DDi - March 2011 - (Page 54)

54 | Retail: military-style A rebranded AAFES concept aims to ‘outfit the life’ of the armed forces shopper By Jenny Rebholz Schrank he Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) has been serving enlistees, officers and their families at home and abroad since 1895. As the demographic of the military family changes, so must the messaging and delivery method of this valuable service to best cater to those who serve and protect our country. AAFES, together with Columbus, Ohio-based Chute Gerdeman, Jones Lang LaSalle and Mozaic, has spent the last year completely rebranding the organization. Now called the Exchange, the military shopper has a home away from home designed to “outfit their life”—wherever that may be. With other big-box store competitors, such as Target and Walmart, moving into the proximity of many bases and the military changing to a younger, more diverse demographic, AAFES needed to clearly communicate its brand messaging. “AAFES is doing great things and not getting credit for it,” says Mindi Trank, director of brand strategy for Chute Gerdeman. “With the base population changing every four to six years, the messages needed to be crystal clear and communicated regularly.” One of these messages being T that when military families shop at the Exchange, their purchases are tax free and a percentage of the purchase goes back to the base for improvements on programs and facilities. “The ultimate goal in redefining the Exchange brand was to create a tangible, timeless and emotional connection with military shoppers in order to strengthen shopping loyalty across the organization,” says Jerry Broccoli, director of corporate branding for the Exchange. Located on Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City, the new store design for the rebranded Exchange debuted in September 2010, transforming a big white box into a 174,000-sq.-ft. shopping experience, including a mall and food court area. “This was a big change in the AAFES store experience, from a generic and operationally driven approach to one with a personal feel and layers of materials, imagery and focal points,” explains Brian Shafley, president and chief creative director for Chute Gerdeman. Whether entering from the adjacent mall or the exterior, the Exchange experience begins with the clarity of the new brand and demonstrates its commitment to the military shopper. The brand takes the symbolic military chevron and forms an “X” to visually communicate the “Exchange” name. Upon entering, the customer service department is given high priority in the new layout instead of its previous location in the back of the store. A blue feature wall clearly states the message “Hello, we’re here for you” to shoppers. The chevron symbol and branded “X” are used in this area and throughout the store as a graphic and design detail. Whether a subtle tone-on-tone, fixture detail or clear marking, it creates consistency in the brand communications. The adjacent checkout area continues the red, white and blue color palette and reiterates the benefits of shopping at the Exchange as customers exit with their purchases—“You save money – We give back.” A ticker in this area, along with messaging on individual receipts, reminds customers of this benefit. While these areas emphasize the store’s commitment to customer service, the overall design takes shoppers on a journey organized around three relevant customer categories: Home, Life and Style. Three innovative wood feature frames | March 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of DDi - March 2011

DDi - March 2011
Contents
From the Editor
Newsworthy
Shopper Insights
Greentailing
Editor's Choice
Design Snapshot: Kusmi
Design Snapshot: Avril
Channel Focus: Toy Store
Longo’s
Brown Thomas
11 Retail Trends for 2011
Bloomingdale’s
The Exchange
Lola
White Castle
Design Leaders 2011
GlobalShop
Show Coverage
Right Light
In-Store Technology
Product Spotlight
Classifieds
Calendar
Advertisers
Shopping With Paco

DDi - March 2011