P&G gaining consumer insights through a mall kiosk
According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, Proctor and Gamble has opened up a kiosk at the Kenwood Towne Centre to hawk their Olay skin-care brand. According to them, this isn’t about opening a new line of retail opportunities as it is about gaining consumer insight into the brand:
Don’t expect the experiment to change P&G’s U.S. strategy of selling Olay in supermarkets, drugstores and other mass outlets. But P&G says while the counter here isn’t a key part of selling the product as it might be in China, it’s a way to study consumers as they consider an Olay purchase - dubbed “the first moment of truth” within P&G - and then use the insights to market Olay everywhere.
“The objective here isn’t some sort of pioneering retail moment,” Olay brand manager John Brownlee said. “It’s really a way to get people across the whole Olay business at the first moment of truth.”
I like the idea of opening up a smaller retail concept in order to connect with customers on a one-on-one basis. A mall kiosk like this is low-risk but the consumer insight could prove to be high reward. I’d bet that a few more of these kiosks will find their way around the country with short term leases.
Smart move by P&G to try to understand their customer better.
