When asked: “Why are flyers for? There are many answers. Loyalty remains an essential basic contract to boost your turnover, and through several levers.
THE IDEAL FLYER FOR ATTRACTING NEW CUSTOMERS
1/ RETAINING EXISTING CONSUMERS AND ATTRACTING NEW ONES
All studies agree that flyers are THE no.1 promotional medium, in front of word of mouth and POS advertising. Consumers expect three things when receiving the flyers at home: find ideas – suggestions, be able to plan and anticipate their purchases, and “smart buying”. The no. 1 motivation, unanimous, is the quest for special offers, discounts, benefits on the price of the products they consume on a daily basis.
« “Flyers are just as part of our customer loyalty logic as much as the relational aspect. By generating both pleasure and utility with our flyers, we create a close and lasting bond with our customers. To such an extent that since last November, we have opened the customer loyalty cards also at the CocciMarkets”, explains Dominique Danet, in charge of flyer communication at the Francap.
If we want to retain existing customers, let us not forget that it is just as much as finding new ones. “We speak easily of loyal customers, their habits, but what about those who have never crossed the threshold? What we offer, does it match their expectations? Do they function in the same way? Why are they absent? These are questions that should be asked every day.”
The turnover is a simple equation: it is the average basket that multiplies the number of customers. Flyers are a cornerstone of this calculation that makes you want to buy more products, more often, to more customers.
2/ AVOIDING EROSION TOWARDS THE COMPETITION
In front of the persistent price war between the major players of the food distribution industry, “Our stores enjoy a major advantage, very few convenience stores use flyers. Better make the most of it!” admitted Philippe Avier, marketing and store manager.
By having a strong promotional policy, by regularly distributing our flyers, we gain ground, promote our savoir-faire to prevent households living in our catchment areas from rushing to hypermarkets, or sometimes to supermarkets located generally a few blocks from our stores, on the outskirts of the village, attracted by a massive offer or communication. These same “monsters” who today drive us away because there are fewer of us, restrained by time, stress, over-consumption, waste… We have the weapons to fight, we have the right, it should be said loud and clear, and the flyer is a powerful weapon.
“The promotional pressure is increasingly strong, proving by this very fact that it has become essential and terribly flux generating. We do not use mass media, too expensive, so what better tool than the flyers distributed locally to promote what we are” analyses Lionel Beaudouin, CEO of FRANCAP distribution.
3/MAINTAINING YOUR IMAGE
While convenience stores are often considered as “expensive”, sending promotional good deals helps to give them a better “price image”. The recurrence of these flyers, which is fundamental if you wish to see an impact on turnover (distributing a flyer every now and then has no impact, unless it is to convince yourself wrongly that it does not work), also to send to customers the image of a lively store and capable to adapt its offer to seasonality.
SHAKE UP YOUR HABITS TO SUCCEED
Store managers who use this tool know its effectiveness, but there is still some reluctance. Yet, the arguments, as respectable as they may be, can often be overcome. Using flyers sometimes involves changing the way you approach the subject, analysing things objectively, and that seems worthwhile!
1/“NO SPACE”
Some point out the lack of space in their stores to display the line of products presented in the flyers. “Flyers have been adapted according to the size of the stores. In other words, the number of products presented varies according to the area. A CocciMarket now has only 40 products instead of the 70 from 2 years back.
2/ “NOT ECOLOGICAL”
Each year, Francap pays a licence fee to Ecofolio, which is repaid in full to the local authorities to help finance their recycling actions.
3/ “WRONGLY DISTRIBUTED”
Médiapost et Adrexo se partagent le gâteau. Dans les 2 cas, il y aura toujours des bugs localement, ne nous voilons pas la face. Mais passer du temps à préparer soigneusement l’opération en amont, suivre les prestataires, les contrôler, évite bien des désagréments. Sans parler des outils que ces sociétés mettent à disposition des magasins pour optimiser leur distribution (segmentation des zones en fonction de critères sociaux économiques, exclusion des zones où la distribution finit à la benne …).
4/“I TRIED ONCE, IT DID NOT WORK”
“In all communication, it is the recurrence that pays. How do you get a result by distributing a flyer only once? A message must be hammered to be heard. If it does not work the first time, try again. It is the only way that you will end up touching the target”, advised Philippe Avier. It is only after a year that you will be able to draw objective conclusions.
5/ “MY CUSTOMERS DON’T NEED IT”
Of course, each store has its own characteristics, of course letter boxes are packed with flyers, but the statistics prove it. The written promotional pressure keeps increasing, the surveys carried out among consumers are unanimous, why would it be different? And what about customers who do not come to my store?
