P2PI-07/08-22

JULY/AUG 2022 P2PI.com

10 TRENDS TO TRACK

What’s shaping the future of consumer engagement

SPECIAL REPORT

The State of Retail Media (in collaboration with Criteo)

REGGIE AWARDS

Highlights from the 2022 winners

Social Commerce PLAYBOOK

HOW BRANDS ARE NAVIGATING THE NEXT FRONTIER OF SHOPPING IN THE DIGITAL REALM

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Contents

July/Aug 2022 VO LU M E 3 5 | I S S U E 4 FEATURES

22

Special Report: The State of Retail Media Exclusive research examines the challenges and opportunities of retail media’s complex ecosystem.

(In collaboration with Criteo.)

34

REGGIE Awards Highlighting the standout shopperfocused programs that were honored in the ANA’s annual awards competition.

18

COVER STORY

Social Commerce Playbook Five tips for brand marketers as they build their strategies and try to maximize their return in the social commerce space.

42

10 Trends Shaping the Future Your roadmap to the future of retail and trends impacting consumer engagement.

Path to Purchase Institute magazine (USPS 4568, ISSN 2688-4984) is published bi-monthly by EnsembleIQ, 8550 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Ste. 200, Chicago, IL 60631. Subscription rate for the U.S.: $80 one year; $155 two year; $14 single issue copy (pre-paid only); Canada and Mexico: $105 one year; $185 two year; $16 single issue copy (pre-paid only); Foreign: $115 one year; $215 two year; $16 single issue copy (pre-paid only); $56. Periodical postage paid at Chicago, IL 60631 Copyright 2022 by EnsembleIQ. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Reprints, permissions and licensing, please contact Wright’s Media at ensembleiq@wrightsmedia.com or (877) 652-5295. POSTMASTER: send address changes to Path to Purchase Institute magazine, 8550 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. Ste. 200, Chicago, IL 60631.

P2PI.com

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Contents DEPARTMENTS

5

14

Editor’s Note A Fresh New Look

14 16

6

Member Perspective

7

Member Spotlight

8

P2PI LIVE Preview

10

The New Consumer A look at Gen Z’s Loyalty patterns, back-to-school shopping behavior and more.

12

Laundry care brand leverages ad targeting and influencers to ramp up launch at retail.

16

In-Store Experience 7-Eleven reimagines the brick-and-mortar experience at its Evolution Store.

48

Activation Gallery Pride Month

51

Solutions & Innovations E-Commerce and Beyond

Category Closeup Diving into all things beauty with L’Oreal Paris Cosmetics.

Brand Watch: Hex Performance

54

Insider Intel E.l.f. and Dunkin’ partner online and then at Ulta Beauty.

54 51 48 Editorial Advisory Board Keith Albright Post Consumer Brands

Lianna Cabrera Tonner L’Oreal Paris Cosmetics

Gregg Dorazio Giant Food (Ahold Delhaize)

Tony Fung Bob Evans Farms

Brendon Lynch Jushi Holdings

Dana Barba Coca-Cola North America

Mia Croft Native

Patrick Hallberg Apple

José Raul Padron The Hershey Experience

Stephen Bettencourt Peapod Digital Labs

Christiana DiMattesa Under Armour

Paige Dunn FIJI Water, JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery, Landmark Vineyards & JNSQ Wines

Travis Harry Home Depot

Rodney Waights Beiersdorf

Jessica Fair The J.M. Smucker Company

Follow Path to Purchase Institute here: 4 l July/Aug 2022

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Editor’s Note Vice President, Brand Director Eric Savitch, esavitch@ensembleiq.com

A Fresh New Look The commerce marketing industry is undergoing massive transformation — not just in the ways that shoppers engage with brands across an increasingly complex ecosystem, but also in how the role of the omnichannel marketer continues to shift.

To keep pace with that change, we too at the Path to Purchase Institute are continuing to evolve, right there alongside you, with aim to better serve the needs of our industry.

So far this year, we’ve already introduced several new departments to this magazine (think The New Consumer, In-Store Experience and Brand Watch, to name a few) in order to paint a more complete picture of the shopper journey and its myriad touchpoints. In addition to those new departments, we’ve also taken a deep dive into our exclusive research — both B2B and consumer — to offer our audience the latest insights and analysis on the topics that are top of mind for marketers (check out our latest data on the “State of Retail Media” starting on page 22 and be on the lookout for the September/October issue for our findings on consumer Ushering in a new era for the engagement with retail media). Path to Purchase Institute, we And speaking of hot topics, be introduce a revamped logo, sure to flip to page 18 for our design and name — welcome Social Commerce Playbook, and don’t miss the feature on the to P2PI Magazine.

10 trends shaping the future of consumer engagement on page 42.

With this July/August issue, we are proudly introducing the full “refresh” of our brand — complete with an updated logo and a new name for the magazine that brings our offerings together all under one powerful umbrella: the Path to Purchase Institute. This magazine — now called P2PI Magazine — is just one of the many ways the Path to Purchase Institute will continue to serve the rapidly evolving world of commerce marketing. In addition to tracking the latest news, trends and insights, our commitment to the industry is anchored in offering a robust member community that gathers the top thought leaders in the field for education, inspiration and connection.

As part of our brand’s revamped look and feel for both the logo and magazine, we’re also launching a brand-new website experience to usher in this new era for the Path to Purchase Institute. Debuting in mid-July, our two websites (P2PI.org and PathtoPurchaseIQ.com) converge into one powerhouse site — P2PI.com — that will be much easier to read and navigate. In addition to delivering a smoother performance and a premium mobile experience for all our readers, Path to Purchase Institute members also will be able to easily access the full depth of member perks and bonus content all on the same site, with a simple click of the login button.

Whether you’ve been reading this magazine for years or this is the first issue you’ve seen — welcome. We’re excited to partake in the journey with you, transforming together in this new era of commerce.

Editorial Director Jessie Dowd, jdowd@ensembleiq.com Executive Editor Tim Binder, tbinder@ensembleiq.com Managing Editor Charlie Menchaca, cmenchaca@ensembleiq.com Digital Editor Jacqueline Barba, jbarba@ensembleiq.com Director/Member Content Patrycja Malinowska, pmalinowska@ensembleiq.com Managing Editor/Member Content Cyndi Loza, cloza@ensembleiq.com Editor/Member Content Beth Christenson, echristenson@ensembleiq.com Events Content Director Lori Pugh Marcum, lpughmarcum@ensembleiq.com Director – Production Ed Ward, eward@ensembleiq.com Creative Director Colette Magliaro, cmagliaro@ensembleiq.com Art Director Michael Escobedo, mescobedo@ensembleiq.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Michael Applebaum, Ed Finkel, Erika Flynn, Chris Gelbach, Jenny Rebholz, Bill Schober

SALES & P2PI MEMBER DEVELOPMENT Associate Director, Brand Partnerships Arlene Schusteff, 773.992.4414, aschusteff@ensembleiq.com Regional Sales Manager Orlando Llerandi, 678.591.8284, ollerandi@ensembleiq.com Membership and Media Account Executive Patrece Remmel, premmel@ensembleiq.com Director of Member Development Nicole Mitchell, 203.434.5733, nmitchell@ensembleiq.com Member Experience Manager Ann Estey, aestey@ensembleiq.com Member Experience Manager Heather Kurtik, 724.553.0093, hkurtik@ensembleiq.com

AUDIENCE List Rental MeritDirect Marie Briganti, 914.309.3378 SUBSCRIBER SERVICES/CUSTOMER CARE TOLL-FREE: 1.877.687.7321 FAX: 1.888.520.3608 Between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST weekdays contact@pathtopurchaseiq.com

ENSEMBLEIQ LEADERSHIP TEAM Chief Executive Officer Jennifer Litterick Chief Financial Officer Jane Volland Chief Human Resources Officer Ann Jadown Executive Vice President, Operations Derek Estey Executive Vice President, Content & Communications Joe Territo

EDITORIAL AND EXECUTIVE OFFICES

JESSIE DOWD, Editorial Director

8550 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Suite 200 Chicago, IL 60631 Phone: 773.992.4450 | Fax: 773.992.4455

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Member Perspective

Thinking Outside the Box PRODUCE BRANDS GET CREATIVE TO RETHINK SHOPPER ENGAGEMENT

BY J EN LESSN ER

When it comes to retail in 2022, every day, in some new way, we’re constantly reminded that we’re not in 2019 anymore.

Let’s count the ways: Consumers are tightening their spending in the face of inflation, supply chains remain in constant flux, and retailers are facing inertia and exhaustion from 28 months of pandemic upheaval.

Not to mention, in the produce category where I spend my days, retailers during these pandemic months have had to dial back opportunities for produce brands to stand out. We have less opportunity for branded display bins and signage as many grocers now strictly follow a clean store policy.

There are less branded activation opportunities, which is one of the most effective ways to boost produce awareness and purchase. Likewise, only some retailers have brought back sampling — our strongest driver of product trial — at any scale resembling pre-pandemic levels.

Now, factor in inflation. We’re seeing data that consumers are bypassing produce as budgets tighten, instead spending their tightened dollars on center store staples and comfort snacks.

As I looked at the landscape facing the produce category, I knew we had to look outside the box and create programming that would draw consumers’ attention, educate them and make the produce category exciting again to gain and regain their purchase power.

Any retail category will always have its challenges, no matter the environment, but as I looked at the landscape facing the produce category, I knew we had to look outside the box and create programming that would draw consumers’ attention, educate them and make the produce category exciting again to gain and regain their purchase power.

