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M&M!s World

Branding Assignment

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M&M!s, the chocolate that melts in your mouth and not in your hand, is a

family brand named after the surnames Mars and Murrie. The candy-coated

chocolate drops originated in the US in 1941, however their idea came from

chocolate pellets eaten by soldiers in the Spanish Civil War in the 1930!s.

Their brand category is "chocolates!, although it could also be confectionary.

They are a member of the Mars, Inc. house of candy brands, which includes other

confectionary brands such as Skittles, Milky Way, Mars, Snickers and Twix. Similar

brands to M&M!s within the company are Minstrels, Revels and Treets. The company

has also diversified beyond sweet treats and offers products in brand categories like

drinks, pet food, pasta sauces and electronics.

The family-owned Mars, Inc. organisation has been a household name for the

best part of half a century, while M&M!s has been the same. The brand is personified

by five "spokescandies! who add vitality and personality. Each of the five main

colours has an identity – red, yellow, orange, green, blue – which permeates the

brand and showcases their interactions with each other. Yet these five colours

haven!t always been members of the M&M!s family. Only Red, Yellow and Green

have been there from the start, with Orange and Blue arriving in the 70!s and 90!s

respectively.

While there are many flavours in the US including pretzel, peanut butter and

mint, the UK!s ever-present flavours are plain chocolate and peanut. These are the

only two flavours found in M&M!s World, London. At this store, M&M!s diversifies by

offering a multitude of different colours and colour combinations.

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The brand experience at M&M!s World begins as the customer approaches

the building from both Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus. The store, which

shares its premises with The W Hotel above, has the same shape as the surrounding

buildings, but its sleek glass exterior suggests that it is different at the same time.

Perhaps The W has more influence over the aesthetics of the building, as it resided

there before M&M!s World arrived, but it!s no coincidence that the store is trying to

project itself as familiar but slightly different. Since it!s M&M!s World and not the

M&M!s Store, its external appearance is an important way of perpetuating the idea

that it!s more than just a place to buy M&M chocolates. It!s a world of its own.

M&M!s World in Leicester Square is one of

only four of these stores worldwide (New York,

Orlando, Las Vegas). It!s a flagship/concept store

that allows the M&M brand to permeate the lives of

its inhabitants/customers by more than just

chocolate. Its location at the centre of London is

important because, like the three other M&M!s

Worlds, it!s geared towards visitors and tourists.

M&M!s World is not necessarily a place

where one would go to purchase M&M!s in their

universally known, 35g pre-packaged bags. Instead

this is where the customer goes to connect with the brand. There is a tag line

throughout the store that rings true: so much more than just chocolate. Thus, while a

customer can find M&M!s in an endless array of colours and combinations, the

chocolates make up just a modest fraction of the products available in store.

On arrival, the customer is not only confronted

with M&M!s confectionary but also t-shirts, key-rings,

stuffed toys, pint glasses and coffee cups – all M&M!s

branded and all as a means to extend the reach of the

brand beyond just the confectionary treat. The other

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striking thing the customer notices as they enter the store is

the amount of associations made by M&M!s and the UK. Not

only at the ground floor entrance, but throughout the "4 levels

of fun! there are Union Jacks, M&M!s dressed as various

historic British people, and M&M!s doing activities that they

would only do in Britain – and especially not in America.

This is important because M&M!s is an American

brand and they are trying to enter the European market by

making these associations. When a customer sees an M&M!s character on an "I <3

(heart) London! t-shirt, where the heart is filled in by the Union Jack, they make a

subconscious connection between the brand and the UK and that connection is a

positive one. This theme runs throughout the store: the yellow M&M dressed as a

knight, the green M&M dressed as a princess, the blue M&M in a car most likely

designed for James Bond and 4 M&M!s posing as the Beatles on their Abbey Road

album cover. In each case the (American branded) M&M!s are dressed up or

behaving in a way that could only be

construed as British. The owners of

M&M!s are trying to make the

customer feel like M&M!s belong in

the UK. The customer feels like the

brand is more than just the sum of its

parts and that it isn!t just an American

brand, but rather it has global reach

and appeal. Since the majority of visitors to the store are also visitors to London –

most from Europe – they will take their purchases back to their home countries,

which effectively spreads the reach of the brand beyond the UK and onto the

continent.

