The Reunion promotional activation agency Smart Shopper received a Bronze Award at the Shop show in June ! 2024 for its Danonino operation at the start of the year, commissioned by Sorélait. Shop (ex-POPAI) is the major national meeting for marketing of the last meter before purchase. This promotion of a Reunionese company, behind two national heavyweights in the specialty, not only demonstrates the know-how of this agency, but the existence of a local commercial activation sector of a good level. Global know-how that is increasingly in demand to respond to changing purchasing behaviors.
Promotional activation consulting agency : this is how Smart Shopper is defined, originally a trade marketing agency founded in 2009 by Jérome Calvet, which in 2016 took the turn towards promotional activation “in contact with the shopper and their purchasing motivation”. Always innovative locally, this positioning, eight years ago, anticipated the changes in consumer behavior which have become the rule today, accentuated over the last two years by inflation. “Real-life marketing” : such is the signature of this original agency developing teamwork internally and with its suppliers, among which we can cite the signage manufacturer Empreinte locale, auteur, among others, of the very successful PLV of the Danonino operation. Smart Shopper has seven employees. All come from marketing departments of production companies or GSA or GSS brands, and have solid field experience. This approach means that Smart Shopper has received this national recognition of the profession at the Shop ! Awards 2024.
Smart Shopper at the origin of the Danonino operation
Danonino's universe, from home to store
Made for Danone Réunion, the Danonino operation, with its “Leap with energy” concept, provides an example of the method recommended by Grégory Bénard, associate director of Smart Shopper. The Danonino drinkable yogurt brand is aimed at young children. Until then, it had been little activated in stores in Reunion Island.. The classic solution, relying mainly on advertising, initially promised to be insufficient to stimulate sales. “We got the target audience on board, the child and his parents, in a Danonino universe inspired by the codes of family video games. Danonino was an in-store communication and activation operation around the slogan “Leap with energy”. At the store, we gave children and their parents an appointment to experience with exceptional drama, where children could play hopscotch or get their makeup done at the point of sale. The system was completed by a game on social networks, through the distribution of goodies in stores and a catalog leaflet on the range.
How to arrow the shopper ?
“We made all these elements interact by taking into account the most relevant touchpoints to connect the buyer at each stage of their purchasing journey. We work on memorizing the offer and the message consistent with the buyer’s real journey.. This allows us to increase the chances of conversion when making a decision.”, explains Grégory Bénard. How to direct the buyer to the right corresponding offer ? “To be effective, commercial communication must have the continuity of direct contact. You must be able to initiate a conversation with the customer. This is when advertising communication becomes truly human communication.. Combine these two dimensions, these two areas of expertise, this is the originality of promotional activation as we recommend it at Smart Shopper”, answers Grégory Bénard, who major local and national brand names call on to implement this approach.
Act on the “want to purchase”
Smart Shopper is the first Reunion company to join Shop! France, which brings together the players of the “last meter” before the purchase (commercial animation, POS, merchandising, boutique design…). Grégory Bénard, which dedicates its Bronze Award to the partners and suppliers who enabled it to set up the Danonino operation, wishes to convince other local players to join Shop! France. “We must recognize the existence of this last meter network in Reunion. » The socio-economic context lends itself to this. With inflation, the decision to buy is now made more and more often in the department. Act on the “desire to purchase”, it is to intervene at this decisive moment. An action which must be based, in all cases, on a “language of truth”, insists Grégory Bénard. “The consumer has never been so informed. The form of activation is of course essential, but to convince it must be based on a basic truth. You must be able to explain how the product is better suited to your needs. » And to cite Danonino’s “leap of energy” concept which allows, with animation, to promote the nutritional benefit of the product for children. A message received by parents.
at the presentation to Grégory Bénard of a bronze Award at the Shop ! Awards 2024.
POS : the challenge of eco-responsibility
After packaging, the great movement to question practices and materials includes POS. The recent creation of a POS Score * to assess the degree of eco-design of POS displays raises the level of requirements in this area a notch higher.. Smart Shopper prend position : “In Reunion, POS is mainly imported and most often thrown away after use. But brands are starting to impose size limits. To Smart Shopper, we want to lead as many players as possible towards sustainable POS by using modular POS, interchangeable, reusable. We also have an offer for recovery and storage of POS. We consider the design and intelligent use of POS as another step in the circularity of this type of product. »
* See Leader Meeting No. 233, June 2024, et leaderreunion.fr