With that in mind, earlier this year, we partnered with two other topselling fruit brands — Sunkist Growers and Naturipe Farms — to launch a “Fruitastic” promotion tied in to the new animated “Strawberry Shortcake” Netflix and YouTube series, “Berry in the Big City.”

The campaign launched in May timed to Mother’s Day, and the series premiered with complete “Fruitastic” retail takeover displays for Sunkist Blood oranges, Naturipe strawberries and blueberries, and Envy apples, all featuring adorable images of Strawberry Shortcake and her friends. Among our brands, we created an array of online tools, promotional bags and recipes

for fans of all ages.

This campaign is fun and engaging, and indeed outside the box, but it’s also based on intelligence and research. According to recent data, shoppers increase their basket spend when blood oranges and apples are purchased on the same trip, and the same goes for blood oranges and blueberries.

“Fruitastic” is working for us, helping Envy grab moms’ and kids’ attention at retail during an otherwise very difficult time for producers, grocers and consumers. This is just one example of how we are trying to win with consumers and drive strong sales results for Envy to be called the No. 1 branded apple in sales in the premium category.

But there is more work to be done — that’s why I’m championing the launch of a Produce Business share group at the Path to Purchase Institute. And other produce brands are already expressing interest! I’m looking forward to sharing the trials, tribulations and success stories with industry peers as we navigate the ever-shifting commerce landscape. If you’d like to join us, shoot an email over to Nicole Mitchell at nmitchell@ensembleiq.com.

That’s the true magic of P2PI: learning from each other. Getting inspired. Sharing tips and strategies for breaking out. Forging partnerships we can then take back to retailers to help all involved parties or partners succeed.

About the Author Based in California, Jen Lessner handles shopper marketing and analytics for T&G Global’s division in North America, which focuses on selling its premium apple brands, Envy and JAZZ, throughout the United States and Canada. She has more than 20 years of shopper marketing and analytics experience across the CPG, beverage-alcohol and produce landscape.

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Member Spotlight

Meet the Marketers A SNAPSHOT OF INDUSTRY LEADERS FROM THE P2PI MEMBER COMMUNITY

MATTHEW RADER Senior Vice President, Commerce Marketing and Applied Analytics Public Label Agency

Biggest challenge right now: One of our biggest focus areas is 2023 planning.

The biggest challenge is how to objectively allocate finite budgets to get the most efficient and effective return on the investments. Historically, shopper dollars have been largely allocated in a subjective way with retailer size dictating allocation. However, this approach leaves opportunity on the table and finding an objective lens by which to see the client’s retailer landscape and help them achieve objectivity in decision making is our primary delivery.

Solution for others facing the same challenge: To address the challenge, we have developed a proprietary approach that allows us to strip subjectivity from the decision-making process and provides transparency through isolated variables to calculate a “powerscore.” The powerscore allows us to objectively know where to spend the first and last dollars of a budget to get the ultimate return for our clients.

The tool has proved invaluable in allowing deep internal conversations enterprise wide and driving critical thinking when it comes to effective planning.

New marketing tactic that you’re adding to your toolbox: It’s not a new tactic, but more of an emerging tactic within the traditional “shopper” toolkit, which is digital out-

of-home. Many view this as a pure above-the-line media play, but it is far from it. The ability to strategically place and geo-target proximity to store can be a tremendous asset within the shopper marketing arsenal. Its ability to be a complementary piece within the consideration part of the funnel, and fuse seamlessly in messaging and delivery with more traditional retail network offerings can prove very valuable.

Best career advice: “Improvement, not perfection, is the goal.”

Putting the focus fi rmly on the idea that growth, whether personal or career, is a journey and not a destination allows you to embrace the reality that there will be struggles and tough parts of the journey, but they are part of the growth process. This statement also provided a secure environment to be courageous, bold and make mistakes with learning and improvement as the outcome.

Memorable aha moment in your career: When it truly dawned on me that as a professional you are in a race with yourself, not anyone else, when it comes to career [advancement] and acceleration. Getting to this spot can take time as a professional, but when I did it just opened up so many more professional opportunities and potential growth avenues. This is a piece of advice I share with people on my team all the time.

What are your summer plans? My family is heading to the Outer Banks for the first time. Time together is so precious, because we don’t get enough of it where we can just truly focus on each other without distractions.

DEEDEE MCCOY Senior Manager, Omnichannel Marketing Chomps

Biggest challenge right now: Developing a system for allocating the shopper marketing investment by retailer — showing estimated gross margin percentages, direct marketing support, multi-retailer campaigns, the timing and type of planned activations — to objectify the purpose, communicate, align on the overall investment strategy and measure results.

Solution for others facing the same challenge: Frequent cross-functional collaboration, shared access to planning tools, and monthly realignment meetings have been crucial to establishing the foundation of our strategy.

New marketing tactic that you’re adding to your toolbox: We’re really leaning into an omnichannel marketing approach, leveraging retail media capabilities and hyper-targeting audiences with shoppable tactics.

Best career advice: Have a mindset of focusing on accomplishments to build your life story. This encourages you to be open-minded to new growth opportunities and stretch beyond your comfort zone.

What you are watching or reading right now: Currently reading “How We Eat” by Paco Underhill and rewatching all of “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”

What are your summer plans? My husband and I will be testing out our new kayaks this summer and having fun with our goldendoodle, Stanley.

P2PI.com

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Event

P2PI LIVE Preview 5 REASONS YOU SHOULD JOIN US IN CHICAGO THIS FALL FOR OUR FLAGSHIP EVENT B Y PAT H T O P U R C H A S E I N S T I T U T E S TA F F

Proprietary Tech

What Makes Us Different

Introducing Alchemy™

We solve for the disconnects in our Clients’ marketing and commerce practices.

This fall in Chicago, the Path to Purchase Institute will host P2PI LIVE, an in-person

Unified Commerce brings integration event.

On Oct. 18-20 at Hilton Chicago, we’llto a siloed bring together 900-plus commerce marketing landscape. We use hyper-connected data and executives, brands and retailers for thought analytics to converge Commerce Media, leadership, education andActivation, networking.

Spend three energizing days alongside leadingand Supply E-Commerce, Search, Content, Trade, CPG brands and retailers who will share their Chain,insights unlocking your Commerce potential, scale, and strategies for evolving, adapting and sales. and succeeding in the next generation of OC TO B E R omnicommerce.

Here are five reasons we think you should add P2PI LIVE to your list of must-attend events this year ...

At a Glance

1

WHO WE ARE

Thought-Provoking

Alchemy™ powers everything we do. Created with Google, it’s our proprietary OS connecting our data and tools to give clients real-time visibility to growth and effectiveness. This technology spine uses machine learning to help us identify new consumer targets and plan brand activity with scary-precise attribution.

18 -20 | CH I CAG O

Registration brand marketers, retailers, agency executives PRODUCT & SERVICES is now open. and solution providers for their achievements in

BRAND ACTIVATION influencing the commerce marketing industry Keynoteshop.

Speakers We’re not a specialist We’re a shop full of We take a brand's purpose intoto of-the-moment activation, For more along the path purchase. The categories are: Bill Bennett, Kroger VPretailers, and head of specialists—unified from agencies, creating immediacy to engage across national or marketinformation, visit Technology Award, Innovator Award, Mentore-commerce, will join us for a fi reside chat brands, and startups. We know our model works, P2PILIVEExpo.com. specific campaigns. ship Award, Industry Impact Award, Business to kick things off the fi rst day.

He will discuss because the first thing we unified was ourselves, Excellence Award and Executive of the Year how Kroger is focused on delivering a seamless OMNICOMMERCE ACTIVATION combining Advantage commerce, e-commerce, Award.

Brought yourelevant

by AdAdapted. experience that requires no compromise by Our 360° activation selects theto most points of and media agencies into an industry-first model of influence in retailer ecosystems and beyond, whether national shoppers.

Other keynote speakers include execs effectiveness that uses advanced data and tech to or account-specific. from Foxtrot and Amazon, among others. scale commerce. And we bring a no-ego, all-outcome An Unmatched Agenda COMMERCE MEDIA PLANNING & BUYING mentality to the table.

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OmniShopper Awards MAJOR CLIENTSLuncheon KEY EXECS The OmniShopper Awards program Keebler Victor Lee, President Famous Amos recognizes excellence in shopper enWelker,path EVP Client Nutella gagement acrossAllison the entire to purchase, & Customer Engagement Ferrara Candy Co. from newer tools like retail media networks and Moët Hennessy Dino de Leon, Executive Creative Director direct-to-consumer sales to traditional methods Family Dollar such as in-store Marcella displaysOglesby, and on-shelf signage.

Executive Creative Director KIND Winners will be unveiled during an awards Blue Bunny Fahim Naim, SVP Amazon Halo Topluncheon, sponsored by 84.51.

Bomb Pop Valerie Bernstein, EVP Marketing Riviana & Business Development Tabasco Women of Excellence Stephanie Rogers, SVP Strategic Services Cap’n Crunch

3

Awards Ceremony

4

The and event willcommerce feature a full conference From retail media networks social to last-mile lineup that includes specialattracks delivery, our layered media approach puts commerce the for core and precision targeting retailthroughout. media and the BevAlc category.

Hear from brands including Pepsico, Barilla, FULL E-COMMERCE ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT Treasury Wine Estates and many more via Our real-time optimization and analytics connect platform general sessions and breakouts.

And don’t miss management, supply chain optimization, assortment strategy, the expo area showcasing the latest solutions basic and enhanced content management, search and media. and innovations.

AMAZON A team of 200+ Amazon specialists helps brands navigate the unique rules and best practices to deliver results.

