Category Archives: Articles

Aug 29 2025
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Articles

Curating the clutter: How brands can cut-through product overwhelm

Consumers are met with an overwhelming volume of information each day, leading to decision fatigue that can make it difficult to choose products, and even cause them to abandon their shopping baskets altogether. When this happens, shoppers are more likely to stick to a well-known brand or pick up the first thing they see – so brands need to stand out.

Curate the clutter

To be a category leader – and encourage consumer switching – brands need to be seen and heard for all the right reasons. The features and packaging of the product itself is only one factor in a consumer’s consideration process, with visibility, brand positioning and consistency all playing a significant role in the wider customer journey.

Taking a strategic approach to curating the clutter across digital and physical channels helps consumers to notice and understand your brand, clearly see what your products offer, and appreciate their true value in relation to user need.

Cutting through the online chaos

In contrast to a good physical store, where effort will have gone into curating the offering, online there is often too much choice, leaving many shoppers overwhelmed and having to decipher things for themselves. Many third-party sales platforms are nothing short of chaotic, but their convenience has been a boon for time-poor consumers. These platforms can make comparing products easier for consumers but, with so many options, brands need to go the extra mile to make sure they are firmly in the mix.

Investing in an effective web scraping service, such as GWS (Gekko Web Services) – can help brands to understand their digital performance in granular detail. By monitoring and analysing the digital shelf, GWS offers powerful insights that can drive smarter decisions about pricing and product descriptions.

Pricing

Price remains the main driver of purchases for consumers, and it is mission critical that brands understand how their product pricing compares with the rest of the category. Digital shelf analysis provides the clarity product owners need to make quick and confident decisions based on their brand positioning and in response to market shifts, particularly during discounting periods.

Product descriptions and tagging

Showing up in searches via both search engines and on specific sites requires the right keywords in product descriptions, as well as tagging appropriately in line with retailers’ filters. Monitoring is critical for maintaining a smooth customer journey, ensuring that your brand shows up with consistent messaging that aligns with your brand positioning.

Driving in-store visibility

In the same way that your brand’s digital footprint is vital for online retail, its physical presence in stores is also an important consideration. While few brands have control over shelf positioning, products can attract consumers and increase consideration through clever merchandising and in-store promotions.

Investing in point-of-sale merchandising can often be more valuable than expensive activations elsewhere. Strategically placing promotional materials and displays near the point of purchase can capture attention and encourage consumers to make impulse buys or consider additional products.

Sales promotion continues to be an effective way to engage consumers in store. Recent research from Savanta revealed that, while half (47%) of shoppers have favourite brands, 40% will try something new if a product is on promotion, highlighting how brands can shift consumers’ preferences through strategic and well-timed campaigns.

Consideration through careful curation

Balancing brand presence and driving sales across owned and third-party channels online and in-store is a tall order, especially when competition and complexity only continue to grow.

With a strategic approach, brands can curate the clutter to ensure they stand out from the crowd. Brands that can enhance the customer journey through clarity, consistency, visibility or positioning will be more memorable, and ultimately succeed in a busy and potentially overwhelming retail setting.

To read the published article by Dan Todaro, Gekko Group CEO, please visit Retail Sector

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Aug 28 2025
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Articles

Listen Up!

One of the most common traps we see is treating the entire audio market as a single entity. It’s not. In reality, it’s split into two categories. The first is the hypervolatile world of personal audio. Here, trends in wireless earbuds and portable speakers move like fast fashion; a feature like AI-powered noise cancellation or spatial audio can go from a differentiator to a baseline expectation in a single generation of product releases.

The second is the considered purchase, high-investment world of hi-fi. This is a marathon, not a sprint. The customer journey is longer, driven by a deep appreciation for craftsmanship, acoustic heritage, and demonstrable performance. Here, trust is the primary currency. A retailer’s authority is built over years, not months, and a single misguided product choice can damage a carefully curated reputation. Trying to apply the same strategy to both is a recipe for failure — you’ll either exhaust your hi-fi customers with fleeting trends or appear ancient to the earbud crowd.

First up is the Headphone (1), Nothing’s first-ever pair of over-ear headphones. It’s a significant move for the brand, taking them into the premium audio space to compete with established giants. True to their style, the headphones feature a distinctive transparent design but also add practical, tactile controls
(a roller and paddle) instead of relying only on touch. To ensure high-quality sound. Nothing entered into a major Partnership with KEF, the highly respected British brand, co-engineering the acoustics for the Headphone (1).

