Articles

27.7.2010 Brand owners turn to innovative new technology

Major brand owners like Procter & Gamble and Coca-Cola are using cutting-edge technology to manage various aspects of their marketing and innovation.

Procter & Gamble, the FMCG giant, has recently established a system providing a virtual view of how its goods will look on store shelves. This company achieved this by constructing a room containing life-sized computer screens on every wall, allowing it to perfectly reproduce the nuances of the retail environment.

When holding focus groups using this facility, the maker of Tide and Pampers employs eye-tracking software and hardware to gauge which product and packaging attributes draw the attention of shoppers. P&G has leveraged this platform to experiment with designs for one of its European detergent offerings, and was able to assess over 100 potential iterations in order to ascertain which proved the most effective.

"If you do virtually in days or hours what used to take weeks, then not only will you go to market faster, but you can afford to do a few more test-and-redesign cycles with more input from consumers and retailers," Flippo Passerini, its global services officer, said.

"That is worth millions in revenue."

B.L. 27.7.2010