Burger King – New Interior Identity.

Burger King Singapore has had a makeover. ‘Outofstock’ were commissioned by Burger King Asia specific to design a new look for the interior of their takeaways. The design was intended to be welcoming, appealing to families with children, teenagers and not alienate existing customers.

Whilst researching the Burger King brand the words ‘flame grilled’ kept reappearing. ‘Outofstock’ took these words as a starting point for their design associating this with BBQs, camping, family picnics they came up with the idea of the ‘BK Garden’. The interior was then designed to imitate a garden.

Exposed brick walls, metal framed wooden dinning tables, and sofas upholstered in outdoor materials have been used. Plants are scattered around the restaurant, a roof trellis hides the exposed services and posters of the food have been framed and placed on wooden shelves. Plant pots have also been used as pendant lights to add to the garden theme.

Whilst creating a welcoming atmosphere this new design also creates a new image for Burger King. The garden theme, through the use of healthy plants and natural wood creates an image of healthy eating. The pictures framed in the store show the freshest tomatoes, these little touches would make customers think the food they are eating isn’t bad for them. In today’s environment where people are becoming more conscious of the foods they are putting into their body restaurants like Burger King that don’t sell healthy food have to have a new image for customers to buy into. It might not actually be healthy but it certainly has to look it.

As I was looking at this design I came across some of ‘Outofstocks’ sketches of it. I really like this style even although the drawings are cartoons they still look realistic and explain their ideas well. 

‘Feel Good’ Final Advert Idea.

The ‘Feel Good’ brief asked us to create a campaign that communicates their brand name, what their drinks look like and that their drinks only contain natural ingredients. The main problem we found with the product is its childlike image. It’s too similar to the other fruit drinks at the moment and it’s too young for the people they are targeting, the 16-34 year olds. As a group we feel that the idea we have come up with fulfils the brief and addresses these problems.

Our advert will still be fun but in a way that appeals to the 16-34 age group. Instead of cartoons we have designed a TV. advert that involves a ‘Feel Good’ fruit machine being placed in a town centre. Passers by will then be seen going to the machine and pressing the feel good button where they will always win (you’re never a loser with ‘Feel Good’). They will receive prizes such as ‘Feel Good’ drinks, balloons, bubbles… The machine is intended to ‘spread the feelgoodness’. A crowd will gather around the machine and it will turn in to a street party of sorts. The final scene of the ad will show the ‘Feel Good’ drink on top of the machine with fresh fruit beside it, the background is blurry with people having a good time. An ideal channel to show the advert would be E4 or Channel 4.

Storyboard ideas 1

Storyboard ideas 2

The fruit machine will be colourful and will have the ‘Feel Good’ logo on it. The part that spins will link a picture of a piece of fruit, a drop of water and the words no sugar, to show what’s in the drink, this will be the winning combination. Also written on the machine will be ‘100% natural’.

Not only will this be a TV. ad but to raise awareness of the product several machines will travel around the U.K. being placed in different cities where people can participate in the fun.

The ‘Feel Good’ website will have a similar game on it where players can collect points which can then be turned into vouchers for money off their next ‘Feel Good’ drinks purchase.

Supermarkets will be given displays which will be set up in store for a period of time so that the product stands out to customers. The displays will be in the shape of the machine so that customers recognise it and link it with the TV. ad.

Sketch of possible supermarket display.

This campaign is fun in a grown up way which will appeal to the target audience. As it’s not too childlike it won’t be a problem when trying to introduce their new cocktail range. It makes the product known as the adverts will create a buzz and have people talking about it. The message of what’s in the drink comes across through text and pictures in the ad and the drinks bottle is clearly shown. Those who get the chance to play the machine will get to taste the drink. The ‘Feel Good’ brand will be associated with ‘feelgoodness’ hopefully making people want to drink it.

'Feel Good': Personas

Who drinks 'Feel Good'? As a group we came up with a few different personas of the type of people who drink 'Feel Good'.

