Case Study: Convenience Stores

Growth had stalled with this major Asian convenience store retailer in light of a slowing economy and increased competition in its major markets. Our challenge was to refresh brand positioning, refine customer targeting and align the organisation behind a new commercial proposition which would re-ignite growth.

Implicit Market Mapping revealed some valuable core strengths but also significant weaknesses in consumer perception of the client brand. In particular the brand was seen as functional but unexciting – consumers had a purely ‘transactional’ relationship with it and emotional connection was almost entirely lacking.

The work further revealed the ‘preference critical’ shopping occasions which most drove emotional connection and brand choice in the market – these were occasions where our client was present but not preferred.

Using these insights we were able to work with our client to develop a number of propositions designed to deliver preference vs all competitors for the preference-critical shopping occasions, and these were tested using Implicit techniques.

Results were strongly positive, shifting purchase intention significantly.

We then worked with client teams to develop a series of commercial initiatives to step-change consumer perception of the client for the key preference-critical occasions.

There was a strong increase in emotional connection with the brand across core emotional goal territories and importantly, the preference-critical shopping occasions.

Think Again used the research output to develop a new proposition which shifted preference and purchase intention for the client brand significantly and sales in core categories have seen strong sales increases.