Context Of Practice
Wednesday 13 January 2016
Module Evaluation
OUGD601
Billie Meredith
Module Evaluation
This module has been surprisingly enjoyable in parts. In terms of writing I had a very start late. Lacking confidence in my question lead to it being changed and writing not beginning ‘till late in the year. This was mostly because of the weight of the decision and wanting it to give me the best chance of showing my academic abilities. Though it was a slow start, eventually, I really did enjoy writing. It allowed me to learn a lot outside of just 'design', exploring what is behind a brand. These external sources of inspiration really helped me through the writing process, allowing interests outside of Graphic design to fuel me. The marketing strategies and architecture were particular points of interest for me. It was good to step back from everything visual and look solely at what constructs brands and why they do what they do.
Standardisation and formatting was my most difficult task. I was easily panicked by what was correct and what wasn't. My time management was good this year though could have been better. In the future I want to take the step to plan a complete methodological approach to the work. Although I did this to a certain extent with this module, I am often put off extensive planning because the pull of just starting the project makes spending time planning seem superfluous. My methodology for writing my essay was incredibly successful; writing drafts and being able to comb through them helped me improve my academic writing. Being able to recognize a lack of quotes or analysis was found to be a great tool.
In terms of the final result, there was so much research that didn't make it into the word count, or I didn't find enough time to refine. Despite this, the knowledge I collected through this research was invaluable in allowing me to form a complete, and contextualised image of the topic that was my focus. Keeping my topic simple and in depth, simultaneously was a challenge. However, being able to step back and assess the relevance of information allowed me to maintain a concise focus throughout.
My practical element synthesizes with chapter 3, looking at visual elements and packaging of the supermarket own-ranges. Low-end, cheap brands were the most fascinating to me. The intentional simplicity and arguably poor design quality, was something that was very interesting to grapple with.
In hindsight, there is much more I would have not only liked to produce as well as input, research wise. But with outside circumstances continuing to greatly affect my time management and work ethic, this has continued to be a struggle for me. Despite all this I am proud of what I have been able to achieve in the time frame, but look forward to growing and exploring this topic further in my own time and practice.
Monday 11 January 2016
Biblography
LURY, G (2001) Brandwatching. 2nd Ed. Los Angeles: Blackhall Publishing.
BBC NEWS (1999) Loyalty cards loosing appeal. [Online] Available from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/the_company_file/481921.stm [Accessed 19th December 2015]
AIMIA [Online] Available from: http://www.aimia.com/en/capabilities/consumers/customer-loyalty-management.html [Accessed 21st December 2015]
NILESEN N.V. (NYSE: NLSN) (2014) The State Of Private Label Around The World. [Online] Available from: http://www.nielsen.com [Accessed 10 December 2015]
Documents
Practical: Budgens Case Study
I found Budgens through further research, whilst looking into supermarkets that are not the main subject area of my writing.
The company was founded in 1872 by John Budgen and is believed to be one of the oldest supermarket brands in Great Britain. Beginning as a small, local grocer, the company has expanded and over time the Budgens name has appeared on many stores throughout the South of England. It has established a reputation for providing for the local communities around England’s high streets and suburban towns with quality products. The business was incorporated as a private limited company on 28 May 1962.
In May 2015, Budgens' parent company Musgrave Group confirmed it had reached an agreement to sell Budgens and Londis for £40 million to the wholesaler Booker Group, subject to regulatory approval.
Since then, Budgens has grown to over 150 stores, varying from petrol stations to neighbourhood supermarkets, which are independently owned by Budgens retailers.
Budgens Logo 2008 - Present |
Budgen Logo 1968-1989
|
The stores were branded simply as 'Budgen', a progression from 'Budgen & Co. Ltd.', in a unique white font on the orange background. A distinctive logo was also used for the 'Budgen' branding, which incorporated a tulip , that symbolised freshness, in orange and white on a brown rounded square background. The orange 'Budgen' corporate identity was used from c. 1968 to 1989.
Budgens Logo 1992 - 1994 (Black & White) |
Budgens Logo 1994 - 2006 |
Budgens Logo 2006 - 2008 |
From this, it's incredibly clear that Budgens buzz word is 'local'. They are proud of their ownership system, having local people provide for their own. Re-brands have tried and failed, having the original stay a favourite.