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M&M!s World stocks more than just chocolates. While there is a large variety

of different colours and combinations of M&M!s chocolates, the true diversity of the

brand lies in the category extensions outside of confectionary. There are soft toys,

clothing, home wares, animal toys, sporting goods, children!s toys, pyjamas and even

stationery. All of these serve as a way for M&M!s to get further into a customer!s

home.

Yet some of these category extensions are more important than others,

namely soft toys, which are perhaps the most important. While M&M!s doesn!t

explicitly advertise to children, they form a large part of their branding strategy. On

every floor, on almost every corner and in almost every section of M&M!s World there

are small, medium and large soft toys, of the candy shaped variety with arms and

legs. By developing a brand association with young children, M&M!s have found a

way to sell their brand to children without actually selling them chocolate – something

they deem unethical. This fits their ethical modus operandi, however it!s also morally

questionable because they are implanting the idea of the chocolates into the minds of

the young in full knowledge that the consequences will be that those same children

will want those very chocolates. Regardless, by creating a category extension for

only children that is prevalent throughout the store, M&M!s have found a way to

elongate the life cycle of the brand: they have exploited a self-imposed loophole by

getting children to literally hug the brand before they are allowed to eat it.

Beyond that, by having soft toys everywhere, it

adds a touch of fun and warmth to the environment.

People associate these toys with cuddling, love and

attachment, so by having them liberally scattered

throughout the store, customers will subconsciously get

these feelings when they see them. The toys also make

good gifts and since most customers are tourists, they will

see them as an opportune way to buy something small

and (relatively) cheap for loved ones back home.

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The best way for M&M!s to extend the reach of their branded products is

through visibility. So the other product extension of great importance is clothing.

Made up of t-shirts, undergarments, night-time wear and children!s clothing, this

category is a prime way for the brand to be seen. The clothing is fun and light-

hearted, often with suggestive innuendo, even on clothing for young children. It

features the M&M!s personalities in various poses and themes, while it takes up a

large proportion of the floor space on the first level below ground. One could argue

that this is the "main! floor (more on that later), so its strong presence reflects the

importance of the visibility of the brand outside M&M!s World. It should also be

mentioned, to tie back with the British/American theme mentioned earlier, that much

of the clothing features the M&M!s personalities or the brand somehow being

reflected in a British way. Again, this delivers the brand to British and European

customers and makes it more familiar.

In-line extensions are no less widespread.

While there are only two different flavours of

M&M!s – chocolate and peanut – there is a rich

diversity of colours; many more than one can

buy at a regular retailer. The colours range from

the primaries available in a normal packet from

the supermarket, through to pastels, black and

whites and monochromatic silvers and greys. Beyond that, there are themed colour

combinations that reflect season (Christmas – green, red, white), geography (Britain

– blue, red, white) and event (fireworks – black and highlighter pink and orange). The

idea behind this is to allow customisation and a freedom of choice. As with the real

world, M&M!s World has any number of combinations of its chocolates that reflect

the differences each one of its inhabitants has.

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The layout of the store is done methodically and in such a way as to display

some items more prominently than others. When you walk through the entrance, you

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notice two things immediately: a London/British theme and a Christmas theme.

Friendly staff are on hand and visible throughout the store, wearing the different

colours of the five "spokescandies!. The focus of the ground floor is to introduce the

customer to these five "spokescandies! and their different personalities. While it also

introduces the customer to the unique experience that one can only get at M&M!s

World in London.

When a customer arrives they are encouraged to

lose their sensibilities at the door. They are confronted

with the M&M!s version of London, with a red double-

decker bus, images of the Union Jack and plenty of "I <3

(heart) London! merchandise. This reinforces the idea

that there is only one place you could be in the world right

now – the place where London and M&M!s collide.

The scale of the store is immediately evident.

Once passing through the gate/bus, you are confronted

with a large atrium and when you walk towards the stairs on the left and see the giant

M&M!s logo filled in by the Union Jack, you can peer down and see each level of the

store simultaneously. This has been done with purpose, such that a customer

realises how large their environment is. Being able to see all the different people

interacting with each other and the world itself provides the opportunity to reflect on

how large the surrounds are. The owners are trying to make the customer think that

they are in a foreign environment – one that is similar to the outside world – but is a

self-sufficient world of its own. This large, open atrium also allows people to see the

other parts of the world and then creates the desire to go and explore this world.

