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Shopper Tech Update                  October 9, 2012 - Volume 3, Issue 15

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In This Issue
DIGITAL SOLUTIONS: Better Ways to Fund Interactive Digital Media
eCOMMERCE: Why Mobile Commerce Boosts In-Store Sales
STI NEWS: Four CPGs, Four Retailers Receive LEADER Awards for Marketing Excellence
MARKET WATCH

 

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Digital Solutions

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Better Ways to Fund

Interactive Digital Media

 

Interactive media has the potential to fulfill the vision of efficient, low cost, one-to-one marketing by engaging brands with consumers in relevant context across both time and place. The Internet, smartphones, and interactive in-store displays are quickly closing the connectivity gap, providing manufacturers, retailers, and entrepreneurs direct access to an engaged consumer, ready to buy.

 

Historically, brands invest in mass media to build brand equity among anonymous consumers. Trade promotions, in contrast, incentivize a shopper to switch brand, make a timely purchase, or purchase a larger quantity, often through retailer-specific programs. Over the past few years, shopper marketing emerged to deliver brand marketing in the retail space; that is, brand building in the aisle to convert a consumer into a shopper. Shopper marketing ideally opened a new pathway for brand dollars to get closer to retail and influence a shopper in the aisle.

 

Interactive media appears to be the perfect channel for delivering on shopper marketing dollars...

 

read entire story

 

 

eCommerce

Tablet In Use      

Why Mobile Commerce Boosts In-Store Sales

 

In a world of augmented shopping via mobile devices, retailers and manufacturers are pondering whether we will see a shift away from traditional eCommerce. The evidence shows that mobile commerce is arming consumers with a personal shopping assistant and offering new forms of customer rewards, while also providing retailers and manufacturers with valuable digital advertising. As a result, mobile commerce is taking a growing share of online transactions and, more profoundly, enhancing brick-and-mortar retail by compelling consumers to return to stores and interact with them in new ways...

read entire story 

 

 

JUST PUBLISHED

The Essentials of Shopper Technology

 

Shopper Technology Institute Publishes Its First Book,

The Essentials of Shopper Technology

 

Shopper Technology consists of tactics and applications that engage and motivate shoppers, analyze their behavior, and enable trading partners to improve their operations. Retailers and consumer packaged goods (CPG) manufacturers are embracing these new solutions as technology becomes a true agent of change. The providers of these solutions have invested mightily in the future of this industry. Their sophisticated offerings are built on a foundation of thought leadership.

 

This book is all about sharing that information and insight. There are chapters that outline challenges facing merchants and marketers. Some chapters present the essentials of Shopper Technology, while others offer a deeper dive into these solutions and their implications. Because of Big Data, digital innovations, and an evolving path to purchase, the job of merchants and marketers often seems daunting. So consider this book as a way to cut through the clutter as technology roars on, competition heats up, and shoppers become more demanding. Coming to grips with technological change may be challenging, but it is the key to success.

 

Click here to read sample chapters and reviews, and view ordering information for the hardcover, paperback, and Kindle editions.

 

 

STI News

 

LEADER AwardsFour CPGs, Four Retailers Receive

LEADER Awards for Marketing Excellence

        

Coca-Cola, Unilever, Chiquita Brands, and Dr Pepper Snapple Group received marketing awards at the fourth annual LEAD Marketing Conference held Oct. 1-3 in Chicago. The LEADER awards, sponsored by IBM, acknowledge outstanding achievement in Loyalty, Engagement, Analytics and Digital solutions. Also receiving awards were four retailers: GameStop, Lowe's, United Supermarkets and Kum & Go.    

 

Coca-Cola was recognized for the sustained excellence of MyCoke Rewards, a customer loyalty marketing program for Coca-Cola soft drinks. On a website, customers enter codes found on specially marked packages of Coca-Cola products. These codes are converted into virtual "points" which can in turn be redeemed by consumers for various prizes or sweepstakes entries.

 

Unilever received the award for two intertwined initiatives for the Hispanic-American community - one focusing on store-based marketing  (Disfruta la Pasion de la Vida, or Enjoy Life's Passion), and the other emphasizing online communications (Vivemejor or Better Living).  

Chiquita Brands' award was for a mobile sweepstakes campaign and application called FanFun that drove foot traffic to retail partners, raised awareness of a new partnership with Little League Baseball, and provided users with a fun, engaging mobile experience that kept users engaged and informed.
 
Dr Pepper Snapple Group was recognized for deploying advanced software to generate store-specific shelf sets for its high-velocity products and reducing planogram production time from 600 hours to only 40 hours.

 

United Supermarkets operates 51 grocery stores in Texas under three banners: Market Street, Amigos and United Supermarkets. Over the last year, the chain has launched a new customized website for each of these three banners, launched an iPhone app for shoppers in all three banners, and enhanced the year-old Smart Rewards loyalty program in its Market Street banner.

 

GameStop Corp., the world's largest multichannel video game retailer, operates the PowerUp Rewards loyalty program which debuted two years ago. The program appeals to gamers and parents, and offers points, discounts, merchandise and sweepstakes available exclusively at GameStop. Members of the program average three times the spend of non-members, enabling GameStop to reward the most engaged customers.

 

In terms of engaging shoppers, it's been a busy year for Lowe's, the home improvement retailer. It introduced an online tool called "myLowes" that enables consumers to access information and advice about their home improvement preferences via the internet, customized to fit their needs. "myLowes" also makes the shopping experience more user friendly, allowing customers to consult with store employees online as they plan out home improvement projects. The retailer also distributed 42,000 iPhones to employees for in-store use as means of searching products and ringing up sales.

 

Kum & Go operates over 400 convenience stores in 40 states. With increased competition in the marketplace, Kum & Go was looking for capabilities to generate new insights and make informed, data-driven decisions on product mix and placement with the overall goal of increasing revenues. The company has taken the right steps for successfully achieving that goal by deploying an advanced analytics solution to gain better intelligence and a deep understanding of customer behaviors, preferences and desires. 

 

"All of these companies have distinguished themselves by successfully leveraging technology to connect with their customers and enhance the shopping experience," said John Karolefski, executive director of the Shopper Technology Institute (STI). He administers the awards program for IBM, the sponsor. 

 

 

 

Market Watch

    

New IBM Software to Transform Digital Experience

 

Vision Critical Calls for Effective Mobile Strategy

 

Inmar Names John Ross as EVP & President

 

Pushpins Introduces SimpleUPC for Mobile App Developers

 

Consumers Misled by Viral E-Mail About Barcodes 

Retailers Will Embrace Big Data: Report

 

Publix Tests Digital Coupons

 

 

Shopper Technology Institute Sponsoring Members 

 

PREMIUM MEMBERS

HRCP

Henry Rak Consulting Partners

 

IBM

IBM

Precima

Precima

  

 

 

 

EXECUTIVE MEMBERS

PILM

Partners in Loyalty Marketing

 
Inmar

Inmar

VideoMining

 

Video Mining

Start Sampling

 

Vision Critical
Vision Critical

 

 

 

 

 

BASIC CORPORATE MEMBERS                                               ALLIANCE PARTNERS

 

AMG Strategic Advisors

Coupon Factory              Incentive Targeting                          Center for Advancing Retail Dassault Systemes          Launch Creative Marketing                 & Technology (CART)DemandTec                    Relational Solutions                         CPGmatters

Gladson                          Retail Tactics                                    GS1 US

Newhook Marketing       Spire                                                 Primary Communications

MultiAd                           ShopToCook