The Power of a Jolt!

Mindful merchants know that one of their main roles as brand builders is customer motivation. They know just when the power of a gentle nudge (via strategic cross-sells, meaningful upsells or properly placed point-of-purchase teasers) or a more forceful jolt (you must have this!) is necessary to prompt a sale. In today’s selling environment, with consumers more cautious than ever about their spending, merchants are required to use their motivational jolt skills more often.

Remember JOLT cola? Back in the 80s it was created as the “espresso of colas” to appeal to a younger market and provide an alternative to coffee. It boldly and memorably promised, “All the sugar and twice the caffeine.” A few years ago it was reformulated into JOLT Energy Drink. Like this turbo-charged beverage, I think merchants have a two-pronged jolt job to do:

1. Create great products that give “sudden bursts of energy” to their brands.
2. Boldly create positioning and enticing messaging that makes the new product a “must have” for their brand fans.

Take Nike for example. In the middle of this record-breaking, heat-soaked summer, it's aware of the need to jolt even their most exercise prone and health-conscious core customers with new irresistible running gear. Here’s one of their recent product-announcement headlines:

“Gets You Fit, Faster.
The Trainer One with a Nike DiamondFLX outsole to promote more muscle activation and accelerate results.”

Even those who are feeling a bit lazy this summer or are content with their workout regime are quickly paying attention to something very relevant to their lifestyle: a new shoe that will “get them fit faster.” In just about 20 words, Nike prompts its audience to seriously consider its new shoe if they care about muscle activation and accelerated results.

Product jolts are every merchant's “just do it” this season. How will you jolt your customers?