Shoppers of quality need better targeting

I couldn’t agree more with Lucy Handley (‘Every little bit of quality helps’). Following the horsemeat scandal it’s unlikely the cost of food at supermarkets will be coming down any time soon and shoppers may well feel the need to trade up in quality. That would be an extra cost for households already buying 4 per cent less food than in 2007 but spending 12 per cent more, according to the Defra Family Food 2011 report.

The young are finding it particularly hard, such that 25 per cent of 20- to 35-year-olds are living back at home with mum and dad (Mediacom Real World Insight). This means older shoppers are still doing a big family shop long after they expected to be doing (the average ‘hotel parent’ is aged 56, according to TGI). As a result, three out of five household shoppers are now aged over 45 years, shows a Telegraph ICM poll.

The good news is that these older shoppers are not feeling the pinch as keenly as other consumer groups. Mintel says 86 per cent of the wealth of the nation lies with the over-50s, and data company CACI predicts it will be the baby boomers in wealthy achiever neighbourhoods who will lead us out of recession.

These people are quality focused and, in your issue last week, Kantar predicted greater emphasis on quality as the nation comes out of recession. As your article says, the horsemeat affair will only add to the need to “return to marketing that reassures people about quality and provenance”. I would argue, then, that contextual marketing in trusted brands must have a role to play.

So why do supermarkets still largely target the 25 to 44s and lower social grades with their advertising campaigns? Only about 2 per cent of their ad spend is allocated to quality newspapers. Yet, according to TGI, a Telegraph reader typically spends 17 per cent more per person on groceries than a tabloid reader.

Our readers eat too – and they are the type of people who will lead the country out of recession. They seek value for money not just lower prices. Maybe clients and media planners should have another look at this audience and their media and shopping habits.

Mathew Watkins, sales director, Telegraph Media Group

Football should make data collection…

Football fans are a vocal bunch who look to strike up a conversation with their club due to the deep emotional ties they develop, so there are plenty of opportunities to collect data and information through competitions, surveys, and point of sale initiatives. Through this, a club or brand can build an accurate profile of their fan base and ensure they communicate with them in a tailored and relevant way.

For instance, if a marketer knows a club has a strong contingent of fans who watch games with their family, they can alter the messaging accordingly. This offers a chance to form commercial partnerships that engage fans and make the brand or club feel relevant.

Aside from Derby and Sunderland, another great example of fan engagement is Arsenal, which has developed a loyalty scheme with tailored brand offerings and uses data to inform the sponsorship deals it makes.

Football fans, like any other consumer, want and expect, an experience that feels relevant to them. By using data to build a clearer profile of a fan base, clubs and brands have an opportunity to forge strong, beneficial relationships with them.

Simon Gray, head of new business, Lateral Group

…and rugby its goal

Football marketers and promotions experts everywhere should be paying closer attention to the way rugby has been marketing itself and engaging its supporters.

Reading ‘Has the beautiful game dropped the ball’ confirms that, in this instance, the ball has been well and truly dropped by the football industry.

So what should it be doing? Saracens set a good example, identifying new ways of engaging and entertaining supporters before the game and at half-time with live promotions such as the Cross Bar Challenge, which not only engaged audiences but also quickly became a talking point among the media and fans, generating plenty of column inches and debate.

Football clubs should review the Saracens model and see how it successfully offered the largest spectator prize in sporting history – by amplifying their marketing budget – while generating a strong audience connection.

While some football clubs are reviewing their ‘match day experience’ and considering linking it with social media and smart phones to engage fans, it isn’t on the radar for nearly enough clubs.

Lorraine Horley, head of client services, Fotorama

4G will help to realise mobile potential

Cisco is predicting that by 2015 internet traffic will be significantly more mobile and it will be mostly made up of video. With this in mind, 4G services become an incredibly important aspect of the UK digital market – one that must be given more respect.

So I was interested to read that EE’s new messaging will highlight how its customers can access music and video content on their devices. The launch of 4G will enable the use of mobile video to escalate, as well as merge with new attributes such as location-based services and alternative payments systems, from vouchers to mobile wallets.

Until now many have felt the smaller screen has only aspired to be like its parent, the TV, and requires the same content only smaller. This year content formats and personalised experiences developed with the smaller screen in mind will offer new gateways to brands.

Chris Gorell Barnes, chief executive and founder, Adjust Your Set