Building Loyalty with Health & Wellness
A recent article posted in Progressive Grocer in September and written originally by Jeff Weidauer, VP of marketing, Vestcom International peaked my interest. He raises some very valid points which I will outline below as well as providing some of my own thoughts. (click here for a PDF version of the article)
Overview:
The article discusses the benefits for grocers in providing Health and Wellness (H&W) solutions to their customers, the primary benefit being increased loyalty. The article states that the two main trends leading towards this are:
- Increased demand for H&W information
- The inherent trust the consumer places on their local grocer (apprently more than their own GP)
To this I would add:
- The increased availability and affordability of H&W programs for the retailer
The major benefit gained from running a successul H&W program is increased customer loyalty as the article states; ¨Because loyalty is created from a bond with your shoppers that is more than just price. It’s a natural result of providing the products, services and information that shoppers need in an increasingly complex world.¨
In addition the article does also go on to state that grocers aren’t exactly sure how to go about doing this and recommends three important factors to consider:
- Don’t do it in-house: it is just too complex
- Make it Easy: it needs to be intuitive
- Credibility is crucial: this is where a third party can make all the difference
and I would add to this:
- Make it equitable: so that it suits everyones needs
My thoughts:
There are many options for grocers to consider when looking to partner with a third party to provide their shoppers with a H&W program, and consequently it can be hard to decide which one to go with. Although, the article raises some really great points about what are good H&W program should have I feel there were some points missing. Namely, in addition to the above, a good H&W solution should:
- seemlessly integrated between the instore and online environments
- cater for all shoppers needs including those with specific needs
- leverage technology and data to help consumers understand foods better
- be a genuine effort to help shoppers rather than just following fads
- be objective and aim to provide the shoppers with information not only opinions on what is good
- offer the opportunity for growth and further integration in the future
Very few programs offer something that ties all of this together, and so offering something that has the potential to to do this can make the difference between being a leader in the pack or just following the status quo. We have all seen the backlash that wrongly executed H&W programs can receive (see SmartChoices). So it’s an important decision, don’t take it lightly and choose an option that is flexible and has a solid foundation to evolve, because that is one thing we can be sure will be needed in the future.
Anton Xavier
Possibly Related Posts:
- 38% of Mobile users seek out Food Apps
- FoodEssentials Scanner approved and is now Live!!
- FoodEssentials Scanner now in private Beta
- LiveRight with Shoprite(R) teams withFoodEssentials
- The next target for the food conscious community
