With all the hype, it’s clear that this ‘top secret’ meeting was never kept under wraps, and that may all have been for the sake of publicity. There are few businesses out there that can generate so much interest about an internal administrative process like an NDA signing. However, Apple knows their every move is watched and it’s probable that they decided to take advantage of it! This is a unique form of marketing that’s brilliant as it avoids direct sales, but still accomplishes a number of goals:

• People are talking about them – not that Apple is ever free of media attention, but in this case, all they had to do to start the chatter was to allude to something top secret. Every news publication and blog has been speculating about what’s coming down the pipe from Apple; how can you resist talking about it when the phrasing indicates there’s a cover up happening?
• Customer feedback is generated - rumors and speculation often pique the interest of consumers who are then inspired to discuss the company generally, along with their personal experiences, and their thoughts on the rumors (often through social media outlets). This is helpful feedback for Apple that has the opportunity to gauge customer satisfaction. In 2010, this worked well for the GAP when consumers began debating the look of the new logo which turned to online chatter about their business structure. Coincidentally, that was another situation labelled as a publicity stunt, but that’s another story.
• Sales will follow when people discover the new product available - because of this period of speculation, consumers are forming an attachment to a product or service before its even available, and that’s great for sales!

What do you think Apple’s up to? Did they leak this NDA signing information as part of an intelligent marketing scheme, or is all the hype just a nice coincidence?

PSFK advised retailers to think of all store locations as flagship stores and treat customer visits as opportunities to tell the story of the brand. Disney stores executed this idea by remodeling their stores to become a family entertainment hub where kids can interact and play with the merchandise. The New England grocery chain Stew Leonard’s organized their stores by stocking merchandise needed for certain occasions together, such as a barbecue or birthday party. Customers then buy items for an experience and possibly pick up a few things they didn’t think they needed, like birthday hats or corn on the cob holders. Stew Leonard’s stores also have animatronic farm animals kids can play with, flat screens that show feeds of their own daily cows and bountiful offerings of free samples.

The important thing to remember is that the store is an extension of the brand and thus offers a unique opportunity to create an immersive brand experience for the consumer. Apple stores capitalize on this opportunity by keeping their design aesthetic relevant to their brand and by offering product testing stations and optional education classes for customers. Lance Armstrong’s bike shop in Austin, Tex., is meant to be a hub for the diverse biking community, whether people are beginners or almost pros. Mellow Johnny’s even has a coffee shop, showers and bike storage systems to encourage more people to join the cycling community. By creating a community and not just a software store or cycling shop, Apple and Mellow Johnny’s make a visit to their stores not just another stop on an errand run but a place to spend an afternoon browsing and talking with others.

It’s also important to note that the stories retailers tell require scene changes. In order to keep up with shopping and cultural trends, retailers need to continually reinvent the shopping experience, all the while still keeping the brand’s core message and story in mind. Product displays and merchandise need to be rearranged and transformed to give the customer a reason to return.

ICC/Decison Services’ latest in iPhone applications shows retailers the dollar value resulting from increasing their conversion rates. ConversionCalc™ is the second of its iPhone applications available for free download on iTunes. ICC’s existing application, the UpSellCall™, was the first of its kind in the industry when it was launched this past summer. ICC/Decison Services is an international customer experience management company based in New York City.

Field management loves our calculators because they are portable and easily show store management the power of associate behavior. “We received great feedback on the UpSell Calc, our first application,” says David Rich, President/CEO of ICC/Decision Services. “Field management loves our calculators because they are portable and easily show store management the power of associate behavior. Corporate loves them because they point to increased revenue. It takes so much to get customers in the door in today’s marketplace,” continues Rich, “but many retailers don’t realize that increasing your conversion rates by only 2% can increase revenue by 10%. The ConversionCalc™ will quantify that lost opportunity for retailers and can produce calculations for a single store, district or the entire retail chain.”

Other features of the ConversionCalc™ include: easy one-screen operation; allows calculations over multiple time periods (days, months, quarters, etc); reveals the true dollar amount for increased associate performance.

Click here for more “ConversionCalc” conversion rates information, iPhone applications and download links.

Retailers, restaurants, financial institutions and brands deal too often in numbers and percentages when dollars are what really matter. In just a few simple steps, the “UpSellCalc™ takes current suggestive selling numbers for a corporation and calculates the dollar value of the upsell on the sales floor, in the fitting rooms and at the register. Taking it one step further, UpSellCalc™ will also calculate the dollar value should the frequency of suggestive selling increase by 5, 10 or even 20 percent. Other features of the UpSellCalc™ include: easy one-screen operation, ability to calculate ROI for a specific store, district, region or across an entire retail chain, and key indicators of the true dollar amount for increased associate performance.

