Retail Industry Creates Awareness; Consumers Chip In
By Fatima D. Lora, Assistant Editor

Last week, retailers offered consumers freebies, deals and discounts for participating in the 2012 presidential election. Participants showed candidates their support by wearing patriotic bracelets from Starbucks.Other companies such as The New York Times and Wall Street Journal offered mobile access of the election to subscribers.

Prior to the election, the National Retail Federation (NRF) launched the “Retail Means Votes” initiative, to help educate retailers on the importance of encouraging consumers to participate in the election. 

“’Retail Means Votes’ seeks to increase the retail industry’s presence and participation on the campaign trail, and beyond,” said Matthew Shay, CEO, NRF. “It is one piece of NRF’s efforts to frame the national debate around retail’s pro-jobs, pro-growth agenda, and drive candidates’ attention to the retail industry’s public policy priorities and their effect on the economy.”

Reaching consumers during the run-up to the election can be challenging for retailers, noted Nikki Baird, Managing Partner at Retail Systems Research (RSR), in a Multichannel Merchant article. “Retailers would be smart to take advantage of any opportunity, including election-related promotions, to create closer engagement with shoppers, especially with the holiday season just around the corner.”

Kenneth Cole also introduced “Rock the Vote,” a retail program that encourages voter registration in store and online at Kenneth Cole stores nationwide on National Voter Registration Day — September 25th, 2012. In addition, customers were able to show their support by purchasing a limited-edition tote. All proceeds benefitted AWEARNESS, The Kenneth Cole Foundation.

“As Americans, our vote is a privilege often squandered,“ said Kenneth Cole, designer and social activist, in a company press release. "What one wears is not as important as the need to be aware, and on Election Day, we all need to proudly wear our voices.”

To help coffee-lovers share choice of favorite candidate, 7-Eleven launched the7-Election Presidential Coffee Cup Poll. “7-Election invites customers to vote by selecting specially marked coffee cups, blue for President Barack Obama and red for former Gov. Mitt Romney,” as noted in a recent Buffalo Rising article.

“Each day, almost 7 million Americans visit our neighborhood stores on their way to work, after school or while they’re out and about,” said Joe DePinto, President and CEO at 7-Eleven, Inc.  “Around 1 million of those purchase a cup of 7-Eleven coffee. While we have never billed 7-Election as scientific or statistically valid, it is astounding just how accurate this simple count-the-cups poll has been ― election after election. We have had a lot of fun with it, and I hope we encourage people to vote in the real election.“

It’s interesting to see how the retail industry is educating consumers and retailers on the importance of taking a stand and voicing their opinion. Although I am not big fan of politics, I do however see the impact of educating oneself on current events.

Follow Fatima on Twitter: @FatimaDLora