Amp up

Next up, the resurgence of vinyl. It is no longer just a trend; it’s a significant, mainstream
movement backed by hard numbers. In the UK, vinyl sales have now seen an incredible 17 consecutive years of growth, with music fans purchasing 6.7 million LPs in 2024 alone (BPI/Official Charts Company).
But here’s the modern dilemma: the very people driving this revival have built their home lives around the convenience of wireless, multiroom speaker systems. So, how do you bridge that gap?
That’s precisely the problem the Victrola Stream Onyx was built to solve. The Victrola Stream Onyx taps directly into this by offering a simple, elegant solution. In non-technical terms it’s a high-quality record player officially certified to work wirelessly with any Sonos speaker in your home.

Meanwhile, the hi-fi audio category continues to hold its ground and even grow, despite the fast shifts in other areas of personal audio. In 2025, the global hi-fi market is projected to grow from £12.4 billion to over £13.1 billion, with long-term forecasts estimating a rise to more than £22.2 billion by 2033 (DataHorizzon Research, 2025; The Business Research Company, 2025). Wired systems, prized for their clarity and fidelity, still account for roughly 68% of global revenue (GlobeNewswire, April 2025), but wireless hi-fi is gaining ground fast, particularly in residential and automotive segments.

Tune in

The UK’s own hi-fi market is expected to hit £1.1 billion by the end of the decade (Future Market Insights, 2025). This growth isn’t just being driven by longtime audiophiles; there’s a new wave of listeners who value audio quality but also want the simplicity of smart home integration, wireless setups, and even AI-enhanced tuning. Beyond the established worlds of headphones, earbuds, and even high-end hi-fi, a new form factor for portable music is quietly emerging: smart audio glasses.

The leading example of this trend are Meta’s range AI glasses. While they are known for their hands-free camera, a core feature is their ability to play music and take calls. This is achieved through discreet “open ear” speakers built into the arms of the glasses.

This isn’t about replacing headphones; it’s about creating a new category of use. The customer for audio glasses is someone who prioritises convenience and safety over critical listening. They are buying into a lifestyle where music and information are seamlessly layered onto their daily activities.

Understanding your customer’s intent is everything. Personal audio, home audio, and hi-fi are no longer just product categories; they’re expressions of identity, taste, and lifestyle. Treat them that way, and the strategy will follow. Ignore the nuance, and you’ll miss the mark entirely.

To read the published article by Rupert Cook, Marketing Director, please visit ERT

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May 28 2025
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Articles

The Retro Revolution

Like fashion, interior design cycles through eras and defines consumer trends that filter through to consumer electronics and more so MDA categories and right now, the dial is firmly tuned to ‘Retro Revival’. This isn’t just about dusting off relics; it’s a vibrant movement injecting an individual’s personality into our homes by cleverly marrying the distinct aesthetics of decades past with the smarts of today’s technology. After years where clinical minimalism often reigned, there’s a clear craving for spaces that tell a story, feel warm, and express individuality.

Increasingly, consumers are seeking out items – for their living rooms,kitchens, and even their family rooms or dens – that offer both stylish throwback appeal combined with totally modern performance. Finding these unique pieces is easier too, thanks to the booming move for used furniture in the UK. This market is predicted to reach £1.1 billion by 2027 after huge 40.8 per cent growth (2022-2027, GlobalData). Buying secondhand also helps people find unique items at affordable prices and is good for the planet. It shows people want unique styles – Pinterest saw searches for “Vintage maximalism” jump by 260 per cent this year.

This love for character is showing up in kitchens too. Instead of just white or grey, cabinets that have dominated interior design for the past decade, they are becoming colourful and random. Recent Houzz UK figures show greens (used by 21 per cent for lower units) and blues (16 per cent) are popular choices, often matched with wood finishes (seen in 14-18 per cent of worktops or cabinets). Eye-catching appliances are key: like fridges in bright colours are popular centrepieces and give the kitchen a focal point that becomes a conversation piece, often alongside matching small gadgets like retro-style toasters and kettles. Retro on the outside but pack all the latest tech inside.

The trend is to move away from white, off white and great and move towards a more colourful pallet based on today’s colour pallet making them still on trend – Pinterest reported searches for “Cherry vibe” were up an amazing 325 per cent. Without doubt the most well-known brand for retro appliances is SMEG, with their range of refrigerators plus an array of other retro-style appliances and SDA ranges including kettles, toasters, and coffee machines. 

Vintage is in

There are other brands offering the same and arguably at a more appealing budget suitable to all pockets like Swan who offers a comprehensive “Retro Range” with kettles, toasters, microwaves, slow cookers, and so many more, often in a variety of colours and at a more accessible price point.

It’s not just how our homes look – it’s the sound as well. Vinyl records have been making a huge comeback for a while. UK sales hit 6.1 million LPs in 2023 – an 11.8 per cent increase and the highest since 1990 (BPI/ WhatHiFi). People enjoy holding the record, the process of playing it, and the warm sound quality vinyl is known for. At the same time, the classic radio is getting a stylish, modern makeover. Brands like Roberts Radio and Pure do this well, creating radios like the ‘Revival Icon’ that have that great vintage look but include modern features like digital radio (DAB+), streaming, and smart connectivity.

