Sony switches from style to store

Sony Style stores, open in many major world cities, are going to be redone with a new look that brings to mind the upscale and elegant Apple Store retail ambiance.

First, Sony is going to be using a lot of glass in its redone stores, a hallmark of Apple's modern, spacious retail look.

Second, Sony's displays are designed to show off the products and make them available to touch and test, an important element for today's consumers. Go into any Apple Store at any hour, and you'll see dozens of people using the iPads, iMacs, and iPods on display. Sony can help customers "sell themselves" by allowing them to try products on display and see for themselves how the various features work.

Third, following the lead of Apple, Sony is adding in-store services that customers value, such as on-site repairs, set-up and tech support.

Can Sony capture the cachet that Apple enjoys? The new retail showplace is a good start, anyway.

In search of a mobile payments standard

Starbucks thinks credit card companies, banks, telcos and handset makers are moving too slowly toward one unified standard for mobile payments via near field communications (NFC)--also known as contactless payments--where you simply wave your phone near the till or pay point and the transaction is completed.

Mobile payments are the new new thing. According to forecasts, NFC payments will be commonplace across the UK retail and restaurant marketplace by 2016. Given the huge number of smart phone mobiles in use, this is a possibility. However, consumers don't want to have to juggle multiple payment systems, nor do merchants. And so far, there's no agreement on one standard technology or processing programme. Security is another concern.

During the past year, a number of arrangements have been announced. Orange and Barclaycard, for example, have launched Quick Tap, making NFC payments possible at Subway, Pret a Manger and other retail establishments. Samsung and Visa are readying a deal in advance of the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Starbucks isn't waiting for one standard to be adopted by all parties. In the interim, it's launched its own mobile payment app for the iPhone. Although not NFC-based, the system has proven itself in the United States and will likely be enjoyed by Starbucks lovers around the UK because it speeds up transactions.

Will mobile payments follow the NFC standard? Or will another technology win out, the way VHS beat Betamax in the videocassette standards battle of the 1980s?

Retailers: online Christmas guides

Last week, I looked at some 2011 Christmas window themes. This week, a look at what major UK retailers are doing online to carry through their Christmas themes and attract shoppers through special offers, seasonal merchandise and gift ideas. Will shoppers be in the holiday mood to open their wallets this year?

• Harrods is using vintage images from its archives (circa 1950s?) for its online guide. The black-and-white line drawings are distinctive and nostalgic, very unlike the colourful graphics used by most stores. The Harrods FB page is devoted to fashion for the holidays.
• Marks & Spencer's main Christmas colour is a festive red and this week, the Christmas pages are featuring fine food and wine. The Twitter feed offers special pricing plus customer service assists.
• Selfridges has a 'winter white' theme--'Dreaming of a white Christmas'. Stylish and elegant images. Its Twitter account covers all things for the holidays, including the store's gift ideas.
• John Lewis uses a deep red to border its Christmas pages of gifts, foods, and decorations. John Lewis's Twitter account responds to customer comments, mentions promo highlights and refers service issues to the customer service reps for resolution.
• Debenhams is using the theme 'Christmas made fabulous' with orange and purple colour accents to play up its gifts, promotions and holiday decor offers (below). Debenhams has a FB page with fashions, special offers, contests and more for the holidays and beyond.

The five most meaningful brands in the world are . . .

According to Havas Media, the five most meaningful brands in the world are:

1. Ikea (see page from its catalogue at left)
2. Google 
3. Nestle 
4. Danone 
5. Leroy Merlin

Rounding out the top 15 are Samsing, Microsoft, Sony, Unilever, Bimbo, LG, Philips, Apple, P&G, Mars, Volkswagen, L'Oreal, Walmart, Carrefour, and Coca-Cola.

In the U.K. alone, the most meaningful brands are: M&S, Sainsbury, Unilever, Tesco, Walmart/Asda, Mars, Danone, O2, Starbucks, and Wrigley.

What do these brands have in common? They are authentic, they add to consumers' well-being and they have an impact on consumers' lives. They're enduring, respected and trusted. In short, they have meaning for consumers.

Notice that these brands are global--not confined to a single country or even one region. They're household names in many nations. How can other brands change perceptions and score higher on the dimension of having meaning for consumers?

Holiday Windows 2011

Tis the time of year for holiday window displays. Here is a sampling of themes worldwide during this holiday season:

• Animals. The windows of Macy's San Francisco are featuring adorable animals for adoption from the local SPCA. 
• 12 Days of Christmas. Holt Renfrew in Toronto has put a "12 days" theme to work in a sophisticated way. Above, the partridge in a pear tree window.
• Nutcrackers. Printemps Paris's windows feature Paris landmarks (think Eiffel Tower) in winter, with designer Karl Lagerfeld in miniature (left).
• Santa. Of course, he's coming to town in Melbourne, where the Myer department store features jolly elves and Santa arriving to the delight of young and old.

"Hidden Heroes" of technology: paperclips and more

Paper clips! Pacifiers! Paper tissues! Entrepreneurs of the past developed these products to solve common problems and today, such solutions are quite cheap and readily available.

London's Science Museum has a new exhibit showing these and other "hidden heroes" of everyday technology. It's hard to remember that items like paper clips were once innovative and unusual, truly technological advances over older, homemade alternatives. Today, they're simply accepted as ordinary.

The museum's exhibit is so interesting because it reminds us that technology need not have chips or batteries to be cutting-edge. Which of the products we view as high-tech today will be hidden heroes of tomorrow?

Most trusted family brands: M&S is #1

In a recent survey by YouGov and Isobel, Marks & Spencer was named as the most trusted brand for families. Last year, M&S was #2, and its ascent to the top spot shows how well its advertising is working, according to Marketing Week mag.

Here are the survey results for this year and last year:

Note how many of the top brands are retail companies. Also, how did Innocent manage to improve its standing from #13 in 2010 to #5 in 2011? That's a very impressive result, and my immediate reaction is that its expanded product line and heftier marketing budget are both helping Innocent increase awareness and preference.

Best Buy and Carphone Warehouse Change Direction

Best Buy, the US electronics retailer, and Carphone Warehouse have had a joint venture to operate big-box UK electronics stores since 2008. This week the two confirmed the end of that JV, acknowledging that US retail formats like the big box store don't necessarily fit UK and European markets.

The two companies are still working together, however. Best Buy is buying Carphone Warehouse's ownership stake in Best Buy Mobile (a growing business) and the two are starting a new operation, Global Connect, to retail mobiles and related services in Best Buy affiliated stores within Asia and other regions.

Best Buy is continuing to explore expansion of its non-store retailing, including Best Buy Express kiosks located in airport terminals and other places.

How much will online shopping affect in-store retailing? Will retail kiosks gain in popularity?

Brand Personality Wins for TGI Friday's

Casual dining is a very competitive industry, which is why TGI Friday's is pouring on the personality.

Its all-American atmosphere and menu draw customers, but to encourage frequent repeat visits, the chain embarked on a hiring and training programme that emphasises personality plus. Bartenders who juggle, waiters and waitresses who do magic tricks, and other staff specialities keep customers smiling and satisfied--according to TGI Friday's research.

TGI Friday's UK isn't a super-social brand (it has fewer than 20,000 Facebook likes) but its "We make every visit a party" saying sums up the personality that customers can expect and enjoy when they come for a drink or a meal or both. Best of all, the party changes every time, with different tricks and surprises.