Clicking Through 2006

Observation has always been a great way to learn. The Internet just makes it easier to do so.

We added more than 1,000 articles and 4,000 images to the Institute library in 2006, and we track the page views that each of them receives. We don't expect everything posted to have widespread appeal. In fact, much of our content is intended to address the needs of relatively few members. (Hi to Scott, Jessica, Anne, Claude and the other loyal readers of our weekly FSI Report, for instance.)

But there are more than a few articles that capture the attention of numerous members. And by examining the content of those, you can get a pretty good read on what's happening in the industry, the companies, technologies and trends that are most important to in-store marketing professionals.

Below, we list the most viewed articles of 2006, with a thought or two on the reasons why members were clicking so often.

The Store as Media
A marketplace hungry for credible industry standards was more than receptive last September to the In-Store Metrics Consortium's unveiling of a formula to measure in-store consumer reach. The Pioneering Research for an In-Store Metric (P.R.I.S.M.) project could ultimately become a watershed moment in marketing history by proving to everyone else what in-store marketers have known all along: that the store is a great place to influence brand perceptions and purchase behavior.

Retailers Become the Quarterbacks
In January, Safeway leveraged the upcoming Super Bowl by staging a massive promotion featuring thousands of instant-win prizes and an on-air drawing for $100,000. The campaign was a strong example of the way retailers have taken control of the in-store environment, as the chain's own P-O-P materials overshadowed those supplied by the brand marketers -- PepsiCo, Anheuser-Busch and Kraft Foods, to name a few -- who annually devote vast resources to marketing around the game.

Product Launches Get Attention
In January, Gillette undertook its most extensive launch ever by deploying 180,000 metallic-orange displays to promote the Fusion razor. In November, Sony and Nintendo of America created a retail frenzy by rolling out the PlayStation 3 and Wii game systems just two days apart. The support provided by retailers for these products proved that you could still make a major impact in stores with a buzz-worthy product (and a very big marketing budget).

Whatever Wal-Mart Does
Google can keep "Paris Hilton." The Institute's most popular search term is, not surprisingly, the name of the world's largest retailer. In a year that saw the chain dramatically alter its traditional marketing and merchandising strategies, articles on both broad initiatives ("Wal-Mart Wants to Leverage Supplier Resources In-Store") and specific campaigns ("Wal-Mart Ventures Over the Hedge") were extremely popular. (And, no, we didn't write a single word about "Unruly Julie.")

In-Store TV is Hot
Target launched "Channel Red" in its entertainment departments, Kroger discussed its "Perfect Media" plans for integrated TV-radio networks, and Meijer went live with a chain-wide network. As usual, however, Wal-Mart best exemplified the issues surrounding in-store media: After hearing Wal-Mart TV knocked for reported ineffectiveness much of the year, the chain announced in October that it would overhaul the network by placing monitors in aisles and on endcaps -- right near the products being advertised.

Click here for five more 2006 highlights...

Trends: "Finding the Answers to Sustainable Packaging" by James Peters

Wal-Mart has officially ushered in the age of environmental sustainability. But what exactly does that mean for brand marketers, along with packaging and P-O-P manufacturers? Institute of Packaging Professionals education director James Peters analyzes Wal-Mart's Sustainability Scorecard to offer tips on how product marketers can start making the grade.

Members: View the article here.

Shopper Mindset: Sporting Goods Purchase Influences by Planet Insights

What's the first store you visit to buy sporting goods or exercise equipment? If you're like most U.S. consumers, you don't have a preference for where to go. That means the category is "up for grabs," according to the latest exclusive shopper research study from Planet Insights.

Members: View the research here.

Retailer Profile: The Whole Foods Phenomenon

P-O-P materials detail a product's origin and the agricultural techniques used to grow it. Endcap headers are drawn by local artists and often change daily. And you never find a Coca-Cola spectacular in the lobby (although Odwalla displays are pretty common). Read a new profile of Whole Foods Market, the alternative grocery chain that Supermarket News proclaims "set the standard for food retailing in 2006." Our coverage includes more than 50 accompanying photos.

Members: View the profile here.

Desktop Conference: "Mining the Culture to Build Brands" by William O'Connor, Source/Inc.

William O'Connor believes that "the values that permeate the culture are the things that drive consumers to brands, because the brands best express those values." In a presentation from last December's Total Retail Experience, Source/Inc.'s founder explores ways for marketers to evaluate the "meaning" of their brands to see if they are truly relevant to the target audience.

Members: View the presentation here.

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.

• Adams Magnetic Products
• AGI Schutz
• American Textile Company
• Bacou-Dalloz
• BroadSign International Inc.
• Callaway Golf
• Centra Marketing & Communication
• DESA Specialty Products
• DuPont
• Eastman Kodak Co.
• Filtrona Extrusion Inc.
• Fogarty Klein Monroe (FKM)
• Footprint Retail Services
• GE Industrial
• General Mills
• Great Lakes Packaging Corp.
• Hitchcock Fleming & Associates
• Innovative Marketing Solutions
• Instachange Displays Limited
• In-Store Opportunities Inc.
• Ivie & Associates
• Liquid Agency Inc.
• MacNeill Engineering Worldwide
• Mass Connections
• Microsoft
• Milliken & Company
• Momentum Worldwide
• Nestle-Purina
• Parham Santana
• Prism Retail Services
• Runcit Media
• SMC Packaging
• Sonoco CorrFlex
• Sunstar Americas Inc.
• The Strive Group
• THQ
• Webb Scarlett De Vlam