Shopping for Clothes is Not a Positive Experience for all Women

This post on retailwire highlights that research done in Australia shows that while thinner women view shopping as a therapeutic and pleasurable experience, many obese and slightly overweight women do not find shopping for clothes a positive experience. A professor from the University in Australia mentioned that the difficulty for larger women to find clothes that fit make the experience a negative one.

Women in the study were asked to rate their shopping experience a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being extremely pleasurable. Most of the thinner women rated their experience high while overweight women rated their experience lower on the scale. The study also concluded that thinner women shopped with fashion in mind while more obese women had intentions of camouflaging their figure when they went shopping.

CALL FOR PRESENTERS: Shopper Insights in Action 2010

INDUSTRY ALERT:

OFFICIAL CALL FOR PRESENTERS IS DUE MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30TH.

Call: 1-646-895-7332 or email apowers@iirusa.com

The Institute for International Research (IIR) is currently seeking corporate practitioner presenters for:

10th annual Shopper Insights in Action Conference

Due to the high volume of submissions, we suggest you submit your proposal early and no later than Monday, November 30, 2009 to Amanda Powers, Senior Conference Producer at apowers@iirusa.com or call 1-646-895-7332. (Only proposals from brand and retail corporate practitioners will be considered, for all other submissions please see sponsorship section below).

Shopper Insights in Action is recognized as the world’s leading conference focused on understanding shopper behavior and translating insights into action. 2010 will be a true best practice and idea exchange for those responsible for driving shopper-centric programs in the brand and retail worlds. It is the only unbiased shopper-rooted platform where practitioners can properly benchmark their research/marketing practices against the leading brand and retail companies.

2010 Main Themes & Topics:
• New Methodologies for Understanding Shoppers
• Bringing Insights into the Next Era: New Qualitative & Quantitative Techniques
• The Psychology of the Post-Recession Shopper
• Adopting to the New Era of Simplicity
• Clear Messaging Amidst Media Saturation
• Holistic Solutions on a Global Level: End to End Insights to Activation
• Connecting Emotionally in the Store
• The Impact of Culture in the Private Label Boom
• The New American Shoppers
• Segmenting Based on Shopper Occasions
• The Ultimate Integrated Marketing: Bridging the Gap between Brand, Digital and In-Store
• Taking Insights to Scale in a Portfolio Benefiting Manner
• Packaging Insights
• Pricing Thresholds and Awareness with Shoppers
• The Strength of Mass Engagement and What it Means for Shopper Marketing
• Social Media in the Store: iPhone and Technology Revolution
• Tying Store Design and Layout to Shopper Insights: What Shoppers Do and Don’t Want
• The Blurring Lines between the Shopper and the Consumer: Where Does Branding Meet Shopper Marketing? (Opportunities, winning stories)
• In-Store Metrics & Measurement
• In and Out of Store Technologies that Engage Shoppers
• Change Agents: Getting Your Entire Organization to Embrace and Breath Shopper-Centricity (are you a change agent and catalyst in your org?)
• Small Shops, Big Lessons (If you’re a smaller retailers or a brand that has had great success partnering with alternative channel formats, let us know)
• New Technologies: Virtual, What’s Next?
• Communicating Insights through Storytelling Techniques

Within each of the above topics we are looking for presenters in the following formats:

Storytellers - Presenters sharing 10 minute stories around one of the key themes above. We will select the top 3 proposals within each of the themes to participate. Each storytelling cluster will be conducted in an intimate format concluding with Q&A and/or discussions after the set of stories.

POV Contributors – In recognition that there isn’t just one way to solve issues, we will tackle one topic using a panel format with diverse point of views. We are looking for panel contributors to share their Point of View on a specific hot topic. Please submit a short description of what unique angle or perspective you'd like to share within the specific topic and we will pick the top five proposals from each of the areas.

Champions - Case Study Sessions presented by Executive Level Corporate/Client Side Practitioners only. Practitioners please submit in-depth case studies which focus on the how-to, not just what, and whys.

Discussion Catalysts - Collective intelligence is the key to sparking new ideas and innovation. We are looking for expert facilitators to conduct collaborative activities or discussions around each of the key themes above. Please indicate which topic you'd like to facilitate, your background in facilitation as well we a proposed activity around one of the topics mentioned above.

Change-Agents – Activating insights requires an immense amount of collaboration between various business units, cross-functional teams, outside vendors and partners. If you’ve been a change-agent and have a success story tell, let us know.

