On Wednesday, 8th December 2010 in the East City of Cape Town a room full of bloggers gathered at the Field Office. Inside the hot room all sorts of colourful shapes, makes and sizes gathered to share a moment in time together. Bloggers that write about fashion, about food, about design, about … a life – style.

A pregnant lady smiles beautifully. A shy girl whispers a remark. A sheer dress reveals secrets. An excited shriek of joy floods the room and we applaud together.

The very talented Vicki Sleet, from my favourite local blogspot I Want That, shares her Top 10 points learnt from blogging. I sit nodding and listening to some good advise (hope she posts her list soon). The absolutely stunning prizes are drawn out of a hat … and there are lots of very happy bloggers!

Thank you to the organisers, to the lovely MC and to the speaker. A remarkable evening shared with amazing fellow bloggers.

Here are some photo’s that I took that evening that I would like to share, as Vicki Sleet and the Big Purple Dinosaur say ” sharing, is caring ….”

Vicki Sleet, the guest speaker from I Want That and the MC of the evening Samantha Laura Kaye  Cape Town Girl

Nina Chiller from NinaChiller Inkheart Jewellery Design (stunning dress)

The organiser Cal Volks from Fable Fairy

Robyn Cooke from Style Guide CT

Lauren Fowler from Lost Is A Place Too …. and Justine Stafford from ifor1

This week I read an online article on PSFK on Shopper Marketing in Africa, that really struck a cord with me. Sometimes I read an article and I realise that this is what I’ve been thinking, put into words. It is something I have been trying to say but I didn’t quite know how to say it or who to say it to. Well, this is such an article.
Everyday I’m bombarded with so much advertising that sometimes I get a headache and I can’t see through the clutter. I am sure other people feel the same way, too much information? overloaded? That means a “clever” marketing strategy is crucial for a successful campaign to make it through the clutter and show some value.
What fascinates me the most about this article is the store back strategy. Starting from where the shopper sees the product or service inside the retail environment. Yes,that is where it matters the most and that is where the strategy should start from. You then trace it all the way back to the brand custodian and agency and then the big idea can start. The marketing controlled push-pull template has now exploded into a new way of thinking, to that of an integrated marketing plan that is traced back from the shopper. I love the idea that ”Shopper marketing uses insights about the consumer in her retail environment, and not in her daily life.” Chris Harrison is Chairman of Young & Rubicam Brands, Africa.
So, I wanted to test the idea of shopper marketing in my own personal shopping experience in fashion retailing here in Cape Town. So far, the only retailer that has caught my attention is Woolworths, both in groceries retail with dinner tonight suggestions and lately in fashion retail. Woolworths clearly have an intergrated marketing plan and a darn good agency. This, to me, is a good example of an effective marketing store back strategy that uses a variety of marketing and media vehicles to reach out to me, the shopper. It is the Fabulist Campaign that I am talking about – WOW! in every way imaginable – now this is a campaign that demands attention!
Woolworths Fabulist campaign, top ten fab fashion favourites
The Woolworths fashion offer is to introduce Summer 2010 fashion must haves, the message they send out is the Top 10 fab fashion favourites available this season for every kind of shopper. Great logo design and I love alliteration. The media vehicles that I have seen are traditional magazine advertising, an in store event and competition that revolves around the shopper having a makeover and photo shoot, designated merchandise zones with mannequin displays,  visual communication props and posters, online at the Woolworths website and through social networks like Woolworths facebook,  Woolworths twitter and Woolworths YouTube and through well known and much loved bloggers like Kim Gray and Lauren’s Glossaryzine and I suspect a many more. Woolworths, you knocked my wooly winter socks off. This is the best of the best. Bravo!
Please Note: the photo’s and screen-grabs are from Kim Gray’s blog, Lauren’s Glossaryzine blog and Woolworths online sites you can click on the links above to see more.

Here are some additional sites for further reading on Shopper Marketing
The Shopper Aperture : let’s put a new lens on the future of shopper marketing
Shopper Marketing 3.0 : unleashing the next wave of value
Shopper Marketing : the next stage in Africa’s retail development?
Fast Company : Seven predictions about the future of advertising’