Introduction
Mini brand, witty, etc
why now? current lifestyle range, car purchasing experience, staff interviews, focus on lifestyle range within dealership.
The following aims will explore the recommendations that will increase Mini's consumer base, recongnition of the store etc.
Key things to take forward
The feedback from stage 1 resulted in looking into these key themes:
Product range extension
Space collaboration and stand alone shop - VM
Experiential stores
Technology integration
Consumer Base
staff interviews
store visits
range analysis
car purchasing environment
Then came up with these ideas
Mini Home
Consumer Profiles
Broad consumer, who, why consumer trends, etc.
The Big Idea!
Keep It Mini
Archive for 2013
Wednesday, 15 May 2013
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Tuesday, 23 April 2013
Initial Journalist/Bloggers/Interior Designers list
Journalists to
invite to launch/send press packs: tastemakers/ bloggers etc
Publications:
The Sunday Times
Weekend Supplement
Shortlist, Stylist
ELLE Decoration
Ideal Home
Interior Design
House to Home
Metro Home and
Entertaining
Dwell
Bazaar Interirors
The guardian wish
list
The evening
standard
Metro
Time
Out-restaurants and cafes
Instyle bar and
restaurant reviews
Bloggers:
http://mocoloco.com
Interior Designers:
Nina Campbell
David Bentheim
Jane Churchhill?
Anthony Collett
Andrzej Zarzycki
Charlotte Crosland
David Collins
Cathy Connolly
& Naomi Broadbent
Pippa Devas
Stephan Eicker
Intarya
Louise Jones?
Caroline Patterson
Stephen Ryan?
Dianna Sieff
Emma Sims Hilditch
Mark Smith
Sarah Stewart
Smith
Jonathon Reed
Karen Howes
Phillipa Thorp
Staffan Tollgard
Bunny Turner &
Emma Pocock
Serena
Williams-Ellis
Joanna Wood
Maxine Brady,
Interior Stylist Freelance
Suzi Boyle- writer, interior stylist and brand
consultant. Work been published in The Guardian, The Independent, Sunday Times
Style, The Telegraph, Tiem Out Magazine, Dazed and Confused, InStyle and Home
and Comforts
Monday, 8 April 2013
Small Kitchen Appliances
Neil Mason [2012: p1 in Mintel report Small Kitchen Appliances] states that small kitchen appliances is a ‘category consumers are investing more in quality and what they perceive as value …now that consumers are less prepared to spend money on products that they think will only serve a short lifespan in their kitchens.’.
PRESENTATION PLAN
Our concept -
What is our idea? How did we get to it?
LOGO and PRODUCT
Lifestyle.. necessity rather than luxury
A NOTE
Previous to thinking of the MINI Home idea, my team and I initially had the idea to develop MINI’s current fashion range into a more credible range that British consumers would be interested in purchasing. We wanted to create a male and female range that consisted of ten key timeless pieces that everyone should have. This was the idea we first presented to Paul Phedon in the interim presentation (which is included on the hand in CD for your viewing). However, even after positive feedback we felt that the idea did not fit well with the market. How could we create a range that appeals to such a broad consumer and have confidence that it would work?
In conversation whilst talking about the PUMA cafe, we naturally stated ‘I would rather buy a MINI toaster than wear a MINI coat’ and MINI Home was born. We decided to kill our baby and run with the new idea as all of the research was still relevant , if not better suited to our idea. We were immediately confident with this idea and are happy to present it to you today.
Research - RECESSION PROOF
To back up our idea, we decided to look at consumer reports on Mintel discussing the homeware market. We found that the due to the state of the housing market, consumers are more prepared to spend on higher quality products that improve their home. They are less likely to buy something with a short lifespan. Therefore we have created a design led, high quality product range for the home. Initially the range will include three electrical appliances for the kitchen. The toaster, the kettle and the refrigerator.
