Pink-Colored Glasses

Visit any store this week and you'll probably find at least one endcap devoted to products with pink packaging, accompanied by a brand or retailer pledge to donate money for breast cancer research. You'll probably find a couple of pink shippers, too.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and in the past few years that designation has given marketing professionals a new event on which to focus their seasonal efforts. Even candy makers, who already have a key holiday on their promotional calendar this month, are devoting at least some attention to the cause.

All this "pink" activity is a nice example of "shopper marketing," a still-evolving term that just received a new definition, courtesy of Deloitte Consulting: "Any marketing stimuli, developed based on a deep understanding of shopper behavior, designed to build brand equity, engage the shopper and lead him/her to make a purchase."

The only part of that definition which might not fit the example is the phrase, "deep understanding," because the impetus for all this pink marketing seems kind of obvious: Women do most of the shopping, and they are extremely concerned about their health. That's certainly oversimplifying the strategy behind the activity, but it also illustrates that shopper marketing doesn't always have to be "deep" to be effective.

In-store marketing has always been rooted in a simple premise, too: Make your product stand out at retail and more shoppers are likely to buy it. The practice is evolving now, achieving new levels of importance and sophistication. That's why Deloitte includes the objectives of brand-equity building and shopper engagement in its definition (which, by the way, comes from Shopper Marketing: Capturing Shopper's Mind, Heart and Wallet, a report produced in collaboration with the Grocery Manufacturers Association).

Helping marketers achieve those objectives is the goal of P.R.I.S.M., an initiative that is preparing to launch at a critical juncture in the history of consumer product marketing. Data from the P.R.I.S.M. project will provide the foundation necessary to verify the impact in-store activity has on both brand building and shopper engagement. (See the Highlights below for info on our recent P.R.I.S.M. coverage.)

P.R.I.S.M. also will validate the impact in-store marketing has on product sales. This, too, comes at a crucial moment when, according to a new report from Information Resources Inc., the number of secondary displays deployed by supermarket chains is declining -- a byproduct of these retailers' effort to build their brands and engage their shoppers. (See more about IRI's report below.)

The key to future in-store success is stronger, more intelligent partnerships between manufacturers and retailers, according to both the Deloitte and IRI reports. Data from P.R.I.S.M will help drive that collaboration.

Proof that the industry is well on its way can be found in those pink displays. As simple as their premise may be, they are collaborative attempts to engage shoppers by addressing a relevant issue, and to build brands by establishing an emotional connection with consumers.

It looks like they're pretty good at driving sales, too.

Peter Breen
Managing Director, Content
In-Store Marketing Institute

Members: More information here.

Events: P.R.I.S.M. Project Approaching Lift-Off

Top executives from Wal-Mart, Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola and Starcom Mediavest Group convened at last month's In-Store Marketing Expo to help the Institute and The Nielsen Company update the industry on the Pioneering Research for an In-Store Metric project. Nielsen's David Calhoun outlined the progress his company has made in guiding P.R.I.S.M. toward a syndicated system of in-store audience measurement. He also provided initial insights from the data being collected. Our coverage includes a video replay of the event.

View the article. | Watch the video.

Research: "CPG Merchandising Trends 2007: New Strategies for a New Retail Environment" by Information Resources Inc.

The practice of in-store marketing is "in limbo," with per-store display levels and average sales lifts on the decline at a time when effective retail programs have become more critical than ever. The Institute presents an analysis of IRI's report, which examines the impact that recent retail merchandising trends have had on brand-focused marketing.

Members: View the research.

Store Checks: Breast Cancer Awareness Merchandising

Having exploded in 2006, marketing activity leveraging October's designation as Breast Cancer Awareness Month became even stronger this year, with dozens of product manufacturers creating themed packaging and all major retailers devoting prominent display space and marketing support. The Institute's coverage includes overviews of more than 40 campaigns and 75-plus related images.

Members: View the report.

Desktop Marketing Conference: "The Psychological Drivers of the Female Shopper" by Dr. Christopher Gray, Saatchi & Saatchi X

Many retail experiences fail to capitalize on the emotional connection women have with specific products and product categories, according to Gray, Saatchi & Saatchi X's director of shopper psychology. In this audio-enabled presentation from last month's In-Store Marketing Expo, Gray uses findings from the agency's proprietary research to outline the eight fundamental drivers of shopping behavior among women.

Members: View the lecture.

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.

• ActMedia
• AnthemBenchmark
• ARSGroup
• Barkley
• Blattner Brunner
• Blue Chip Marketing and Communications
• Circle One Marketing
• Coty Beauty US
• Daymon Worldwide
• Display Boys
• Display Dynamics
• Draftfcb
• Drake Display
• DW+Partners
• Eastman Chemical Co.
• Englander Container Company
• Fame, A Retail Brand Agency
• Florida Lottery
• Harry & Co.
• Harvey & Daughters, Inc.
• Impact Fulfillment Services
• In-Store Media - Spain
• Johnson & Johnson Sales and Logistics Company LLC
• Kao Brands
• L'Oreal
• MasterTag
• Maybelline Garnier
• Moen Inc.
• MSA Safety Works
• NBA Entertainment
• New York University
• Noble & Associates
• Pierce Promotions & Event Management
• Skechers USA
• Smith Brothers Advertising
• Solutions Group
• Sony Ericcson Mobile Communications
• The Dannon Company
• The Seattle Times Company
• T-Mobile USA
• TPN
• TransWorld Marketing
• Tropical Battery
• VideoMining Corporation
• Wenzl & Co.
• YoYo USA Inc.
• Zoom Advertising