As with every decade, styles and tastes evolve to match the zeitgeist and it seems that ‘Retro Revival’ is clearly more than just a short-term fad. The move to creating unique and personal looks as an extension of a person’s personality is especially important in today’s fast-paced world where social media is crowded with copy cats. It’s not about copying the past exactly, but about carefully curating styles with today’s features we all need and want in our homes.

As designers keep coming up with new ideas and user cases create needs that have not yet been imagined or invented, expect to see even more interesting ways that merge past styles and future tech, it seems that taking inspiration from the past is helping us create better spaces for the future.

To read the published article by Dan Todaro, Gekko Group CEO, please visit ERT

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Mar 26 2025
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Articles, Posts

How retailers can thrive by connecting with their communities

The UK retail landscape is undergoing a rapid transformation; while e-commerce continues its growth, physical stores still hold a significant appeal. However, simply having a presence on the high street is no longer enough. Large retail chains often demonstrate a disconnect from the needs and wants of local communities, frequently using financial difficulties as justification for store closures, and neglecting the potential for community engagement to drive growth and brand loyalty.

This echoes a broader trend where many retailers have lost the innovative spirit that once defined the industry, failing to understand why customers are choosing to shop elsewhere. Offering a dull, unengaging experience simply won’t cut it in today’s market, where consumers crave experiential retail to capture their imaginations. A recent Shopify study found that 35 per cent of shoppers prefer this type of experience, yet many retailers fail to even engage with basic strategies like embracing seasonality.

Local marketing in a digital age

So, how can local independent retailers succeed where large corporations have failed? Local businesses have the opportunity to connect with their communities in a unique and resonant way; this is crucial because consumers are actively seeking local connections. Data highlights the importance of online visibility and strong customer reviews:

  • Around 80 per cent of consumers search for local businesses on Google
  • 76 per cent of “near me” searchers visit a store within a day
  • 88 per cent of smartphone users searching for local businesses visit one within a week (Backlinko)
  • 96 per cent of small businesses use social media for marketing and 78 per cent depending on it for revenue (Cropink, Synup)
  • 78 per cent of shoppers research products on social media before purchasing (Synup)
  • 98 per cent of consumers read reviews about a product before purchasing (Forbes).

These statistics underscore the vital role of a strong online presence, positive reviews, and active social media engagement. Comments and likes can drive online traffic and influence purchasing choices.

Today, local marketing matters more than ever. And several factors contribute to its increasing importance:

  • “Near me”: The rise of location-based searches indicates high purchase intent, making local SEO optimisation crucial
  • Personalisation: Local marketing allows retailers to tailor their offerings to the specific needs of their community
  • Connections: Becoming an active part of the community through sponsorships and partnerships enhances brand reputation
  • Competition: Local retailers can differentiate themselves by offering a personal touch and community connection that online giants struggle to replicate
  • “Shop local”: Consumers are increasingly aware of the importance of supporting local businesses, creating an opportunity for retailers who actively engage with this sentiment.

Implementing effective strategies

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach; retailers need to develop marketing strategies that align with their specific business goals and target audience.

So a tailored approach is essential, but here are some key tactics:

  • Optimise your Google My Business profile: Ensure accuracy and completeness, encourage reviews, and respond promptly
  • Local SEO optimisation: Use location-based keywords in website content and build local citations
  • Run targeted social media campaigns to reach local customers
  • Engage with local influencers: Partner with local figures to expand reach and build credibility
  • Community involvement: Participate in local events and support local causes
  • Offer in-store exclusives: Drive foot traffic with exclusive deals
  • Share news and community initiatives with local publications.

In an increasingly digital world, local marketing provides a critical link between retailers and their communities. By embracing these strategies, UK retailers can not only survive – but thrive. Local marketing is not a fleeting trend; it represents a fundamental shift in how businesses connect with customers. Retailers who prioritise local engagement, personalise the customer experience, and build strong community connections will be the ones who succeed in the evolving retail landscape, understanding that in the age of global commerce, local is the new global.

To read the published article by Dan Todaro, Gekko Group CEO, please visit ERT

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Jan 31 2025
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Why data is key to maximising potential for the customer experience in 2025

With a new year underway, brands are looking to enhance their digital marketing agility, with data use at the core of their strategies.

So here, Toby Stupples, Client Delivery Director at field marketing specialist, Gekko Group, takes us through some of the essential elements that brands need to bake into their digital plans to maximise customer experience online in 2025…

Retailers and brands invest millions on advertising and marketing support every year to encourage consumers to purchase products or services in a fiercely competitive landscape.

