Retail trade In times of great uncertainty, companies like to remember their social responsibility. With an image campaign, Publicis returns to Migros' roots and communicates its social commitment in a completely unconventional way. "In the modern world, success will belong to those who know how to build a world of ideas around their company. A world of ideas that spurs the energy of their employees, but also wins the respect and sympathy - translated into action - of their customers." What reads so brand-new and could have come from a marketing guru was said about 50 years ago by merchant Gottlieb Duttweiler, pioneer of the Swiss retail trade.M - exhausted phenomenon?
In 1925, the year the company was founded, its legendary Migros trucks offered only six items for sale. All of them were almost moving products - sugar, coffee, pasta, rice, coconut oil and soap - all private labels. That his concept - cut costs and halve your profits - had a certain inherent genius was soon recognized. What the popular visionary introduced was to prove a successful business model in many respects.
Migros has long since offered far more than just everyday products in its nearly 600 stores. Over time, Migros also gained a foothold in other sectors, so that the big "M" now covers almost all economic sectors and areas of society. Hardly any other company has had such a lasting influence on Switzerland economically, socially and culturally as Migros, which counts more than one million customer visits every day.
Despite the retail giant's popularity, its innovative strength is limping. With consequences for sales, which in 2001 grew at a high level by "only" 1.6 percent instead of the budgeted 2 to 3 percent. The question arises: How can Migros continue to grow and at the same time fill the shopping basket 10 to 15 percent cheaper than the competition, as envisioned by the new head of marketing and member of the Migros general management, Urs Riedener?
In a recent Cash interview, Riedener indicated that Migros' added values must now be better marketed. In an image campaign, he wants to show "what we do differently from our competitors". Beat Mühlemann, Head of Marketing Communications, adds: "The aim is to continuously strengthen the brand. However, the previous appearance - 'It's best to buy at Migros' - remained at the product level, even though we do so much more for the well-being of our customers." Because the social values of Migros are taken for granted, they have never been addressed in advertising.
This is in stark contrast to companies, which are aggressively communicating their sometimes meager corporate citizenship to counter the current crisis of confidence.
Twisted suggestion system
Pitch winner Publicis now wants to consistently correct that with an image campaign that starts right away with four 50-second TV and cinema spots. Because "there are many things that Migros has long wanted to say again," explains CD Jean Etienne Aebi. For example, the fact that Migros still shows its prices on the product ver-
The retailer is also committed to ethics, the environment, and sustainable development on a broad front.
"We were looking for a concept that would, on the one hand, embrace the broad EAP range and, on the other, not let the message degenerate into an embarrassing puff piece," says Aebi. The balancing act succeeded. The Publicis CCO had Migros customers themselves present the added values in a humorous way.
For example, there is sports student Silvia Huber. She promotes Migros' commitment to fitness and suggests that the retailer should combine this with daily shopping. Director Kasper Wedendahl turned her daydream into a hilarious commercial: In it, nice sales assistants fill shopping carts with dumbbells, which customers laboriously but fitness-consciously push through the store until - the suggestion is not quite perfected - someone loses control of their cart and it promptly thunders into a fruit rack. In another spot, a mathematician takes Migros' price tag as the occasion for a popular initiative "For better mental arithmetic." "Either way, it's an advantage if you don't have to hide your prices," he criticizes the practice of other retailers.
The high-spirited idea of a cranky eco-councillor who wants to bring Migros' energy-saving policy to life with an electricity-saving day, or the gallery owner who has the Kulturprozent advertised by the sales staff in the store, also show how fresh and self-deprecating self-praise can be.
Storyboards from the customers?
Wedendahl has composed the abstruse stories in a total work of art that is likely to be continued next year. In fact, the unique, identification-creating advertising idea not only has the potential to become an international award winner. It could also become a hit in its own right if Migros customers write their own unusual suggestions for Migros advertising.
Even Migros' founding father would have been delighted by the amazing concept. Jean Rudolf von Salis appreciated the charismatic "Dutti" not only because of his restless and pugnacious nature, but also because his ideas were not always thought through to the last detail.
Award-worthy: wit and esprit characterize Publicis' TV and cinema spots for Migros.
Migros Giant matches in the Migros store to save electricity? This is how a local council thinks of the retail giant's image in one of four Publicis commercials. >> page 7
Kasper WedendahlThe best prerequisites for good Migros commercials are brought onto the set by Kaspar Wedendahl: After just seven years as a commercial director, the 36-year-old Dane already has an international client list that ranges from Coca-Cola to Opel and VW to the Washington State Lottery. Wedendahl's palmarès is no less impressive. It features just about everything of distinction among the awards: Effie, Eurobest, Epica, US Creative Best Spot, London and Cresta Awards. In Cannes in 2000, he won a prize for his VW spot.
"A few drops" (DDB Paris) a Gold Lion and doubled in 2001 with Interflora "The Power of Flowers" for the Robert/Boisen& agency.
Likeminded, Copenhagen, by (la).
Luca Aloisi