MINI LIVE -
Thursday, 14 March 2013
MINI Implementation Initial Report Structure
Intro
Summary
of ideas/recommendations
The
market
Make
Clear that our idea is an entry level into MINI as a brand (and not starting
with the car)
Methodology
Primary Research
Speak
to each of the target consumers. What is important when shopping for your
kitchen? Bread/food Shape paper, consumers write on them, we spilt the answers
into FASHION/DESIGN, FUNCTION, etc. Three different colour for each target
market. (Visual product focus group developed from previous) show percentages
Secondary Research
-
Reports, books etc.
-
Retail best practice: creating a
relationship. WGSN. Dec 2012.
-
Electrical goods retailing – February 2013 Mintel
-
Trends – Colour/Interior/Gamification/Experiencial/ Space Saving/
Consumer
Why Now?
-Context
– reports info, the Electric Goods Market (Mintel, Feb 2013) products, area we choose,
electrical goods market.
-Personalisation,
customizable products, consumers are willing to buy higher
end products but only if they display good quality and value for money.
- Use Fridja as an example (http://fridja.com)
'taking a usually quite ugly product and making it beautiful and nice to have
around'
USP
A
unique perspective on the traditional shopping experience; allowing entry level
into the Mini brand.
Consumers have an input in the aesthetic of
their products. Design their own product as they can design their own MINI and
experience the brand in a new try before you buy experiential setting.
Trends
-
Trends – Colour/Shapes/Themes/Interior/Gamification/Experiencial/ Space
Saving/ Consumer/ Designer Forum
Consumer Profiles
Toast
visuals idea
Product – MINI HOME Range
Final
Range (sketches/illustrator/collaboration with product design/or edit existing
products) – Name each product. What inspired from – mini design elements. –
dials, grill, show moodboard and design brief for product design students.
Customisable
options – technology – changing products e.g. with heat
Packaging
Collaboration
with Dyson – in car vacuum cleaner
Where
the range wills it in the market – key competitors - (can put in appendix)
Store – MINI LIVE
Space
Saving/Utilization
Space
Changing/ converting
VM/Interior
Styling/Lighting
Interaction
& Experience – products, tablets gamification
Menu
Promotion
Website
Social
Media
Time
Sequencing
Launch
Event
Press
Pack – Interactive Invite
Promotional
2 week chef competition
Publications
& Blogs to be featured on.
Evaluation/Measuring Success
Footfall
Interaction
with Products
Purchases
Social
Media uploads and likes
Visual
Appointments with dealerships
The Sheer Look
 |
| http://vivatvintage.tumblr.com/post/12049958288/frigidaire-present-the-sheer-look-coloured |
REPORT STRUCTURE 12/3/13
> Introduction
- summary of the recommendations (remember to make it clear that we are allowing consumers to buy into the brand at Entry Level)
> Methodology
- Primary Research (speak to each of the target consumers)
What is important when shopping for your kitchen?
Cut paper into bread shapes, consumers write on them, we then split answers into FASHION, FUNCTION, etc.
Three different colour for each target market.
- Secondary Research
Reports etc.
> Why Now?
- context, the Electric Goods Market (Mintel, Feb 2013)
- personalisation, customisable products, consumers are willing to buy higher end products but only if they display good quality and value for money.
- Use Fridja as an example (http://fridja.com) 'taking a usually quite ugly product and making it beautiful and nice to have around'
----- USP -----
Consumers have an input in the aesthetic of their products. Design their own product as they can design their own MINI and experience the brand in a new try before you buy experiential setting.
> Consumer Profiles
>TRENDS - colour, shapes, themes, Designer Forum
> Products - Collaboration (Dyson, in car vacuum cleaner)
> The Store (MINI LIVE)
> Promotion, social media adverts etc etc
> Critical Path of the campaign
> Measuring Success
Tuesday, 5 March 2013
THE MENU
Bangers and mash
Fish and chips - mushy peas
Shepard's pie
Stew
Gammon and eggs
Fisherman's pie
Steak
Soup - leek and potato, tomato
Toad in the hole
Roast beef/lamb and yorkshire puddings
Steak and kidney pie
Crispy topped cumberland pie
Great British fry up
Scampi, peas and tartare sauce
British pork cassoulet
Rhubarb and custard
Trifle
Victoria sponge
Scones
Steamed cranberry roly-poly
Pear and blackberry crumbles
Lemon syllabub
St Clements Pie
Eton mess
Cherry and almond tarts
PRODUCTS
Toasters
Kettle
Hoover
Fridge/Freezers (SMEG)
Coffee Machine (LAVAZZA)
Pots and Pans
Crockery
Cutlery (Taylors of Sheffield Knives)
Blenders
Smoothie Makers
Laundry (SMEG FREESTANDING)
Tea Towels
Meeting since reviewing idea with Paul - 5th March 2013
Outcomes:
Pilot the idea to minimise risk for MINI?