Gary
Age: 19

Occupation: Politics Student

Hobbies: Mountain biking, jogging and going to the gym regularly.

Gary enjoys socialising with his friends and getting good grades at uni. He enjoys his politics course. He's always trying to keep his family and friends happy.

Louise
Age:25

Occupation: Accountant

Hobbies: Shopping, reading a good book in her local park, going to the gym and going out for dinner with friends.

Louise has a busy lifestyle, she's a recent graduate and has just started her first job working as a trainee in an accountancy firm. After work she has a glass of wine to relax or invites friends over to her flat which she is currently renting in the city center.

Sue
Age:27

Occupation: Full time mum

Hobbies: Entertaining friends and socialising with other parents at family groups.

Sue is extremely health conscious since becoming a mother. She does her best to cook healthy meals for her family.

John
Age:30

Occupation: Electrical Engineer

Hobbies: Socialising, going out with friends for a few drinks, watching football.

John has his own house and lives on his own. He tries to be healthy but feels he doesn't have enough time. He gets the occasional take-away. When he's not working he's spending his money on the latest gadget.

'Feel Good': Competitor's Adverts

I've been trying to get some inspiration for my groups 'Feel Good' advert. So I thought I'd look at some of its competitors ads.

'Drench'.

This advert is for 'Drench' water, its fruit juice ad is quite similar as it's very random and focuses on the fact you can perform better after drinking it. I really liked this ad featuring Brains from 'Thunderbirds' just because I found it funny. I remember seeing it at the time but didn't realise it was for 'Drench' so I'm not sure it was effective in doing its job properly since I have never had 'Drench' before. However it would get people talking about it.


'Volvic Touch of Fruit'

A colourful ad showing people enjoying themselves and full of energy it's implied that this is because they drink 'Volvic'. A clear shot of the 'Volvic' bottles and freshly cut fruit shows the viewer exactly what the product is, what it looks like and what it contains (although this may not be the whole truth added sugar isn't mentioned). I like the way this is the final image as the viewer isn't left confused wondering "What was that ad for again?".

'Tropicana'

I love this ad just because it makes me feel happy, I'm not sure why. Maybe because it reminds me of holidays and perfect breakfasts. I'm a 'Tropicana' drinker. 'Tropicana' have the advantage of advertising this way because orange juice is more of a breakfast drink. Targeting people by focusing on 'Feel Good's' USP will hopefully help us.

Music features heavily in these three adverts and I think it gives a friendly, upbeat, happy vibe. So maybe our 'Feel Good' ad should have some music to it, we are trying to make people feel good after all.

'Innocent'

This ad is very simple but effective. The 'Innocent' carton is shown in natural surrounding on healthy green grass. It's then joined by what the drink contains showing viewers what it is.The last shot is of its different packaging so viewers will then recognise it in the shop. The whole ad sums 'Innocent's' brand.

‘Feel Good’ …Research.

Meeting up with my group again we decided to do some more research.

Questionnaires were made up to give us an idea of the lifestyles of people who drink juices like ‘Feel Good’.  We asked their name, age, occupation before asking them; to tell us a few words that describe their lifestyle, what they do to keep healthy, if buying healthy drinks is important to them and which one they buy and why. We also presented them with a sheet of paper that showed the ‘Feel Good’ logo and the logo of its competitors to see what they recognised the most and if they’d ever heard of ‘Feel Good’. The majority of people we asked said they mainly drank water or orange juice if they were being healthy. If they were to drink any other type of drink it would be ‘Innocent’ as they think it’s good for them. A few people had tried ‘Feel Good’ before as it happened to be there when they were buying a drink. However no one bought ‘Feel Good’ on a regular basis even though those who had tried it enjoyed it. I still feel the main problem is that people can’t easily get their hands on a ‘Feel Good’ drink. Something I’m interested to look at next is how other juice companies started, how they managed to get retailers to stock their drinks and become well known to the consumer…

As a group we drew up another perception map this time looking at a drinks price and its quality, high-low. This again showed ‘Feel Good’ in a crowded area.