5

A

Networking/ Making Connections

GREENLIGHT™ Plug-and-play e-commerce products allow clients to accelerate From one-on-one meetings to and enhance brand presence across any platform, interactive, open-forum “campfire” from search to PDP to content.

micro-sessions, you’ll be able to engage with industry-leading experts from every point Come celebrate the Women of Excellence the path to purchase.

Awards program, which recognizes female 1756 W Lake Street, Chicago, IL 60612 But really, wherever we need to be, throughalong the power of remote collaboration.

646.924.8601 AdvantageUnifiedCommerce.com | Valerie.Bernstein@advantagesolutions.net 8 l July/Aug 2022

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B t m e c a

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Built to be the world’s most effective commerce agency.

AdvantageUnifiedCommerce.com

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7/28/22 9:09 AM

The New Consumer

The Latest in Shopper Behavior A LOOK AT GEN Z’S LOYALTY, BACK-TO-SCHOOL SHOPPING AND THE CONNECTION BETWEEN ‘FUELING’ AND CONSUMER SPENDING.

BY JACQU ELI N E BARBA

Recent research from Talkdesk, a global cloud-based contact center and AI software provider, found that 88% of Gen Z consumers are loyal to five or fewer companies in total. Nearly a third (31%) of respondents have become loyal to a new company in the past year — and they’re not afraid to discontinue support of a company based on social stances.

Talkdesk’s “Winning Gen Z Through Exceptional Customer Service” report, based primarily on a quantitative online survey of consumers fielded in October 2021, called out some challenges brands face when it comes to connecting with Gen Z, and highlighted two points critical to developing and maintaining customer loyalty with this crucial demographic: 1. Allowing them to easily and conveniently resolve service issues.

2. Speaking to their concerns and priorities beyond the context of customer service alone.

“Gen Z consumers are still establishing what brands they will support and trust, leaving an opportunity for companies to strengthen and fortify that relationship,” said David Gardner, vice president of Research and Insights at Talkdesk.

“While poor customer service can leave a mark on this cohort, winning their loyalty goes beyond customer service. Gen Z expects a total alignment on core values and social issues from all facets of a brand, including their customer service agents.”

When it comes to how younger generations want to engage with customer service, the report found that just 24% of Gen Z respondents said they want to interact with customer service over the phone, compared with 40% of Gen Xers and 56% of Boomers. No one avenue of resolution is taking the place of human-based support for Gen Z, but they are open to engaging with companies through a broad variety of different service channels, per the report. They are more likely to have engaged with AI-enabled channels, such as virtual chat, voice support and social media than older generations.

How the number of companies consumers are loyal to has changed in the past year:

Gen Zers put little premeditated thought into channel preference and expect to be able to engage wherever they are to get what they need. Customer service agents, who the report says are already expected to serve as brand ambassadors at 92% of organizations, should be equipped with the means to not only understand a customer’s past interactions with the company, but also how they have engaged with the company on social media.

Beyond the digital experience, the heightened attentiveness Gen Zers have toward a company’s take on social and political issues raises the stakes in terms of loyalty. Forty-six percent of Gen Zers said they stopped buying from a company in the past year due to its stance on social issues. Gen Z and Millennial consumers are significantly more likely than other generations to end their relationships with companies due to their stances on social and sustainability issues.

Back-to-School Shopper Behavior A study of U.S. consumers from global influencer marketing platform LTK found that affordability and convenience are key drivers for this year’s backto-school season as shoppers adjust their behaviors due to rising inflation and inventory shortages. The data is from two surveys conducted in May 2022, both reflective of the U.S. population with 97% confidence, according to the report.

Some key takeaways from the report, titled “Back to School and Beyond: Shopping in a Shifting Market,” include: • Shoppers are starting early. The back-to-school (BTS) shopping window is already underway, running from late June through early September

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BACK-TO-SCHOOL SHOPPERS

What are they shopping for?

Gen Z priorities differ from General population and Millennials 1) Accessories/Core Supplies, 2) Shoes, 3) Women’s clothes, 4) Backpacks, 5) Electronics, 6) Personal Grooming, 7) Men’s clothes, 8) Food and Beverages, 9) Health Protective, 10) Cold weather items

Shoes

Core supplies (pencils, notebooks, scissors, etc.)

Backpacks

Accessories

Boys’ clothes

Girls’ clothes

Women’s clothes

General population

57%

55%

48%

41%

40%

37%

32%

Millennial

61%

54%

51%

49%

44%

42%

31%

Gen Z

51%

55%

40%

55%

18%

15%

45%

this year, with shoppers hoping to land deals and avoid out-of-stocks. Nearly one-third of BTS shoppers plan to shop between late June and early July, but the majority will shop by the end of July.

• Saving time and money online. More shoppers are turning to online shopping to help save time and money, citing rising gas prices, versus going to physical stores. Buying online was the second-ranked money-saving strategy for shoppers behind driving less.

• Gen Z has different priorities. While the top items for the average BTS shopper include shoes, backpacks and core supplies like pencils and notebooks, Gen Z is focused on electronics, beauty/personal care products, women and men’s apparel, and food and beverages more than the general population and Millennials.

• Turning to influencers for help: Back-to-school shoppers are turning to creators for help finding the best deals and items that are in stock. According to the study, Gen Z trusts creators more than friends/family when it comes to shopping recommendations, again veering away from the general population’s sentiment. Social media sponsored brand content and celebrity posts are also driving purchases.

Additionally, influencer posts are driving almost as much traffic in store as online.

Fueling Behavior and Consumer Spending Consumer insights company Affinity Solutions and GSTV, a national video network engaging targeted audiences at convenience retailers, partnered on an analysis showing a predictive relationship between a fuel transaction and increased retail spending.

Key findings include that, in the three hours after fueling,

consumers spend 3.7 times more money, transact 4.2 times more frequently, and are more than four times more likely to make at least one additional purchase compared to those not fueling that day.

“GSTV came to us with a hypothesis: Since consumers often stop for fuel as part of a larger shopping trip, a fuel transaction might be a good predictor of immediate future spending,” said Phil Lore, executive vice president and chief revenue officer at Affinity Solutions, in a news release. “Our analysis, spanning hundreds of millions of credit and debit card transactions, across 20 million accounts, bears this out. … These findings identify a uniquely pivotal moment along the shopper journey to strongly influence consumer decision-making.”

Affinity Solutions quantified the lift in spend propensity for more than a hundred of the country’s top retailers and restaurants. The analysis quantified the increase in spend at specific key retailers following a fuel transaction, including Walmart (plus-5 times), Kroger (4.9 times), Target (4 times), Walgreens (3.8 times), The Home Depot (5.2 times) and Chickfil-A (6.6 times), among others.

The study also found that a fuel transaction can predict substantially higher levels of spend across major categories, including quick-service restaurants (5.3 times), home supply (5.2 times), grocery (4.8 times), big box (4 times) and pharmacy (3.6 times). Note: Spend behavior was analyzed in the three hours immediately following a fuel transaction from May 1 through July 31, 2021, and compared to active accounts without an observed fuel transaction that day.

The analysis period for the study came more than a year after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic during a lull in cases when there was widespread vaccine availability and prior to the uptick of cases from the Delta or Omicron variants.

P2PI.com

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Category Closeup

Looking Good WE DIVE INTO ALL THINGS BEAUTY — FROM ONLINE TO IN-STORE — WITH LIANNA CABRERA TONNER OF L’OREAL PARIS COSMETICS.

BY CHARLI E M EN CHAC A

With emerging technology, social commerce and more voices championing inclusivity, the world of beauty is open to more possibilities. To explore the latest offerings in this category, we spoke with Lianna Cabrera Tonner, senior manager, shopper marketing, at L’Oreal Paris Cosmetics.

P2PI: Tell us about one of your recent successful campaigns.

Cabrera Tonner: Back in April, singer Camila Cabello, our Lash Paradise mascara spokesmodel, hosted a performance on TikTok Live to launch her new album “Familia,” which was a global brand fi rst. To capitalize on this major moment, we partnered to activate a Lash Paradise integration to build excitement leading up to the event. We leveraged paid media swiping up to Target, our retailer partner, and had influencer promotion on TikTok to keep Lash Paradise top of mind. On the

event day, we continued to run paid ads throughout the performance and boosted influencer content showcasing brand love for Lash Paradise.

At the end of the activation, we exceeded benchmarks by reaching a total of 14.5 million impressions and more than 53.6 million total views on our paid content. We saw a greater than 18% sales lift that continued throughout the month of April. It was a really unique way to support our spokesmodel, test and learn new activation platforms, and drive incremental sales at one of our top retailers.

P2PI: How do you incorporate influencers into your campaigns?

Cabrera Tonner: The COVID-19 pandemic has really taught us the importance of a digital-first strategy.

They are at the heart of every campaign we do, whether it’s micro influencers to build buzz, our L’Oreal League of experts to provide professional recommendations, or social media stars like Mikayla Nogueira to help us drive virality. Especially in beauty, honest reviews and recommendations are one of the best ways to build brand love and sustain repeat purchasers.

P2PI: Our society at large is more accepting of inclusivity and body/ skin positivity. Consequently, how has that affected the marketing messaging and creative?

Cabrera Tonner: This has been a hot topic within the beauty category for a while now, and it’s an especially welcome industry shift for cosmetics.

We as a brand are making a conscious effort to expand shade ranges within our face products. We also are ensuring

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color payoff within our eye and lip categories. Inclusivity of all skin tones is a big initiative for us both in-store and online.