Speakers receive FREE admission to the conference as well as any pre-conference activity such as workshops or symposium.

What if I am not a corporate practitioner (from a client side company) but still would like to participate?

More than 75% of our content will be delivered by corporate practitioners. If you are a consultant or solutions provider and wish to be a part of the program, please contact Jon Saxe, Senior Business Development Manager at jsaxe@iirusa.com or 646-895-7467. We will customize opportunities to fit your needs from speaking, branding, networking and/or exhibiting.

CALL FOR PRESENTERS:

For consideration, please e-mail apowers@iirusa.com with the following information by November 30, 2009
• Proposed speaker name(s), job title(s), and company name(s)
• Contact information including address, telephone and e-mail
• The main theme you plan to address
• Which format you'd like to present
• A brief summary
• Please indicate what is NEW about the presentation
• What the audience will gain or learn from your presentation (please list 3-5 deliverables)
• Previous conference presentations
• Short Bio & speaker headshot

Tips/Guidelines
Due to the high volume of proposals we receive, not every submission is selected. We rely heavily on three components:
1. Content matches interest of audience identified through research
2. Compelling topic that showcases something new and exciting. It must show how to insights were leveraged to drive action/sales/loyalty
3. Speaker is able to provide details in the format of a case study or interactive session. This event is about sharing with members of your industry, so the speaker must be willing to showcase the "how-to" details.

All the best,

Amanda Powers
Senior Conference Producer
Institute for International Research

Email: apowers@iirusa.com
Phone: 1-646-895-7332
Fax: 212-599-2192
Mail to: 708 Third Avenue, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10017

Brandweek: Battling Brand Malpractice

Terri Goldstein of Brandweek discusses today how though the rise in private labels has been good for retail, it may be detrimental to the "big brand" CPGs because of design theft. Goldstein writes, A national or retail brand imbued with its own positioning, a unique selling proposition and a one-of-a-kind look and feel is a gold mine. However, the fact that retailers have access to the newest products and latest positioning by leading national brands enables them to steal valuable colors, shapes, symbols and keywords for the design of their own private label brands—a phenomenon that can and should be described as “brand malpractice.”

Further, Goldstein writes that Rather than continuing to play favorites and practice private label thievery, retailers would do well to develop store brands that create their own experience with the consumer via unique visual triggers and brand positioning.

While it’s easy for private label brands to capitalize on the cachet of their competitors by changing a few letters around, fully developed store brands fight fairly for the hearts and minds of consumers on the retail battlefield.

What do you think? Are too many private labels stealing from "big brands"? Can products be successfully sold if they look nothing like their "big brand" inspiration?

Battling Brand Malpractice

In-store marketing growing faster than internet marketing

According to an article at Marketing Magazine in the UK, shopper marketing is growing in importance, and looks to have an annual growth rate of 21% by 2010. A key observation by the article as that more consumers are heading to the store with shopping lists, but they aren't specifying what brand they need. This is a key note for brands, as the consumers will make on-site decisions as to what brand they'll be purchasing. Another observation was that shoppers are now more in-tune with how much food the are potentially going to waste, so they make decisions about that as well. Read the full article here.

7-Eleven Stocks Up With Private Label

Stacy Straczynski of Brandweek reports that 7-Eleven is diving further into the private label sector. The convenience chain this week announced the expansion of its 7-Select private label line to include 15 bakery-type snack products.

The new products include mini-donuts: Powdered sugar (six-pack and 10-ounce bag), chocolate frosted (six-pack and 10-ounce bag), and crunch (six-pack). The other additions are chocolate cupcakes, gold creme cakes, apple snack pies, cherry snack pies, iced honey buns and glazed honey buns. Several kinds of danishes round off the lineup, including iced cheese, iced cherry cheese, iced apple, and bear claw varieties.

What strategy could 7-Eleven use to introduce their private label goods to their target audience?

Home-Depot Offers Trade-Ins to Promote Energy Efficient Products

This article from retailwire discusses how Home Depot is trying to get consumers to trade in their old, worn out power tools and drills for brand new items by offering them big discounts. The company is offering a 15% discount off the purchase of lithium-ion drills and is also offering consumers $3 off new holiday LED lighting. The company is doing this in light of its new Eco-options program which promotes more energy efficient products.

Branded candy still preferred by shoppers for the Halloween seasons

According to Media Post, consumers are still choosing branded candy in the weeks leading up to Halloween over private label candy. And even in the current economic climate, this isn't expected to change.