However, the efforts of marketing teams and the crucial spend can be negated in an instant if the customer has a negative experience when they go online. According to research, 78% of online shoppers abandon their carts due to a poor customer service experience.

According to recent reports from the BRC, two thirds of leading retailers in the UK claim that they will be forced to hike prices to cope with the increase to National Insurance costs brought in by the New Labour government this year.

Having worked hard to shield customers from higher costs, with slow market growth and margins already stretched thin, it’s inevitable that consumers will bear some of the burden, so effective sales that lead to ROI are more crucial than ever.

With that, it’s time for brands and retailers to take a more holistic overview to the omnichannel customer journey, particularly when it comes to considered purchase items.

As a new year starts, e-commerce plans for 2025 are seeing many brands seeking to enhance operational agility online to remain competitive to appeal to their desired audiences.

Laying a strong data foundation

With consumers bombarded with deals hourly across multiple platforms, presenting a functional, transactional website is not enough when it comes to the savvy consumer.

Underpinning it all, there needs to be a well-considered data stack as the solid foundation, providing customers with the experience they have come to expect, and to help identify their needs at every touchpoint.

Helping to shape the marketing activity accordingly, brands continue to harness the power of consented first party data, and work closely with third-party sites and stores to gain an in-depth understanding of their customers.

The current reality is that there is low metric transparency from third-party websites to the brands, as they, in turn, seek to monetise their proposition.

When it comes to digital merchandising performance, it’s critical to think beyond consistency, stock levels and presentation, and assess the success of the whole shelf, and how specific products compare to those of competitors.

As many brands find themselves working with more third-party retailers, data and insight models become a crucial part of the marketing mix in order to better serve their customers in a trustworthy way.

Digging deeper into shelf analysis

Everyone wants to get the best deal, but trying to compare products becomes more challenging when descriptions, specifications and images are inconsistent, leading to potential loss of sales to competitors that are better aligned on the finer details.

This is why consistent presentation in digital merchandising is critical for avoiding confusion.

For brands working with multiple retailers, reviewing and tracking how products are presented manually can be a monumental, and an arguably impossible undertaking.

Digital shelf analysis tracks both a brand’s own, and the competitors’ product lines, which can help to create an effective real-time competitor strategy, combining data from web-scraping with retail expertise to respond to activity from the competition with vigour at the optimum time and across the right platforms.

Rather than relying on shared data, an end-to-end web scraping solution could help to marry e-commerce intelligence with insights from bricks and mortar retail to provide visual and actionable trends.

This type of service provides a dashboard that consolidates insights from different websites, allowing brands to track other measurables, like share of voice, availability, pricing, promotion and reviews, and use the data to build more informed strategies.

Unlocking Retail Media Potential

Retail media is a colossal advertising medium, with global revenue from retailer e-commerce sites expected to exceed television revenue by 2028.

For brands, the potential of reaching target consumers while they are already browsing or shopping in the category cannot be ignored.

Combining this type of digital advertising with physical shopping environments ensures that brands are showing up in the right places and at the times across relevant channels.

When this is done well, relying on insights from data and human expertise, this ensures continuity within the purchase journey alongside consistent brand messaging, which will ultimately bring the consumer closer to making a purchase.

However, brands should be careful that they do not de-prioritise data and insight in their rush to play in the retail media space.

As retail media supply increases brands will have to manage campaigns across multiple networks, and it will be those with campaign control and strong insight reporting that will unlock the potential of the data to truly drive innovation in the space.

Getting ahead of the competitor curve

Personalisation drives performance and better customer outcomes, which requires a strong data foundation. Although, brands still need to think about what their insights mean for the digital shelf.

Browsing the digital shelf is the equivalent of exploring products in-store, but they need to be discoverable quickly on listing pages and under relevant search terms.

Benchmarking against competitors for pricing, promotions and presence is critical and this data, along with on-site performance metrics, are incredibly valuable to brands.

This can be a complex and time-consuming process, but with an automated solution like web scraping, brands gain the same knowledge that can be used to form campaigns, and free up time for sales and marketing teams to focus on other priorities.

What’s to come in 2025 for brands and retail?

With the continued evolution of how we track and manage consumer data, brands should be prepared to optimise their own tracking data and work closer with third party retailers.

As retail media grows in years to come, keeping track of metrics across the board becomes vital for maintaining consistency, managing campaigns and influencing presence, and also performance on partner sites.

2025 provides opportunities for brands and retailers to equip their teams with the best actionable information that will influence change in the relevant e-commerce channels.

The unpredictability of pricing trends underscores the value of retail monitoring tools, helping provide smarter insights to understand shifting consumer demand, and adapting strategies to remain competitive in an increasingly fragmented and challenging environment.

