![Cue: Part of the AMP Capital Shopping Centre retail mix. [Summer 2013 campaign.]](http://yaffa-cdn.s3.amazonaws.com/yaffadsp/images/dmImage/StandardImage/Cue 2013 - source 2_3A9C72D0-3C3D-11E3-BEB5005056A302E6.jpg)
Australian shopping centre giant AMP Capital has executed a world-first.
The company, which will soon unveil its latest multi-million dollar redevelopment, has revealed exclusive details behind the experimental marketing research that has shaped the complex.
The study was designed to better understand the three market mindsets and retail preferences of target consumer groups in the area surrounding the revamped Macquarie Shopping Centre.
The centre is currently in the midst of a major $440 million redevelopment and repositioning as a fashion destination. Once complete, the precinct will become the second largest shopping centre in New South Wales and one of the top 10 largest shopping centres in Australia.
According to AMP Capital, the approach used for this research represents a “significant departure from traditional research to be not just a first for Australian shopping centres, but also a world-first”.
The study involved a three week Consumer Consulting Board (CCB) with over 100 participants representing the target audience.
Executed completely via an online platform, respondents were encouraged to participate via a variety of media - words, photos, pictures, videos, weblinks – to ensure a holistic and reflective consumer point of view.
Throughout the three-week survey period, a facilitator online was also made available to respondents to help to prompt conversations.The Macquarie Centre development team were also able to log on at any time via an iPhone app to view the live conversations.
The developments mark a new era in marketing research, according to AMP Capital Shopping Centres head of shopping centre marketing Belinda Daly.
“This type of research is likened to the new type of focus group and allows participants to share their opinions and views in an open forum. The relative anonymity of the online environment is known for encouraging a confidence and honesty that can be hard to match in traditional face to face forums,” she said.
“The centre is in the heart of Macquarie Park with a large residential trade area, along with a substantial worker and student market. Understanding of these three market’s mindsets and retail preferences was the focus of this study.
“The growth and potential of the three target markets (residents, business park workers and students at Macquarie University) for Macquarie Centre is well understood. In order to ensure the final touches of the new centre are completed successfully in depth consumer research was required to explore opportunities to increase the market share for the long term success of the shopping centre and to establish new insights that would inform strategy to maximise spend at the new centre.”
The research conducted has, to date, been utilised to inform the leasing strategy, marketing collateral for the centre launch and to assist the development and design team to refine their delivery.
“The experienced research team at AMP Capital recognised that this redevelopment project needed to get beyond the usual insights that traditional research delivered. The customer experience of Macquarie Centre will be cutting edge and every decision to deliver the right product to the customer is carefully thought out. The research therefore needed to reflect the views of the customer and deliver fresh, new and innovative insights that were truly different to what all the teams had heard before… and before,” Daly said.
Going forward, AMP Capital said the insights are being used to continue developing strategies and initiatives that position the centre as “ahead of the curve”