Design – Page 2

Summer is here and it is hot. All supermarkets are shrinking their frozen category shelves and groceries are putting their small freezers in front of everything else to welcome the ice cream season where sales will pick up because of the hot summers we have in Lebanon.

Lebanese consumers are very familiar with ice cream brands, for me and since i was a kid, still remember mainly Gelati Cortina and Bonjus, then many local brands came along like Gelati Dolsi and last year we had a new player Cornelli. This post is not about international ice cream brands, but most of them are also on the Lebanese market.

Bonjus ice cream is a brand extension to the original juice product that is 46 years old and to a certain extend it fits and serves the global brand positioning among other players. Well managed brand extensions not only provide new sources of revenue, they can also reinforce brand meaning and help to build brand equity.

But sometimes the brand extension and stretching can hurt and damage the parent brand.

Taanayel Les Fermes ice cream is not the right brand extension for a typical dairy products brand.
No matter how juicy and succulent the advertising campaign is and will be, my first thought will always be the dairy products because of the brand name in first place.

Surely milk is used in both lines (dairy and ice cream) but for me, the brand does not fit the product.

Carrefour has totally reinvented shopping for its customers, and the Carrefour planet concept offers them a new shopping experience centered around making purchases in comfort, friendliness and fun. The new stores boast a festive atmosphere of discovery, specialist offers organized into key areas, lower prices, brand new services and new technologies.

In a friendly and animated atmosphere, Carrefour planet has a range of products that has been completely rethought out and is better suited to the expectations of its customers, organized into key areas:

THE MARKET AREA, with a varied range of extremely fresh products, tastings held on a regular basis, cooking lessons, an expanded delicatessen area, freshly cut fruit and vegetables or sushi being prepared.

THE ORGANIC AREA, with a wide variety of Organic products, Carrefour brands as well as other specialist brands, tastings held on a regular basis and discounted prices so that everybody can enjoy organic products…

THE FROZEN FOOD AREA, with an extremely wide range of frozen products, reworked customer flows with an offering that is organized into different areas that follow the order of a traditional meal, closed freezers for greater comfort and cooking demonstrations.

THE BEAUTY AREA, in an environment that has been given a complete makeover for the well-being of its customers. They can purchase their beauty products at a leisurely pace and get expert advice, as well as enjoying services such as rapid make-up applications and express hairstyling. Among the other innovations is a virtual mirror which customers can use to test make-up products ‘live’ at interactive terminals.

THE FASHION AREA, which has been re-organized to include the whole world of fashion, showcase new collections and provide a new range of services, including free advice and alterations.

THE BABY AREA, which brings together everything new parents need under one roof, from food products to nappies, as well as pushchairs, clothing and furniture. Mothers are pampered and can enjoy access to a free birth list service and have their more bulky shopping carried for free, as well as benefit from the advice of a pediatric specialist.

THE HOUSE AREA, is split into 4 sections (“Kitchen and Table”, “Home Deco”, “Practical Home” and ”Home Accessories“), with a whole new selection and many color-coded ranges.

THE LEISURE – MULTIMEDIA AREA , brings together the Culture and multimedia areas, organized according to brand. All the latest technologies are showcased, including 3-D TV, touchscreen tablet computers and e-books. A whole new digital store has been created offering customers the opportunity to sign up for digital subscriptions and services, as well as a completely dedicated Apple area.

For certain categories, exclusive partnerships with major brands mean that customers can discover a new offer: for example, Virgin will have a wide selection of cultural products in the Vénissieux store, Réserves Naturelles will have its own dedicated area in the beauty world for make-up, accessories and costume jewelery.

Because the comfort of customers as they do their shopping is a priority for the new banner, specialist advisers will be available in each area to welcome and support customers as they make their choices.

Carrefour Planet stores have been implemented so far in France, Spain, Italy & Greece