In Media Res

The concept of in-store media seems to be heading in the right direction.

Anyone concerned that advancing the store as a legitimate advertising medium might turn the retail environment into a chaotic muddle of competing, conflicting and irrelevant marketing messages would have been comforted during a panel discussion at last month's In-Store Marketing Summit.

Evan Anthony of Kroger, Stephen Vowles of Stop & Shop and Jeff Weidauer of Supervalu concluded the two-day event by offering their candid views on the role of advertising media within their stores.

The defining moment in the discussion came early on, when moderator David Sommer of MEC Retail asked panel members for their definition of "in-store media." Their answers didn't include any specific marketing vehicles or interactive technologies, and they didn't mention the potential for advertising revenue, either.

Instead, what all three marketing executives expressed was the belief that shoppers will determine the media that will be most relevant to their in-store experience. (Weidauer suggested that the proper course might even be to employ technologies that consumers already have adopted, like cell phones, rather than requiring them to learn new ones.)

"The term 'captive audience' needs to be deleted from our vocabulary. There's no such thing," said Weidauer, addressing one of the potential dangers to the "store as media" scenario. "If you think a customer in our store is 'captive' because she can't turn off that TV, wave goodbye as she walks out and goes someplace else where they're not trying to force-feed her something."

"With checkstand television, you make them wait in line, and give them something to do to keep them happy," said Anthony. "[But] why do you make them wait in line? You're setting yourself up to fail."

"In terms of dealing with [third-party] media providers, I see a spectrum," said Vowles. "Those at one end say, 'Pile it high, sell it cheap, and we'll give you a large check at the end of the day.' ... The other end says, 'We'll give you a smaller check, but we're actually interested in working to build something that's going to enhance the customer experience and ... help you build your brand.' My desire is to work with people on this end."

These are just a few of the comments that made the session so positive and hopeful in tone, as the panelists offered a vision of media that will enhance -- not detract from -- their mission to entertain shoppers, inform purchase decisions and sell more product.

Peter Breen
Managing Director, Content
In-Store Marketing Institute

Members: More information here.

Trends: Retailers on In-Store Media

Supervalu has not one, but two TV networks operating in 1,000 stores. Kroger is in the testing phase for a TV network of its own. And Stop & Shop is experimenting with a "Shopping Buddy" cart device. In the transcript from a panel discussion at last month's In-Store Marketing Summit, marketing executives from the three chains express one common goal for the development of in-store media: improving the shopping experience.

Members: View the Panel Discussion.

Desktop Marketing Conference:
Working with Target

The chain most often praised as having the classiest mass experience still isn't content with its store environment. In a keynote presentation from the Summit, senior manager of in-store marketing David Plante outlines the chain's merchandising goals and explains how brand marketers can help better "surprise and delight" its guests. To illustrate the partnership potential, Johnson & Johnson retail marketing manager Mary Scheid joins Plante to present a case study on a skincare category makeover.

Members: Watch the presentation here.

Events: In-Store Marketing Summit Recap

Among the highlights of the annual conference were findings from a landmark shopper study by Coca-Cola's Claire Quinn; a glimpse of the often-overlooked segment of the population that actually likes to shop by the Integer Group's Meg Kinney; and an update on the P.R.I.S.M. in-store measurement project by Nielsen In-Store's George Wishart. Read overviews of these and seven other seminars from last month's event.

Members: View the articles here.

Research: Cross-Channel Shopping 2007 by Meyers Research Center

Channel blurring is a trade issue, not a consumer trend, according to Meyers Research Center's analysis of results from its periodic shopper study. In an online survey of 1,400 consumers, Meyers found that "shoppers are clear on the benefits and drawbacks" of various retail channels and, "depending on their trip mission, one or another format is preferable." The Institute presents exclusive highlights from the study.

Members: View the research 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.

• Advance Packaging Corp.
• Carl Buddig & Co.
• Central Graphics & Container Group
• Chute Gerdeman
• Coors Brewing
• Cormark
• Effective Natural Products
• Energizer
• GMR Marketing
• Greenhouse Partners
• GSP Marketing Technologies
• IMS (Integrated Merchandising Systems)
• Iowa Rotocast Plastics Inc.
• Jabra
• Marketing Drive Worldwide
• Marketing Lab
• MARS Advertising
• Miller Zell Inc.
• mktgpartners
• North American Corp.
• OgilvyAction
• Pareto Corp.
• Process Displays
• PromoShop Inc.
• Rapid Displays
• Redpeg Marketing
• The Solution Partnership
• TLP - TracyLocke Partnership
• Total Image
• U.S. Display Group
• Uniprint
• Upshot
• Zip Cast