Sales at discounted fashion retailer M and M Direct soared over the Christmas season, which has inspired the company to plan a German invasion. The chief executive recently announced that a German language website will be launched in the new future, along with a new, more international focus. How will this affect the M and M brand? Can this discount retailer find similar success in a new market?

The M and M brand is one that many people can identify with in the midst of a recession. With wages low and for many people nonexistent, many people in the UK are turning to discount retailers in hopes of continuing their current quality of life on a reduced budget. The M and M logo design is simple and soothing, with a watery blue combined with a sophisticated black as a colour palette. The rounded letters of the logo design give a friendly and inclusive feeling that allows discount shoppers to feel that they are welcome to find deals here.

Meanwhile, a strong Euro has encouraged European shoppers to begin experiencing the brand. International sales now account for a considerable chunk of profit, with internet orders up around 30 percent. The company’s decision to begin catering to their new and growing market makes sense in this context.

How will Germans feel about M and M Direct? The simple brand is likely to appeal to discount shoppers on an international level, as has been suggested by the growth in foreign sales. If the brand is resonating with this market already, there is no reason not to reach out with a website in their language. This is a low risk choice for the brand, but one that may pay off immensely.

One pitfall that many companies face when expanding to a new market is that of losing their core market in the process. However, M and M plans to avoid this by growing within their core as well. An expanded range of products is in the works for British discount customers as well. Clearly the brand has not forgotten that their core group of customers remains in the UK.

Businesses all over London saw a surge in sales last December. For business with an online component, this included a sharp increase in international sales. For example, M and M competitor Asos saw an increase of 23 percent in UK sales and a raise of 162 percent in international sales. Sales throughout Central London increased by 12 percent.

Instead of becoming complacent, other companies may want to take M and M Direct’s lead in expanding to other markets. With the UK increasingly and disproportionately affected by the global recession, it is easy to predict that this increase in sales may be temporary. With wages sinking, tax rates rising, and jobs becoming fewer and further between, expanding to a market that shows more promise may be key to survival. However, this move will only be successful if great care is taken not to compromise the original brand and logo design.

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The Customer is Always Right: Asda Expands their Customer Panel

With the economy sinking almost by the minute, grocery stores everywhere are on the lookout for new ways to retain current customers and even steal a few away from the competition. As with many major corporations, part of this process is creating a brand image of being responsive to customer needs. Asda is attempting to adopt this image by expanding their shopper panel to win the war of the grocery brands.

Asda already has a shopper panel, but in a bold branding move they are expanding it as well as expending its sphere of influence. This combined with a generous profit sharing measure for panel members gives the grocery market a consumer friendly image and nice logo design that will make the competition green with envy. If there is anything better than sharing one’s opinion, it’s being richly compensated for it. The website is also going to be expanded to offer a variety of options for every Asda shopper.

How is getting customer feedback a branding move? First, it creates an impression that the company in question truly cares about their customers’ needs and wants. The name of Asda’s 18,000 member panel promotes this image: ‘Chosen by you’. Panel members have good incentive to share their ideas, with a new ‘Bright Ideas’ reward system that will literally pay these informers up to five percent of Asda’s profits from their tips. This gives the public the impression that Asda is the type of company that wants to share their success with others, a very positive brand indeed.

Second, when armed with this valuable information about shopper preferences, it is easy to steer the store and the company brand in ways that customers will find agreeable. If you are contemplating a rebranding move, opening a customer panel may give your valuable information about what type of brand modifications will be the most advantageous. In Asda’s case, customers can vote on new products, which will ensure that there is a market for the item in question. Treating your store like a season of Pop Idol is a new move, but it is likely to be a positive one as it will increase the audience’s feeling of ownership.

This new customer panel is not just a good branding move, it is a good business move as well. Providing what the customer wants increases sales while reducing the number of people you lose to rival businesses. Panel members will not just be able to offer feedback; they can also request new products, vote on the styles of clothing to be carried by the store, and even watch webcams of the company headquarters and manufacturing plants. This last aspect promotes not just a brand image of customer responsiveness, but also of openness and honesty.

Does your company need to improve its image? If so, a customer panel may be just what the branding consultant ordered. Not only is this an excellent source of information, it makes customers feel that you care about them. Everyone likes to feel that their opinion is valued, and this is one powerful way you can be your target audience’s friend.

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Sainsbury’s and Tesco are the two most prominent grocers in the UK, with locations in almost every city and town. Both chains have recently rebranded as an attempt to gain a larger share of this competitive and image-based business. Today we are comparing the two brands and looking at what makes them both effective but very different parts of the overall company marketing study.

The Sainsbury’s supermarket logo design has a straightforward, almost newsy font that is rounded to give a slightly more approachable feeling. The company’s tagline is written beneath in an even friendlier font: ‘Try something new today’. The lack of hard lines or concrete images puts the attention solely on the name and tagline, while the bright orange colour is attention-getting, but muted slightly for a more modern feeling.

The message of this logo is that Sainsbury’s is an approachable store where customers can try new things. There is nothing threatening or formal about this logo, which opens the door for experimentation. This message resonates with customers all over the UK, where trying new foods has become something of a national craze.

Tesco supermarket logo design is a very different store with a logo reflecting their unique qualities. First, a colour scheme reminiscent of the Union Jack advertises the company’s heavy roots in the UK. The wording is bolder and thicker than that of Sainsbury’s, showing a more serious and stable side. A line under the company name is divided by slanted dashes, giving a feeling of movement while drawing attention to the name. Last, Tesco also includes a tagline in their food and drink logo design: ‘Every little helps’. This is written in a casual font that appears to be handwritten. Whether the tagline refers to the company’s recent environmentally oriented changes or to the company’s stated goal of cutting one’s grocery bill is unknown. However, both are key part of the company’s values, making this a great tagline either way.

The message of the Tesco logo is that this is a British company dedicates to helping British people. All of the elements are combined to create an image of stability and to push the image of this market as a pillar of the community with a heavy dose of social consciousness. This is a highly marketable message in the UK, although very different from the equally marketable message put across by Sainsbury’s.

Do you shop for fun and experimentation or simply try to get your supplies at the lowest possible price? This question sums up the key difference between the two supermarket brands. While the two stores are very similar in both products and service, the emphasis makes all the difference. If these brands are successful, people who want to play with their food will be attracted to Sainsbury’s while those who want to economize will tend to favour Tesco. These people may not realize what they are doing or how they are being affected by these marketing messages, which makes these brands all the more effective in shaping customer opinion and influencing consumer behaviour.

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