Żabka started moving Only with the largest advertising campaign in its history, to promote a new communication strategy and claim “Uwolnij czas”.
In the new communication strategy, Żabka stresses that the brand “stays away from everyday customer problems, such as lack of free time, at the forefront.
– As a result of the consistent implementation of our development strategy in recent years, abka is no longer just a store. Today we are a holistic comfort ecosystem – offering diverse solutions that are close to customers’ needs and make their daily lives easier. Thanks to the expansion of the Żabka group with new businesses, such as Maczfit, Dietly and Josh the frog Or Delio, customers can freely use our offer wherever they need it, for example when visiting stores or ordering products with 15-minute home delivery. We will pursue this path of development with determination, while keeping our customers and their needs at the center of our attention – says Tomasz Suczynski, CEO of Żabka Group.
“Free your time” at Żabka . sites
On October 12, a marketing campaign was launched to promote the new abka slogan “Free Your Time”. In four product locations, we will see scenes of the humorous genre in which we will see the adventures of a couple or friends who meet after many years. The plot refers to life situations in which, thanks to Żabka, the heroes can do whatever they like.
The “little little shop” is over
For the past seven years, Żabka has been advertising under the slogan “Little Big Store”. It was introduced in December 2015, thus ending the three-year cycle of moving sites with animals.
Television advertisements differed significantly from the network’s previous communications, It was marked by a heavy dose of humor, presenting various situations from “shop life”, It is often funny and inconspicuous. The purpose of these ads was to show in a positive and ambitious way what distinguishes the network from large-scale networks and is our biggest market advantage: the direct relationships between agents and sellers with customers.
– The relationships that allow each abka convenience store to present itself to our customers as a supermarket that perfectly meets their daily needs – this is how Maciej Mituraj, then Director of Marketing and Development at Żabka Polska, described a new series of advertisements at the time. We wanted to create a spacious communications platform that would allow us to flexibly adjust messaging to current opportunities and the needs of our customers, he added.
The agency PZL was responsible for advertising, and its director was Iwo Zaniewski, PZL’s creative director. The concept of the new strategy and advertising creation was developed by Ogilvy Agency.
– At the moment, we are completing cooperation with PZL on this project, to which I will add that we have been satisfied for the past six years. We had a great brand together, we won many awards. We have great respect for our joint work. We change all communications, leave the store in the direction of feelings, thereby changing the agency. In addition, it is worth emphasizing that PZL remains with us in cooperation in other projects – Jaroslav Serdiniki, Marketing Director of Żabka, told Wirtualnemedia.pl.
‘Small Big Shop’ in a neater format
Marcin Błoński, managing partner of the business unit of Havas Media Group, when asked about the evaluation of Żabka’s communications so far, mentions that he is talking about their effectiveness Golden Effie in 2020 In the long-term marketing excellence category.
– Certainly, the previous strategy was clear, easily recognizable thanks to the perennial champions – the store employees, and in my opinion it well reflected the assumptions of a “small store”, that is, the trade in goods for current needs. The situational humor and cheerfulness that emanated from these ads certainly distinguished them from the ad block – he evaluated them in an interview with Wirtualnemedia. He also admits that he does not see any significant advantages of the new communication strategy over the old one.
– ‘Little Little Shop’ was a much neater format, carrying a hint of surprise – I wonder what’s new in their show. I’m concerned about the privacy of the new ads in the ad template – for me they are becoming more general and less impactful. Even the voiceover, which characterizes previous commercials, has been changed – notes Marcin Błoński.
claim that The new strategy under the slogan “Free your time” does not convince him completely, it seems a bit exaggerated. Saving customers’ time is a well-known and important feature of consumers that the retail industry has been using for a long time, but it is justified when a player from a supermarket or discount store group says it, since you can actually save time by making one big purchase. I am puzzled about this change, because, although it corresponds to the model of the convenience store, for me it does not bring anything new to the image of Chapka – our interlocutor indicates.
Don’t go to abka because of the low prices
Adam Samsel, Director of Strategy at Creative Group Havas. refers to it In the first place, small local stores do not come at low prices, but rather are sought after in supermarkets and discount stores.
– When going to Żabka or another ‘neighborhood’ grocery store, we are aware that prices may be higher than those in supermarkets. We accept it because it is not the most important thing to us. Convenience is a basic need of small shops from a rational perspective: I have everything close and at hand. The platform “Little Big Shop” showed that the range of products and promotions is so “awesome” that everyone will find something for themselves – notes Adam Samsell.
add that Żabka has become part of the daily shopping ritual of Poles – thanks to the Mały Wielki Sklep platform, Żabka sellers have become synonymous with pleasant service, Continuing the “legacy” of sellers in local stores, thus breaking the liquor store junk barrier.
