Retail Buzzwords Done Right
Before I’m a marketer or an idea man or an exceptional paella chef, I am a word guy.
I believe that good writing can change the world, and that it’s an almost sacred responsibility to choose just the right words. Because it truly matters. Whether one is crafting rousing rhetoric to ignite public opinion, or creating copy to move the new line of tableware at Target, it matters.
Years ago, a friend and mentor told me “he who sits at the keyboard has all the power.” I chose to believe it, because I saw the real-world wisdom in her statement. And because I enjoyed power. I still do.
So let’s wield some!
We are living in an age of mash-up language and Franken-words (which is a Franken-word). The way we communicate, especially in marketing, is constantly changing; there seems to be an update to the dictionary every week. Now, I realize that I have stated, on the record, that many of these marketing buzzwords are limited in their usefulness and a tad off-putting. But maybe they wouldn’t be if someone thoughtful, someone who revered words, someone who probably wouldn’t go crazy with power, created them.
Someone like me. I want in.
There has been a barrage of freshly minted buzzwords in the retail marketing space: Pinfluencers, althleisure, retailtainment, webrooming and, a personal favorite, phablets (combination of phones and tablets). “All the good ones are taken,” one may cry. But fear not. There are still a lot of shopper marketing trends and behaviors that have yet to be named. Herein lies opportunity for generating buzzwords.
For your approval (and eventual adoption and spreading), here are some new retail marketing terms I am pretty sure the industry will soon find indispensable. (Or maybe just fun to say.)
Shopping is seen by many as a leisure activity. Rather than enter-see-buy-leave, now shoppers want to take time, explore and make personal discoveries. They are essentially seeking emotional engagement and arousal as they browse. That desirable feeling is called abrowsal.
Sometimes shoppers desire conflicting things. Case in point: they want their privacy protected, yet they also want their shopping experience to be highly personalized. This could be called the Anona-me Complex.
One of the most strategic ways a retailer can make sure the shopper is always satisfied is to have the product she wants, when she wants it and where she wants it. To win at this critical game, retailers must discover and maintain an ideal distribution of merchandise – and merchandise delivery systems – across channels. Build a winventory.
It is mandatory that certain areas, items or product displays stand out on the store floor. This keeps shoppers visually engaged, and drives them to important sales and experience areas. Marketers who do this well are considered to have exceptional shelf awareness.
Shopping is now a team sport. The retail store is a destination for groups of friends seeking to enjoy each other’s company and share an experience. They are expressing the powerful (and enduring) concept of friendShop.
Feel free to use any of these buzzwords as often as you possibly can. And remember where you heard it first.
