Destination charging

Sir, Your recent article on the electric vehicle revolution reconfirmed my belief that progress in building the UK’s EV network will be best enabled through cross-­sector partnership.

Developers are already working with retailers, pub chains and food & beverage establishments to install charge points, having identified the commercial opportunities a ‘destination charging’ model provides. Unlike the rapid charging forecourt model, it is all about keeping people on site for longer and encouraging them to eat, shop or play while they wait.

Careful consideration of the commercial opportunities and consumer market behaviours will be required, as it is too early to say whether the uplift in revenue from dwell time alone will deliver the ROI. If it does, vendors may offer free charging. If it doesn’t, they may need to charge at source, or consider a multi-tech option with on-site generation and battery storage.

Maria Connolly, head of clean energy, TLT





The sustainability race

Sir, In recent weeks, Morrisons has committed to becoming the first supermarket to remove packaging from its fruit & veg, while Sainsbury’s has announced it will eliminate black plastic packaging by next March - the latest moves by the mults to claim the ‘most committed to sustainability’ crown.

And you can see why this makes sense. A recent YouGov survey found that eight in 10 of us are trying to cut our plastic waste. Half said they would be willing to pay higher prices for eco-friendly packaging.

Understanding and then aligning yourself to your shoppers’ ethical priorities is good for business. It goes to the heart of understanding what motivates your shoppers to buy (or not buy) and provides insights that can benefit both brands and retailers.

John Nevens, joint managing director, Bridgethorne





The value of experience

Sir, It was refreshing to read your special report on how fmcg brands and retailers are capitalising on festivals. As experiential marketers we’re constantly challenged to justify why a physical experience is a more effective form of communication than other, more traditional media channels.

While common sense dictates you’re more likely to remember something you experience than something you see, hear or read, there’s no real data available to justify this to the c-suite.

It’s why we commissioned research this year to demonstrate the value of experiential marketing. We found that 73% of people are more likely to purchase a product if they’ve participated in a brand experience.

As summer begins, we would seriously encourage fmcg brands and retailers to consider the power of brand experience.

Nick Tether, business development director, Set Creative

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