Using New Media

Gina Rau Contributed by Gina Rau

Posted in Uncategorized

As Michael Sansolo pointed out in Unseen Competitors, the way we receive and seek out information is changing each day. How we consumed media,  researched new products, or sought solutions, just last year, involves news sources and technology this year.

One thing that hasn’t changed: consumers want information. They want information on the solutions you offer to the problems they face. Depending on the product, or the need it satisfies, they may also want to know what their friends, or experts, think about this product too.

Earlier this month, Whole Foods caught my attention with this podcast on their blog about a topic important to us at Aisle7: Choosing Supplements for Kids.  Like our own content, they share an expert’s perspective on when a child might need to supplement their diet with vitamins and minerals, and how to go about selecting the right ones. While the content was insightful and potentially helpful, there was not much stated that offered a new perspective on the topic.

But, it was delivered in a new, unique way.

And that’s why it caught my attention. And I bet their customer’s too.

There’s a long list of benefits from using new media that go beyond cutting through the information clutter we see out there – building loyalty, enabling sharing of your branded content, supporting purchase decisions, reinforcing post-purchase decisions…the list goes on.

The question for retailers is: how can you help your customers find answers to their questions, or information that adds value to your relationship by utilizing new media?

Unseen Competitors

There are things we all know that we know, except sometimes we don’t.
Here’s a simple question: what’s the number one source for news in the US? Chances are you said NBC or maybe Fox News. And you’d be right if the question was limited to broadcast or cable news. But [...]

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“Both Sides Now…and Quickly!”

A terrible fight broke out on the Washington subway system recently. It happened at 11 p.m., spilling out onto two different stops and involving, according to police, 70 people. When I first heard the story I did the same thing you probably did: felt disgust. Then I felt [...]

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Healthnotes Newswire Opinion: The Importance of Savvy Supplement Use

By The Aisle7 Editorial Team
Healthnotes Newswire (August 12, 2010)—In the August 2010 issue of Consumer Reports they write about what they see as potential dangers in the supplement industry and specifically of certain products (the so-called “Dirty Dozen”). However, their focus on potential risks ignores the value of supplements and discounts much [...]

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Thursday Morning Eye-Opener: Lessons from movies

If you have any doubts about the impact of a manager, make time to see Toy Story 3. It’s hard to recall another movie that so clearly delivered a story about how an embittered, mean-spirited boss can turn a workplace into a nightmare.
Based on ticket revenue, the odds are that many [...]

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When I eat better food, I have a better mood.

I live in Portland, Oregon—a place where the seasons of the city can dictate my mood. Portland is notorious for wet rainy weather in the winter when my mood takes a nose dive. In the summer, when the sun is shining and I spend as much time as I possibly can outside, my [...]

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“Better” Supermarkets by Mark Bittman

Some of our recap posts from the 2010 FMI (Food Marketing Institute) event talked about shopper expectations, creating a sensory-rich experience, and how Dorothy Lane Markets was going about doing so. There was much discussion at the event on the in-store experience and what today’s shoppers have come to expect, from many different perspectives including [...]

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Hitting the Right Notes

In a world of value, where bigger, larger and more seem always to work, is it possible that less can be better? I think we recently got an easy and powerful lesson in just that concept, not to mention how more can sometimes be too much.
Think back for to the recently completed World Cup soccer [...]

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Playing To Win The Game

Something strange happened a few nights ago in the Dodgers/Giants baseball game. In the final inning, with the game on the line, a Dodgers coach – Don Mattingly – went to the pitching mound to discuss strategy. As the discussion ended he started walking away, took a few steps, turned [...]

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Déjà Vu Again And Again

So your agenda is full, your balance sheet is troubling and the last thing you need is yet another reminder that inertia is a problem. Sorry, my job is to point out such stuff and this week we have a couple of reminders of the perils of standing still. Consider [...]

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