DDi - June 2011 - (Page 40)

40 | Shopper Marketing & Consumer Insights The path to proﬁt Q: What’s the current state of shopper marketing? A: Changing. By Janet Groeber S hopper marketing is the fastest-growing category of marketing, according to Ad Age magazine. Both media and message are morphing from the traditional path-to-purchase funnel model (a line that leads from product awareness to product purchase) to a roadmap with digital campaigns showcasing myriad touchpoints and interaction along the route. While brand investment in shopper insights (primarily CPG) is exerting inﬂuence beyond the endcap to center store, the physical store continues to offer powerful reach by virtue of the place it occupies with respect to human social interaction. DDI recently invited retailers and consultants to weigh in on the current state of the art, including Jane Carrott-Van Auken, vice president, store planning and design, Shopko Stores Inc., Green Bay, Wis.; Michelle Fenstermaker, executive director, insights, WD Partners, Columbus, Ohio; Chuck Luckenbill, vice president, visual merchandising, OfﬁceMax Inc., Naperville, Ill.; Kathy Oneto, vice president, brand strategy, Anthem Worldwide, San Francisco; and Crosby Renwick, managing director, strategy and research, CBX Strategic Branding, New York. What’s the status of shopper marketing today? For some retailers and brands, it’s top of mind, and others have barely scratched the surface. Where does it stack up within your organization? overlook this space. Whether it’s more one-stop shopping or searching for online deals before leaving home, both brands and retailers need to work harder to differentiate themselves. Michelle Fenstermaker: We deﬁnitely see Jane Carrott-Van Auken: It is very top of mind for our organization, and we’ve been concentrating on shopper marketing heavily for the past year and a half. We are constantly reviewing purchasing data, customer proﬁles and shopping habits. a shift in shopper marketing moving from tactical point of purchase to more strategic solutions aimed at lifting entire categories. This mindset is in its infancy with many CPG companies, but they are getting pressure from retailers to go beyond simply promoting their own brands. Retailers want to rely on CPG companies for shopper insights, as well as for creating category solutions that are a win-win for everyone—the shopper, the brand and the retailer, including the retailer’s private label. Chuck Luckenbill: I’ve learned that I need to pay a lot more attention to shopper marketing because of the metrics around the way customers shop and the reasons they shop. So, for those of us who came up on the visual side of the fashion business, shopper marketing is really having an impact beyond vendor-supplied ﬁxtures or point of purchase. I don’t think anyone has completely ﬁgured it out, because it’s moving so quickly. Crosby Renwick: Shopper marketing represents that intersection between brands, consumers and retailers, and few brands can afford to Jane Carrott-Van Auken Kathy Oneto: Shopper marketing still is getting attention, but it seems all the newfound tools in the marketer’s toolbox may be stealing the show. Marketers are still interested in understanding the path to purchase and are investing here. The question is whether they’ll see it in an expanded view, versus still being about solely what happens inside the store. More and more, what consciously happens in the store is inﬂuenced by what happens outside the store. “ | June 2011 Vice President, Store Planning and Design, Shopko Stores Inc. We do still use some point of purchase, but it’s much more controlled. ”

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of DDi - June 2011

DDi - June 2011
Contents
From the Editor
From the Show Director
Newsworthy
Shopper Insights
Visual Perspectives
Editor’s Choice
Design Snapshot
ASICS Amsterdam
Behind the Scenes: Macy’s Flower Show
Shopping Marketing & Consumer Insights Section
Focus on the Shopper
Shopper Marketing Roundtable
POP Products
Right Light
In-Store Technology
Product Spotlight
Calendar
Advertisers
Classifieds
Shopping with Paco

DDi - June 2011