Malls made over

Shopping centres are regularly given a make-over, a face-lift or cosmetic surgery due to changes of ownership, or to repair errors committed during their image creation or just general renovation. The process is costly, but usually highly effective

In the opinion of Anna Szmeja-Kroplewska, the general director of the Polish Council of Shopping Centres: “Rebranding means a change of logo, colour, internal decor, marketing strategy
and sometimes a change of tenants.” The result is that
a product often appears
under another brand. Reb-randing either standardizes the image or creates an entirely new identity. In both cases the intention is to make closer contact with customers.

Many specialists take part in the rebranding process
– lawyers, bookkeepers, estate agents, as well as communications and marketing experts. Anna Szmeja-Kroplewska adds that: “A change of name or logo generates legal, financial and image-creating consequences with all these areas being equally important for the success of a brand change.”

Mistaken identity

The intention behind the rebranding of the Reduta shopping centre in Warsaw was to put right the errors made in designing the centre’s trademark, as well as to create
a new image. Since the very beginning in 1999, Reduta lacked a consistent image and a precisely defined customer target group. Other centres, such as Arkadia in Warsaw, due to its integrated shopping, entertainment and service space, was defined as a universal-purpose facility connecting various areas of human activity, interests and aspirations. Elsewhere, Galeria Mokotów in Warsaw developed its brand as being
a trend-shaping centre.

Sylwia Wiszowata-Łazarz of Manhattan Real Estate Management, which manages Reduta, stresses that: “For the rebranding of Reduta, the communication aspect went hand-in-hand with a change in strategy, itself determined by the changing market and customer expectations. In the past, Reduta was both a family centre and a women’s mall. There was a notable absence of coherent and consistent communication.” This shopping centre differed little from other similar malls in what it offered. The greatest competition came from Złote Tarasy, which opened in early 2007, and which prompted the decision more than 10 months ago to overhaul Reduta’s image. The tenant mix was changed, with exclusive brands coming on to the scene, such as Peek&Cloppenburg, Esprit and Palmers. The next stage will be to replace the logo, accompanied with a marketing campaign.

Sylwia Wiszowata goes on to reveal that: “The campaign is to enhance Reduta’s position compared to other shopping centres in the Warsaw area. It will portray Reduta’s customers as attractive and independent people, and this will be how it will be branded. This will be an innovative campaign employing state-of-the-art technology and interesting personalities.” Renowned fashion photographers who work on such magazines as ‘Pani’, ‘Twój Styl’ and ‘Elle’ have been contracted. The eye-catching images forming part of this cam-
paign will also be accompanied by a variety of events promoting fashion and art, e.g. such as in the form of exhibitions.”

Transforming a Geant

According to Anna Szmeja-Kroplewska: “Name, logo and interior decor changes frequently accompany changes of ownership, which is the most common reason for rebranding. The retail properties bought from Casino – including the Geant hypermarket chain – by Real’s owner the Metro group, have experienced a fundamental metamorphosis. Since March 2007, every outlet operates as part of the Real chain. The change of logo, visual identification and the mix of retailers began in early 2007, with décor and section colour schemes also being changed. Agnieszka Łukiewicz-Stachera, Real hypermarkets’ spokesperson, says: “Display tables appeared in stores offering bread and textiles, the sports section increased its range of products, the cosmetics section now functions under the ‘Beauty&More’ logo, while the children’s department is now called ‘Toddler’s Land’. A new Tchibo booth has also been installed to serve coffee, as well as a clothing section, household appliances and toys.”

Geant’s transformation was introduced in stages, with the Geant logo being substituted with Real in subsequent cities – Wrocław, Łódź, Poznań, Kraków, Bydgoszcz, Warsaw, Toruń, and then in Silesia and Pomerania. The cost of adapting one hypermarket to the standards of the new chain ranged from PLN 500,000 to 800,000.

Younger and larger

Warsaw’s Promenada shopping centre opened in 1996 has also undergone a radical makeover. As Barbara Czechmeszyńska-Skoworon, the marketing director of ECC Property Management which runs Promenada, explains: “We wanted Promenada not to be exclusively associated with a centre for more prosperous middle-aged customers.”

The research carried out
in late 2003 for ECC, the mall’s developer, indicated that more than 80 pct of the centre’s customers were older than 26 and almost 40 pct above 40. To remedy this, the principal guideline for the rebranding was to increase the group of younger customers, as well as increasing the shopping area. The logo was changed only by a minimal degree – its colour going from green to grey.

The products offered by the centre were also rejuvenated, with a change of emphasis away from the expensive clothes brands for wealthy, middle-aged lady customers. However, Barbara Skowron stresses that: “We did not want to reduce our impact on regular customers of the Promenada, which they knew and had come to like. Retailers offering expensive products, such as Escada and Iceberg, remained in the old part of the centre; whereas the enlarged and rejuvenated Promenada was geared to fashionable youth brands, large-scale chains and a supermarket to attract new customers. Such brands as Zara, Reserved, Smyk, Benetton, Esprit, Empik, Bata and Warsaw’s first Alma supermarket became features of the extension to the centre, which now has 60,000 sqm total space.”

The advertising campaign promoting Promenada’s image has employed themes from familiar and much-loved fairy tales under the blanket title ‘Fairytale Promenada’. Much use is made of traditional children’s comics, which suggest that Christmas presents bought in Promenada are both wholesome and delightful. The overriding concept in the ad campaign is to present Promenada as a family centre with a diverse offer and pleasant atmosphere.

Shopping centre
with a history

The Renoma centre on ul. Świdnicka built in 1930 is better known to older citizens of Wrocław as Wertheim. Centrum Development & Investments (CDI) – formerly known as DTC and its current owner and manager – decided to overhaul it and add a new wing. When finished, the building will be almost 100,000 sqm in size and have a car park for 630 vehicles. The amount of actual shopping space will be around 40,000 sqm.

The intention behind the new Renoma is to set fashion trends, with its customers also being mainly young people. There will be around 120 retailers offering world famous brands, although CDI refuses to say exactly which these will be. In its new building, Renoma will combine retail and office functions in architecture spanning two centuries – early 20th century modernism and 21st century contemporary architecture. The opening is planned for the autumn of 2008.

The manner in which rebranding has proceeded has led to shopping centres becoming more competitive, with customers becoming attached to and identifying with them. The first impression created by a new brand is also of no small importance, since it is largely that which will prove whether the introduced changes were really necessary.

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Aneta Demianowicz