Consumer Brands Ramp Up Shopper Marketing

Shopper marketing is an increasingly critical element in the marketing plans of consumer products such as foods and household cleaners. And that's why so many brands are ponying up for point-of-purchase displays, signs, and other marketing in the aisles and at the checkout--not just in stores but for e-commerce as well.

Above, an example of Unilever's summer promotion with IGA in Canada. Quebec-based celebrity chef Mélanie Marchand offers cooking tips for seasonal recipes featuring Unilever food brands Hellman's, Becel, and Knorr.

The marketing agency Bob cooked up the promotion, explaining that Unilever is targeting mothers between the ages of 35 and 55, with children living at home: "With a busy schedule, she prefers to cook simple, easy-to-prepare dinners… but she enjoys putting her own twist on everyday meals." Notice that the market is being segmented according to behavior, lifestyle, and attitude, not just demographics.

Yet shopper marketing must also be updated for the digital age. With so many consumers shopping online or by smartphone, Mondelez International is seeking out new ideas from entrepreneurial firms who can help raise brand visibility and encourage purchasing. "The biggest battle we are fighting right now is one for attention," says a Mondelez exec.

The chosen startups will work with Mondelez and its retail partners to get programs up and running within 90 days--the speed of digital marketing being a key priority. Some of the brands to be highlighted in this shopper-marketing effort are Trident, Dentyne, Oreo, Halls, Ritz, and Cadbury.

As the Mondelez exec points out: "The majority of our sales are impulse-driven, so we really need to understand how to fit the right time with the right message. Mobile is one of the only mediums that follows people from the couch to the shelf, so to speak."