Canadian Retailer - Summer 2014 - 32

PERFORMANCE-AT-RETAIL

"This was launching a new hair regimen, with a premium ure brain activity are an important part of
look, so we looked at what materials could lift the caché of the Central's methods. In one test, Central helped
product," says Cecol.
a food manufacturer decide between two opCircling the Gallery, Cecol talks about several innovations tions for a product image. Central started with
that Central incorporates into packaging and displays. For in- the manufacturer's own research, and then
stance, there's Animated Ink, which goes from light to dark, narrowed down to two designs with input
creating a dynamic display. Displays are thin, lightweight, and from a national panel. One image depicted
powered by batteries lasting months, so no power source is the finished product, the other the process, i.e.
needed to mount them.
family members making it together.
Central didn't conceive Animated Ink, but is the only comThe feedback from the national panel was
pany in Canada distributing it. The focus is always on the re- helpful. Still, Cecol says, Central needed to
sult, not just the innovation. The company points to studies test those views in the lab with live shoppers.
(from the Nordic School of Retail Management) showing how The beauty shot of the finished product was
using Animated Ink boosted sales and consumer observa- enticing. However, eye-tracking confirmed
tions by 64 per cent and 34 per cent, respectively.
that shoppers were drawn to the family shot.
Along with contributing to sales, Central looks at how "The emotion tends to resonate with custompackaging and displays can save time, materials and money. ers," says Cecol.
Central was a key player in building voluntary retail-ready package standards in Canada. Cecol picks up a hood-and-tray design,
which doesn't need a knife to open. The hood
snaps off, and the tray has the branding. Cecol mentions research that shows retail-ready
packaging (RRP) can save 30-50 per cent in
stocking time.
Next Cecol turns to an RRP for Campbell
Soup. It holds 12 cans and serves as dispenser
and merchandiser. "You can take the top off
and reload it, or the entire unit can be carried
out as a club pack," he says.
Convenience and efficiencies are key considerations. This day in the ROI Lab, the first
thing you see is a Central designer testing a
peggable product that holds six items. As he
hangs the package, a video camera records "What makes them [Central] remarkable is
the scene. Later, Central will analyze the they're not just a supplier of packaging, they're
footage to see how quickly the pegs can be
stocked-in this case, maybe five seconds for not just creating a functional, attractive box-
the package of six versus three seconds for they can tell you which ones move product."
hanging each item one at a time.
- JEREMY MILLER
"Any time not spent shelving," says Cecol,
Business Development Consultant
"is time spent with the customer."
Unlocking brand value

To Central, performance-at-retail is all about unlocking
brand value and building a winning relationship between the
shopper, the brand and the retailer. The company works with
clients to uncover insights between all three stakeholders. The
ROI Lab is where that comes alive. Miller calls it "one of the
most sophisticated retail labs in Canada".
The blink of an eye. How many decisions, including purchases, are made that quickly? Central's people understand
the data that sheds light on the power of first impressions and
decision-making. And they know the eyes don't lie.
Eye-tracking and Electroencephalography (EEG) that meas-

32 |

canadian retailer | summer 2014 | www.retailcouncil.org/cdnretailer

"If you didn't have eye-tracking, you'd go by
your gut," says Miller. "An agency or design
shop will say, based on their experience, 'look
how the eye is drawn'. But eye-tracking proves
what the customer saw. You're getting away
from gut feel to hard data, so that gives you a
much better sense of what's going to work."
The ability to understand what customers
actually feel-not just what they say in a survey or focus group-is invaluable, says Cussen. Along with using eye-tracking, Central
can have a moderator ask consumers ques-


http://www.retailcouncil.org/cdnretailer

Canadian Retailer - Summer 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Canadian Retailer - Summer 2014

Publisher's Desk
Retail Currents
Food for Thought: The State of Canadian Grocery
Driving Sales With Personalized Advertising
Come One, Come All
Unsure About the Future
Education Leading to Organic Growth
The Total Retail Package
Advertiser's Index
Retail Quick Tips
Canadian Retailer - Summer 2014 - cover1
Canadian Retailer - Summer 2014 - cover2
Canadian Retailer - Summer 2014 - 3
Canadian Retailer - Summer 2014 - Publisher's Desk
Canadian Retailer - Summer 2014 - 5
Canadian Retailer - Summer 2014 - Retail Currents
Canadian Retailer - Summer 2014 - 7
Canadian Retailer - Summer 2014 - 8
Canadian Retailer - Summer 2014 - 9
Canadian Retailer - Summer 2014 - Food for Thought: The State of Canadian Grocery
Canadian Retailer - Summer 2014 - 11
Canadian Retailer - Summer 2014 - 12
Canadian Retailer - Summer 2014 - 13
Canadian Retailer - Summer 2014 - 14
Canadian Retailer - Summer 2014 - 15
Canadian Retailer - Summer 2014 - Driving Sales With Personalized Advertising
Canadian Retailer - Summer 2014 - 17
Canadian Retailer - Summer 2014 - 18
Canadian Retailer - Summer 2014 - Come One, Come All
Canadian Retailer - Summer 2014 - 20
Canadian Retailer - Summer 2014 - 21
Canadian Retailer - Summer 2014 - 22
Canadian Retailer - Summer 2014 - Unsure About the Future
Canadian Retailer - Summer 2014 - 24
Canadian Retailer - Summer 2014 - 25
Canadian Retailer - Summer 2014 - Education Leading to Organic Growth
Canadian Retailer - Summer 2014 - 27
Canadian Retailer - Summer 2014 - 28
Canadian Retailer - Summer 2014 - 29
Canadian Retailer - Summer 2014 - The Total Retail Package
Canadian Retailer - Summer 2014 - 31
Canadian Retailer - Summer 2014 - 32
Canadian Retailer - Summer 2014 - 33
Canadian Retailer - Summer 2014 - 34
Canadian Retailer - Summer 2014 - 35
Canadian Retailer - Summer 2014 - 36
Canadian Retailer - Summer 2014 - Advertiser's Index
Canadian Retailer - Summer 2014 - Retail Quick Tips
Canadian Retailer - Summer 2014 - cover3
Canadian Retailer - Summer 2014 - cover4
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