The ansoff matrix was used to help us identify how the product stands at the moment and where or what opportunities there are for it.

Advertising and Branding Exam Brief.

As it’s getting to the end of the semester we have been given our exam brief for the Advertising and Branding module. We were asked to choose one subject out of a selection which included ‘Heinz Salad Cream’, ‘i newspaper’ and ‘Peacocks’. After looking at all the briefs my team and I decided that we would work together on ‘The Feel Good Drinks Company’.

‘The Feel Good Drinks Company’ offered two different briefs; we have gone with brief one. Brief one ‘Make us Famous’  is to create a campaign that makes the brand well know by communicating the brand name, what the drink looks like and that the drinks are full of natural, tasty fruit. It has to be done in a unique, memorable way that makes people laugh. We all agreed on this brief as we thought it seemed like a chance to do a fun advertising campaign with an interesting product.

We started  by doing a bit of  individual research, then getting together to brain storm the ‘Feel Good’ product and company. Looking at their website and previous adverts we see that they have a childlike cartoon style which we feel is overdone in the healthy fruit drinks sector. Their target audience is 16-34 year olds but it seems their adverts might appeal to a much younger group of people.

Finding a bottle of ‘Feel Good’ is a difficult task unless you go to a large supermarket but even then there are just a few flavours stocked. On a trip into the town centre the product was only found in ‘Costa’.

The taste test… I enjoyed the drink however it wasn’t what I expected. As it’s advertised to be made from real fruit and an advert I watched showed the fruit being squashed into a bottle, I expected it to taste more like a smoothie. It tastes like diluting juice or flavoured water. Maybe exactly what the product is needs to be shown more clearly in its advertising, this may attract those who don’t like smoothies but like a healthy fruit drink.

SWOT Analysis and a Perception Map were then undertaken on the information we had collected.  We found its main strength is that it’s a healthy fruit drink that doesn’t contain sugar. Weakness is that not many places stock it. An opportunity could be found in point of sale, having it widely available and in a place customers will notice it. Also they could change their bottle to stand out from competitors as they have similar bottles. A crowded market is what threatens this product.

Our Perception Map was drawn up based on drinks, pricing High- Low, and how healthy it is. The healthy fruit drink market is quite crowded at the moment we need to target the market in a different way from ‘Feel Goods’ competitors to stand out.

What’s Next: more mapping, analysis and surveys. 

Christmas Smells & Sounds = Buy, Buy, Buy!

For as long as I can remember Christmas has been associated with scents and sounds. From the angels singing while the wise men gave baby Jesus frankincense and myrrh, to the smell of cinnamon and the jingle of sleigh bells today. As it’s coming up for Christmas shops have started to decorate but it’s not just for the warm fuzzy feeling and the enjoyment of their customers that they do this. Most retailers depend on strong Christmas sales every year and by dressing their store up they increase their profitability.

‘It’s beginning to smell (and sound) a lot like Christmas: the interactive effects of ambient scent and music in a retail setting’ an article by Eric R. Spangenberg et al. looks at the effects of ambient scent and music on a customers evaluation of a store, it’s environment and merchandise. The article compares customer reactions in a mock retail setting where no Christmas scent vs. Christmas scent and no Christmas music vs. Christmas music is applied. They found that Christmas scent buying effects are moderated by music. Customers react better when scent and music are combined equally. Where there is scent but no music stores evaluations are lowered. Shops need to keep scent and sound consistent or there will be no affect on a customer’s behaviour. Therefore it is a wise choice for shops to evoke the spirit of the Christmas season by implementing environmental cues and creating a welcoming, pleasant atmosphere.

“results suggest that wise retailers can act upon this lesson by blessing their customers with synchronized sound systems and scent diffusers, and in turn receive the blessing of strong holiday sales.”