To read the published article by Toby Stupples, Client Delivery Director please visit Mediashotz

Photo by Mediashotz

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Nov 18 2024
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Digital shelf analysis: The secret weapon for brands this golden quarter

In Britain, 67% of consumers plan to spend the same or more than last year during the 2024 golden quarter1 so brands will need to pull out all the stops to get their slice of the pie, particularly when it comes to sales and marketing strategies.

With huge retail events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday on the horizon, plus the flurry of activity surrounding Christmas gifting, having clear visibility of online activities and transaction success has never been more crucial for brands and retailers.

Smart shelf analysis with Gekko’s GWS

Maintaining a clear overview of inventory online has become harder due to capacity and sheer volume of points of sale. Online, data analytics is transforming the ways brands monitor data about both their own products and the others on the shelf, providing insights that help improve performance and the overall customer experience.

Digital shelf analysis is a secret weapon in helping brands understand what’s working, and what’s not. New tools and enhancements like GWS from retail experts Gekko provides brands with clearer visibility of metrics from retailers such as share of voice, pricing, stock availability plus ratings and reviews, providing visual and actionable insights to enable brands to maintain market share and execute strategic marketing objectives.

GWS helps brands to monitor, manage and review e-commerce performance across selected retail platforms, gathering digital shelf data from specific retailers and presenting it back in an easy to digest dashboard. In turn, this data helps brands to understand their performance against the competition, including monitoring and reporting on sponsored positions to understand which brands are investing with which retail partners, providing crucial information to better manage strategies, partners and product listings.

By monitoring how products are presented, these tools also help to enhance the customer purchasing experience online, as it allows brands to ensure that descriptions, images and positioning is consistent across third-party retail sites. Additionally, with customer reviews and star ratings of products being some of the biggest factors in converting sales online, web-scraping assists in constantly checking and maintaining the display of this information to enhance the purchase experience, and ultimately help to gain market share over competitors.

Maintaining the competitive edge

Despite Black Friday maintaining its position as the most anticipated retail event of the year, it is becoming more diluted than ever before. Coupled with high inflation and the continuing cost-of-living crisis, brands need to secure a competitive edge.

As many consumers are now making split-second purchasing decisions based on price rather than brand preference, retailers also need to consider how they respond. Unlike other web-scraping tools, GWS offers analysis of the full digital shelf, allowing brands to track real-time competitor activity and establish a strategy to maintain competitiveness, particularly at this time of year, when costs fluctuate so frequently.

Price monitoring via e-commerce platforms can provide last minute insights for brands to track prices and share of shelf against competitors to ensure they are offering the most compelling deals and packages; a clear advantage amid the deals battles of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and across the omnichannel strategy.

Analysing the full spectrum of shelf availability provides a great overview of stock requirements in line with demand. Additionally, it provides clear and precise predictions many months in advance of seasonal discount days, like Amazon Prime Days, Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the Christmas gifting season.

Stamping out the competition for success

With this in mind, the best way to get ahead is to plan ahead. Having a full view of a product’s retail landscape and that of its competition provides brands with the information needed to negotiate with retailers for better pricing and placement throughout the year – but it is vital during the golden quarter.

Competition from other retailers and brands limits how successful traditional calendar events like Black Friday can be. So, brands need to get a leg up on the competition by taking a holistic view of the entire shelf, and adjusting their activity and pricing accordingly. This way, they can secure a higher return on investment, along with a wider understanding of consumer behaviours and the ever-changing market.

To read the published article by Toby Stupples, Client Delivery Director please visit Retail Sector

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Oct 21 2024
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IFA 2024 – Business as Usual?

IFA Berlin 2024, Europe’s largest consumer electronics show, was as usual full of exciting product announcements showcasing key trends for all to look forward to in the months ahead and beyond. It was another sold-out show celebrating its Centenary with a new image and fresh approach paving the way for the next 100 years ahead. Recording 215,000+ visitors from 138 countries who came to Messe Berlin over the course of 5 days to witness innovation, experience inspiration, and discover the future of tech from over 1,800 exhibitors. Whilst IFA Berlin may have changed considerably since 1924, some may think that 2024 was a deja vu experience.

Ok, so there’s a lot of AI on offer from almost every brand stretching and relying on the most tenuous of references to AI in relation to their products. AI aside, it could be considered all a bit the same. Once you’ve seen one air fryer, you’ve seen them all and I suspect if you lined up all the air fryers on display in Berlin it would pave a crispy path all the way to London.

However, in all seriousness, IFA remains an essential part of the product life cycle, launching innovation that may have been talked about at CES in January but becomes reality by September for all to marvel and revel in at IFA.