Experts give a few reasons:
-Private label candy has not been able to overcome the candy brands' huge marketing investments in brand-building
- Consumers who don't buy much candy outside of the Halloween holiday may be going right to the brands because of limited store-brand assortments and limited knowledge of these options.

Read the full article here.

Whole Foods Launches Private Label Coffee To Benefit Jane Goodall Institute

Whole Foods has recently unveiled their Kanyovu light roast coffee, which will benefit the Jane Goodall Institute. Every purchase of single-origin Tanzanian coffee will support efforts to reforest the area around Tanzania’s Gombe Stream National Park — a preserve in the region where the coffee is grown — ultimately sustaining the area for local farmers and restoring habitat for endangered chimpanzees. This will help coffee growers in the Kanyovu region to use traditional and sustainable growing, harvesting and processing practices that help keep the land healthy and fruitful.

The coffee’s packaging will feature the Jane Goodall “Good for All” branding, the retailer said, which features a small green and white graphic bearing Goodall’s photo.

Whole Foods Launches Exclusive Coffee To Benefit Jane Goodall Institute

Private Label Impact Session Update—OfficeMax Joins Our Exclusive Speaker List

Later this month we’re headed to Chicago for the Private Label Impact Conference 2009, October 27-28.

This year we’re pleased to welcome innovators in the private label space representing an array of companies including: A&P, AJES Bread, Blueocean Market Intelligence, Bumble Bee Foods, CBX, Cliffstar Corp, Coca Cola Company, ConAgra Foods, Cott Beverages, Design Resource Center, Dragon Rouge, DuPont, Food Industry News, General Mills, Interbrand, JM Smucker Company, Kraft, My Private Brand, New Hope Natural Media, OfficeMax, PepsiCo Inc, PetSmart, Philadelphia Macaroni Co, Smoker Friendly, Sonoco, Sorrento, Lactalis Inc, St Joseph's University, Supervalu Inc, T. Marzetti Company, T&T Supermarket,The Hartman Group, United, Valero Retail Holdings Inc, Vestcom International Inc, Wallace Church Inc

Will your company be represented?

As a member of our CMSI LinkedIn group, we’re offering to you an exclusive 20% discount off your registration -- join us today!

Private Label Impact 2009: http://bit.ly/2Qqo24

Event Brochure: http://bit.ly/48d8mn

Event Registration: http://bit.ly/3u4mfn

New Session Added: Mike Kitz, Vice-President - OfficeMax Brands, Product Development and Imports, OfficeMax

Retailer Driven Innovation and Branding

Mike will discuss how retailers are getting more sophisticated in creating and driving their own brands. And, in some cases, when manufacturers will not innovate for retailers’ brands, the retailers drive this innovation themselves. Attendees to this session will:

• See examples of OfficeMax using best-in-class processes to innovate, create new premium brands, and bring innovation to the marketplace.

• Discuss ways for manufacturers and retailers to collaborate in innovation and brand building.

See you in Chicago!

Cheers,
Private Label Impact

Disney’s Retail Plan Is a Theme Park in Its Stores

The Magical World of Disney stores are about to get a major overhaul, says the mouse-eared giant. Popular throughout American malls, the Disney stores will now offer a "theme park-like" experience for customers. The New York Times reports that, the chain’s traditional approach of displaying row after row of toys and apparel geared to Disney franchises will be given a high-tech makeover and incorporated into a new array of recreational activities. The goal is to make children clamor to visit the stores and stay longer, perhaps bolstering sales as a result. Over the next five years, analysts estimate that Disney will spend about $1 million a store to redecorate, reorganize and install interactive technology.

What do you think of this in-store overhaul?

Disney’s Retail Plan Is a Theme Park in Its Stores

P&G to Launch Custom Beauty Magazine Rouge in U.S.

From AdAge.com, custom magazines from package-goods marketers have been around for a while, such as Kraft Foods' Food & Family, launched earlier this decade with a free circulation of 12 million, according to Redwood Custom Communications, which produces the program. But a new wrinkle in the U.S. rollout of beauty magazine Rouge, which began earlier this month, is the use of the mommy blogger community to help build the database of the relationship-marketing program.

How do you think the American market and the Mommy Bloggers will take to this new magazine?

P&G to Launch Custom Beauty Magazine Rouge in U.S.

Are you contracting out production for private label items?

