Advisory Council Charts Course for 2007
Group Tours New Publix Supermarket in AtlantaThe In-Store Marketing Institute's Executive Advisory Council gathered June 21-22 at Coca-Cola's headquarters in Atlanta to evaluate current and future Institute initiatives, hear presentations from peers, and tour a local Publix supermarket. The Council is composed of in-store marketing executives who donate their time and talents to help guide the Institute in planning upcoming events and programming.
The meeting kicked off with a tour of the newest Publix supermarket, which opened in May in downtown Atlanta. District Manager Ed Davis discussed the particular challenges in opening a store in a downtown location and tailoring in-store marketing programs to the local audience.
The meeting continued at Coca-Cola headquarters, where John Larkin, president of Centiv Services, gave a presentation on how the convergence of digital print technology and the Internet has opened the possibility for truly localized campaigns. The technologies enable the creation of on-demand marketing programs that can be customized for specific local markets while still being managed from a central office.
Following Larkin's presentation, Patrick Sbarra, partner, New Creature, gave a presentation on Wal-Mart's environmental sustainability initiative. Sbarra discussed the impact of the effort on the global ecosystem, Wal-Mart's distribution network and the chain's suppliers. Tyler Elm, Wal-Mart's senior director of corporate strategy and business sustainability, will offer more insights on the topic during a presentation slated for Dec. 6 at TREX, the Total Retail Experience, in New York.
A discussion of new Institute initiatives centered on the development of an online buyers guide and the potential for adding a new Institute conference. Both ideas were met with enthusiasm, and the Council offered some important suggestions.
The meeting concluded with a discussion of the In-Store Marketing Summit. The 2006 Summit was the first presented by the Council, which was integral in determining topics, tracks and speakers. Several Council members will form a small committee to offer suggestions as next year's Summit programming is developed.
The next Executive Advisory Council meeting will be held Dec. 5 at L'Oreal's headquarters in New York City, just one day before TREX: The Total Retail Experience kicks off at the Javits Center. Laurie Houlihan, vp of promotional purchasing, will host the meeting.
Published: July 2006
Source: In-Store Marketing Institute
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