Makeup is so heavily rooted in self-confidence and self-worth, and for L’Oreal Paris the tagline “Because You’re Worth It” has been a part of our ethos for more than 50 years. With campaigns like our International Women’s Day activation, we as a brand aim to continue empowering women to own their worth and celebrate diverse beauty.

There is defi nitely more work to be done, but we are moving in the right direction.

P2PI: What’s next? What can consumers expect to see this year?

Cabrera Tonner: The beauty category is constantly reinventing itself and we’re very much in a digitalfirst era. From the metaverse to immersive, real-life experiences and TikTok edu-tainment with humorinducing influencers of all ages and ethnicities, the possibilities are endless. It’s up to us as marketers to adapt and think outside the box.

P2PI: How has technology been helpful to the beauty category these past couple of years?

Cabrera Tonner: Virtual try-on, especially during the pandemic, was vital to help our consumer shop a category that is very much based on touching and feeling a product. With things like tester bars and sampling removed during COVID-19 times, virtual try-on was really a saving grace. We feel very strongly that this technology will only continue to innovate. We have it on our L’Oreal Paris product display pages and have partnered with some of our retailers to leverage this technology on their own sites.

For in-store experiences, we never thought QR codes would play this big of a role — but they really are back. We include them on our displays and wall merchandising to help better guide our consumer and influence purchase.

P2PI: What has been your biggest lesson learned or shift in strategy since the pandemic started?

Cabrera Tonner: We really learned the importance of future proofing our e-commerce business and taking a digital-first approach.

From exploring new platforms such as TikTok Live and YouTube shoppable ads to something as simple as elevating our product display page content strategy to be more accessible and inclusive, we really meet our consumer at all touchpoints to pave their path to purchase.

P2PI: Is there any way to anticipate which beauty products might go viral and create a sudden demand?

Cabrera Tonner: That is the million-dollar question! We’ve had several core products that have been in our portfolio for years that suddenly went viral, such as our L’Oreal Paris BB cream and Telescopic mascara. It was a result of organic user-generated content showcasing how they truly love the product — and that buzz took off like wildfire.

I think it really comes down to keeping your finger on the pulse of the latest trends, being agile and prescriptive with your brand storytelling, and the timeliness of your response to trends. The beauty landscape is always evolving and you have to stay relevant to make an impact.

P2PI: What advice do you have for CPG marketers looking to leverage social media?

Cabrera Tonner: Authenticity and entertainment are key.

Consumers are smart, and in 2021 they were watching something like 100 minutes of video content every day. So as marketers, we must work hard to make creative, entertaining and genuine connections to break through all the noise.

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Brand Watch

Hex Expands at Target THE PERFORMANCE DETERGENT BRAND LEANS INTO AD TARGETING AND INFLUENCERS TO RAMP UP ITS LAUNCH ACROSS MORE THAN 500 LOCATIONS.

BY CHARLI E M EN CHAC A

An emerging laundry care brand is going big on its digital marketing and social media efforts as it expands across select retailers.

This past spring, Hex Performance’s detergent and antibacterial fabric protector reached the shelves of more than 500 Target stores.

“We have partnered with Creator.co, an influencer sourcing platform, to find influencers to specifically support this Target launch,” says Christine Luongo, Hex Performance head of marketing. “We’re working with influencers who have Target-specific handles, as well as our other target markets: Millennial moms, health-conscious consumers and gym goers.

In addition to influencer marketing, we have some social media ad campaigns live from the @ HexPerformance social handles.”

In one paid partnership post with Hex, the @ targetdoesitagain Instagram account staged a $50 Target store card giveaway. From June 25-30,

participants were asked to follow both Hex’s and the influencer’s Instagram accounts and tag friends on the platform “who understand the struggle of sweaty summer clothes,” according to the post. Each comment left on the post qualified as an extra entry.

Hex launched a series of programmatic ads with GroundTruth and SR&B, its agency of record. The brand also is working with its broker and Target buyer to make sure the Target consumer is supported at the store

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level through a series of shelf markdowns, circular features and offers for the retailer’s Circle loyalty members.

A carousel ad on Hex’s website touts the detergent and fabric protectors’ availability at Target. Another carousel ad plugs a 100-ounce Hex detergent bottle exclusively for sale at select Costco stores. The brand also is employing social media updates on its website and content from influencers to support the Costco rollout.

In May, Hex began a 14-date sampling tour that will visit various sporting events

across the U.S. through September, such as the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open golf tournament and the Premier Lacrosse League All-Star Game. Attendees will be able to pick up free Hex samples and coupons and enter for a chance to win a free year’s supply of products. (Fun factoid: the brand was founded in 2014 by former professional lacrosse player Drew Westervelt.)

“The dedication of athletes to their sport has always been the motivating force behind what we do at Hex Performance,” Westervelt said in a media release. “[The brand]

understands that quality gear is a critical part of any active lifestyle and taking good care of these essential pieces is key to an athlete’s performance.”

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In-Store Experience

7-Eleven’s Evolution Store THE CONVENIENCE STORE CHAIN REIMAGINES THE BRICK-AND-MORTAR EXPERIENCE AT CONCEPT LOCATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

BY JACQU ELI N E BARBA

7-Eleven debuted the “Evolution Store” concept in 2019 in its hometown of Dallas. It was a way to reimagine the in-store experience, serving as an experiential testing ground for shoppers to try the latest products and innovations. The convenience store chain has since added Evolution Store locations in north Texas; New York; Washington, D.C.; Manassas, Virginia; and San Diego.

In June, 7-Eleven opened its ninth Evolution Store in the U.S., and its fi fth in the Dallas-Fort Worth market. The Path to Purchase Institute recently visited the newest store, located at 13635 Preston Road in Dallas, and also the Manassas, Virginia, store, located at 10601 Lomond Dr. Here’s what stood out.

Both stores have expanded beverage offerings, most notably customizable self-serve options as the retailer aims to bolster its position as the creator of the first to-go coffee (“OG To-Go Since 1964”) and the original coffee destination. This comes to life at the Manassas store, which offers eight nitro cold brew and premium tea f lavors on tap on an endcap. The Dallas location features a second self-serve espresso machine where the retailer tests specialty items, such as cold foam, caramel macchiato and horchata latte.

In addition to custom espresso drinks and cold brew coffee, both stores also offer healthier beverage options via self-serve organic smoothie and juice machines with touchscreens. At the time of our visit, the juice machine was offering six flavors — including strawberry, clean green, mango and

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berry blend flavors over ice.

Both locations feature an illuminated vitamininfused sparkling water machine, communicating that the flavored water comes still or sparkling, contains zero calories and is made with alkaline mineralized water. These offerings are available alongside 7-Eleven’s popular products, including Slurpee drinks, Big Bite hot dogs and Big Gulp fountain beverages.

Both locations house an enhanced and expansive selection of wine in a small wine cellar.

At the Manassas store, we spotted an educational

sign attached to the end of a gondola display facing the cellar, defining the different types of wines, such as pinot grigio and malbec, and the best food pairings for each.

While all Evolution Stores feature a restaurant concept, no two locations are exactly alike, as the retailer continues to tweak the design and product mix based on customer feedback and shopping habits. The Manassas location features a Raise the Roost Chicken and Biscuits as well as a Parlor Pizza inside — the chain’s first two-restaurants-in-one concept. The Dallas location includes a Laredo Taco Co., a popular south Texas restaurant concept that 7-Eleven acquired in 2018.

Overall, the lab stores appear larger than the typical 7-Eleven and include a sleek exterior and a spacious and clean design inside, leveraging ceiling, shelf and aisle lighting. The stores also offer an updated checkout design, with a curved lane surrounded by potential impulse buys, as well as digital innovations to give shoppers added convenience, including mobile checkout and delivery. With 7Rewards, the retailer’s loyalty program available through the 7-Eleven app, in-store customers can skip the checkout counter and pay for their purchases directly with their phones.

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As marketers build out their social commerce strategies, here are five tips for brands to maximize their share of an industry estimated to hit $1 trillion in the next three years.

BY MICHAEL APPLEBAU M

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hat do water-resistant Post-It notes, a mini trash can for cars, a cosmetics spatula, a bug bite suction tool and a stylish new pooper scooper for cats all have in common? These were among the reams of handy little items that people claimed to have pur-chased recently because #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt. The question surrounding the exploding social commerce phenomenon is just how many items will people buy on TikTok? Right now, the answer is unclear. For all of TikTok’s marketing power, the platform is still relatively untested as a vehicle for social commerce, which is defined as purchases that are made entirely within the confines of a social network. Facebook and Instagram will account for the majority of the estimated $45.74 billion in social commerce sales in the U.S. this year, according to eMarketer.

Those numbers are approximately one-tenth of the social commerce sales generated in China, by far the leading market in a global social commerce industry that Accenture predicts will reach $1.2 trillion by 2025.

Still, TikTok is undeniably effective at driving purchase intent. A January 2022 Bazaarvoice survey found that people who shop on TikTok browse and buy goods more frequently than other social platforms. More than one-fi fth (20.6%) of TikTok shoppers worldwide said they bought goods on TikTok “all the time,” ahead of all other platforms measured, including YouTube (16.6%), Instagram (16.4%), Facebook (15.8%) and Twitter (15.4%).

TikTok has worked with Shopify to bring organic product discovery and shopping tabs to the platform. Shopify merchants can add a shopping tab to their TikTok profiles and create a ministorefront that links directly to their online store for checkout.