PRODUCT EXPANSION
- Specific Products.
We need to specify which products we want in the range
Paul liked the idea of having a hoover that fits in with the car (making vacuuming the car easier, fits into the vehicle in the same way that the luggage does - space utilisation/saving). This could be our collaboration with Dyson/Henry Hoover.
We need to make the decision whether we should choose to collaborate with Dyson or Henry Hoover. Paul liked HH, but Matt liked Dyson.
SPACE UTILIZATION - What else do we apply this to?
VM, Store Layouts
Interior Trends (Japanese store design, making the most of space)
CLICK HERE FOR AN EXAMPLE
Window displays
EXPERIENTIAL INTERACTIVE ELEMENTS
Technology
Where will the Surface tablets be placed in the stores? - Store layout (Google Sketch plan)
Develop personalised interface (menus, games, design your own MINI, design your own product range, visual appointments) - Most of these things should be sharable. For example, design your own Mini and share on Instagram
PROMOTION
Social Media
Launch event - who would we invite? Have a separate industry evening.
Linking to the BRITs etc. Bringing in MINIs musical interests and background.
How would we measure the success of the event/range/range. Through purchasing the products? Footfall? Conversation on social media? Interaction with the products? Through the use of the restaurant?
Consumers are buying into the brand at the lifestyle range stage. Entry level purchase into the brand.
The aim is not to accessorise the car but to offer British consumers a way of buying into an aspirational brand without making a huge purchase.
Tuesday, 22 January 2013
Meeting - 22nd Jan 2013 & Tutorial with Matt 25th Jan 2013
Layout ideas
!!! Complete idea overhaul !!!
PRODUCT EXPANSION
Homeware ... Success and further development = expansion
Lifestyle range - Electrical appliances...
> Toasters (Change colour when heated up)
> Fridges
> Kettle
> Washing machine
> Crockery (NO MINI LOGO ON THESE TO AVOID MERCHANDISE LOOK)
> Cutlery
Personality
Case Study: Puma Cafe
Case Study: Comet (contextual)
Case Study: SMEG - even though they're not British, they're iconic
Case Study: Dyson (ambitious)
Case Study: Henry Hoover (COLLABORATION - LSN Global Future Laboratory Trend Talk - collaborating with competitors is the future! )
Case Study: Ikea
Case Study: John Lewis (reliability)
SHOW WHAT WE HAVE LEARNT FROM THESE CASE STUDIES
Fun! Innovative Expertise COLOUR Sleek Chic Stylised Contemporary Design led Heritage - good quality , knowledgable
Cultural Brand loyalty Fun (colours/patterns/customisable toasters)
Personal
PRICE
Price range: to represent the value of its quality
To reflect the price of the Mini. Not basic but not luxurious
Aspirational but attainable to a broad consumer
PLACE
Mini lifestyle shop selling the goods
It will work on a try before you buy basis. Revolutionising the way in which you shop. The experience will be fun, interactive and hands on.
Cafe within the shop to link with the Puma cafe idea that we liked and also links to 'lifestyle'
Space utilisation has influenced this which is why we decided to put the cafe within the store.
Restaurant at night time Cafe during the day. The menu changes, the lighting changes, different vibe, showing diversity of the product and the consumer. this opens up evening shopping hours to essentially sell more products.