This post in retailwire discusses that the trend for grocery retailing is for merchants to seek out and contract out production for private label items. An exception though to this case is Kroger, they manufactures about half of the 14,400 private label items it sells. Kroger believes that buy manufacturing these items, it is better able to control production decisions and pricing. Is your outsourcing most of its production of private label items or keeping the bulk of it in-house?

Join us for the 2009 Private Label Impact Conference, this month in Chicago!

Advertisements for staple foods increasing

The New York Times recently took an in-depth look at how the dynamics of advertising has changed in magazine since the economic collapse. Meal time products in magazines have dramatically increased, including advertisements for ketchup, mayonnaise and peanut butter. With shoppers buying more staple meal time products and avoiding the gourmet meals, these brands have found a wider audience in magazine advertising. It has also allowed for staple brands such as Betty Crocker and Bumble Bee to create more premium products under the familiar brand to capitalize on the consumer shift. Read the full article here.

Reed's Soda Sees Increase in Private Label Orders

Los Angeles-based natural soda manufacturer, Reed's is gearing up for a huge surge in productivity as business from private-label customers has increased, Joel Russell of the Los Angeles Business Journal reports.

"We are seeing strong interest for the private label products that we are offering to major retailers,” Chief Executive Chris Reed said in a statement. "Our production facility's unique product and packaging capabilities allow us to make a comparable margin to our existing brands with private label. For the most part, we're not competing with our own brands with the new private label business. Our current plan is to finance the growth of our branded business with the private label profits."

The company also said that two major supermarket chains expect to begin shipments of private-label drinks soon from the plant.

Reed’s Sodas Upgrades Bottling Plant, Issues Shares

Join us for the 2009 Private Label Impact Conference, this month in Chicago!

Consumers are not happy with online tracking

This post on RetailWire discusses how according to research done by the NY Times, more than two thirds of Americans object online tracking. Respondents of the survey did not like that ads tracked them at company websites and then followed them to other sites and offline stores. About 55 percent of respondents aged 18 to 24 objected to tailored online advertising, and in some areas about 49 percent of respondents said that tailored discounts were ok. Do you think that online behavioral targeting should be eliminated?

Shopper Marketing Fusion 2009 Highlighted Session: Defining Consumer Behavior at Retail with Phillip Raub, Nintendo

Join Phillip on Friday, October 16th at 1:30PM for his presentation, "Defining Consumer Behavior at Retail: Why do Consumers Cross the Retail Threshold?" at Shopper Marketing Fusion 2009.

Why do consumers decide to shop where they shop: in-store design, superior customer service, quality products, low cost...In the original 5 & dimes it was about variety and value. In the 1980s specialty reigned king. By the 90s big bog had emerged, yet luxury prevailed with the Internet boom. By 2000, bit box was holding storn as the economy contracted; however, by mid-decade speciality retail was back and in only a few short years, big box rules again.

So what drives why consumers show where they shop?

In this session you'll learn:

• A better understanding of why consumers choose one retailer over another.
• What it takes to ensure that your Brand is still relevant and top of mind to consumers
• The need to diversify your business and constantly budget for appropriate reinventions.

For more information about the great sessions offered at Shopper Marketing Fusion 2009, please download the brochure.

Private Label Impact 2009 Savings End Tomorrow!

Calling all CPGs, Retailers and Private Label Manufacturers... if there is one event you cant afford to miss, it is this one. Private Label has revolutionized the retail industry and will continue to do so. Join us to discover how this new retail landscape can be a win-win for all parties involved - co-exist profitably. Register by tomorrow with code PL09PBLI to save $100 off your registration.

Event: http://bit.ly/Yfsdp
Brochure: http://bit.ly/ClaeY
Registration: http://bit.ly/17CxfN

Check out some of the great presentations:

“Private Label: Redefining the Meaning of Brand” with Michelle Barry, Ph.D., Co-Author, A Brand Called Hope, SVP, The Hartman Group

Can private label thrive without name brands? The emergence of private lab ease a quality product that can compete with name brand products on an equal basis has changed the dynamics of how consumer products are marketed and sold. This presentation will provide an accurate portrayal of the changing landscape of the private label market and the associated strategic business implications for both retailers and manufacturers of name brand and private label branded products.