Saturday 9 January 2016
Essay: Chapter Four (Draft I)
Bibliography
BBC NEWS (2015) Shoppers with reward cards see little point in loyalty [Online] Available from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-32036916 [Accessed 21st December 2015]
BRANDI, J (2001) Building Customer Loyalty: 21 Essential Elements in Action. Texas: The Walk The Talk Company
BUTSCHE, S (2002) Customer Loyalty Programmes and Clubs. Gower Publishing Ltd. Aldershot: Gower Publishing Ltd.
KORNBERGER, M (2010) Brand Society: How Brands Transform Management and Lifestyle. London: Cambridge University Press, 2010
VERDICT [Online] Available from: http://www.verdictretail.com/ [Accessed 21st December 2015]
THE TELEGRAPH. WALLOP, H (2013) How supermarkets prop up our class system. [Online] Available from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink [Accessed 21st December 2015]
THE GUARDIAN. JEFFERIES, S (2004) 'I'm rich and I'm living well. Shopping here is part of that' [Online] Available from: http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle [Accessed 21st December 2015]
UK GEOGRAPHICS (2014) Social Grade A, B, C1, C2, D, E [Online] Available from http://www.ukgeographics.co.uk/blog/social-grade-a-b-c1-c2-d-e [Accessed 21st December 2015]
ADLITERATE. MANCHIPP, S (2014) Supermarket success – it’s a question of class [Online] Available from http://www.adliterate.com/2014/01/supermarket-success-its-a-question-of-class/
BBC NEWS (1999) Business: The Company File Loyalty cards loosing appeal. Available from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/the_company_file/481921.stm [Accessed 19th December 2015]
THE GUARDIAN. FERGUSON, D (2013) How supermarkets get your data – and what they do with it [Online] Available from http://www.theguardian.com/money/2013/jun/08/supermarkets-get-your-data [Accessed 19th December 2015]
THE GUARDIAN. ARNETT, G (2013) Are loyalty cards really worth it? [Online] Available from http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2013/oct/31/are-loyalty-cards-really-worth-it [Accessed 18th December 2015]
Tuesday 5 January 2016
Essay: Chapter Four - Feedback
Words: 1878
Customer Loyalty
History of customer loyalty, how did loyalty schemes come about? Why id it needed?
Brand loyalty is the result of consistent positive experience, satisfaction and perceived value of an experience. We have established supermarkets as all encompassing brands, with detailed structures, methods and intents and as a result have to maintain customer loyalty, brand loyalty, in order to maximise revenue. Today, supermarkets amass the highest level of consumer loyalty followed by mobile networks and banks. There are numerous techniques employed by these brands to develop a strong loyalty. JoAnna Brandi identifies that 'Quality standards needs to be specific so customers know what to expect. Make your core service consistent, and then surround that service with things that will surprise customers.' Quality standards take a huge role when it comes to a retailer’s ability to deliver successful customer service and by extension a stronger overall brand.
Loyalty cards have clearly been a massive success for brands to entice customers to spend exclusively in their stores.
In 2002, following the rapid success of Clubcard, Stephen A. Butscher customer loyalty strategist, predicted the increase of such loyalty schemes.
Supermarkets can also use this to see what you are not buying, (As seen on Watchdog) buying dog treats from them on your loyalty card but found not buying dog food will have supermarkets send you vouchers to encourage you to buy dog food also at that supermarket.
'Most customer loyalty programmes offer primary financially (hard) benefits. In essence, they provide price discounts - and discounts are the last thing that creates loyalty among customers. Customers who buy your product or service merely because of it's price will not continue to do so if they fine a better price elsewhere. The only way to create long term customer loyalty is to establish a true relationship with your customers which is based not on financial incentives, but on emotion, trust and partnerships.' (Butscher, 2001, p.3) Explain in more detail how they do this, it’s hard to assume there is financial incentives involved
'In the past, social structure and status was established through one's position in the production of things; you are what you produce. Lifestyles on the other hand, are based on peoples consumption patterns.' (Kornberger, 2009, p.192)
Maybe link this back to class and why its ‘not for them’?Supermarkets are able to position themselves through subjective factors such as the pleasantness of the store, or how its decor, music, quality of products, exclusivity of products, design elements and affiliations, (many of which are strategies explored throughout this essay) chime with one's own self-image (Jefferies 2004). All of which can be just as important and as objective factors like price and convenience (all of which Jackson brackets under "cultural capital").
