The Power of Retail Design- Interview with G+G

After NRF’s BIG Show I had a chance to pick the brains of the G+G team. G+G, a creative firm specializing in strategic solutions for business growth, presented at NRF’s Convention and spoke about the power of retail design. They also featured some of their work in the DESiGN STUDiO. Here’s what they had to say when I caught up with them after the show:

What makes a great brand?  Why is a brand still important in this current economic environment?

Great brands must do two things: they must meet the moment, and last through time.  And the ones that do last increase in value with each new generation. Great brands continuously evolve, not just for the sake of change, but to maintain relevance.

Our branding/ retail design firm is different because of one main thing: we behave like partners working side-by-side with brands to uncover the best path of success in the market. Our strategy and creative work is always driven by an entrepreneurial spirit, and all of the touchpoints that we deliver – from the brand positioning, to the retail and online experiences, marketing, packaging, etc. all answer to that one question – “How do we win?”

Our process is unique as well. We call it “StageSetting” and it involves prototyping multiple consumer touchpoints simultaneously to paint a picture of the future today.  By bringing visions to life, all stakeholders can experience a living strategy before investing in a rollout.

Given the current economic environment and decrease in consumer spending, what steps are retailers taking to differentiate themselves in the marketplace and drive traffic both in-store and online?

We think in terms of market opportunity. And the biggest opportunity right now is that the playing field has been leveled, no retailer can count on consumer loyalty from the past. We believe the key opportunity is for retailers to focus on making a difference in consumer’s lives today. Starbucks is closing down stores, but just yesterday I had the best cup of coffee in my life at a little place called “Grumpy’s” – they’re now expanding and opening new locations.

The online space has the same intimacy that Main Street used to have, but in a new way. The advances in technology now empower retailers to have a superior level of familiarity and provide customized service and products that are even better than the great stores of yesteryear.

One key area of focus in the future should be to make the consumer experience seamless between the in-store and on-line platforms.

As consumers become more knowledgeable and the proliferation of online communities continues, how must retailers change to address this new dynamic?  How do you create a brand online?

Retailers will increasingly need to partner with consumers. In “Miracle on 34th Street”, the Macy’s Santa tells a woman that the doll she wants is available at Gimble’s. In that example, Macy’s wins because they are being a trusted friend. Great experiences that make the trip worthwhile are key, but great customer service is still the most preached and least practiced consumer touchpoint.

Retailers need to contextualize products. They need to tell a story about how a particular product fits into one’s life and demonstrates the features and benefits.

When it comes to creating Brands online, we like to look at it as ‘simply creating Brands.’ The only difference is that there are a different set of rules and additional touchpoints to work with. In many ways, the online space allows deeper and more authentic brand expression because one’s message can be delivered simultaneously in different ways showing different facets of a brand’s personality.  Everything is happening at once on all fronts.

G+G has been hired to help reinvent many iconic brands – including Waterford Wedgwood, Rafaella, Levi’s, Bombay – what are the challenges/advantages to working with an established brand?
The challenge is that it’s an artful blending of perception and reality. The market’s perception of what the brand is, and the reality of what the brand needs to be in order to succeed in the market.

If handled properly, there is an advantage to the built-in brand recognition of an iconic brand. It gives us something to sculpt and sometimes a wonderful heritage to celebrate.

As creatives, however, we love building brands from scratch. A great example is the Peter England PEOPLE Store Chain that Eric Gustavsen presented in The Power of Retail Design Forum at this NRF show. The opportunity with building a new brand is that there is no baggage and nothing is sacred.

You can simply focus on voids in the marketplace and take advantage of the consumer’s desire to discover and experience a novel approach and product assortment.