The World is changing quickly and organizations like the Global Environment Facility (GEF) are trying to predict and guide these changes in the most sustainable manner. The same should apply to marketers who need to be able to quickly adapt to new environments to stay competitive. One of these developments might drastically disrupt the world of grocery shopping and marketing in just a few years.
It is no secret most car producers and technology companies are testing out autonomous vehicles. You can already use them in Phoenix, Arizona, and it is believed that autonomous vehicles will become a common sight within a couple of years. Now imagine that autonomous vehicles could be used to delivery groceries. It is already possible to get groceries delivered through apps and Amazon just purchased Wholefoods, so this is a surprisingly realistic scenario.
Let’s explore how this development could drastically transform packaging norms and how this would impact the marketing industry. Consumers would utilize apps like Instacart to evaluate and order products online. This mode abolishes the need for flashy and wasteful packaging in the store as the visual marketing function will now take place online. Cereals could be transported and stored at supermarkets/grocery hubs in gigantic containers instead of separate paper boxes and plastic bags. Traditional shopping carts could be replaced by shopping boxes with new functionalities like a section for cereals and a cooler. Instead of purchasing a box of cereal, you would purchase one pound. Shopping boxes would be loaded into large vehicles designed to only transport these boxes. Vehicles would utilize the most efficient routes to reach customers’ homes and allow them to access the box on the side of the vehicle – ideally using their own cereal storage containers. Joel Makover mentions “New, innovative delivery models and evolving use patterns are unlocking a reuse opportunity for at least 20 percent of plastic packaging.”
Utilizing apps for grocery shopping would allow marketers to display more relevant information as apps’ functionalities often include functions allowing users to compare products (see Amazon). You might sort products by the amount of certain ingredients or nutritional values. This system may shift the focus away from visual promotions to a focus on ingredients and how they are perceived by certain audiences. Maybe marketers will be able to add pictures of the communities where products like fruits are grown and highlight the fair-trade aspect. Maybe marketers will be able to add a link to a website with customer reviews and stories. There are countless opportunities and marketers need to embrace these developments as they happen. Who would have expected self-driving cars in Phoenix, AZ just five years ago?