It would be interesting to see whether or not this theory works for other holiday seasons such as Halloween or Easter. Also if it’s not Christmas would Christmas scent and sound still make you buy? Probably not as other factors would be missing such as, time of year and general holiday spirit. However different scents and sounds may be capable of increasing profit. In the ‘Hollister’ shop for example there is a distinct smell and music is played loudly throughout the store. Most people enjoy this especially the smell. You can smell the store before you see it so it is instantly recognisable, the clothes inside are sprayed with the signature scent so when you buy something and wear it for the first time you remind other people that recognise the smell of the brand. The shop then has extra items to sell as customers can buy bottles of perfume or the CDs that are played.

Scent and sound is a very clever non intrusive way to encourage people to buy, most of the time you won’t even notice you’ve been affected. I guess it’s the same as when you smell a Starbucks coffee then suddenly have to buy one.

Do Store Interiors Make You Buy?

I’ve currently been reading articles about the interior design of stores and whether or not it increases sales. Does a shop layout, environment, visual merchandising and interior design make people buy? It has been proven that it does. In today’s market where competition is fierce the design of a shop is where some companies would be able to gain an edge over their competitors. A shops atmosphere can attract customers and keep them coming back.

Andrea Groeppcl-KIein and Dorothea Baun test this theory in their journal ‘The Role of Customers’ Arousal for Retail Stores- Results from Experimental Pilot Study Using Electro dermal Activity as Indicator.’ They agreed with other experts such as Donvan and Rossiter that a pleasant store environment generates arousal and pleasure in the customer which in turn increases; shopping enjoyment, time spent in the store, a willingness to talk to personnel, chances of customers spending more money than planned and their probability of returning to the store.  However they felt that other articles simply measured this on a verbal scale which may not generate accurate results. They propose to use Electro dermal Activity (EDA) to measure a customer’s arousal in a store. EDA is a sensitive indicator that responds to the smallest variation in a person’s arousal.

They set up two different grocery stores in Austria both selling the same products, of the same quality and price.

Store 1 took into account environmental psychology. The fruit and veg were presented in a large scale in deep carriers and separated according to colour. Some products were placed on islands in the middle of the store. Exotic fruit, flowers and fresh herbs were used as eye catchers. The store was bright, spacious and high ceilinged.

Store 2 did not take into account environmental psychology. It wasn’t very bright and there was no extraordinary product presentation unlike store 1. Shelving was put along side the wall and display tables were in rows squeezed within long narrow aisles.

As they thought Store 1 created a higher arousing environment.

So, why does a more pleasant environment make us want to buy or revisit a shop?  Well an interesting and provocative store design affects the part of the brain involved with filtering sensory information from the central nervous system. All sensory information enhances arousal which therefore causes activity and reactivity in the central nervous system. This increases outer and inner stimulation which leads to higher activation and activity. Basically a pleasant store atmosphere evokes positive feelings which will then be associated with the shop and the brand. Stores with clear and simple structures make people feel relaxed therefore more comfortably in the store. When we are comfortable, relaxed and enjoying ourselves we are open to buying.

I know that I’m definitely affected by a stores design there are some shops I dread going into and rarely buy from because the shop is messy, unorganised and overcrowded. Shopping is more pleasurable for me when it’s a calm experience. I like stores that aren’t busy or noisy, that smell nice, have their items laid out clearly, and changing rooms that aren’t claustrophobic. This makes me want to buy; the whole experience feels like I’m treating myself from the moment I walk in to when I leave with my item nicely wrapped and bagged.

Branding Space & Place. Glasgow Trip.

Last week I took a trip to Glasgow to examine the brand identity of places and spaces in the area.

‘The Brand Gap’ by Marty Neumeier defines Brand Identity as ‘The outward expression of a brand, including its name, trademark, communications, and visual appearance.’