– In addition to the ATL platform itself, we can not forget about the communication in social media, which also reinforced the image of a modern store and a great brand that carefully monitors current trends. This, combined with the continued expansion of the offer and innovations at the level of the sales process, has made abka synonymous with modern stores – says Adam Samsel.
Our interlocutor also emphasizes that cena is not a primary consumer need in the convenience store sector, so high inflation and accelerated prices are not a major hindrance to the introduction of a new communication platform.
– Żabka, with its size and bargaining power, is able to ensure the “appropriate” level of prices by updating its level to the current purchasing power of buyers, says the expert. Now the key element in strategy and communication, he adds, is “time.”
– In the new communication strategy, Żabka stressed that the brand “reduces daily customer problems, including lack of free time. Żabka wants to “give” time to people by introducing them in stores Ready meals, quick snacks bought in a hurryneeds “really” things for parties and social gatherings – Adam Samsell points out.
According to our interviewees, the pandemic has redefined our lives in many areas. One area where we see significant change is the greater value of time in our daily lives. Time has become a precious currency like gold or bitcoin. We want to spend quality time and valuable time, especially free time, which is our greatest “resource”.
– The all-new Żabka strategy meets the needs of many modern consumers. Presenting Żabka as a store that simplifies our lives and allows us to save time in shopping, everyday choices and embrace reality, and thanks to which we have more of what is important, is a good step in the strategic development of the brand. I have not yet seen creative solutions to the new strategy, but I suppose to “leave” the store and show the brand through the prism of everyday life and uses of life, which also seems to be strategically justified by strengthening the image of the brand close to consumers – confirms Adam Samsel.
The slogan “taken from outer space”?
Marek Staniszewski, owner of Heuristica Agency, views Żabka’s current connections somewhat differently. He believes that in the current situation of rising prices, accelerating inflation, and an increasing level of social anxiety and insecurity, the assumption that the most important and pressing issue in consumers’ minds today is “the lack of free time to pursue their own interests.” seems – he says – a nice thing In short – taken from outer space.
– Similar to the laws of lifestyle communication mainly aimed at the joyful neglect of Generation Z. Because what is mainly shown in this campaign is the glorification of empty consumption, the pursuit of easy pleasure and continuous pleasure. Creating a character for a place where you can always go out for a great beer, tonics, sodas, hot dogs, and other fast food fits into a non-reflective hedonism narrative – says Marek Staniszewski.
At the same time, she points out, paradoxically, this could be a huge advantage for this campaign. This is what defense mechanisms are based on by repression or compensation. Unpleasant and undesirable issues are suppressed or banned here to make room for the bonus freedom of perfect images. OK, but that’s basically the realm of ads. Another advantage of the campaign is translating the focus from product contact to customer-oriented communication. This is a good step to promote the brand – thinks Marek Staniszewski.
New communication can act like an opium
In the end he is judged A good campaign may act somewhat like an opium for buyers. – Because it does not fit into reality, it allows you to move away from everyday troubled life and for a moment to move into the world of cheerful fantasies of the consumer commission. To give yourself a little luxury – I wish everything was wonderful in a minute, in a minute – our interlocutor adds.
On the other hand, Marek Junior, independent consultant and brand advisor, points to a study conducted by Listonic in the first half of this year, which shows that The main criterion for choosing a store is its location.
From this perspective, the current outreach promoting abka as a small and big store – a friendly and nice place near home, where you can do your one-stop shopping – seems to have been a hit. However, it must be remembered that for a large number of respondents, criteria such as breadth of offer, promotions and price levels also turned out to be important. In light of this data, it is very difficult to defend not only the narrow range, but also the price levels due to the location and brand feeling. And those in abka are not low, which seems to be a well-known fact – confirms Marek Junior.
The expert also points out that given the specter of the crisis, accelerating inflation and the resulting changes in consumer sentiment, it is likely that fewer and fewer people will be willing to pay the inflated price of the possibility of buying a home.
– Żabka sure knows he’s in trouble and feels threatened by losing some of his clients. Focusing on other attributes and promoting a different part of the group seems to be the only way to keep a portion of the old group and to recruit new clients. The only question is whether, in the face of the crisis, the tendency to save and perceive abka an expensive store, consumers will want to buy finished products there, which are also more expensive than in other places – asks our interlocutor.
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