Learn more about Michelle Barry, Ph.D.: http://bit.ly/7CKv3

“How Brands and Private Label Can Work Together to Achieve Category Goals” with Thomas Ewing, Director, National Accounts, Private Label & International, T.Marzetti Company

Learn how a category merchant can use the unique strengths of both branded and private label products to build a coherent category merchandising plan. How do you use these strengths to build a merchandising plan to meet the differing objectives? What are the different tiers of private label products?

Download more information on speakers and presentations at this year’s event: http://bit.ly/ClaeY

Private label in the news:

Private-Label Growth in Every Channel
CSPnet.com reports that despite remarkable strides made during the past several years, private-label sales are concentrated in the hands of a relatively small number of consumers. The top 50 private-label categories, representing 17% of CPG categories, account for 69% of store brand sales.

Read more: http://bit.ly/1Agney

Amazon's Private Label Goods Continue
The Wall Street Journal reports that Amazon is quickly and quietly moving into the private label arena. Reporter Geoffrey A. Fowler says that the latest sign: The Seattle-based e-commerce giant, last month received a U.S. design patent for a wooden chopping block.

Read more: http://bit.ly/1ov9zs


See you in Chicago!

Cheers,
Private Label Impact

Kmart Provides Assistance to the Unemployed Through its Savings Card

This post on retailwire discusses how Kmart will be offering assistance to customers who have lost their jobs with a 20% discount on private label items through its Smart Assist Savings Card. This program allows customers to access discounts for a period of 6 months. Participants in the program are required to show Kmart their valid state unemployment ID. Tom O'Boyle, senior vice president, president, food and consumables for Kmart, recently mentioned:

"We've seen in Michigan that the Kmart Smart Assist Savings Card has helped cardholders keep good quality food on the table and their households stocked with staples while they get back on their feet. We hope that this program has the same positive impact across the country."

Government officials have already praised Kmart for their kindness in offering those in need. It shouldn't be too much longer before we see other retailer giants follow in the same foot steps.

Shopper Marketing Fusion 2009 Speaker: Anne Howe, MARS

Anne Howe
SVP, Market Intelligence
MARS

As Senior Vice President - Market Intelligence, Anne Howe serves as the agency futurist. Focused on interpretations of overall market trends, Anne develops both immediate and long-term strategies for the agency and its shopper marketing clients. As a member of the Executive Team, she also leads the agency's industry association activation efforts.

Anne brings to MARS more than 24 years of experience in all aspects of consumer and shopper marketing. She is responsible for the formation of the agency's Insights and Planning team and also played a large role in the development and organization of the Account Management and Promotion Development departments.

Previous to MARS, Anne's extensive marketing communications background includes a Regional Sales VP position with Sara Lee Hosiery. She also has shopper marketing knowledge in consumer packaged goods, food and beverages, hotels, intimate apparel, appliances, personal care products and more.

Anne's biography courtesy of MARS.

____________________________________________________________________

We recently asked Anne a few questions about the importance of Shopper Marketing, here are her answers:


1. Why do you feel shopper marketing is getting so much attention?


Anne Howe: Shopper marketing is getting attention because of the results realized from shopper-centric marketing.
Manufacturers and retailers working together to create better shopping experiences and solutions for shoppers understand the power of collaboration against true insights.

2. What do you think needs to happen for it to progress?

AH: In order for shopper marketing to reach its full potential, all the players have to share data, insights and be open to out of the box ideation. The future is about meeting unmet needs that the shoppers can't articulate.
Taking the industry forward will require marketers to integrate budgets across all phases of the Shopper's Journey, not just inside the store.

3. What are you speaking about and how will that information help
move the industry ahead?

AH: John Andrews of MARS affiliate Collective Bias and I are speaking together on the intersection of social media and shopper marketing.
The "wisdom of the collective crowd" continues to grow as an important purchase influencer, impacting brand relevancy and business results for both manufacturers and retailers. We will help marketers learn why social media matters and how community influence programs can be the catalyst for success before the store, at the shelf and beyond. The shopper marketing industry will be able to better understand how social media efforts can create not just buzz, but relevant brand influence and sales growth.

Anne will be speaking at Shopper Marketing Fusion 2009 with her presentation, "The Power of Bloggers: Integrating Social Media in Your Shopper Marketing Plan" on October 14 at 10:30am.

We'd love to have you join us next month at Shopper Marketing Fusion 2009. Join the most progressive BRANDS, RETAILERS and VISIONARIES for the first and only event to tackle the
true integration of ALL marketing functions - category management, in-store marketing and shopper marketing - to create a seamless experience from start to finish beginning with the first emotional trigger to the final point of purchase and beyond.

