To establish the efficacy of Icon Media’s shopping cart medium, the Primedia Unlimited subsidiary called for intensive research post a recent Cell C campaign. The resulting 159 face-to-face interviews proved the overall likeability and effectiveness of the medium.

“We wanted to establish the overall recall of branded carts among shoppers, the likeability of carts among shoppers and store staff, the influence of advertising on Icon Media’s shopping carts and the recall of specific brands on carts,” says Storm Ackermann, General Manager of Icon Media.

“Even before the Cell C campaign was executed, our research showed that 86% of parents prefer visiting stores that offer our branded shopping carts and 75% of non-parents find the carts very appealing to the eye,” he says.

Conducted by Freshly Ground Insights, the respondent profile included parents shopping with Icon Media’s branded carts, parents without carts, non-parents and store staff. The Gauteng sample size included Makro Strubens Valley, Makro Woodmead and Checkers Hyper in Sandton City. In the Western Cape, respondents were interviewed in the Checkers Hyper Brackenfell.

“The research showed that a significant number of shoppers (about 50%) stated that the carts are excellent reminder mechanisms and most (about 70%) agreed that it is an effective channel for advertising brands,” says Storm.

Overall, spontaneous recall of Cell C ranged between 24% and 30%, a remarkable increase from the pre-campaign awareness of less than 5%.

Parents of young children who were utilising the branded carts at the time of their interview report that their children are more manageable in the shop as they imagine themselves to be driving actual cars and remain entertained. “Our deduction is that parents will spend more time browsing and shopping in the supermarket because children are content to entertain themselves in the carts, resulting in more items being purchased than originally intended.”

A massive 87% of parents say their children insist on using these carts and 41% say the ad reminds them to buy the goods advertised. 85% agree that they do buy the goods advertised as it was on their shopping list while 53% say they remember the advertising but may not necessarily immediately buy the goods advertised. Most parents (85%) prefer shopping in stores where these carts are available.

Even parents without branded shopping carts agree - 85% said they notice that kids are more manageable seated in the carts, 69% said the carts have funky colours and 57% said the carts are appealing to the eye. An overwhelming 85% said they would buy the advertised product.

95% of non-parents love the look of the branded shopping carts and said they would think kids are more manageable, 86% love the colours and 71% say it’s appealing to the eye. 81% say the ad reminds them to buy the goods advertised.

“We are very encouraged at our initial research feedback and the stores we currently deal with say they are inundated with requests from shoppers to bring in more carts. Some parents even phone Makro stores before they leave home to ‘pre-book’ the carts,” says Storm. “We are currently in negotiations with further retailers and will be able to report back soon on supermarkets that will be added to our growing portfolio.”

Store Staff where Icon Media carts are found were equally exuberant about the medium, 83% say they love the carts and 69% think the carts influence people to buy products.