“Mobile technology is playing an increasing role in the retail and brand experience every day,” says David Rich, President/CEO of ICC/Decision Services. “At ICC, we believe first and foremost in showing our customers a return on investment, and with the UpSellCalc™ we have developed yet another tool for delivering this information to them–in this case right into the palm of their hands. We look forward to introducing several other new tools in the mobile technology and social media arenas in the coming months.”

Click here for more “UpSellCalc” information and download links.

From the beginning, Apple has successful established it’s brand to be unique. Everything from the product’s innovative designs, accessories, and customer service reps, aka Apple Genius, reinforce the Apple brand. Wal-Mart’s brand is known for low price guarantee, something which is not typically associated with Apple. The iPhone’s arrival to
Wal-Mart’s shelves is one of the higher priced items carried by the retailer.

According the AppleInsider, there are rumors of Apple selling it’s lower priced items in Wal-Mart stores. You won’t see the MacBook Pro, but possible newer cheaper items such as the Mac Mini. A part of Apple’s branding is the use of their own retail storefront and the Apple Genius. It will be interesting to see how Wal-Mart’s displays and associates will extend the brand of Apple which is prevalent in their own stores.

Of course, the bigger question is whether or not extending the Apple line with Wal-Mart will hinder the Apple brand. There are ways Apple can ensure their brand is well represented at the retail shelves. Brand strategy measurement tools include:

1) Visual Merchandising Audits: Photos conducted by a third party auditor can provide Apple a visual quality check of POS marketing and product displays.

2) Shopper Intercept Interviews: Intercept interviews are a great way to find out how the consumer views the brand in the retail setting. Apple can find out whether or not sales associates are knowledgeable on product line and helpful in ensuring a positive shopping experience. The interviews can reveal whether the pricing and marketing is effective with the brand’s consumers.

Measuring the consumer attitude and the merchandising would help Apple determine whether or not it’s brand quality is represented on the shelves of any retail storefront.

What do you think about the Apple expanding it’s product line with Wal-Mart? Do you think pairing with a discount retailer hinder’s the brand?

iPhone consumers are very loyal customers, often starting the Apple experience with an iPod or a MacBook. The applications on the iPhone make the phone very enticing to consumers. MacWorld reports the HP iPrint Photo works with the iPhone and a wireless HP inkjet printer.

The company has no future plans to extend the application to other brands such as Blackberry or Sprint’s Instinct. Focusing the HP brand to solely iPhone consumers, HP is likely hoping to transfer some of Apple’s loyal consumers to HP. HP hopes of making it big with only one niche market, versus approaching all web-enabled phones, could be risky business or the right move.

a) Order 2x512MB chips on-line
b) Wait until the next morning to drop off at Comp USA (and pick up a few days later)
c) Go to the Apple Store on 5th Avenue
d) Procrastinate for another 4 months

If you picked “C”, you are correct. And not only is it amazing that this (and others) are open 24 hours a day, but when I got there, 150 people were touring, playing and”¦ YES”¦ buying (the most important take-away).
Within 15 minutes, I had my “new and improved” computer. They were only too happy to help. Why is Apple one of the few companies who really get it?

A recent New York Times article offered a few clues when it discussed how Steve Jobs kicked Apple’s aesthetic considerations to the curb in favor of creating the kind of in-store conditions that would harness the power of the ultimate customer experience. What Steve Jobs knew that his competitors had yet to figure out was that his stores weren’t just selling products, they were selling satisfaction. And it doesn’t take glitzy stores to deliver that feeling. With plenty of available stock, one-on-one consultations and expert post sale service, Apple quickly took the lead.
Let’s compare Apple to Sony. With huge stores and a depth of product availability that should boost Sony’s popularity, stores remain understaffed and under-visited by the public. A walk through a Sony store quickly proves that staff not only outnumbers customers, but the staff seems less preoccupied with stellar customer service. Although the Vice President of Sony, Dennis Syracuse, dismisses allegations that Sony is ill-equipped to compete with Apple, stating that Sony stores were conceived as a fashion boutique for women and children that incidentally happened to carry electronics instead of clothing, Sony has failed to impress retail consultants, who easily see the difference between the two retailers in “˜shopability’ and the emotional connection to customers.
Apple has created an environment where people look forward to spending their money. By contrast, Sony has built stores full of stuff that people have not made an emotional connection to. As always, the proof is in the pudding. Apple released results for the quarter ended March 31. More than 21.5 million people visited its 180 stores for a 34% increase in sales that totaled $855 million. It’s hard to argue with numbers like that.