Event: http://bit.ly/20LPJn
Brochure: http://bit.ly/H8BVl
Registration: http://bit.ly/q9cYh

Private-Label Growth in Every Channel

CSPnet.com reports that despite remarkable strides made during the past several years, private-label sales are concentrated in the hands of a relatively small number of consumers. The top 50 private-label categories, representing 17% of CPG categories, account for 69% of store brand sales. As a point of comparison, the top 50 national brands represent less than half of total dollar sales. Even heavy private brand buyers allocate just 22% of their CPG budget to store brands.

CSPnet.com recommends that retailers begin to look at a multi-tiered perspective in order to fully take advantage of the private label products on their shelves. With customers continuously looking for value and affordability, retailers who embrace private labels may make increase revenue and profitability during the economic downturn.

Private-Label Growth in Every Channel

Paper Coupons are a Thing of the Past

This post on retailwire highlights how J.C. Penney is rolling out a mobile coupon campaign in Houston in which consumers are allowed to download discounts to their cell phones, and then it can be scanned by a special reader at checkout. Is this the direction that coupons are headed in?

Mike Boylson, CMO for J.C. Penney mentioned:

"We've always made it easy for our customers to save money. These mobile coupons are the ultimate in customer convenience, because there's no need to clip or carry around a printed coupon, and they can be instantly scanned from a cell phone. It's another way we're innovating to enhance the customer's shopping experience."

J.C. Penney will try to rollout this digital coupon campaign to over 1,100 stores nationwide wide if it is successful. A NY Times report also noted that digital coupon usage is up 25% in the first half of this year versus last year. We should definitely be on the lookout for more and more companies adopting this in the future.

New Content Added to Walmart Presentation at the Shopper Marketing Fusion Event!

Walmart has added a new section to their presentation entitled “The Walmart Smart Network: Smarter Shopping, Smarter Marketing." In addition to the original content, Walmart has added a new piece around “halos” which will be shared for the first time at this event.

• Shopper Marketing Fusion 2009: http://bit.ly/2Z8bHW
• Brochure: http://bit.ly/14ZMFc
• Speakers: http://bit.ly/3Lvp3m
• Registration: http://bit.ly/fKjKy

New Section: THE 3 HALOS OF IN-STORE MARKETING
James Beck, General Manager, Walmart Smart Network, Walmart Stores, Inc.

What is an in-store marketing halo? When marketing drives lift beyond the advertised item to other related items and beyond the campaign to subsequent weeks. It’s the inverse of cannibalization or forward buying.

On Friday, October 16, learn more about this outcome and see examples from the Walmart Smart Network that include brand halo and post-campaign halo.


Plus, James will share:
The Walmart Smart Network: Smarter Shopping, Smarter Marketing
The Walmart Smart Network was introduced a year ago to improve the shopper experience and to drive higher sales lift. Since then, it has delivered impressive results for Walmart’s partners. What has been achieved? What has been learned? What does the future hold? Learn how the Walmart Smart Network combines expertise in retail messaging, dynamic targeting in- store, and reliable insights to accelerate business results.

Key Takeaways:
· How partners on the Walmart Smart Network have achieved exceptional marketing results.
· Programs and programming that deliver what shoppers want and inspire them to buy.
· New approaches to optimization that drive higher sales lift.

---------------------------------------
James Beck, General Manager of the Walmart Smart Network, guides a team that is helping moms shop smarter and Walmart suppliers market smarter. Prior to the Walmart Smart Network, James led Walmart’s Home and Hardlines category marketing teams. Before joining Walmart, James served in executive marketing roles with Coca-Cola, Pillsbury and General Mills.

We hope to see you next month!

Cheers,
Shopper Marketing Fusion

Shopper Marketing Fusion 2009 Featured Company TracyLocke in the News

Shopper Marketing Fusion featured company, TracyLocke is in the news. The brand to retail marketing agency recently helped the iconic lock company Schlage kick off a national television campaign last week to support the LiNK remote home-management system, which enables homeowners to lock and unlock doors, monitor live camera feeds, and control temperature, lighting and other devices from a computer or Web-enabled mobile phone. Delivering more than 190 million impressions, the 30-second spots will run through mid-November on HGTV, DIY Network, Food Network, Travel Channel, TLC, The History Channel, MSNBC, A&E and NBC`s Today show.

