Talking Back

In May, Brandweek published an interview with Draftfcb executive vice president Jim Lucas that concluded with the interviewer suggesting that "most people" think shopper marketing is "about shelf talkers and things like that."

Lucas (a longtime member of the In-Store Marketing Institute and a frequent speaker at our events) had already been quoted in the article discussing the "power of the retail environment"; the sea change in perception within the marketing community that has led to the store being viewed as a brand-building venue; the trend among retailers to build their own brands by taking greater control of the messages presented in their stores; the resultant move among product manufacturers to align their own marketing strategies "to work through the voice of the retailer"; and the realignment of traditional category-based merchandising to reflect shopping behavior and product usage.

And that's all supposed to be taking place on a shelf talker? Wow. Give those copywriters a raise.

Truth is, the only possible way that "most people" equate shopper marketing with shelf talkers is if we're talking about the entire world population. Back in June 2003, when we released the first edition of the In-Store Marketer newsletter, some marketing professionals were guilty of being so misguided. Of course, "shopper marketing" wasn't even a commonly used phrase then, let alone an emerging marketing discipline.

But now? Anyone suggesting that shopper marketing can be exemplified by a simple in-store advertising tool should immediately be escorted from the building. To understand why, read (or listen to) any of our content highlights this month. We're not talking about finding new places to display an ad message, but about fundamentally changing the message itself -- and even about revamping the planning and developmental processes that produces the message.

That's the most significant aspect of the in-store marketing industry that has changed since our first edition. Back then, the discussion centered on the store as the final frontier of mass media, the place where brand managers could continue to reach the tens of millions of consumers that television and other channels used to deliver.

While that potential does exist, the industry conversation has moved beyond that concept to encompass a deeper understanding of the store as an ideal venue for connecting with consumers in timely, relevant ways that can't be delivered through mass media. Shopper marketing isn't about finding new ways to reach consumers, but about finding new ways to meet their needs.

So if the term "shopper marketing" does conjure up images of little billboards jutting out from a shelf, I strongly encourage you to get out from behind those stacks of Nielsen ratings and focus-group analyses you've been hiding behind and get yourself -- quickly -- to the nearest Walmart supercenter. You're going to find a lot more than a few shelf talkers.

Peter Breen
Managing Director, Content
In-Store Marketing Institute

Members: More information here.

Industry Learning: "Putting the Shopper in Your Shopper Marketing" by Matt Nitzberg, dunnhumbyUSA

Done well, shopper marketing has the potential to dramatically impact the business performance of retailers and product manufacturers alike. "Unfortunately for the industry and for shoppers, shopper marketing is rarely done well," suggests Matt Nitzberg, global manufacturer practice leader for dunnhumbyUSA, before offering some cogent thoughts on how to rectify that issue. In a treatise provided this month exclusively to the Institute, Nitzberg outlines the organizational commitment, unprecedented level of behavioral insight, mandate for collaboration and need for continuous measurement required for shopper marketing to fully achieve its potential as a profit-driving business strategy.

Members, view the report.

Desktop Marketing Conference: "The Evolution of the Orange Box" by Brad Williams, The Home Depot, and Larry Sorrel, Schawk Retail Marketing

What happens when you send a 75-pound sign package to stores during the busiest season of the year? We'll let Brad Williams, The Home Depot's director of visual merchandising, provide the answer. In a candid presentation from last April's In-Store Marketing Summit, Williams joins with Larry Sorrel of agency partner Schawk Retail Marketing to explain how several of the chain's annual merchandising events have evolved in recent years, and what new approaches the company will undertake as it returns to its value-retailing roots.

Members: View the presentation.

Retail Profiles: ShopRite and Family Dollar

For a relatively small regional player, ShopRite knows how to attract national-brand exclusives: In March, General Mills' Cheerios provided customized packaging for a cause marketing program for the eighth straight year. Meanwhile, Family Dollar is awash in a steady stream of account-specific promotions -- not many years after the chain, and any other retailer with "Dollar" in its name, were treated like near-pariahs by most packaged goods makers. Our updated profiles include dozens of recent photos of marketing and merchandising activity provided by Carroll Media Services, Atlanta.

Members, view the profiles.

New Content: Highlights from The Hub

Select articles from Reveries.com's thought-provoking print magazine includes its second-annual ranking of shopper marketing excellence; a roundtable on the recession's impact on retail featuring Kim Feil of Walgreens and Barry Judge of Best Buy; an interview with ConAgra Foods chief marketer Joan Chow; and thought pieces from Institute members Jon Kramer of Alliance, Jason Sorley of Marketing Drive, Jim Porcarelli of Active International and Al Witteman and Marta LaRock of TracyLocke.

Members, view the articles.

Welcome New Institute Members

The In-Store Marketing Institute is delighted to welcome new and renewing members to the Institute family. Below is a list of the companies that signed up recently. Welcome aboard.

• Barilla America
• Cameo Container Corp., Division Of Smurfit-Stone
• Chute Gerdeman
• Dentsu Inc. (Japan)
• Globe Electric Co. (Montreal, Canada)
• Gratterpalm (United Kingdom)
• Harding Display Corporation (Ontario, Canada)
• Harley-Davidson Motor Co.
• InnoMark Communications
• Integrated Marketing Services
• KAO Brands
• Kraft Foods, Inc./Nabisco
• LG&P In-Store Agency
• Marketing Support Inc.
• MarketingLab
• Matrix Marketing Concepts Inc. (Ontario, Canada)
• May Advertising
• Mediaedge
• Monster Cable Products Inc.
• Ovation In-Store
• SAI Marketing Inc.
• SC Johnson
• Time/Warner Retail Sales & Marketing