TikTok’s emergence as a budding social commerce player is just one example of the deepening relationship between social media and e-commerce (a trend that goes both ways, as evidenced by Amazon’s foray into livestreaming

with services like Amazon Live). The underlying forces are clear. Consumers prefer to buy products and services based on recommendations from people they know and trust. The social networks allow users to receive feedback from friends and family members in real time while gathering in digital communities to share all “Social commerce is of kinds of experiences. It’s different value depending an open-source marketplace where content creators and on where our brands are influencers can inform and in their life stages. We’ve entertain audiences about tended to lean into social new products, which in turn drives interest and purchase commerce more with intent. newer or emerging Because social commerce brands, as well as new is a rapidly evolving business model with new technologies, flavor variants for our shoppable features and mar- established brands.” keting opportunities emergKATIE NEAL, COCA-COLA ing all the time, the practice requires substantial testing and learning from marketers. Experts often advise brands to tailor their approach to content creation, marketing and advertising to the specific audiences and unique environments of individual social platforms.

But while there is no universal set of best practices, there are some rules of the road that both marketers and industry observers say will maximize a brand’s return in the social commerce space. Based on their insights and recommendations, here are the top five tips to add to your social commerce playbook:

1

Just because a social platform offers a shoppable feature doesn’t mean it’s right for your category or brand. The bedrock categories of e-commerce may not have an analog solution in every social commerce outlet. But according to marketers at Coca-Cola and Procter & Gamble, there may be a natural fit for some brands with the right profiles.

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“Social commerce is of different value depending on where our brands are in their life stages,” says Katie Neal, director of connected commerce at Coca-Cola. “We’ve tended to lean into social commerce more with newer or emerging brands, as well as new flavor variants for our established brands. It allows us more time to give the brand story some length versus the more abbreviated way that other types of media offer it.”

Everyday products can find new ways to introduce themselves to consumers through social commerce. Last December, Procter & Gamble teamed up with Walmart on a Facebook livestream hosted by former NFL player Deion Sanders and his son Shilo Sanders to introduce its new Gillette Razor with exfoliating bar product from GilletteLabs. The 42-minute conversation featured coaching and grooming tips, with product integration and shoppable links provided within the frame of the livestream.

“Where the consumer goes, our brands will follow,” said Jacques Hagopian, SVP, North America Brand Operations at Procter & Gamble, during an April 12 presentation on social commerce that was part of the Path to Purchase Now webinar series.

Pixels and Pop: How Big Brands are Tackling the Metaverse In May, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Byte appeared on retail store shelves in the U.S. after an extended virtual launch phase in the metaverse. The gaming-inspired drink, which is said by the company to “bring the flavor of pixels to life,” first appeared within the video game Fortnite as part of a promotion featuring Pixel Point, a custom island where players can try out cokethemed mini-games and “sample” the new drink.

In some ways, the metaverse is the next logical step after social commerce. The modes of currency and purchase will change, and iconic brands like Coca-Cola have to figure out how to represent — if not reinvent — themselves while taking the customer experience a layer or more deeper into the digital realm.

“Whether you’re talking about physical stores, digital and social platforms like TikTok or the metaverse, they all have very specific and strategic uses for how we apply them within the end-to-end consumer journey,” says Coca-Cola director of connected commerce Katie Neal. “It comes down to how do we make sure that we’ve got as many data signals as possible to have a cumulative experience with our brands no matter where we connect with people or where they find our brands.”

“Our responsibility as brand marketers is to delight consumers and be good stewards of the money we spend. … We think that social commerce can achieve both [of these goals].”

2

Consider the value of smaller, micro-communities of people that are trusted. Recent social media efforts are drifting away from celebrity endorsers and mega-influencers with huge followings, which can be explained in a couple of ways, says Eric Dahan, CEO and co-founder of influencer marketing agency Open Influence.

“The less visible the influencer is to brands, the fewer the impressions. As a result, advertisers have more pricing power,” he says. “Smaller communities also tend to be more engaged and offer a more personal connection.”

Dahan advises brands in social commerce not to confuse reach with engagement, or popularity with trust. “Getting a lot of people that kind of trust the message is not as good as getting a smaller amount of people who really trust the message,” he says. “We use relative engagement as a proxy for trust. For example, we consider when they talk about working out at home doing yoga, their engagement rate is 7%. When they talk about other stuff, it’s 3% on average, so we know the audience really cares about that [yoga] message.”

Giovanna Dimperio, senior director of digital marketing, social media & content at H-E-B, says the retailer is testing relationships with small business owners in local Texas communities as part of its evolving social commerce playbook.

“We’ve established how we can use brand experts and chefs in social commerce programs.

Now we’re looking at how to marry that implied endorsement from an influencer with a smaller community focus with on-demand commerce,” Dimperio said during the April 12 Path to Purchase Now webinar. “We started doing a monthly community-building-influencer-shoppable experience where we bring together an influencer in the space with a few different small business owners to talk and engage with our audience while making the whole experience shoppable.”

3

When working with influencers, think about ways to tell a brand story, versus selling a product.

Influencer marketing in a social commerce setting is a lot like traditional product

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placement. For some brands, the temptation may be to overload the influencer with information about the product and over-direct the commercialization aspects of the partnership.

Alessandro Bogliari, co-founder and CEO of The Influencer Marketing Factory, recalls how one of his clients, a North American footwear manufacturer, worked with an influencer on an organic TikTok video to promote its new flashknit waterproof shoe technology. The influencer came up with the idea to put dollar bills in the shoes and test them in different environments, including a small inflatable pool, in the snow and a puddle. “When he came out each time, the bills were completely dry,” says Bogliari. “It was a great way to tell the brand’s story. You still had the promotion, but it was done in a style to present for a Gen Z audience that wants to be entertained.”

In that instance, the brand’s social teams engaged with user comments and answered technical questions during the video demonstrations, allowing the influencer to focus on creating a “wow” effect. Still, Bogliari says his agency always ensures that influencers study any products they represent. “Nowadays people can feel it and see it if they never used the product before or if it’s something they love to use in their lives,” he says.

4

Establish brand consistency across the social networks.

The consumer’s path toward a social commerce purchase can start anytime and anywhere — from clicking on a Facebook ad to discovering an Instagram post or hearing a mention about a brand during a livestream conversation with influencers on YouTube or with gamers on Twitch. Experts believe it is vital for brands to maintain a consistent look, feel and voice across all of these different touchpoints and platforms.

Neal says that Coca-Cola pushes for “visually forward creative” in this context. “Social is all about discovery. People want to see themselves and the relevance that they have to that product based on what you’ve posted,” she says. “You’ve got to have a simple value proposition. The way you make that truth known is through simple animation and bold colorful images — you only have a second or two to capture them — and by making it easy for consumers to check out.”

As consumers have become bombarded by messages from influencers and paid social ads,

marketers are experimenting with new types of content and ad formats — including usergenerated content (UGC), viral videos and testimonials in ad campaigns — that may be perceived as more authentic. While only 41% of marketers regularly use UGC in campaigns, 61% want to incorporate more this year, according to the “State of User-Generated Content 2022” report from Tint, a technology company that works with advertisers to plan and execute UGCbased programs and campaigns.

5

Be guided by your organization’s appetite for risk. In the last two years, consumers have rapidly grown more comfortable with shopping in a social media environment. Watching livestreams and in-app shopping were the two most frequently cited behaviors related to social commerce that consumers planned to do more of in 2022, according to a recent report from Sprout Social. Those figures should provide some reassurance to marketers as they gauge the risk levels appropriate for their own experimentation in the social commerce space.

“We realized that we could learn, or we could wait four years for someone to teach us how to do it. We are interested in learning,” said H-E-B’s Dimperio. “If you want to do something new, “We realized that we could there will be no handlearn, or we could wait four book for you. There are some best practices, years for someone to teach but a lot of it is up to us how to do it. We are interpretation. If that interested in learning.” energizes and excites you, that’s awesome. If GIOVANNA DIMPERIO, H-E-B it terrifies you, that’s a good thing to learn going into it.”

Working with content creators is a “massive way to reach Gen Z,” assuming the brand is willing to think outside the box, adds Coca-Cola’s Neal. “We always want to provide creators with the space to create their own view and share with their communities,” she says. “You’ve got to have your brand proposition tight and compelling, and then you’re putting it in the hands of creators. It means pushing yourselves a little bit out of the predictable norms of where you might want to go.”

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SPECIAL REPORT

The State of

RETAIL M

BY TIM B IN DER

F

In collaboration with

rom the more established retailer media networks such as Kroger Precision Marketing (KPN) to newer ones including Ulta Beauty’s UB Media, there has been a proliferation of retail media and retailer media networks in recent years. With the rise, fundamental issues of investment, strategies and measurement of retail media have come to the forefront.

As retail media continues to quickly evolve, the Path to Purchase Institute sought out to take the pulse of the current state of retail media by fielding an online survey (during May 2022) of CPG and durable goods professionals. There were 72 respondents to our survey, all of them either leading or working in roles for a CPG or durable goods manufacturer that include branding, marketing or advertising. Forty percent said they worked in shopper or customer marketing. The results of that research, detailed on the following pages, help identify the challenges and opportunities in retail media that are essential for commerce marketers to understand as they adapt their strategic roadmaps for this new age of media.

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L MEDIA Do You Work With Retailer Media Networks?

Yes ... 78%

No ... 22%

How many?

In coming year?

52% 44%

21%

1-2 networks

21%

3-5 networks

6-10 networks

6%

6%

More than 10 networks

Yes, we are actively looking

25%

25%

Yes, plans are in the works

No

Not sure

Q. Do you currently work with any retailer media networks?

Q. If “yes”: How many retailer media networks does your organization work with?

Q. If “no”: Does your company have plans to work with any retailer media networks in the coming year?

Source: Path to Purchase Institute Retailer Media Network Study, May 2022

WORKING WITH RETAIL MEDIA: Which RMNs, Investment & Importance As one would expect considering the rise of retailer media networks and e-commerce adoption in recent years, a majority of survey respondents are working with networks. Seventy-eight

percent of respondents said they worked with at least one network — and of that group, 79% are working with at least three or more individual networks.

