Visuality

Shopping on autopilot

Visuality — Mon, 23 May 2011 10:58:54 +0000

A recent piece of “shopper research” conducted on behalf of a leading design consultancy, and which featured in a Marketing Week item looking at the “Me Economy”, reached the confident conclusion that “No one shops on autopilot anymore”.

Yes they do. Pop down to Tesco and take a look. They’re all at it.

And a good thing too – otherwise our supermarkets would be crammed full of “switched on, savvy, cynical” shoppers (as described by said research) blocking up the aisles as they ponder each and every purchase.

This bold assertion is as instructive as it is misguided, demonstrating just how much ignorance still exists about the ways shoppers shop.

Shopping on autopilot is usually helpfull as it enables us to shop really quickly for all those low interest, low risk items that we made up our minds about years ago, freeing up time to engage with products and promotions of interest.

Shopping on auto-pilot is actually an involuntary response to the retail environment and the category we are shopping in. It’s part of what psychologists call “selective perception” – subconsciously de-selecting irrelevant information from the world around us, thus protecting ourselves from sensory overload. Because it is involuntary, we often find it hard to turn the autopilot off, even if we want to.

So how did the research team arrive at their conclusion? Aha! Focus groups, and in depth interviews. Which frankly is like trying to find plastic pipes with a metal detector.

Visuality first became involved in shopper research around 15 years ago, principally because we recognized a yawning gap between what consumers say in research and how they actually behave in shops. Of course we all believe we are being more careful about how we spend our pennies ; of course we all realize that conspicuous spending won’t make us many friends at the moment. These attitudinal factors are real and will influence our shopping behavior. But they won’t fundamentally change the ways in which we shop.

Focus groups and interviews are useful ways to understand many important things. Shopper behavior isn’t one of them.

TEVA

Visuality — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 13:58:18 +0000

TEVA: OTC Healthcare

TEVA is one of the largest pharmaceutical manufacturers in the UK with a growing reputation in generic and respiratory products.

Visuality worked on the design and research of TEVA’s new range of Over The Counter medicines, using a strong over-arching identity for over 30 lines, whilst incorporating visual cues relevant to individual product categories, including Cough & Cold, Analgesics, Topicals & Creams, and Gastro-Intestinal.

Quick Eat

Visuality — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 14:20:51 +0000

Quick Eat

Our designs for Princes Quick Eat have helped establish an entirely new category of Quality foods – fast and have been imitated by later entrants.

Jungle Formula

Visuality — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 12:50:51 +0000

Jungle Formula

Attractive Repellant!

KitKat

Visuality — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 12:46:51 +0000

KitKat

Taking indulgence to new levels for the UK’s favourite countline.

Umbro

Visuality — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 12:38:15 +0000

Umbro

A research programme taking in 5,000 interviews with consumers, licensees, stockists, opinion formers, even competitors in 16 cities across seven countries indicated that some 70% of people recognize the UMBRO diamond – and knew it means UMBRO.

Our designs for this pan-European UMBRO toiletries range builds on this awareness, creating a young, vibrant image that’s louder on-shelf than the Wembley crowd.

Haliborange

Visuality — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 10:56:01 +0000

Haliborange

A great new look for the nation’s favourite brand of children’s vitamins

SCA

Visuality — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 10:54:32 +0000

Cushelle & Plenty

A condition of the sale of Bounty and Charmin from P&G to SCA was that the new owners would change the brand names and associated intellectual property within two years.

SCA commissioned Visuality to oversee the visual strategy on these design projects, with the objective of migrating both brands to new names and identities without alienating brand loyalists and retaining key recognition cues.

These objectives have successfully been achieved with both brands enjoying continued success following re-launch.

HiGrow

Visuality — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 10:53:35 +0000

HiGrow

HiGrow is the brain-child of gardener and serial inventor, Robin Rose. Yorkshire-based Robin is on a mission to bring growing and gardening to all, no matter who or how old you are or where you live.

Sticklebags and Sproutapouch are two examples of products in the HiGrow range.

Sticklebags are integrated growing systems that fit in the smallest spaces on patios or balconies and can grow anything from potatoes to sweet peas.

Sproutapouch is a self contained kit to grow micro salads – in days.

Visuality’s involvement in HiGrow has been extensive. First we undertook consumer research to validate the opportunity and direct brand positioning, naming and pack design. We created a corporate style to give the overall product range cohesion and individual brand names to add character and interest.

We helped design the products themselves and liaised with suppliers in China and the Far East to bring the project to fruition.
Finally, we’ve worked on POS and consumer information packs to bring the products to life in-store.

Seven Seas

Visuality — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 10:50:54 +0000

Seven Seas

Visuality has worked with Seven Seas on branding, pack design and new product development projects for over 25 years, helping transform it from an old-fashioned company associated with wartime dispensation of cod liver oil to a 21st century healthcare superbrand