In partnership with

Hello!

Welcome to the 15th edition of Always Be Convenient, your guide to navigating today’s digitized world of convenience. You can find all previous issues in the archives.

Today we tackle a topic that doesn’t get talked about enough: branding.

In fact, a lot of the branding we do talk about in the convenience industry is about how bad it is. Whether it’s unoriginal, misspelled, or just plain odd, marketing has often taken a backseat to just getting the store open.

But in this noisy, complicated, digitized world we live in, having a stand-out brand can make all the difference in … standing out.

And with that, let’s get to the newsletter!

Conveniently,
Mike

P.S. Will you take my one-question survey to share your feedback about what you’d like to see in future newsletters? Your feedback is critical to making this a success.

A MESSAGE FROM OUR PARTNER

The all-in-one platform for on-premise retail media

It’s been relatively easy for brands to add more digital experiences to their stores – from kiosks to menu boards and more – though managing that content has become increasingly complex. Most systems come with individual players or independent management systems, and synchronizing those systems seems nearly impossible. But that’s where Shep Digital Solutions fits in.

Shep is an all-in-one digital content management platform that can power every digital surface across your store. Shep connects to each of your digital displays, including fuel dispensers and in-store screens, to ensure every touchpoint is working for you.

Are you ready to take control of the digital experience at your stores?

C-store chains across the country are discovering there’s a better way to do digital in-store. Shep’s proprietary technology is enabling omnichannel retail media networks that drive sales, grow basket sizes, and increase profitability.

See how Shep can help you.

Thinking through what defines you

Our industry has been built on commoditized products.

This has been true since the earliest days in the industry – back when we were simply called gas stations. Everyone offered automotive fuel, and consumers only needed it to ensure they could get where they wanted to go.

This commoditization has continued to be true for the majority of most brands' history, even as they have evolved.

As stations expanded to inside sales to accompany the forecourt, most shelves and coolers were filled with consumer packaged goods that were not unique to our channel. They were the same brands you could find in any other store.

The foodservice era of convenience marked the start of greater differentiation. C-stores began to build out their own menus, centered on focal products, and with that differentiated offering came fanfare and fandom.

Today the best brands in convenience are most likely known for their food. I won't begin to try to name them all – because there are truly too many great operators to count.

While foodservice has pushed us to be different and unique, a generalized approach to technology runs the risk of taking us back to being more of the same.

When a customer drives down the highway and sees a roadside sign, there's little insight offered to the onlooker.

FOOD or GAS is as good as it gets.

If your brand has built some level of awareness, maybe the consumer knows what to expect from the offering behind your logo.

Technology has not made this much better – at least not on the very surface.

Your initial listing on Google Maps or in Apple CarPlay is nearly as barren as the roadside sign. You have a pin on the map and a logo floating overhead.

The app stores are no different either. A search for your brand turns up an app icon that looks like you. And right below your listing is likely an ad for another store.

Regardless of where you show up, or even the things that you offer – either the products you sell or your digital experiences – your brand must stand for something that someone will remember.

Just like our stores are filled with brands that can be found elsewhere, I'm seeing some technology offerings from retailers without much differentiation either.

If your experience could be anyone's experience, is it really yours?

Challenge yourself, and your team, to ask these tough questions:

• What is our brand's known-for experience, quality, trait, or artifact?

• When asked to describe our brand, what would our customers say?

• How is this technology or tactic additive to our brand experience?

• If our logo was removed, could our customers identify this as ours?

• Do we know why we are introducing this technology to customers?

To an outsider many "gas stations" all look the same. They offer drinks and snacks, have fuel for your car, and hopefully have a clean bathroom inside. It's the checklist for a stereotypical store.

But as operators we all know it takes so much more than that to make a successful business. It's about the people, the culture, and the way your brand delivers the experience that makes all the difference to the customer.

When it comes to your digital and technology decisions, have you found yourself managing to a checklist of functions? Or are you designing those experiences thoughtfully to support your brand?

Every experience you facilitate – in person or in pixels – must carry the story of your brand. That's what makes you memorable.

And as convenience brands compete to stand out amongst commodities, who you are makes all the difference.