[en.delfi.lt] Silence may be the key to Lidl’s Lithuania strategy
Data: 2016 m. vasario 4 d.
Everyone has heard that the German retail chain Lidl is to open stores in Lithuania but that is pretty much everything anyone knows about it. Is this absence of fanfare an oversight or a brilliant PR move? © Scanpix
There is very little information available about Lidl’s plans in Lithuania, from details on when Lidl is planning to open its first store in Lithuania, to how many there will be in all across the country, what kind of products will populate their shelves or how much they will cost. The German global discount supermarket chain operates over 10,000 stores in 28 European countries and generally makes no secret of its expansion plans. In 2018, Lidl is to make its entry into the United States and Australian markets. Is tiny Lithuania, with a population of under 3 million, too insignificant for Lidl to bother with a promotional campaign? Something only the big can afford That is certainly not the case, said Rytis Buračas, board member of the Lithuanian Marketing Association (LiMA). On the contrary, silence is a conscious strategy that has worked brilliantly so far. "Obviously, the silence gives rise to all kinds of talk and speculation, without Lidl having to do anything. Apple does something similar - when everyone knows that something is happening, but have little idea what that is exactly, everyone is waiting. Waiting creates tension, people come up with all kinds of ideas what might or might not be the case, rumours proliferate and here you have the hottest piece of news without any investment into communication," Buračas said, adding that only the biggest market players can afford to toy with such a strategy.