The vast majority of innovation ranged from future tech to the present day and reflected various consumer trends, old and new. Naturally, AI was an important feature, with brands aware that consumers are expecting adoption and development. While AI was prevalent, it largely fed into the idea of user convenience with features that centre around making consumers lives easier. These innovations are present predominantly in products like AI-enhanced appliances, where automations are set to enhance efficiency.

The affordable premium trend also continued, with brands responding to people’s desire for maximum features and durability at a justifiable price. As the cost of living crisis effects continues, consumers are still looking for access to the best aspirational features from savvy brands. Categories delivering this ethos ranged from phones, foldables, smart home devices, laptops and drones, alongside AV and MDA categories, with consumer-centric innovations which are vital in driving the recovery and development of the consumer electronics industry.

The trends evident at IFA were AI, sustainability, and connectivity. All were linked back to AI, which creates convergent devices that save you time, energy, waste, and money as demonstrated fabulously by those geniuses at Samsung who presented the reality of family life in a real house, with kids, pets, clutter and reflective of how the vast majority of us truly live. Time strapped, cash conscious and tired, needing a little bit of help, whether through your Samsung Jet robotic vacuum that docks or Samsung’s Family Hub AI Vision fridge doors that open by voice command and also scan the dates on your produce to tell you what you need to eat quickly and wait for it, even suggests a recipe using those items on the turn that need to be consumed immediately – in my case usually spring onions. This is CE embracing AI to help consumers make decisions they’d rather not have to make, facilitating our choices and enabling consumers to spend their time and money more astutely.

The new Galaxy ring was particularly impressive and its ability to control your phone and other devices from it, as was the new Galaxy Notebooks and Frame Speaker which for me was the stand-out product. The Frame Speaker is quite simply a brilliant idea. Connect up to five in a room and immerse yourself in surround sound in a discreet and stylish manner. This 45x45x5 frame not only looks great on your wall as decorative art but also sounds truly amazing.

Amongst the noise, there was a lot of mediocre news with some new branding for legacy brands like Hoover & Candy, also this year’s on-trend colours for last year’s devices from many and even for some, the same stands. On the whole IFA 2024 was business as usual for many of the big brands and a game changer for others. Whilst many established brands did pull it out of the bag successfully, the innovation also came from those start-ups in IFA Next and from the ever-ambitious and increasingly more exciting challenger brands.

Of note is Hisense’s 8K Sonic Screen Laser TV which is a groundbreaking TV that combines 8K resolution with laser projection technology. Its standout feature is the “Sonic Screen,” where sound is emitted directly from the screen itself, creating an immersive audio-visual experience without external speakers. In the world of wearables and health tracking, RingConn Gen 2 was shown off. This is the world’s first ultra-thin smart ring designed with sleep apnea monitoring capabilities. It continuously tracks health metrics like heart rate and sleep patterns, offering advanced insights for sleep health and wellness and integrating with both Apple Health and Google Fit.

Moving into the world of Mobile’s Honor Magic V3 was showcased at IFA 2024, which is their latest foldable smartphone. The Magic V3 boasts the thinnest, sleekest design, top-tier performance, and a flexible display. Next up is Google’s Pixel 9 Pro which is Google’s latest and greatest flagship phone that has a big focus on AI, equipped with the latest AI-driven photography features and a sleek, user-friendly design. It continues Google’s legacy of delivering top-tier camera performance and seamless Android integration in three form factors. Moving into the laptop category Acer introduced two new laptops with AI at its core. These two laptops are the Swift 14 AI & Swift 16 AI which are both lightweight, powerful ultrabooks that integrate AI features for enhanced productivity. It’s designed for professionals who need a sleek, portable device that doesn’t compromise on performance, with AI tools embedded for tasks like smart photo editing.

Away from the standard everyday categories, IFA also enables and nurtures new categories to showcase products that initially may be considered niche but eventually become a competitive and growth category copied by many. One such item that may be the next growth category is the Outin Nano portable espresso from the brand Buydeem. It’s a hidden gem, with the ability to make coffee on the go with either your favourite ground coffee or the convenience of off-the-shelf pods. It certainly has the potential to be a stocking filler winner, especially for those who enjoy outdoor living and require decent coffee anytime and anywhere.

Another emerging brand with two notable devices that sit within the ‘care’ category is SKG. They offer products that I think could just be what some on the move or at home relaxing may include in their daily schedule. Their E3 Pro Eye Massager is small and whilst not discrete, gives the user full vision transparency enabling the user to see out while no one can see in. It is reasonably priced and offers a heated eye massage to help relax and de-stress. The other is the G7 Pro Fold neck massager which could appear to many to be headphones or a fan positioned around your neck. It actually provides a relaxing massage, with a heated option to soothe knots and muscle tension as you drive or read on the train or bus home after a stressful day at your desk or indeed as you are working from home. Both products sit within the CE category and can fit comfortably into any retailer’s product roadmap as self care becomes increasingly more popular across all age groups.

