BrainTrust Query: How do we break the retailer/manufacturer impasse on effective In-Store Marketing?

By Ben Ball, Vice President, Dechert-Hampe

The importance of reaching consumers at the point of sale has grown dramatically in today's era of fragmented media messages, disappearing channel differentiation and seemingly endless consumer choice. With consumers able to buy bread in Walgreen's just as readily as in Wegmans, grabbing the consumer's attention whenever and wherever they shop is critical.

The industry is addressing this emerging issue in numerous forums, one of them being this week's "Shopper Insights in Action" conference in Chicago, where the focus will be on how to generate and implement better shopper learning. Most parties seem to agree that improved in-store execution and generating more actionable consumer insights are critical for success.

But a recent survey probing the state of In-Store Marketing for the industry reveals that major barriers to successful implementation remain. This nationwide survey of retailers, manufacturers and third party service providers, conducted by Dechert-Hampe & Co., found significant disagreements between retailers and manufacturers as to what is holding the industry back in this area.

Specifically, manufacturers feel that retailers' tight control of the in-store environment is limiting and that sparse data for measurement of effectiveness impedes their ability to build enthusiasm for these efforts internally. Retailers say manufacturers don't have many new insights into how to turn consumers on - particularly in THEIR stores - and have few innovative ideas as a result.

Discussion Question: What needs to be done to break the seeming industry impasse on more effective In-Store Marketing? Does the answer lie in more data?

To learn about and participate in the 2006 In-Store Leadership Survey, conducted by Dechert-Hampe & Co. and Grocery Headquarters magazine, go to www.instoreleadership.com