Canadian Retailer - Spring 2016 - 13

Flyers make up an important part of any retailer's
marketing campaign. Whether paper or electronic,
the weekly circular is critical in engaging the retail
audience. However, even more critical is the decision
required by marketing teams in determining how the
consumer wants to be engaged, and then arriving at
the right mix between paper and electronic.
BY ROBERT PRICE
THE concept of the flyer is a simple one: to en-

ering adding digital to their flyer mix are misgage the consumer in a way that's meaningful to sing out on this opportunity.
them, offering promotions and deals on products
"Retailers cannot sit idle and wait," says Stover.
and services they need and want while keep- "If you are not aggressively resourcing for the
ing the retail brand at the fore of their thinking. shift to digital, you are already behind."
However, with so many channels and mediums
for retail marketing teams to choose from
today, the method of delivery of the flyer "We know that loyal customers expect
may be changing. This is prompting retail marketers to experiment to find the their flyers every week. They feel they have
'earned' the right to receive not only the
right mix for their audiences.

Tried and tested

value highlighted in the flyer but the ability
to discover new products and services."

The best way for marketing teams to
determine the right mix is to test and test
again, always listening to the customer.
And with more customers consuming
media through devices, mobile in particular, retailers are able to test and listen like never before, cultivating data on customer behaviours to
determine how they might want to receive deals
and promotions. In some cases this is initiating
a change in strategy-away from print-only flyering to a mix of print and digital.
Seth Stover, managing director at Flipp Corporation, one of the many companies selling
digital circulars, says one of the advantages
of digital flyers is that they can track the behaviours of individual consumers to sales. The
digital flyer generates consumer intelligence
that's developed through iteration. Stover says it
allows retailers to try, test and get closer to the
customer's preference until they're realized. And
then, he says, it's up to the retailers to improve
merchandising, buying, promotions, communications and targeting in the next flyer based on
their findings.
He also points to the fact that digital circulars
give retailers a way to reach fragmented audiences they never could have reached before. And
he suggests retailers who are not already consid-

- MICHELLE DIGULLA, Metroland Media

Canadians love print

Even with the advantages offered by digital
circulars, however, printed flyers aren't going
away any time soon. Canadian consumers love
their printed flyers. In fact, most customers say
they would be upset if they stopped receiving their
printed flyer (see sidebar, "The power of paper").
And there are reasons.
For one, print still has an impact because
people like physical reality. A study by Canada
Post found physical mail is more likely to drive
behaviour than digital media. Most of us enjoy
reading printed flyers, with 80 per cent of respondents to a survey by BrandSpark admitting
they flip through printed flyers on a weekly basis.
Another reason the printed flyer remains a
vital part of the flyer mix, even for some retailers
who have made the decision to place greater emphasis on their digital flyers, is the fact that print
serves to reinforce community ties.
"Flyers from local retailers communicate with
a local audience, and that's a powerful connection," says Michelle Digulla, vice president of
marketing at Metroland Media.

SPRING 2016 | CANADIAN RETAILER

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Canadian Retailer - Spring 2016