Firstly I had a look at Merchant City. Merchant City is an area in the city centre of Glasgow which has recently been rebranded by Graven Images. Before rebranding they looked at the positives and negatives of the area. The positives were that it is a thriving, regenerating and attractive area. The negatives were that no one knew the boundaries of it, its identity was weak and its brand was under promoted. After seeing the area for myself I felt that some of the negatives still have to be addressed, to me the boundaries were unclear. Street signs showed when you were in Merchant City but I didn’t know exactly where it began and where it ended. It is an attractive area with lots of beautiful architecture which suited its high end stores such as ‘Mulberry’ and ‘Ralph Lauren’. However some areas were run down and covered in graffiti which didn’t make its identity consistent.

I think that places are perhaps harder to brand as it is an environment that can’t be strictly controlled unlike the interiors of a store that has constant security and staff to make sure everything is in line and up to standard. 

Later I went to the Apple Store. The grand building reflected the quality of its products. The space inside was very modern, the products were laid out on wooden tables giving an informal homely vibe which made people more inclined to become familiar with the product. The fact that the store was so welcoming links with Apples laid back, user/customer friendly image. Staff were highlighted in blue t-shirts and were swarming around the store ready to help, one member of staff to every person.  The store made me think of Apple as; friendly, helpful, modern, of high quality and cool, successfully portraying its brand.

All Saints was another store I viewed. Its interior was quite industrial with stage lights hanging from the ceiling, cogs and machinery all around and a battered wooden floor. In the window were rows and rows of sewing machines. This store reflected the style of clothes sold, the way the clothes are made, the seams stitched in a miss matched fashion was shown by having sewing machines visible. The industrial theme shows the brand as being, edgy, trendy, grungy and unique.

John Lewis is not my favourite shop I find it too chaotic and would rather not shop somewhere where there is an endless selection of items on offer. The space is very busy but is laid out in sections according to product. Before you enter there is a map telling you what floor you’re on and what products are available on each floor. The make up was found at the front leading onto jewellery, accessories, stationary then men’s fashion. Everything is laid out in a certain way to make the shopper buy. Products that customers won’t go looking for are placed by the escalators in the hope that they will notice them and buy. Big brand, big store.

Lastly I spotted a few differences between the two main shopping centres in Glasgow, Buchanan Galleries and Princes Square. Buchanan Galleries consisted of high street shops for a mixed age group. The interior is very basic. It has a food court which consists of takeaway food stands such as Burger King. I feel it’s a place that is aimed towards families spending a day shopping or teenagers hanging out on Saturdays.

Princes Square on the other hand, has a brighter, more luxurious interior with wooden floors and spiralling stairs. This is reflected by the high end more expensive stores. There are fewer stores within Princes Square; it seems they have gone for quality over quantity. Instead of a food court they have a selection of restaurants where people sit in to eat. I think young professionals would be the main clientele for this shopping centre.

I don’t know a lot about store design yet but I’m hoping to change this through my research in block two of my advertising and branding module. However I think if you look closely enough you can see some of the signals shops are sending to attract their preferred customer and make them buy.

24 Hour Brief.

As a group we were asked to create an advertising campaign to encourage young adult males to visit their GPs through targeting women.

The majority of men tend to ignore symptoms that could potentially lead to a serious illness. “Taking risks and thinking nothing will happen is seen as being part of the parcel of being a man.” The advert should address this problem and make men go to their doctor before it’s too late.

Before we started sketching and discussing ideas we decided it would be valuable to spend the first hour doing research. Our team leader split us into groups, each group focusing on a different task.

 Background Research was carried out by looking into articles about men’s health, gathering statistics on the subject and finding current or past adverts that related to the issue.

 Brainstorming was used to generate ideas about ‘the risks men take in their daily lives’ and ‘how women look at the subject of men’s health’.

Two groups went out on the street; one with a questionnaire to ask couples about their relationship. Another to find out what stage of an illness a man would go to the doctor.

After the research was gathered we re-grouped to discuss our findings. Ideas were then sketched and pinned up. Once the sketching died down we voted for the most popular ideas.  These ideas were worked on for a little longer until we decided it was time to make a decision and choose the final ad.