The wide, sweeping, curving staircase recreates a feeling of celebrity for

people when they use it. A certain level of luxury is afforded to customers that is

perhaps reserved for the M&M!s "spokescandies!, since they are the celebrities in

M&M!s World. This then makes customers feel as though they are the ones on show

and that they can adapt the personalities of the "spokescandies!. It is a further layer

of interaction for the customer.

One level below ground is where most of the action happens. Once you reach

the foot of the stairs you are confronted by a wall of tubes from the ceiling, filled with

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M&M!s. Each tube has a different colour or a different combination of colours, while

there are two sections: regular and peanut. The range of colours further exhibits the

diversity on show in M&M!s World and the freedom of choice that each one of its

inhabitants has. This "wall of chocolate! also acts as the lifeblood of M&M!s World. It!s

almost as though these pipes are the arteries through which the blood (M&M!s) is

pumped that keeps the world alive; because while this world allows the brand to

stretch into so many more realms than the outside world, M&M!s World doesn!t

survive without M&M!s.

To take that analogy one step further, as customers extract the M&M!s from

these pipes into their plastic bags, it!s as if they are

tapping pure M&M!s from the heart of the world. It

is the purest form of interaction because they are

reaching out and taking the essence of what keeps

this world alive: the M&M!s themselves, not the

category extensions that are the result of the

growth of M&M!s.

Beyond the wall of chocolate, the first level below ground is a place where the

"spokescandies! can express themselves. Each colour has their own section of the

floor (which is ample), and while the products in each section don!t necessarily

correlate with the personalities of each colour, each personality is delivered in their

respective sections. For instance, as mentioned previously, the blue M&M is in a

James Bond car in his section, which correlates to his personality as being the "cool!

one. The most common product on display on this floor, apart from the M&M!s

themselves, is clothing. So it should be no surprise that clothing, a form of expression

and the best way for the M&M!s brand to be visible outside of M&M!s World, is in the

same location as where the "spokescandies! are expressing their respective

personalities. When a customer enters this section, they see the M&M!s characters

embodying their personalities and they are encouraged to choose clothing that will

allow them to express themselves as well. This encouragement yet further allows the

customer to throw off their inhibitions and become part of M&M!s World.

Descending one floor further takes the customer to the basement where the

ceiling is noticeably lower, the product range is less about expressing one!s

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personality and the lighting isn!t quite as bright. It also houses the Mix Lab where

customers can customise their own M&M!s chocolates. The placement of this piece

of industry is pointed, because in the real world industry is far from where people live

and is its own self-sufficient entity. It!s no different in the M&M!s World, since it!s the

furthest that a customer can travel in the store and it is in the least hospitable part.

It!s also worth pointing out that the Mix Lab is directly underneath the pipes

that form the "wall of chocolate! one floor above. This continues the analogy of the

world as a living, breathing entity with "blood! coursing through its veins. Next to the

Mix Lab is the Customer Services desk, another area that is perhaps not necessarily

hidden away, but rather defers its place in store to items that are more likely to create

excitement with customers.

At the bottom of the stairs is the M&M!s/Abbey Road scene. It!s here because

the relatively small space that houses home wares and industry needed to add the

flavour of the "spokescandies! expressing themselves, while also adding a distinctly

British flavour to the area. It also wouldn!t be too much of a stretch to suggest that

this scene, by far the most popular scene featuring M&M!s in the store, is there to

attract customers to the floor that is both furthest away from the entrance and least

exciting in terms of its product offering. Due to its placement at the bottom of the

stairs, it is visible from the very top of the store as well, thus customers will see this

and want to go down to the basement and take part in it (since its interactivity

provokes movement from those who take part (walking)).

The final floor is the mezzanine at the very

top of M&M!s World. It!s directly in front of the

entrance to the store and has another curved,

sweeping staircase, albeit a slightly smaller one.

Once there, the customer can see all the way down

to the bottom of M&M!s World giving them a sense

of power and control over their surroundings. The most valuable products in the store

are located on the mezzanine and there is also an interactive installation that lets a

user see other parts of the store via cameras that link to a screen. On the walls of the

staircase, there are paintings depicting the "spokescandies! as historic British figures

of substance: Winston Churchill, William Shakespeare and Sir Isaac Newton. This

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lends further credence to the implication that not only are the M&M!s creating British

associations, but also that the top floor has an ethereal aura about it. Especially

when moving from the basement to the mezzanine, one notices the difference in

atmosphere. Rather than cramped and industrious, the mezzanine is opulent and

exclusive, with an air of kingdom about it. This is no coincidence.