PROMOTION
Collaboration with a British chef: Heston
Online shop
mini takes over existing restaurants ?
keep the mini branding
promote the car within the dealership
WHY?
No authority within fashion
How do we appeal fashion to such a broad consumer?
Now HOW do we link this to increasing footfall to the dealership?
- visual
appointments
- on every table
– design your own car
- gamification
CONSUMER?
Broad, diverse – the same as the car
The range of products doesn’t alienate consumers as
each product is a necessity not a luxury. First time home owners, redecorating,
wedding gifts,
The ever changing store environment directly links
to both older and younger consumers with the later opening hours, this appeals
to different peoples desires, whether they want a drink/dinner.
(USP) - This shopping experience differs because it is interactive and consumers do not have to wait until they get home to try a product
(USP) - This shopping experience differs because it is interactive and consumers do not have to wait until they get home to try a product
USP – Mini’s brand values, customisation, thermal/
colour changing
Mix & Match. Change colours of handles etc.
Limited edition ranges to coincide with events The
Brits, Film festivals, (Future recommendations)
Royal Range (premium) ???????? – to attract
international buyers
NAMES
MINI Living
MINI Home
MINI Bar
Monday, 14 January 2013
STAFF INTERVIEW: Majid - MINI NOTTINGHAM DEALERSHIP
STAFF INTERVIEW: Majid - MINI NOTTINGHAM DEALERSHIP
S: Sarah
M: Majid
S:
When you have the customers come into the dealership, what is the normal
process you would take them through?
M: The first part of the process is called
meet and great, say hello, get their names, the next stage from there is to
just to build a report - find a bit
about them What they like about MINI’s, what’s their hobbies, what they like
doing, you’re more interested in finding out about them.
The next step then is to find out what sort
of model of car they are looking for and that’s called qualification.
So its basically finding out what the type
of car they are after, what engine size, whether its diesel/petrol they are
after, how they are looking to pay for it, have they got a kid, son, boyfriend/girlfriend,
wife, whatever and things like that.
Then once you have established that then
you can basically take them down one route that will lead to the car they want
to buy.
So the next stage from there is called a
static presentation, so we present them the car that they may be interested in
buying. It may not be the exact car they want to buy but something like for
like.
Then after that the next stage is called
demonstration, so put them in the car get their bums on the seats, get them out
for a drive in the car, see if they like the car, then after that come back,
then ask if they want to buy it which is called buy or close. Take them to a
side and ask is this the car for you? Yes or No?
Then the next stage from that is called
close.
S: Within
that process do you usually offer the lifestyle range?
M: If I’m being honest the lifestyle range
is normally an after thought, if someone walks in and says I’ve seen for
example a T-shirt or a MINI mug or some Puma trainers, can I have those, I’ll
buy it – well then ye we will… then ye, we would normally give it them free. It’s
normally an after thought, it’s not anything we would discuss at any stage
during the buying process.
S: So
it’s not generally a main thing?
M: No, the reason why is that we have very limited
exposure on the lifestyle range in our waiting area. We only a few pieces that
are out for people to see.
And secondly we don’t have any financial
benefit to selling the lifestyle range, we don’t get any money from it
personally. Where as if we sell them extras like gap cover or finance, we
actually make money. So there is no financial benefit to us as sales people to
sell any sort of lifestyle products.
S:
Do you find generally people come in for the MINI’s and not necessarily the
lifestyle range?
M: No, well, yes, Some people that are part
of the owners club, the MINI owners club. There are about 200 in the whole
country. So when they come in for a car, cause they do buy cars as well. They do
want to see all the accessories and want to buy things off the lifestyle range
and things like that. To them it is important, they are a part of a group of
people that are MINI fanatics, so in their house it will be very MINI, like have
a million accessories and things
They will have various things at home that
they have been storing for the last 25 years, about MINI’s and stuff like that.
Their more interested in the lifestyle range perhaps than Joe Bloggs coming in to
just get a nice car for his wife.
S: Do
you find its more men or women that come into the dealership?
M: ‘Laughs’ It used to be a lot of women,
buts that’s changed over the last, last sort of 4 years, I reckon its 60:40, so
60% women to 40% guys that actually buy it.