The advert chosen targets women whilst drawing attention to the fact that men could have an underlying problem yet ignore the symptoms and don’t go to their GP. By highlighting this we are hoping women can make a difference and not brush this issue aside. From our research we found that men tend to wait until the problem is unavoidable. Shockingly one man stated he would not visit his GP even if he found a lump on his testicle! With the encouragement of women perhaps men will not feel that going to the GP is a sign of weakness. Asking couples, siblings and friends about their relationships we discovered how influential women are to men.

The advert created by the team shows a man suffering in some way while the woman brushes  his pain aside saying for example “You just have man flu!” while the tag line reads “Or is it?”. This is to target women emotionally; hopefully they will feel connected, stop and think. It may be something they say to their friend or husband so they will realise they should perhaps look at the situation in a serious way instead. Underneath the tagline there is a short explanation and the NHS24 website for further information. Bus stops, supermarkets, doctor’s waiting rooms or a newspaper would be ideal locations for where this ad should be placed.

Smash.

Last week was all about ‘Smash’. At Wednesdays lecture we were given a booklet of information about the product, this included detail of where it could be bought, its competitors and a SWOT analysis. As a group we were then to create personas using information we would collect the following day. These personas would help us direct our thoughts of possible advertisements, who to aim them at and how to get them interested in the product.

What is a Persona?

A persona is created using peoples personal information. This information is grouped into similar categories to create fictional characters to represent different user groups. Personas can help guide decision making for the product or service. For example what should the website look like?  A persona could be used to show what type of web design would appeal to a particular group.

Example of 'Yahoo' personas. (Details obscured to protect proprietary info.)

Thursday morning we decided to split the group into two teams, team one would head into the town centre and the other to the university campus. Both teams would find out people’s name, age and occupation then ask a couple of questions. The first team would stop people in the city centre and ask them to draw their favourite meal and what makes them happy. The second team asked ‘what’s your favourite meal?’ and ‘if it was a person what would it be like?’

                    

Together we asked a range of people with different ages and backgrounds. Using the information we came up with 3 personas.

Students

Name: Ben Clark

Age: 20

Occupation: Student (Studying Business)

Likes: Sports and socialising with friends. Being on the go.

General Info.: It’s his first time living away from home. At the weekends he sometimes goes home for a visit and to get a home cooked meal. He’s starting to cook for himself and learning each time. Usually doesn’t have much money. He juggles his work, uni and his social life. He’s learning to become more independent.

Retired

Name: Betty Blair.

Age: 70

Occupation: Retired.

Likes: Day time TV. Spending her time with her grandchildren. Bingo.

General Info.: Betty gets tired easily so doesn’t leave the house much. She sees her family once a week and goes to church coffee mornings regularly. She had a pet cat and cares for her elderly husband.

Families

Name: Helen Fields

Age: 32

Occupation: Part time worker at a supermarket.

Likes: Catching up and having a chat with the neighbours. Relaxing when she gets a minute to herself.

General Info.: Helen has 3 young children; a son Jack who’s 8 years old and twins that are 2years old. She works part time at the local supermarket and in between working and looking after the kids she’s studying from home to become a nurse. Her husband works away a lot but is home at the weekends. She’s not got much of a social like and is too busy too spend time on herself.

Using these personas I had a few ideas of possible adverts for the product ‘Smash’.

1. An advert where a student has his/her parents visiting and makes them dinner. Mother says, ‘this is delicious when did you learn to cook?’ The advert then shows how the boy/girl quickly made a proper meal giving the viewer tips on the types of meals that can be made easily and cheaply with smash for example; fishcakes or Sheppard’s pie. The supermarkets can give away recipe cards when someone buys ‘Smash’.

2. An elderly couple sitting down to a meal in their cosy kitchen having bangers and smash. The tag line may be “Classic meals. Even better than you remembered with Smash”

3. This advert would perhaps show a dishevelled looking mother rushing in from work tidying up after the kids then serving up a healthy looking meal in time for her husband returning from work. Children and parents sit happily around the table digging into food and chatting. Tag line could read “If only other things in life were as easy as Smash”.