Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - 35

Flyer strength
Some categories profit more than others. The top categories in which consumers lean on flyers (numbers are the percentage of shoppers
who use flyers all, almost all or most of the time before shopping) are:

84%
groceries

40%

health &
personal Care

34%

Clothing &
Accessories

33%

Computer hardware
& Software

31%

home
entertainment

*All stats: according to the Flyer Distribution Standards Association's 2015 FDSA Consumer Engagement Study.

onto it as a reminder. Mobile may change that,
but until then the paper flyer is still the preferred
reference point."
Two things that paper flyers have going for
them? "a huge screen and high resolution,"
says ed Strapagiel, not facetiously. Strapagiel
is an independent retail consultant, and was
previously an executive at kubasPrimedia. He
says people "read" flyers by scanning, images
first, and you can do that with a large printed
page quite quickly and efficiently. digital flyers, even those that try to emulate the printed
page, just don't have the same effect.
The big surface of the paper flyer requires a
lot less concentration than a small screen, and
doesn't require you to push a bunch of buttons
and navigate-"That makes it easier to internalize," adds Marc inkol, President of explorer
Group in Mississauga, ontario.
explorer specializes in behavioural research,
i.e. what triggers shoppers to buy. inkol sees
great opportunities for digital to engage and
inspire shoppers, with the use of video for instance. But paper flyers still have a big advantage. People may like flyers to review prices or
find out about new products, he says, but the
real reason they use print flyers? Sheer simplicity, inkol says.
The ritualistic nature of exploring flyers is
another draw, says Strapagiel. People think of
digital as interactive, but there's something
interactive about paper too, not just in making
notes on it or carrying it with you, but even the
act of opening that bundle.
"You develop a routine around getting flyers
on a regular basis," says Strapagiel. "i'll go outwww.retailcouncil.org/cdnretailer

side, get the paper, take that tight rubber band off, and go through
the flyers on the hood of my car. it takes very little time-because you have that large screen and high resolution-so i can go
through 20-30 flyers in a minute-and-a-half at most. it would take
more time to look at one e-flyer."
He submits that the flyer is also the only form of advertising
that customers will complain about not getting. Think about it, TV
or radio ads can be an interruption, and you have no say in what
you have to sit through. "When flyers come, you have the power to
pick and choose what you pay attention to," says Strapagiel.
This isn't just a matter of a sentimental attachment that some
demographics have for paper. in fact, the FdSa study found that
young adults were among the groups most likely to use printed
flyers more now than a year ago. Chase describes how his sixyear-old, a digital native, has dog-eared the pages of a paper
catalogue. "He said, 'i like this.' it was something about the touch
and feel, and the ability to go back and forth. and it lingered."
how long will the paper flyer last?

it's worth remembering that the word "flyer" has several
meanings, including an aviator and a speculative business venture. The flyers we're talking about-over time, also called handbills, circulars and leaflets-were once known as fly-sheets in the
1800s, an apparent reference to being scattered. But those other
meanings resonate here as well. Flyers can make things move
fast too, and can be an investment that pays off big.
"The digital landscape creates exciting opportunities," says
Chase, "but many of the traditional marketing channels are still
great channels."
Perhaps the nature of the flyer will change, he says, maybe
moving to better quality paper and more design elements that
make a product pop, or to greater storytelling. But a well-configured flyer that reflects your brand and takes you into a product
selection "is still a very powerful device," Chase says. "The flyer
generates a massive amount of footfall and sales-and nobody is
replacing that anytime soon."

Winter 2015 | caNadIaN RETaIlER

| 35


http://www.retailcouncil.org/cdnretailer

Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015

Publisher's Desk
Retail Currents
Retail: At Issue
Steeped in Success
Tips to Market on a Budget, Part 1 of 2: Digital Outreach
Celebrating 50 Years of Relevance and Growth
Frequent Flyers
Marketing to Millennials
CANEX: Extending Support through E-Commerce
Advertiser's Index
Retail Quick Tips
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - cover1
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - cover2
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - 3
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - 4
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - 5
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - Publisher's Desk
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - 7
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - Retail Currents
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - 9
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - 10
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - 11
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - Retail: At Issue
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - 13
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - 14
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - 15
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - Steeped in Success
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - 17
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - 18
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - 19
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - 20
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - 21
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - 22
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - Tips to Market on a Budget, Part 1 of 2: Digital Outreach
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - 24
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - 25
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - 26
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - 27
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - Celebrating 50 Years of Relevance and Growth
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - 29
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - 30
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - 31
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - Frequent Flyers
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - 33
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - 34
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - 35
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - Marketing to Millennials
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - 37
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - 38
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - 39
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - CANEX: Extending Support through E-Commerce
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - 41
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - 42
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - 43
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - 44
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - Advertiser's Index
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - Retail Quick Tips
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - cover3
Canadian Retailer - Winter 2015 - cover4
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