Al Witteman of TracyLocke will be speaking at 10:30am on Friday, October 16 with John Dranow of Smartrevenue. Their presentation will discuss, "Solutions without Walls."

Because over 50% of purchase decisions are made in-store, there is a new paradigm. This new paradigm creates complexities that require understanding the purchase decision. Understanding the purchase decision requires the integration of consumer segments with shopper types and the retail environment. Purchase understanding drives a new model that is consumer-and shopper-centric and internally & externally collaborative. In this session, you will learn a new model that has been constructed by a best of class companies working collaboratively to provide Solutions without Walls.

To find out more about the presentations at this year's event, please download the brochure.

Amazon's Private Label Goods Continue

The Wall Street Journal reports that Amazon is quickly and quietly moving into the private label arena. Reporter Geoffrey A. Fowler says that the latest sign: The Seattle-based e-commerce giant, last month received a U.S. design patent for a wooden chopping block. Also, in June Amazon launched a new collection of private-label kitchen utensils, designed by Seattle Chef Tom Douglas and sold under his name.

Amazon won't disclose any other patent applications, but says it is always evaluating opportunities to patent the designs it develops for private-label products.

As Amazon expands from a book seller to a certifiable retailer, what other private label avenues do you think they have in the works?

Shopper Marketing Fusion 2009 Podcast Series: Jesse Spungin, VP, Shopper Marketing, ConAgra Foods

Recently we had the pleasure of speaking with Jesse Spungin, VP of Shopper Marketing at ConAgra Foods. We invite you to hear our discussion by listening to the podcast or you may read the transcript below.


Melissa Sundaram: Thanks for joining us today for the Shopper Marketing Fusion 2009 podcast series. I'm Melissa Sundaram, Online Producer for the event and I have the pleasure of speaking today with Jesse Spungin who serves as the Vice President of Shopper Marketing at ConAgra foods. Jesse will be speaking on Tuesday Oct 15 on The Anatomy of a Winning Shopper-Centric Strategy.

MS: Thanks for joining us today Jesse.

Jesse Spungin: Thanks for having me, Melissa

MS: Jesse, let me begin by asking you--why do you feel shopper marketing is getting so much attention?

JS: You know I really feel like shopper marketing is quite frankly reinventing a lot of other names in the past. Regional co-marketing, account specific marketing; but I think its getting a lot of attention both on the manufacturer side and the retail side, quite frankly. Because finally we've gotten to a place where we can both agree on which is the mutual shopper and it really all starts with the shopper. The account shopper as well as the shopper for the manufacturer that picks up their brands.

MS: What do you think needs to happen for it to progress?

JS: think a couple of things need to happen for all the great momentum that has built around shopper marketing to continue. I think strategic planning with each other, and when I say with each other I say both the manufacturer and the retailer, is critical--not just looking at the quarterly short term quarterly leads. But where is it going and how do we get there? I think the second thing that needs to happen in order for it to progress is on the manufacturer’s side, I think that more and more manufacturers need to build this capability inside. In order to do that it takes a decent amount of commitment not only from the human capital perspective, but also financial resources. And also a commitment to really getting at what are those insights, those deep shopper insights. Because without those, quite frankly, programming is just programming instead of stuff that can drive results for both the manufacturer and the retailer.

MS: As I mentioned earlier, you'll be speaking on the Anatomy of a Winning Shopper-Centric strategy, how do you think that information help move the industry ahead?

JS: I think its going to show clearly ConAgra Foods has the capabilities that we've built as an integrated customer marketing team. Not just a shopper marketing when you harness the power of shopper insights, category leadership, in-store marketing with shopper marketing. How you bring all four of those disciplines together and the power it can have on volume, growth and profit. That's what we hope to display, that's what I know we will display during that conference. And I think that will educate a lot of people on what does it take to do best in class in shopper marketing and achieve the kind of growth that both manufacturers and retailers want.

MS: Again, I'd like to thank Jesse Jesse Spungin and all of you for joining us today. We look forward to seeing you this October 14-16 for the 2009 Shopper Marketing Fusion conference at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point in Bonita Springs, FL.

JS: Thank you, Melissa

MS: Great, see you in October!

Join the most progressive BRANDS, RETAILERS and VISIONARIES for the first and only event to tackle the true integration of ALL marketing functions - category management, in-store marketing and shopper marketing - to create a seamless experience from start to finish beginning with the first emotional trigger to the final point of purchase and beyond.