When asked if they worked with any retailer media networks, only 22% said they did not. Of those respondents, 31% said they

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D o

Special Report Which Networks Have You Worked With?

57%

Amazon (Amazon DSP) Walmart (Walmart Connect)

52%

Kroger (Kroger Precision Marketing)

Ahold Delhaize (AD Retail Media)

13%

The Home Depot (Retail Media+)

11%

Shipt

11%

46%

Target (Roundel)

43%

H-E-B (H-E-B Retail Media)

11%

Instacart (Instacart Ads)

43%

Gopuff (Gopuff Ad Solutions)

11%

Giant Eagle (Advantage Media)

11%

Albertsons (Albertsons Performance Media)

23%

Sam’s Club (Sam’s Club Media Group)

Wakefern

21%

9%

Dollar General (DG Media Network)

18%

Petco

5%

Costco

18%

Family Dollar (Chesapeake Media Group)

5%

Walgreens (Walgreens Advertising Group)

16%

Lowes (One Roof Media)

4% 4%

Meijer

14%

eBay

CVS (CVS Media Exchange)

14%

Other

Best Buy (Best Buy Media Network)

14%

C

13%

• Ace Hardware • Do-It-Best • Drizly • Hy-Vee • Tractor Supply • Wayfair • Zappos

Q. Which retailer media networks have you worked with within the last year?

Source: Path to Purchase Institute Retailer Media Network Study, May 2022

were actively looking to or had plans already in the works, while one-fourth had no plans to work with any networks and 44% said they weren’t sure.

For respondents who said they were working with networks, 52% of them said they worked with 3-5 networks in total.

About one-fifth said they worked with 1-2 networks, and one-fifth worked with 6-10.

Six percent said they worked with more than 10 networks.

For those who said they were working with networks, 57% said they worked with Amazon DSP, and 52% said they worked with Walmart Connect. Other leading networks called out were Kroger Precision Marketing (46%), Target’s Roundel (43%) and Instacart Ads (43%).

When asked how their organization’s 2022 investment in retailer networks (in terms of budget or attention given) has changed compared to 2021, 24% said it experienced a significant increase, and 32% said there was a minor increase. Twenty-six percent said it had decreased.

We also asked from which budget their retailer media network spend was most often allocated, and shopper marketing (46%)

was the most frequent selection, followed by national media (32%). (Those percentages were very similar to the results gleaned from our Trends 2022 survey conducted in October 2021, when we asked the same question.) When asked to exclude Amazon from consideration, shopper marketing was selected for budget allocation by 54% of respondents.

To get a sense of how important retail media is to their organizations, we had respondents compare its importance to that of other strategies or tactics.

A significant number of respondents said that retail media was more important than each of the strategies or tactics we listed (see chart on page 26), although the percentage of respondents answering that was less than half in every case.

Retailer Media Network Investment: 2022 vs. 2021 Organizations with <$500M* in annual revenue more likely to say their investment for RMNs has decreased (“minor” or “significant” decrease):

32%

37% vs. 16% among those in organizations whose annual revenue exceeds $500M*

24%

17%

18%

Minor decrease

Flat, stayed the same

68% vs. 43% among those in organizations whose annual revenue is below $500M*

9% Significant decrease

Organizations with >$500M* in annual revenue more likely to say their investment for RMNs has increased (“minor” or “significant” increase):

Minor increase

Significiant increase

Q. How has your organization’s 2022 investment (budgetary and/or attention) changed for retailer media networks compared to last year? *Small sample size (<50n). Interpret data with caution.

Source: Path to Purchase Institute Retailer Media Network Study, May 2022

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Special Report Retail Media Compared to Other Strategies Retail media is LESS important

In-store media/signage E-commerce/e-commerce content Digital media (other than RMNs and social media) Direct-to-consumer sales In-store sampling/demos Alternate venue sampling/demos Mobile marketing

7%

Retail media is about the same

46%

45%

41%

16% 23% 21%

43%

34%

43%

41%

25% 20% 29%

In-store display activity for retailer-driven programs

47% 41%

14%

Retail media is MORE important

38%

39%

36%

46%

34%

37%

34%

Online sampling/demos

20%

48%

32%

Social media

20%

48%

32%

In-store display activity for brand-driven programs

18%

52%

Traditional media

18%

30%

59%

23%

Q. Compared to strategies/tactics such as those listed, how important is retail media to your organization?

Source: Path to Purchase Institute Retailer Media Network Study, May 2022

But add in the “about the same” importance, and 70% said retail media was at least as important for each of the strategies or tactics on our list.

At one end of the spectrum, 47% of respondents said retail media was more important than in-store media/signage, and

another 46% said it was equally important.

At the other end, 29% said that retail media was less important than in-store display activity for retailer-driven programs. And only 23% said retail media was more important than traditional media, but 59% said it was equally as important.

On Platform vs. Off Platform (Most Valuable) What’s most valuable?

Particular assets 83%

Paid search/boosted products/sponsored ads

42%

On-platform display advertising

Integrated assets

29%

On platform**

On platform

42%

Off platform

29%

21%

Targeted digital coupons/offers Brand shops

4%

Pre-populated product carousels

4% 50%

Off-platform display advertising Off platform**

Paid search

44%

Social media

44%

Add-to-cart enablers

19% 69%

In-store marketing Food & Beverage* CPGs more likely to say Integrated Assets are most valuable: 39% vs. 20% among those manufacturing other products*

Integrated assets**

44%

In-app opportunities

25%

Email Push notifications Other

19% 1%

Q. Which retailer media network asset is most valuable to your company’s marketing goals?

Q. Which particular asset delivers that value? (Select up to two) *Small sample size (<50n). Interpret data with caution. **Very small sample size (<25n). Insights are directional only.

Source: Path to Purchase Institute Retailer Media Network Study, May 2022

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On Platform vs. Off Platform (ROI) What delivers best ROI?

Particular assets 73%

Paid search/boosted products/sponsored ads

49%

On-platform display advertising On platform**

Integrated assets

20%

Off platform

21%

Targeted digital coupons/offers

18%

Brand shops 9% Pre-populated product carousels

On platform

59%

3% 58%

Off-platform display advertising Off platform**

42%

Paid search

25%

Social media Add-to-cart enablers

17% 55%

In-store marketing Integrated assets**

In-app opportunities

46%

Email

46% 27%

Push notifications Other

1%

Q. Which retailer media network asset is most valuable to your company’s marketing goals?

Q. Which particular asset delivers that return? (Select up to two) **Very small sample size (<25n). Insights are directional only.

Source: Path to Purchase Institute Retailer Media Network Study, May 2022

Retail Media Strategies A portion of the survey focused on the on-platform vs. offplatform assets of retailer media networks. When asked which was most valuable to their company’s marketing goals, 42% of respondents said on platform, while 29% chose off platform and 29% chose integrated assets. When asked which delivered the best ROI, 59% chose on platform, while 21% said off platform and 21% said integrated assets.

As far as which particular assets deliver the most value, 83% of the on-platform respondents answered “paid search/boosted products/sponsored ads.” Among the off-platform respondents, 50% said “off-platform display advertising” delivered the most value. And 69% of the integrated assets respondents said “instore marketing” delivered the most value.

When asked which particular assets deliver the best ROI, 73% of the on-platform respondents answered “paid search/boosted products/sponsored ads.” Among the off-platform respondents, 58% said “off-platform display advertising” delivered the best ROI. And 55% of the integrated assets respondents said “push notifications” delivered the best ROI.

Retail Media Ecosystem To get an understanding of the players beyond the retailers themselves, we asked respondents if their organizations

Challenging Aspects 25%

Data/reporting Cost/ROI

17%

Lack of consistency

17%

Processes/communication

17%

Minimum spend requirements

15%

Efficacy/agility

13%

Creativity

13%

Inefficiencies

6%

Constantly changing

4%

Attribution

4%

Other

4%

Q. What has been the most challenging aspect of working with retailer media networks? (open-ended) Source: Path to Purchase Institute Retailer Media Network Study, May 2022

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Special Report

Behind the Data RESEARCH SHOWS THERE’S A CONSOLIDATION OPPORTUNITY FOR RETAIL MEDIA B Y R YA N B R I T T O N

When 80% of marketers say the retail media channel is as important or more important than social (ditto for mobile), it’s clear we’ve turned a corner.

That’s just one of many notable findings in the Path to Purchase Institute’s “Retailer Media Networks Research” report, but it highlights how the channel has emerged as an essential pillar of the CPG marketing mix. In fact, the survey respondents largely agreed it’s the “new slotting fee” for a digital age.

“

For example, consider the spending inefficiency brands already report across networks. More than 40% of marketing leaders surveyed by the Path to Purchase Institute said they are overspending on networks versus inventory aggregators — and the more networks they work with, the more inefficiency they report.

Moreover, a third of respondents are unhappy with network measurement capabilities, and a similar percentage is dissatisfied with network data sharing.

With a more aggregated approach, retail media can be much more than a slotting fee for digital commerce. It can be more strategic, efficient and lucrative for all stakeholders.

With more than half of brand leaders surveyed saying they increased investment for 2022, spending reflects this shift, as does the number of new networks launched by retailers ranging from Ulta Beauty to Uber.