Maybe comment on how even though they have branched out to the poor people, just by reputation it still feels luxury to buy from there and then go on to say on the other hand they have been putting stuff in Tescos bags to not look like snobs, and maybe suggest why they would do it, why would they feel embarrassed enough to do that? The commercial director for Waitrose found the opposite saying "We have found some customers putting their Waitrose goods in Tesco bags, because they are nervous that their neighbours will think they are decadent for shopping at Waitrose." The prices in Waitrose are known to be costly. However, their value range has made shopping there far more legitimate in this climate that it otherwise would have been. Waitrose's engineering was the most potent signal of social mobility.
"In the latter quarter of the twentieth century this role was provided by Mark & Spencer, when to shop at M&S was to declare yourself part of the aspirational middle class...Waitrose’s gain has been M&S’s loss as the former has replaced the latter as the totem of aspiration – to shop at Waitrose today, even from the essentials range, its to declare that your family is moving upwards undaunted by the economic crisis that surrounds us. (Manchipp 2014)
Public perception of a brand is everything and with it, 'snobbery' is a powerful social force, but also a powerful commercial one. and perhaps should not been seen as completely negative. Being judged for how you spend your money, rather than how you earn it, can be perceived as progress of some sort.
Bibliography
Books
BRANDI, J (2001) Building Customer Loyalty: 21 Essential Elements in Action. Texas: The Walk The Talk Company
BUTSCHE, S (2002) Customer Loyalty Programmes and Clubs. Gower Publishing Ltd. Aldershot: Gower Publishing Ltd.
HUMBY, C, HUNT, T and PHILLIPS T (2008) Scoring Points: How Tesco Continues to Win Customer. Loyalty London: Kogan Page Publishers
KORNBERGER, M (2010) Brand Society: How Brands Transform Management and Lifestyle. London: Cambridge University Press
Websites
MANCHIPP, S (2014) Supermarket success – it’s a question of class ADLITERATE [Online] Available from http://www.adliterate.com/2014/01/supermarket-success-its-a-question-of-class/
UK GEOGRAPHICS (2014) Social Grade A, B, C1, C2, D, E [Online] Available from http://www.ukgeographics.co.uk/blog/social-grade-a-b-c1-c2-d-e [Accessed 21st December 2015]
Articles
PEACHEY, K (2015) Shoppers with reward cards see little point in loyalty BBC NEWS [Online] Available from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-32036916 [Accessed 21st December 2015]
FERGUSON, D (2013) How supermarkets get your data – and what they do with it THE GUARDIAN [Online] Available from http://www.theguardian.com/money/2013/jun/08/supermarkets-get-your-data [Accessed 19th December 2015]
ARNETT, G (2013) Are loyalty cards really worth it? THE GUARDIAN [Online] Available from http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2013/oct/31/are-loyalty-cards-really-worth-it [Accessed 18th December 2015]
JEFFERIES, S (2004) ‘What your Supermarket says about you.” THE GUARDIAN [Online] Available from: http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2004/mar/12/foodanddrink.shopping [Accessed 21st December 2015]
WALLOP, H (2013) How supermarkets prop up our class system. THE TELEGRAPH [Online] Available from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/9808015/How-supermarkets-prop-up-our-class-system.html [Accessed 21st December 2015]
Archives
BBC NEWS (1999) Loyalty cards loosing appeal. [Online] Available from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/the_company_file/481921.stm [Accessed 19th December 2015]
Research
AIMIA [Online] Available from: http://www.aimia.com/en/capabilities/consumers/customer-loyalty-management.html [Accessed 21st December 2015]
VERDICT [Online] Available from: http://www.verdictretail.com/ [Accessed 21st December 2015]