It used to be a women’s car but now it’s appeals
to blokes as well. And a lot of guys do drive them.
To be honest I’ve sold a lot of cars, I’ve
been here for quite a few years now, a lot of them also go to even to the older
people now such as 60-90.
Customers ranging from 92, he bought it off
me 6 months ago off me. And he loves it.
MINI: Its dynamic, its fun, its retro, cause
you get some people that had it when they were younger, they had the old, old
MINI’s then, they are interested in the nostalgic sort of feeling of it. Having
something that was many, many years ago but now is a modern shape and things
like that.
S:
Do you think that’s what the main consumers are, the older consumers that
relate to it in a heritage sense and the younger consumers from more of the
modern branding that is done now?
M:The older people tend to buy it on
heritage and sort of the fact it’s an iconic British design.
The younger people want something that is
fun and dynamic, and sort of want to fit in with they rest because their mates
got one, so and so’s got one, there’s loads in the road, it’s just quirky car.
As daft as it sounds it’s the sort of car
where you wake up in the morning and give them a hug.
Its like a cat, its part of the family, you
couldn’t do that with a BMW. You couldn’t give a BMW a hug. Its like a friendly
car, its cute, you know it’s a nice car.
S:
Do you think people come in if they have seen it online, do they order it with
yourself?
M: They tend to order it through us, because
we do have a sort of a bit of selection of items in our department, but it’s
very limited, you can’t see everything. We have a collection of items, but what
we do have on the computer we have a link that you can go into see all the
products that are available for the lifestyle range. And we can email that to
customers as well. They can go through and see what they want, then they can
just email us back and say we want this T-shirt etc and we just get it ordered.
Its normally next day delivery because they are all made in England items that
you want. Its normally next day delivery,
It comes pretty quickly.
S:
In your opinion do you think that, the lifestyle could benefit from being separate
from the dealership, such as in a stand alone store?
M:I think personally we should have a proper
official MINI shop, that sells purely accessories and lifestyle. Because, you
know I went to Rome, this is about 5 years ago and there was a Ferarri shop
there, which is just purely for clothing and things like that.
I reckon there should be one for MINI not
necessarily here but in a town or somewhere. That purely just sells the
clothing side of things; the accessories, the mirror caps you can have, toys,
because we sell remote control MINI’s now.
We’ve got them in the showroom’s now,
they’ve come through in the past two weeks, we’ve sold loads of those.
Literally loads of those. Because we are getting close to Christmas now, for a
gift it’s ideal. So anyone with a kid, that’s interested in buying a car, we
say oh ye do you want a couple of those toys there. And they’re like yeh why
not. We can throw in those? Could you go with it? sometimes it does work.
There’s a little teddy bear as well, a
bulldog, you know we can throw in those, would you go with it. It does work.
They have loads of mugs, about 6 months ago
we were told we can’t use paper cups anymore. You know for teas and coffees.
And they gave us like MINI mugs, and I thought you know what, this isn’t going
to last long is it. And literally a week later, they had all gone because all the
customers had nicked them. (Laughs). And now we’ve gone back to paper cups.
S:
Do you feel the car dealership experience is more male orientated?
M: Car sales in general is male orientated.
You don’t get many females that want to do it. Purely because they feel
intimidated. I think MINI should have more females personally, because you’ll
get a lady that prefers to deal with a lady. Because she perhaps understands
her better than perhaps I can or someone else.
I ignore the bloke cause he doesn’t wear
the trousers anyway. I speak to the
lady, because she’s the one who buys the car basically. But, ye it’s easier
sometimes to speak to a lady salesperson than it is a bloke, as you don’t feel
intimidated when you walk in. If you walk into the showroom its not as bad. But
if you walk into BMW its very clinical, its like a hospital. Whereas MINI’s a
bit more relaxed. We don’t wear ties because it’s just easier to talk to
someone when you’re not that formal looking. MINI’s a bit more of a fun brand so
we don’t wear ties and stuff like that.
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