But retail media’s soaring growth, which industry analysts have been predicting for months, is just part of the important story this research has to tell. Between the lines, it shows there’s a problem brewing: fragmentation.

Most CPG brands surveyed reported working with multiple retail media networks on disparate UIs. The biggest spenders may work with 10 or more — not to mention any inventory aggregators or other platforms they plug into. Amid all the progress in retail media, this platform proliferation should be a red flag because it has bottom-line implications.

”

Marketers want more targeting options, clear attribution, and the ability to measure incrementality and ROAS across networks. Disjointed dashboards make that virtually impossible.

These sentiments mirror what Criteo has been hearing from advertisers. Our data shows that the top factor holding back organizations from investing in retail media is inefficient budget and decision-making processes, and 75% of marketers said their organizations are over-indexing on spend in retail media walled gardens. What’s more, 83% of marketers said their organizations would invest more in retail media if a unified platform could provide standardized ad formats and reporting with access to multiple retailers.

Platform fragmentation prevents brands from getting a holistic view

of spending and performance. And as more networks join the ecosystem, the problem will only worsen.

Without an aggregation strategy, the channel isn’t scalable, and growth isn’t sustainable.

For retail media to reach its full potential, brands need a way to streamline and consolidate inventory management and merge disparate access points. Doing so will alleviate many of the pain points that the surveyed marketers are reporting.

With a more aggregated approach, retail media can be much more than a slotting fee for digital commerce. It can be more strategic, efficient and lucrative for all stakeholders. Increased competition for inventory will improve yield for retailers. Brands will benefit from simpler management and optimized budget allocation. And consumers will enjoy more relevant and engaging shopping experiences.

If we solve these fundamental issues now, the industry can take better advantage of the opportunities that will come with Retail Media 3.0. We’ll go beyond sponsored ads and display to create new consumer experiences. We’ll adopt a more full-funnel approach to turn brand awareness into conversions. And we’ll tap into digital shelf insights to inform product decisions. But first, we need a simpler, more transparent and unified inventory marketplace.

About the Author

Ryan Britton is Vice President of Sales, Retail Media, Americas, at Criteo.

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Media Inventory Aggregators Annual Revenue TOTAL 46%

Criteo

39%

Quotient CitrusAd

38%

PromoteIQ

29%

No, we don’t work with any media inventory aggregators

23%

Category

<$500M*

>$500M*

Food & Beverage*

Household Products**

Other*

30%

62%

39%

44%

50%

22%

55%

46%

50%

25%

37%

38%

35%

38%

39%

11%

45%

27%

38%

25%

33%

14%

23%

19%

18%

Q. Does your company works with any media inventory aggregators (a single point of contact that buys inventory from multiple retailer platforms for the purposes of reselling)? If so, which ones? *Small sample size (<50n). Interpret data with caution. **Very small sample size (<25n). Insights are directional only.

Source: Path to Purchase Institute Retailer Media Network Study, May 2022

worked with any media inventory aggregators. (Editor’s note: we define a media inventory aggregator as a single point of contact that buys inventory from multiple retailer platforms for the purposes of reselling.) Seventy-seven percent said they did, indicating that they work with Criteo (46%), Quotient (39%), CitrusAd (38%) and PromoteIQ (29%).

Beyond aggregators, 96% of respondents said they worked

with third-party media sellers, and most indicated they worked with at least six of these companies. (Editor’s note: We define third-party media sellers as media providers that are not part of the retailer’s media network and do not have access to the retailer’s first-party data.) The top players cited most by respondents included Facebook (54%), Ibotta (46%), Instagram (45%), Google (45%), TikTok (38%), YouTube (34%),

Third-Party Media Sellers 54%

Facebook Ibotta

46%

InMarket

18% 18% 18%

Instagram

45%

Fetch

Google

45%

Chicory

TikTok

38%

21%

Inmar Intelligence

Spotify

16%

YouTube

34%

Hulu

14%

Neptune Retail Solutions

34%

Epsilon

14%

Pinterest

32%

Pandora

13%

Shopkick

27%

Vibenomics 5%

Aki

27%

Other 5%

Valassis

25%

No, we don’t work with any third-party media sellers

4%

Q. Does your organization currently work with any third-party media sellers (a media provider who is not part of the retailer’s media network and does not have access to the retailer’s first-party data)? If so, which ones?

Source: Path to Purchase Institute Retailer Media Network Study, May 2022

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Spend: Over-Indexing on Retailer Media Networks vs. Inventory Aggregators?

Special Report SaaS Platform Providers No, we don’t work with any SaaS platform providers to run retail media

50%

Perpetua

13%

Skai

Quartile

Yes

16%

Marin Software

Flywheel

14%

25%

Pacvue

Kevel

Not sure

43%

No

13%

43%

5% 4% 2%

Q. Do you work with any SaaS platform providers to run retail media?

Q. Do you feel like your spend is over-indexing on retailer media networks versus inventory aggregators relative to sales potential?

Source: Path to Purchase Institute Retailer Media Network Study, May 2022

Source: Path to Purchase Institute Retailer Media Network Study, May 2022

Other

4%

Neptune Retail Solutions (34%) and Pinterest (32%).

Furthermore, half of respondents said they worked with a SaaS (software as a service) platform provider. Pacvue (25%), Perpetua (16%), Marin Software (13%) and Skai (13%) were the providers named most often.

Among the different players, we wanted to understand the breakdown of retail media budgets among retailer networks, aggregators and third-party sellers. On average, nearly half of respondents’ retail media budgets go to retailer networks, while the other half is split between third-party sellers and aggregators.

When respondents were asked if they felt their spend was

over-indexing on retailer networks as opposed to aggregators relative to sales potential, there was no clear answer on the best strategic approach. “Yes” and “no” each garnered 43% of the responses, with “not sure” coming in at 14%. Respondents who work in shopper or customer marketing roles were more likely to answer “yes” than others, as well as those who worked with six-plus retailer networks.

Capabilities and Metrics To understand what retailer networks needed to offer to deliver an effective campaign, we provided respondents with a list of capabilities and asked them to choose three.

Most Important Capabilities

77%

57% 43%

39% 27% 16%

Targeting options

Data sharing

Closed-loop measurement

Goal-based Creative flexibility optimization tools & freedom

Forecasting

14% Unified interface for all channels

2% Other

Q. Which of these capabilities are most important for retailer media networks to offer to deliver an effective campaign? Select three.

Source: Path to Purchase Institute Retailer Media Network Study, May 2022

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Targeting options (77%), data sharing (57%), closed-loop measurement (43%) and goalbased optimization tools (39%) were the top picks. (The percentages were even higher among respondents who worked in shopper or customer marketing.)

To understand outcomes for retail media tactics, we asked respondents to choose two from our list. ROI (66%) and sales growth (59%) were identified as most critical.

We then asked how satisfied respondents were with the measurement capabilities as well as the data-sharing capabilities of retailer networks. For each, 66% said they were satisfied with some or most of what the networks offer, and 34% said they were not satisfied.

Getting into particular metrics, we asked which metrics were most valuable when assessing campaign performance on retailer networks. (Respondents could select up to three metrics from our list.) The metrics that rose to the top were incremental sales (55%), return on ad spend (46%) and return on investment (43%).

Challenges with Retail Media With an open-ended question, we asked our survey takers what the most challenging aspect was when working with a retailer media network. Answers related to data and reporting were the most common, named by 25% of respondents. Additionally, cost/ROI, lack of consistency, processes/communication and minimum spend requirements were some of the other challenges faced most often.

Related to data and reporting, respondents identified these challenges: • “Getting access to the right data and segmentation for targeting.”

• “Lack of metrics and a consistent way to measure retail media across retailers.”

• “It is not possible to determine whether the [shopper] group is valuable.”

Other specific challenges with retailer media networks identified were: • “Calculating a true ROI versus other channels.”

• “Lead time and having a key contact to work with.”

• “The ever-growing minimum investments that these retailer partners are asking for.”

Most Important Outcomes ROI is more important for organizations with revenues <$500M*:

66%

74% vs. 59% for those with revenues >$500M*

59% Sales growth is more important for organizations with revenues >$500M*: 69% vs. 48% for those with revenues <$500M*

34%

• Awareness • New to brand

11% ROI

Sales growth

Conversion

Engagement

9% Traffic

4% Other

Q. What outcomes are most important for your retail media tactics?

Select up to two. *Small sample size (<50n). Interpret data with caution.

Source: Path to Purchase Institute Retailer Media Network Study, May 2022

How Satisfied Are You With …?

Measurement capabilities

Data-sharing capabilities

45% 39% 27%

Satisfied with capabilities of most RMNs

34%

34% 21%

Satisfied with capabilities of some RMNs

Not satisfied with capabilities of most RMNs

Satisfied with capabilities of most RMNs

Satisfied with capabilities of some RMNs

Not satisfied with capabilities of most RMNs

Q. In general, how would you rate your satisfaction with the measurement capabilities of retailer media networks?

Q. In general, how would you rate your satisfaction with the data sharing capabilities of retailer media networks?

Source: Path to Purchase Institute Retailer Media Network Study, May 2022

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Most Valuable Metrics

Special Report

55%

Incremental sales Return on ad spend

• “Standing out from the competitors who use the same media.”

• “Their ‘templated’ creative has many guardrails restricting messaging and how creative assets are leveraged.”

• “It’s a new medium and constantly evolving yet quickly ramping up, so you have to stay on your toes. Also, each platform has different capabilities and requirements, and it can be difficult to keep track of it.”

Return on investment

As a gut-check to finish our survey, we asked respondents: Is retail media the new slotting fee? Sixty-four percent said yes. (In our Trends 2022 survey released earlier this year, 33% said retailer media platforms were a simple money grab for the retailer.)

