A letter from our Director on Consumers and the Festive Season

Dear readers,

This season I’ve witnessed brands place even more importance on creating experiences for consumers by hosting events and promotions, which is great to see and a positive step towards increasing brand awareness. But, don’t forget your consumer’s everyday experiences with your brand is still paramount.

Globally, people are living in uncertain times, the political climate is ever-changing to say the least. Consumers turn to retail as therapy, and this is perhaps the most important lesson for any brand to remember in the current environment. Shopping is an escape, a mood booster and should be hassle free. I commend brands for creating experiences that interact with their consumers, these experiences coupled with friendly knowledgeable in-store staff is the power couple of every season.

We’ve all had the experience of standing in a store staring at products we know nothing about, not knowing what to do, so almost resorting to a round of eeny, meeny, miny, moe just to get us out of there. Allowing consumers one to one contact with your brand when buying gifts alleviates stress, allows your staff to make correct recommendations and possibly make a friend for life. Not only does this drive revenue but it gains new consumers who’ve been recommended your brand by a friend. This saves you time and makes you money.

I’ll leave you with what I believe is the most important thing to consider at this time of year.  What does an in-store experience look like for your average consumer?

Have a happy and safe festive season

Linda Gallagher, Managing Director at Wave