruit trend scouts in key cities within a region to “collect street-level, local observations and insights into youth tribes.” In effect, they’re trying to follow an adoption curve: from “seeds” of ideas (what’s starting), to when they catch hold with “tribes” (what’s growing), and then go mainstream (the “herd” or what’s big). Mindshare is trying to ride the crest of waves, moving on to the next wave before the old wave becomes too mainstream and passé. It’s their way of anticipating the market so they know how best to reach and communicate with it.
I like the idea that they’re going back to the streets to see what’s happening. There’s a vibe one gets from being in a place that can’t be achieved online.
So Facebook fades, while texting remains strong. What’s next? Maybe Poken.
Imagine this: you’re at a party, a restaurant, or business function and you strike up a friendship with someone. You might shake hands at the end or give a quick hug, but you could also have your Pokens shake their little hands, instantly wiring your “info card” – which includes your picture, phone number, website, and social network listings (if you so choose) – to each other’s devices. No more business cards or writing things down on slips of paper. Get back to home base, 
plug in your USB Poken (it also functions as a flash drive), and upload your new contacts. I would love this if it came with a contact management system (so I knew when to follow up with people). And wouldn’t it be great for conferences, we’re everyone could Poken all their new “friends”? My only concern for the young adult market (of which I am no longer a member!): If I think this is cool, will this fizzle out quickly with them?
Your thoughts?
Yesterday’s Meet The Press on NBC showcased the new Shriver Report, entitled “A Woman’s Nation.” The roundtable discussion was lively and focused on American families, how women are often out-earning their husbands in the U.S. (even while still earning less for the same jobs), and the issues the modern family faces (child care and elder care, in addition to heath care).
It was interesting to hear David Gregory, the moderator, say his wife out-earned him – which he didn’t have a problem with – and how he recently went into his female boss saying that with his wife traveling more for work, he needed greater flexibility in his hours. Flexibility was a theme throughout the discussion; a high priority for most American workers.
And while I found this discussion fascinating, what I really found of interest was the “Meet The Press Minute,” from 1972, featuring Gloria Steinem. I began working about a decade after this interview, and it’s like it was a different century. I’ve always been grateful to the women who paved the way before me, but this (cold) “blast from the past” reminds us all that society evolves based on our thoughts and actions. As corporations and individuals, we can make a difference.
To watch, click visit: http://tinyurl.com/yhls8cy.
Last week I attended the annual Qualitative Research Consultants Association (QRCA) conference in Palm Springs. It was a great event and I learned a lot. One of the sessions I found of particular interest was on mobile market research; that is, using cell phones to conduct market surveys.
A bit of background from the April 2009 Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project report:
It’s no wonder that mobile research is of great interest to marketers! The primary benefit of this method is collecting real-time reactions as they happen. Highlights from the presentation made by Shaili Bhatt and Shamsu Bhaidani at the conference:
A few issues for consideration, from my point of view:
There are several services available we can work with that have the infrastructure to conduct surveys via mobile devices. Any questions? Let’s discuss.
