Branding gurus say the banana is a perfect example of nature's packaging at its best including a full sensory experience... an enticing shape, fresh aroma, easy to open, biodegradable, obvious built-in expiry indicator and timeless style... the fearless Vervet monkey that just jumped in the window of my holiday guest house to steal a banana from the fruit bowl in front of me obviously thinks so too, as he chose it over and above the rest of the fruit platter on offer. But no matter how enticing the packaging of your product, banana or otherwise, is - how do you reach your consumer if they don't even make it to the shelf with your brand on it, turned away too soon because of poor service at the retail front end or inside a store? Consumers are informed and have a multitude of choices these days and I've lost count of the number of shops I've walked out of recently because of poor or indifferent service. This contributes to a negative brand experience and it seems to me that arrogant retailers should be the ones taken to task by brands - not the other way round! After all, without brands and the advertising that supports the brand messages, consumers would not necessarily be shopping at their stores! Have a good one! Louise Marsland, Editor, editor@biz-community.com