THE FLYER FALLS WITHIN A GLOBAL MEASURE
For the message to spread through, it must be conveyed efficiently, the consumer must never lose sight of it, and that, from his letter box to the cashier. How to do that?
1/CONVEYING THE OPERATION OUTSIDE AND INSIDE
You must bring the customer to the product, like a treasure hunt. The flyer is on his dining room table. When he arrives at the store, he finds the strong messages thanks to the myriad of POS displays on the store window and hung on the ceiling, then in the aisle through endcap displays – aisle signs – hook marker, and finally at the till where he takes out his customer loyalty card. So many echoes that are there to guide the customer towards the product without the message being lost and saving him precious time.
Another key tool, Mood Média. A special radio, without the competition’s ads! A radio, which apart from creating a background music, broadcasts our promotional messages on a loop.
2/ HOW TO KEEP THE STORE GOING
Concurrently, the more you stage your store, the stronger the effect, the more you surprise your customers, the less they get tired. An operation is a “festive” moment, it has to transpire in the store, which is even more important than our structures that are rather “static”, having seldom a seasonal zone that changes with the seasons. Some stores will choose to treat their special offers at the entrance with dedicated gondola packed lined with promotional panels, others will decorate their entrance by creating seasonal display tables … Your salespeople who walk the stores all day long, are overflowing with inexpensive and not time consuming ideas but which very quickly gives that extra spirit that makes the difference.
3/ CLEVERLY ORCHESTRATED SPECIAL OFFERS
Seasonality is the main criteria that guides the choice of products on sales. Easter, Anniversary, Christmas… are the key events. Major cultural or sporting events are also taken into account (in 2016, the June flyer will have a “Euro-Football” theme with products such as beers, pizzas…).
FLYERS THOUGHT TO SEDUCE THE CONSUMERS
Why read these ads? More than 90% respondents ensure that it is their best information source to track down discounts. That’s why we highlight attractive offers. The second reason for reading these flyers is to discover new products and find ideas for their future meals. These 8 to 16-page documents are thus studied wisely to attract the eye of customers and future customers. Some keys to success.
1/ GRAPHICS ADAPTED TO EXPECTATIONS
“It must not be forgotten that these catalogues are made for final consumers. They make it possible to reach all the targets, to enter all the houses, and more importantly, they give the store the possibility to be perceived for more than 30 seconds, knowing that the reading time of a flyer is a minimum of 8 minutes”. This type of communication is a lot more effective than television or radio ads, insofar as “shopkeepers need more to be closer to their clientele than to be famous”, and on condition to be different. Please note that stores with “traditional sections” (butchery, delicatessen…) benefit from a specific page.
2/ WELL NOTICEABLE SPECIAL OFFERS WITH SOME HUMOR
These flyers work better because they convey clear and attractive messages.
“Thanks to effective graphic codes, the tone is very friendly and the offers are easily readable. For Coccinelle stores, we opted for a simple and pleasant design: the felt pen stroke. In other words, we circle our special offers on the flyers the same way the consumer could have done it. For Coccimarket, we have also rolled out a fun strategy with illustrations and catchphrases that plays on humour. To make a customer smile is already points earned ….”
3/ FOCUSING ON SERVICE AND PROXIMITY
Showcasing the products while focusing on service, advice, proximity and availability, these are the tips. To enrich these flyers, it also provides “cocci tips”, which have a real impact on purchases. Among the “winning mechanics”, it is noted that virtual batches and immediate discounts work well, as the consumer is particularly fond of special offers. But a store like Coccinelle can provide something else than price/product. It must build a bond with its customers and maintain it over time. The flyers are there to remind him, beyond the daily work of the shopkeeper and his teams. Practical tips like cooking recipes enrich a flyer in an affectionate way and help to maintain the likeability of the brand. “People who read these documents like the relationship to paper, humans and practical tips. Contrary to popular thinking, it is not only housewives, but also young active people. Although different to renew the reader’s interests, the 18 operations must keep the same graphic tone. It is important not to constantly change, to have a clear message and to keep it long enough”, she says. The format is very practical because the flyer does not bend in any direction in the letter box and can pass from one hand to hand.
4/ STRONG AND VISIBLE THEMES
The change this year is also in terms of the themes, much more visible to create a discontinuity with the rest of the flyer, make them more suggestive (reminder of the theme of the cover page, backgrounds of specific colours, inlay of scenes of life, catchphrase by evocative pictograms.
CONCLUSION
The flyer works! This tool has one purpose: to help you perform better.
Even if this strategy requires additional effort, even if sometimes we need more patience, it would be a loss to miss out on it, which is confirmed by all studies and testimonials.