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There are three key brand elements that stand out at M&M!s World, which

pertain to how the brand delivers its overall strategy in store. The colour, shape and

graphics of the brand provide impetus that gives the M&M!s life, personifying these

chocolates and giving them unique personalities. These personalities bring life to

M&M!s World and provide a backdrop for the interaction that is the centrepiece of the

customer experience. As has been alluded to several times before, the five M&M!s

(red, yellow, orange, green, blue) are the "spokescandies! within M&M!s World, and in

fact, the wider brand experience. Each has a distinct personality and each delivers

that at various touch points throughout the store and the products.

The shape of M&M!s is obviously round, but this shape extends far beyond

just the "spokescandies! and the confectionary itself. The store has a distinctly curved

shape to it. Where possible, sharp edges are avoided, replaced by curved features

such as in the staircases, walls, pay stations and the floor space on each level. This

has a clear link back to the brand elements, ensuring that the World is the

embodiment of the characters who are the central figures. The idea here is to provide

subconscious touch points that customers perhaps won!t recognise immediately, but

will ultimately associate with the brand. Beyond the obvious, circular shapes bring

feelings of completion and wholeness, so perhaps customers will feel more relaxed,

rather than being faced with angular and hesitant forms that bring discomfort.

The role of colour in the M&M!s brand is hard to overstate. When the role of

graphics is thrown in the mix too, it gives each "spokescandy! an identity, which is

perhaps the most important facet of M&M!s World. The idea here is that customers

identify with one or several of these characters, because their personalities are so

human. Perhaps these are characteristics that every human shares (Red: ironic,

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sardonic; Blue: laid back, cool; Green: feminine; Yellow: happy, nuts; Orange: mildly

crazy), and as such, every customer that enters the store has a chance to associate

with these different personalities. The customer is not only encouraged to engage

with these distinct and recognisable character traits, but they are allowed to express

themselves and be free to choose which character suits them.

Hence M&M!s World brings the M&M!s to life, giving customers a chance to

associate and interact with them, and by extension reach deeper

into the brand itself and take from it what they want. In essence,

the customer is free to be himself or herself in a make-believe

world, while also reflecting the brand in their own image. Again,

this is a very pure form of interaction, promoting individuality and

freedom of expression, which of course, is associated with the

M&M!s brand, creating longer-lasting relationships.

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All of this begs the question, what are the marketers at M&M!s World actually

doing? Quite simply, they are trying to elicit emotion from the customers. Not explicit

emotions, but rather lasting impressions that are borne out of interaction and

engagement. These lasting impressions will create an imprint on the minds, and with

any luck, the hearts of the customers that is channelled into positive experiences with

the brand.

From the moment a customer arrives at the store, the curved shape suggests

there is something different about the store. When they enter they are confronted

with imagery that creates associations between this famous American brand and

Britain, and more specifically London. Since the majority of visitors to the store are

tourists, they want to make it a unique tourist experience that could only happen at

that very store, in that very part of Leicester Square.

Each level of M&M!s World has a unique purpose behind it, from the luxury

and control of the mezzanine, to the London-centric ground floor, to the first level

below where the stars of the show are in their own environment, to the basement

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where functionality is at its heart. And the world does indeed have a heart. For it!s

created in such a way that it!s experienced as a living, breathing world, with M&M!s

taking the place of blood; a self-sufficient society where its inhabitants can find

whatever they need for subsistence (within reason).

Of course, the main inhabitants – the stars of the show – are what bring the

place to life. Each "spokescandy! has a personality of its own and they encourage

customers to express themselves in a way that invokes freedom and individualism.

Their colours and shape are ever-present in this environment and they are reflected

in the category and line-extensions available throughout. All of which provide

customers with alternative ways to experience the brand, beyond the mere choice of

a bag of M&M!s. As such, visitors to M&M!s World are unlikely to be going there to

buy M&M!s, but rather to interact with the brand and share in the overall experience.

With all that being said, it should then be easy to sum the brand up in a series

of keywords. Thus the mantra is composed of freedom, expression, choice and fun.