How to really change shopper behaviour: start in the kitchen

Bridging the gap from a nudge in perception to a shift in behaviour isn't easy- it's what 'shopper marketing' is (or ought to be) founded upon. But for FMCG brands in particular, trying to do it at point of purchase, in the store, is often unrealistic for a number of reasons; a repetitive entrenched routine isn't conducive to trialing something new, the environment is often heavily regulated by the retailer, and the price discounting mindset of both retailer and shopper can often undermine any attempt to add (or even retain) value for a brand. Of course there's a role for retail based commuications, but too often it's a default reaction from brands that stands little chance of being effective without broader support.

It makes much more sense (particularly in these straitened times) to address the shopper's predisposition, to change their behaviour upstream.

Take the weekly grocery shop. It doesn't start in the shop, or in the car park outside the shop, it starts in the kitchen where people write their list for their next visit to the store. In fact recent IGD research suggests that over 61% of us now shop from a list, with 44% buying less food as a result of this planning.

The kitchen sits at the heart of the household, it's where you'll be when you realise you've run out of cereal or olive oil, or baby belles. It's a place for triggering ideas as well, thanks to the rise of tablets and smart phones, the kitchen is no longer detached from the inspiring thoughts and ideas of the web. And from a brand's point of view, it could be argued that the kitchen is also a better place to communicate; you have a more captive audience, you can add value, you don't need to pay the retailer tens of thousands of pounds to be there, and you don't need to look yellow and red and discounted all over.

By setting the communications challenge in the context of the shopper's wider life - brand teams (together with product innovation depts and agencies) are much more likely to generate innovative media neutral ideas that do more than just nudge perception. For example, asking your agency to 'connect with mum in her own kitchen to get on her shopping list' could lead to all sorts of communication opportunities, be that through packaging, partnerships, DM or mobile. Even the humble banner ad could have a crucial role to play as this example from Fairy illustrates -communicating in context, to the target audience, for the entire weekend - and helping to bridge that gap to purchase as a result.

A Fairy Banner ad takes pride of place in the kitchen