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GOLD OUT-OF-THE-BOX RETAIL
RBC reinvents ‘retail’ banking
The financial services category – perceived
as complex, intimidating and conservative –
is a difficult one to transform. The challenge
for RBC was to develop a new consumerfriendly
model that would encourage product
exploration and interaction with its staff.
First launched in October 2010,
RBC introduced a new retail format and
technologies to empower customers to
discover options and ask questions.
The RBC retail stores include interactive
merchandising zones that allow clients to
discover ways the bank can help them to
achieve their goals, and interactive large
screen discovery tables and tablets enable
clients to explore financial questions.
Instead of long hallways leading to
closed doors, the bank introduced open
spaces where customers were encouraged
to interact with the technologies. RBC
staff members were on the floor ready to
answer questions and provide advice, and
events and seminars were held to educate
potential and existing clients.
Results, when compared to RBC’s
previous branch design, showed a 30%
increase in client experience scores, a 36%
increase in its competitive rating and a 10%
increase in the likelihood that consumers
would recommend RBC to family and
friends, all supporting a national roll-out.
Credits: Client RBC; Chief brand, communications officer Jane Broderick; SVP marketing, channel strategy Neil McLaughlin; VP, marketing services, transformation Alan
Depencier; VP channel strategy Lawrence Spicer
SILVER OUT-OF-THE-BOX RETAIL
Walmart inspires outdoor living
To drive sales of its
outdoor living brands
online, Walmart turned
the “showrooming”
phenomenon to its
advantage. Working
with agency Mediative,
the retailer created
an interactive online
experience replete
with lifestyle and
shopping content.
Walmart’s Outdoor Living Centre (OLC)
microsite featured interactive buying tools,
tips and advice, inspirational lifestyle
content and top product recommendations,
all related to the grilling, barbeque and
patio product categories.
During the peak period for outdoor
living shopping, OLC outperformed the
retail department. Consumers who viewed
products after visiting OLC were 73% more
likely to purchase versus those who only
visited individual department pages. The
microsite attracted new shoppers, and its
success resulted in a second collaboration
between Walmart and Mediative to launch
the Walmart Editorial Auto Centre.
Traffic was driven by shopper needs and
inspiration, rather than product details –
resulting in more than 90% of impressions
coming from outside the department.
Customer feedback indicated that OLC
increased the likelihood of visiting a Walmart
store location. Online traffic and sales
increased, with 172,000 visits and 113,000
product views on Walmart.ca, and 3,000
orders as a direct result of the microsite.
Credits: Client Walmart Canada; Agency Mediative; Senior director, publisher relations Ben Rodier; Head of creative services Cate Cadbury; Senior manager, digital Galina
Boutvilovski; Director, digital marketing; Drew Cashmore; Marketing manager Jeff Tate
38 www.strategyonline.ca