• Director's Note:
  Checking in on Wal-Mart
   
• Desktop Marketing Conference:
  "Their Box, Your Brand" by BuenoCurtis Relational Marketing
   
• Research:
  A Profile of Dollar Store Shoppers by Meyers Research Center
   
• Tactical Insights:
  "Putting the Pieces Together at the Point-of-Purchase" by Perception Research Services
   
• Case Studies:
  Consumer Promotion as a Route to Retail
   

Yes, the world's largest retailer places pretty rigid restrictions on vendor displays and signage. But within the confines of its rules, Wal-Mart leaves ample room for branding if marketers can learn to "paint on the retailer's existing canvas." That's according to Curtis, who until a few months ago developed consumer communications for Wal-Mart as vice president of creative and media. (He's now a principal at consulting shop BuenoCurtis Relational Marketing.)

As a featured speaker at the latest In-Store Marketing Summit, held last week at Hamburger University on McDonald's Corp.'s Oak Brook, IL, campus, Curtis informed and entertained while providing a "virtual store check" of Wal-Mart. Using displays and packaging examples found during recent visits, he suggested a number of ways marketers can enhance their brand presence by maximizing the real estate of shippers, cut cases and PDQ trays.

At one point, he critiqued a brand marketer's attempt to ingratiate itself by including the Wal-Mart logo and tagline within side-panel copy. Curtis wondered, "Don't the customers already know they're at Wal-Mart?" He also noted that the marketer used the wrong typeface and inverted the word order for the Wal-Mart messaging, thereby illustrating his point about "doing your homework" before developing retailer-specific programs.

Curtis' tips were fueled not only by his own ideas, but by the opinion of executives still driving the chain's strategy. Here's some advice he attributed to the always candid Bob Connelly, Wal-Mart's top marketing executive: "Start by taking care of the side counter. [Vendors] want all this extra space and promotional consideration; meanwhile, there's no product in the store."

The key to success when working with Wal-Mart or any retailer is responding to its needs, Curtis professes. ("Promote the right stuff at the right time," he suggests.) In large part, that means responding to the needs of shoppers. (He had some thoughts on that topic, too.)

Randy Curtis' full presentation is now available in the Lecture Hall. Incidentally, Bob Connolly will be delivering a keynote address at The P-O-P Show/Chicago on Sept. 22.

As always, we encourage your feedback and welcome your support.

Peter Breen
Managing Director, Content
In-store Marketing Institute

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One key to in-store merchandising success is developing simple programs that store managers have the resources to execute. That's why buying into scheduled programs can be a better tactic than selling in your own plan, says Randy Curtis. Having recently emerged "from inside the belly of the beast" that is Wal-Mart, Curtis offers advice on developing displays that can make an impact within the walls of the world's largest retailer.

Members: View the presentation here. »

Dollar store shoppers are more likely to make impulse purchases than shoppers in any food channel other than convenience stores. That finding is part of the latest report from Meyers Research Center, which this month updates the Institute's channel intelligence with additional information from its "2003 Dollar Store Close-Up Study."

Members: View the research here. »

Shoppers typically spend no more than 15 seconds reviewing a product category, which means that most purchase decisions are more emotional than rational. In light of those facts, marketers should understand the "visual language" of their categories and use imagery to connect with shoppers immediately and intuitively. Perception Research Services president Scott Young discusses the effective use of consumer research in developing a strong in-store presence.

Members: View the article here. »

National consumer promotions are often conducted primarily to raise awareness for a brand. Marketing awards typically are won by the campaigns that generate the most "buzz." But an examination of the campaigns that earned recognition through the Promotion Marketing Association's 2004 Reggie Awards finds sales-driving retail components in nearly all of them. With permission from the PMA, New York City, and assistance from the winning companies, the Institute presents 23 Reggie Award case studies.

Members: View the articles here. »

Plus, more than 50 new articles covering brand activity at retail.

Research Library
Read about consumer and retailer attitudes toward in-store sampling from surveys conducted by retail event specialist Mass Connections.

Plus, "A Profile of Dollar Store Shoppers" from Meyers Research Center.

Case Studies
Learn the details behind recent programs from Schwinn, Armstrong, Bayer, Absolut and Wizards of the Coast.

Plus, ongoing coverage of in-store media and RFID news and the latest edition of "Ricci at Retail."

Image Vault
See how Shrek 2 enhanced the retail presence of Pepsi, M&Ms, General Mills and other leading brands through a gallery of more than 50 images of displays, signs and ads.

Plus, view more than 80 photos and ad materials from the Reggie Award case studies and more than 200 new images overall.

Legal Corner
Review the court documents filed by Miller Brewing and Anheuser-Busch in their recent light beer-fueled advertising feud -- which included ambush marketing tactics inside stores.

Plus, read the proposed federal bill that would severely restrict in-store advertising for tobacco products.

Lecture Hall
In "Reality Design for Packaging," Kevin Williams of Inwork Inc. explains how to use the production elements you can control to overcome what you can't -- the store environment -- and develop a better presence in supermarkets.

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