DDi - June 2010 - (Page 35)

| 35 Marketing & Branding www.ddionline.com George Wishart Note to marketers: Put the “StoreFirst” Two shopper marketing experts discuss the need for the store to be the top-of-mind driver of the marketing plan Ann Mooney I f marketers are going to leverage their in-store investment and be successful at retail, how they think about marketing needs to change. And, in the eyes of George Wishart, a pioneer in the shopper marketing realm and current president and CEO of Edgewood Industries LLC, how they approach the shopper marketing discipline— particularly where to start—needs a fresh, new approach. Wishart believes that in-store marketing activity has too often been treated as an afterthought. It’s time to break old habits to achieve success at retail, he says. Ann Mooney, a former Procter & Gamble executive and in-store specialist, is the founder of Rising Moon Consulting, a ﬁrm specializing in shopper marketing. She espouses an approach that she calls “StoreFirst.” Wishart recently had a chance to sit down with her to learn more about the StoreFirst approach, exclusively for DDI. including in-store. This approach—predictably—has resulted in subpar in-store execution. Marketers can no longer ignore today’s realities. Mass media is declining. Audiences are fragmenting. TV ROI is eroding. On the ﬂip side, digital and social media are exploding. Retail (trade) marketing spending outpaces consumer marketing budgets for many brands. Yet, most brands still develop creative ideas with TV in mind. Why not recognize the paramount importance of in-store—where shoppers make most purchase decisions and purchases—and ensure up front that creative ideas work in-store? Mooney: This is the second big challenge. StoreFirst requires a mindset shift and new levels of collaboration among agencies. Agencies need to be more retail savvy, including a deeper, richer understanding of shoppers and in-store. They must seek out and embrace shopper insights, and ensure creative ideas translate in-store. Creative ideas that don’t work in-store, simply don’t work. Wishart: What can I do to start my company thinking about StoreFirst? Mooney: To get started with StoreFirst, I’d recommend three things: 1) invest in shopper/retail insights, 2) re-evaluate your existing processes, and 3) make in-store a priority throughout the entire creative process—from creative brief to idea assessment to consumer qualiﬁcation. Wishart: How do I know when we are doing it right? Wishart: As a marketer, what challenges am I going to face with StoreFirst? Mooney: The ﬁrst challenge you are going to face is timelines. TV advertising typically drives brand launch timelines, and those timelines are out of sync with the realities of retail. Retailers plan 12 to 18 months out. In-store has long been an afterthought in the creative process. When a brand is struggling to qualify the creative idea via TV testing and launch timelines are tight (and they almost always are), it’s nearly impossible to get the it’s-late-but-at-least-it’squaliﬁed TV idea executed in the balance of marketing mediums, especially in-store. If you miss a retailer’s planning window, well, you just may miss out. George Wishart: Ann, what is StoreFirst? Ann Mooney: StoreFirst is marketing created with the store in mind. It starts ﬁrst with how an idea works in-store, and then explores how the idea will be executed across the balance of mediums as part of an integrated marketing plan. Wishart: So, why is StoreFirst needed? Mooney: Traditionally, creative ideas are developed for TV and then later retroﬁtted for other media, , Wishart: How does StoreFirst affect the agencies involved in the creative process? Mooney: Creative ideas must be boiled down to their essence for in-store—not diluted or dumbed down. That way, consumers will get a clear, consistent message. When you get it right, consumers will tell you—if you let them. You’ll know you are getting it right when you qualify your ideas via consumers in the context of the store, and the research will reveal whether you are driving purchase intention and converting purchase. http://www.ddionline.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of DDi - June 2010

DDi - June 2010
From the Editor
Newsworthy
Quick Tips
Greentailing
Editor’s Choice
Design Snapshot
Channel Focus: Home Furnishings
Levi’s London
Berlin
Put the “StoreFirst”
Branding in 2010
Most Valuable U.S. Retail Brands 2010
POP Products
Right Light
In-Store Technology
Product Spotlight
Calendar
Advertisers
Classifieds
Shopping with Paco

DDi - June 2010