Innovation that was teased at IFA 2024 and will undoubtedly become standard in 2025 is Wireless Power which now rather impressively takes a leap from the smartphone to the smart home. The Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) announced its new Ki wireless power transfer standard. It offers a new era of wireless power for the kitchen, eliminating the need for power cords being able to transfer power through granite, quartz, marble and even wood. With manufacturers likely to introduce Ki-compatible wireless kitchen appliance ranges this year, it has the potential to change the way we cook and prepare food in the kitchen. Imagine what a game changer this will be in not only the appliances category but also kitchen design. Midea announced its first range at IFA 2024 and I’m confident many more will follow soon.

So could IFA 2024 signal something of a smart home renaissance? Well maybe. Matter, the smart home protocol aimed at unifying devices from multiple brands, was back in focus with multiple support announcements from key brands. There was also Samsung integrating its smart rings with SmartThings which enables the device to trigger smart home automations, and even robot vacuums that climb stairs. Everyday appliances are becoming more intelligent and increasingly better integrated.

The vast majority of what was on display at IFA 2024 is shipping today or landing very soon and retailers of all specialism will no doubt be ranging a significant proportion of them. So with this in mind, don’t take it as business as usual, wait and see approach. Be in the business of surprising and delighting your customers by showcasing new categories and the innovative and appealing new products on offer. Work with your chosen brands to create a customer journey which enhances the brand experience and enables it to pop, full of life and energy to develop categories and create sales.

Real world examples are the best way to sell what some think they may not need or dream about. We don’t all live with clean lines, no clutter, kids without toys or muddy pets. The reality is that we are tired, busy humans who occasionally just want to lounge in our homes and speak commands, set timers linked to programmes, be suggested recipes, sleep peacefully, launder at speed, save money and do our bit for the planet. Keep it aspirational but make it real. Put the product into real world scenarios, not merely a magazine dream that maybe doesn’t translate to the average consumer?

To read the published article by Dan Todaro, Gekko Group CEO, please visit ERT

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Oct 03 2024
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Customer Loyalty

“Lasting loyalty is underpinned by the customer experience – so from start to finish, it is critical that brands meet consumers’ needs. But true loyalty needs to be earned, not forced and that is where many brands are currently at the top of a slippery slope. We are currently seeing a shift from a points-based reward system to membership offering reduced pricing at the point of purchase. This forces customers to join and become ‘loyal’ so that they can access products at promotional prices. It is becoming a necessity rather than a choice, which has a knock-on impact on the customer experience and scuppers the ability to build long-term, authentic, two-way relationships, relying merely on pricing to keep customers coming back. While it may be popular, moving to an app-only loyalty system could also be bad for business, as it alienates and excludes some customer groups. Those who do not have a smartphone or know how to use one – typically vulnerable consumers – are not able to access the same deals as smartphone savvy shoppers. This level of digital ageism and ableism is not inclusive or conducive to loyalty. In addition, the growing trend for ‘dumb devices’ amongst younger consumers who are avoiding digital noise is creating another new segment who would not be able to benefit from an apponly loyalty programme. Brands should offer everyone the same experience of loyalty, however they choose to engage. Giving customers options is crucial for building lasting customer loyalty, whether via a loyalty programme or through their browsing and purchasing interactions. Providing choices ensures that customers feel heard, seen and understood, building much stronger long-term relationships. Instead of forcing loyalty, give consumers a reason to keep coming back and avoid digital exclusion that will eventually see them abandon your brand in favour of others.” – Daniel Todaro, CEO at Gekko Group

To read Daniel Todaro’s, CEO at Gekko Group Comment, please visit A1 Retail Magazine

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Sep 13 2024
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Retail Reboot: Transforming Likes into Sales with Digital Marketing

Callum Puffett, Digital Marketing Manager at Gekko looks at some of the tools that can be utilised to help retailers of all sizes get a foothold on the Digital Marketing ladder to help improve their brand visibility and most importantly drive traffic. 

The Importance of Social Media

Today, digital retail marketing is crucial for brands to connect with customers. It means creating attractive online experiences that show products, build trust, and boost sales. It can encompass social media, search engines, emails, and online stores to, most importantly, help brands reach customers where they spend their time. In short, it’s an unavoidable tool for retailers looking to broaden their reach and communicate more effectively with their target audience, and crucially can greatly increase a retailer’s visibility and revenues.

Furthermore, a well-considered Digital marketing strategy allows small and medium-sized retailers to take on much larger competitors, even with limited resources. Small-budget retail marketers can conveniently promote their brand globally and reach consumers across the nation with ease.

