Migros pays critical bloggers

Migros pays customers to rate products and services on a weblog platform. 200 blog participants exchange shopping experiences and discuss predetermined topics. The project, which lasts several months, serves to refresh the product portfolio, writes the Sonntagszeitung. The retailer is currently deciding which of its own brands will disappear and what will be added to the range. With this method, Migros is taking its cue from Italian car manufacturer Fiat, which used its customers in a similar way when developing the new Cinquecento. However, as Migros head of market research Oliver Krüsi told the Sonntagszeitung newspaper, the blog is just one of many input machines. Many of the customer suggestions are based purely on wishful thinking and cannot be implemented.
In addition to the product range, the purchasing structures and marketing budget are also currently being revised. The latter is reportedly to be reduced by 20 percent. It will soon be officially announced which agency will have access to the CHF 300 million marketing budget of Switzerland's largest advertising client.