Talking of small budgets, one of the easiest and cheapest gateways into digital marketing is social media. Social media channels can and should be used by almost every business, especially by ones wishing to talk to consumers, but their effectiveness varies depending on how they are utilised. Research conducted by LOCALiQ surveyed more than 500 businesses on the importance of certain tools; for Social Media Marketing the survey stated that 40.3% of businesses find it somewhat important with 46.6% indicating it is very important, indicating that the vast majority of businesses find it to be a very pivotal tool. This is also shown in their spending, as 31.3% of businesses will spend between £1,000 and £5,000 on social media advertising, with another 22% spending more​. These social media advocates appear to be most heavily invested in Facebook, allocating 24.4% of their budget to the platform, followed by X(16.4%) and Google (13.8%)​​.

In terms of the Return on Investment, when effectively utilising the tool it was shown that 73% of marketers find social media marketing to be cost-effective with the average ROI for social media ad campaigns being 250%​ according to (The Goat Agency)​​ (MarketingScoop)​.

Content is King

Most readers will no doubt be using social media as part of their marketing strategies and I’m not going to run through a list of the platforms available and their merits. But whatever opinions, statistics and case studies there are on social media marketing working for other businesses, these don’t help you make content that will sell your products or engage with your audience. Content is king and whether you choose to create it in-house, rely on the hopefully professional output of the brands you stock or a mix of both, making it appealing, engaging, effective and consistent is fundamental. Employing someone to manage this for you will make a real difference but that will come with a cost. Moreover, will they have all the creative and technical skills to create this content from scratch?

Rewind 5 years and the task could be overwhelmingly challenging. Fast forward back to the present and we now have a potential ally in the form of AI. You can now generate an idea into a finished product in 15 minutes with the help of AI. Businesses can now implement AI to assist them with their social media marketing, from creating content to writing copy to even analysing statistics. Need an Instagram post that talks to Gen Z or a LinkedIn post that is more B2B focussed? AI can very easily and rapidly adapt the approach and tone.

It can be a real lifeline for these smaller retailers that don’t have the budget of these bigger businesses. There’s a whole plethora of AI tools out there that will assist your business in the Social Media Marketing world and these can be cost-effective with many charging a reasonable monthly subscription. You will no doubt have heard of ChatGPT but there is a new kid on the block in the form of Gemini from Google that is currently being marketed on TV by the brand. 

Gemini in itself is very similar to ChatGPT but offers better integration with the whole Google Ecosystem, whether that’s their online office suite or on the latest Pixel phone, you’ll have your own AI assistant everywhere you go meaning there’s no reason not to be able to generate engaging captions or product descriptions for your business. But AI doesn’t stop there, there are all sorts of AI tools and assistants ranging from ones that will create professional quality videos from a few words such as Lumen5. This AI tool will also provide voice-over for your content to provide that extra impact. Want to appeal to your Welsh-speaking customers? How about using Sonix AI to translate all your content in a flash? No longer is it an arduous task to translate and produce content in multiple languages. 

The beauty of all of these tools is that they can be used in harmony, whether that’s using Google’s Gemini to come up with a script for a video, then using Lumen5 to create the video with a voice-over, and if you want to go that extra step further you could even use more AI tools to translate the video to another language to further your reach via Sonix. Then to finish it up you could even use the AI tool Pixlr to help create images to accompany your social media post. The possibilities are endless. 

Helping your content be found

One of the most overlooked tools at the disposal of digital marketers is SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), something most will have heard of but not necessarily fully understand.  SEO can be the difference between having a steady flow of traffic to your website or being a non-entity when it comes to internet search engines, relegating your business down from the all-important first page on the likes of Google or Bing. 

SEO in simple terms is the practice of enhancing a website so it ranks higher in search engine results. This involves using relevant keywords, creating quality content, improving site speed, and ensuring a good user experience. The goal is to increase organic (non-paid) traffic to the site by making it more visible to people searching for related information or services. The importance of SEO speaks for itself when compared to PPC (pay per-click) as SEO delivers a higher conversion rate (2.4%) compared to PPC ads (1.3%)​ (WPBeginner)​. 

Most SEO implementations can be free to do, making it the most cost-effective tool. The simplest way to begin this process is to ensure keywords for each page on the website are appropriate. E.g. if you’re selling televisions or laptops use these as keywords. This way when anyone searches online and uses one or more of the keywords you have attached to your website page the chances of your website appearing on the first page of results is significantly higher than without SEO Keywords.

From AI to SEO, retailers have a whole plethora of tools at their disposal to assist with a multitude of tasks whether that is generating content to appeal to your target audience with the help of AI tools or even helping your brand get discovered more easily through SEO. By harnessing the power of social media, AI and SEO, retailers can significantly enhance their digital presence and achieve substantial growth.

To read the published article written by Callum Puffett, Digital Marketing Manager please visit ERT Online

Photo from ERT Online

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