Additionally, we asked if respondents have found the extra cost of retailer media networks worth it to their organizations. Nearly twothirds answered “yes” — 39% said it was worth it for incremental merchandising space and other return-on-relationship benefits, and 27% said it was worth it for access to first-party shopper data/targeted audiences.

Finally, it wouldn’t be a 2022 research report without inquiring about the metaverse — and how retail media might be intertwined with it in the future. Eleven percent of respondents believe that metaverse buys will be part of retail media by the end of this year, and another 62% said they will be in the next 2-4 years.

Is Retail Media the New Slotting Fee?

43%

Attributable sales

32%

Conversion rate

29%

Share of voice

25%

Percent sales in-store

18%

Impressions

16%

Click-through rate Percent sales online Other

Now … And Then

46%

14% 11% 2%

Q. Which metrics are most valuable to you when assessing campaign performance on retailer media networks? Select up to three.

Source: Path to Purchase Institute Retailer Media Network Study, May 2022

Metaverse Part of Retail Media?

62%

16%

11% By the end of the year

In the next 2-4 years

Maybe in 5-10 years

11% What’s the metaverse?

Q. How long do you think it will be until metaverse buys are part of retail media?

Source: Path to Purchase Institute Retailer Media Network Study, May 2022

Is the Extra Cost Worth It? Yes, for incremental merchandising space and other return-onrelationship benefits

No

Yes, for access to first-party shopper data/ targeted audiences

36%

39%

27%

Yes

64%

No/It’s complicated

34%

Q. Retailer media networks typically cost more than other mainstream digital media or third-party media sellers. Have you found the extra cost worth it?

Source: Path to Purchase Institute Retailer Media Network Study, May 2022

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2022 MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

NOW is the Perfect Time to

JOIN! NEW IN 2022

2022 EVENT SCHEDULE (may be subject to change)

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All Learning Labs & Virtual Forums included in corporate and universal memberships

A Membership Plan for EVERY size company:

CORPORATE UNIVERSAL The ONLY community that connects THOUSANDS of MEDIA, SHOPPER, OMNICHANNEL and COMMERCE MARKETING professionals essential for solving today’s business problems and driving growth.

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The most comprehensive collection of commerce insights and perspectives in North America.

Sharing the TOOLS, KNOWLEDGE & EXPERTISE necessary to activate and execute against today’s shopper marketing demands.

CONTACT:

22-33-PATH_SR retailmedia.indd 33

Patrece Remmel premmel@ensembleiq.com

Tools & Training Research & Thought Leadership

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REGGIE Awards

EXCELLENCE IN ACTIVATION

Best-in-class campaigns from this year’s REGGIE Awards

BY MICHAEL APPLEBAU M

FOR THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW, we present overviews of selected shopperfocused programs that were honored in the Association of National Advertisers’ (ANA) annual REGGIE Awards. “Reggie,” shorthand for “cash register,” is an acknowledgment that the ultimate objective of any brand activation program is to drive sales. We’re

grateful to have received the ANA’s support in compiling these mini case studies. Each of these campaigns are worthy of “best in class” designation for the unique ways in which they engaged shoppers and drove results.

The 2023 ANA REGGIE Awards program will be open for entries this fall. For full details and to download an entry kit, visit REGGIEAwards.org.

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SPK Mystery at Circle K Marketer: Mondelez International Agency: Phoenix Creative Reggie Category: New Product or Service Launch (BRONZE)

Lego Barcelona Flagship Opening Marketer: The Lego Group Agency: TracyLocke Reggie Category: Small Budget Activation Marketing, Budget Less Than $500,000 (BRONZE)

Bringing its new “retailtainment” platform to life, The Lego Group unveiled its flagship store in Barcelona in October 2021. As part of a strategy to build awareness for the opening and drive traffic to the store, Lego launched a promotional campaign centered around the mosaic-themed designs of Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí.

The focal point of the campaign was a giant mosaic plate — weighing 265 pounds and stretching nine feet in diameter — built from more than 250,000 Lego bricks. Working with its agency partners, Lego dropped the plate to the ground as crowds of super-fans and influencers joined the celebration. Visitors were encouraged to gather the pieces and build their own Gaudiinspired creations while browsing the new store.

As part of the promotional support, an omnichannel “Always Creating” campaign featuring the Lego mosaic plate included targeted social ads across owned and paid channels.

Shareable content not only drove traffic, but also offered consumers a chance to experience the exclusive event via a social contest.

Even as COVID-19 restrictions limited store capacity, Lego was able to generate an approximate footfall of 100,000 visitors in four weeks. The campaign garnered strong earned media value and coverage with a total of 365 million impressions, in addition to surpassing sales expectations by a wide margin during its opening month.

Facing stiff competition from other nonchocolate candy brands, Sour Patch Kids looked to energize Millennials and Gen Z shoppers through an exclusive, mystery-themed “Secret Circle” promotion at Circle K stores. In spring 2021, Mondelez International and Circle K introduced a mystery flavor Sour Patch Kids pack with a limitededition SPK mystery flavor, “Polar Pop,” in a buy one, get one for $1 combo available only at Circle K. Millennials and Gen Z consumers are notoriously difficult to reach with traditional marketing.

Thus, Sour Patch Kids and Circle K wanted to promote an original idea that focused on mystery flavors — a favorite attraction for this audience.

SPK Mystery creative invited every Circle K shopper to become a sleuth in the search for the mystery flavor, blanketing stores on signage, gas pumps, exterior signs, window clings, fountain beverage machines, shelf talkers and frontcounter mats. Consumers could also earn points with SPK purchases and redeem them for prizes in a sweepstakes contest. To reach on-thego customers, a national, geo-targeted digital program was rolled out with high-impact ad placements and mystery-themed creative.

The Secret Circle at Circle K program generated incremental sales that were well above expectations for both the Sour Patch Kids brand and overall category.

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REGGIE Awards Heinz Art of the Burger Marketer: Kraft Heinz Agency: TKH Publicis Shopper and Wieden + Kennedy Reggie Category: Shopper Marketing, Retailer-Specific or Omnichannel Marketing (GOLD)

Countdown to Crunchtime Marketer: Frito-Lay North America Agencies: The Integer Group and D3 Reggie Category: Entertainment or Sports Marketing and/or Sponsorship (GOLD) While chips are a staple at every Super Bowl viewing occasion, 45% of shoppers complete their trip mission on the way to a Super Bowl party. FritoLay sought to move this purchase up so it’s not last minute by tapping into playoff gathering occasions leading up to Super Bowl LV on Feb. 7, 2021.

Enter Countdown to Crunchtime, an omnichannel campaign to build excitement for FritoLay’s portfolio of snack brands — including Lay’s, Tostitos and Doritos — and to drive chip buying urgency throughout the NFL postseason. As the fourth quarter of each playoff game began, an announcement on Frito-Lay’s social channels alerted fans that they had 60 minutes to enter a sweepstakes for a chance to win $100,000 or other NFL prizes with purchase of participating Frito-Lay products.

In a national ad campaign, creative featured prominent and relatable NFL talent and highlighted Frito-Lay chips and dips as the perfect complement to game day. At retail, POS displays and thematic packaging brought the NFL and Frito-Lay equities to life using high-energy graphics and unique die cuts for maximum disruptive impact.

Countdown to Crunchtime achieved its goals “by tapping into an existing consumer behavior while ensuring that our messaging wasn’t just about the Super Bowl,” said Jon Watts, senior director of marketing at Frito-Lay North America.

“It was about establishing Frito-Lay brands as essential snacks to have on hand every time you sat down to watch a game.”

Looking to break through a saturated condiment category, Heinz fired up the 2021 summer grilling season with a message for burger-loving consumers: there are plenty of other condiment options besides ketchup. Among the brand’s target audience were grilling champs and burger enthusiasts for whom crafting the perfect burger is an art form.

At the center of the program was a user-generated content contest where consumers submitted images of their burgers in seven sauce categories to be judged on their creativity and presentation.

The idea was to elevate Heinz from a condiment commodity to a catalyst for creativity by bringing the art world in-store while still connecting to the shopping occasion of summertime grilling.

Key elements of the promotion included disruptive in-store displays and signage, online ads, social media posts and retailer website content.

Retailer-specific executions ran at Walmart (including digital content with Tastemade and influencer partnerships with TikTok), Publix, Walgreens, Ahold Delhaize, Target and Meijer.

The Art of the Burger resulted in 55% more incremental bottles sold than the goal (for 6.2 million total) and generated more than 3,300 consumer burger masterpiece submissions for a total of 733 million PR impressions. Heinz plans to continue the program this year.

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We Speak Laundry Marketer: Henkel Agency: The Mars Agency Reggie Category: Rebranding, Repositioning or Reintroducing Brand Marketing (BRONZE)

Choose a Spirit to Fit Your Lifestyle Marketer: Diageo Agency: Arc Worldwide Reggie Category: Shopper Marketing, Retailer-Specific or Omnichannel Marketing (SILVER)

Today’s consumers increasingly seek out adult beverages that are low calorie and/or low alcohol, clean-tasting and made with natural ingredients.

Diageo sought to counter the belief that such spirit and cocktail choices are limited to the vodka category with a merchandising program that highlighted the lighter qualities of many of its spirits brands. With the insight that mindful spirits shoppers were 15% more likely than general BevAlc buyers to read product labels and packaging claims, Diageo organized its products by claims that resonated with shoppers most, such as “under 100 calories,” “zero-sugar” and “carbfree.” The program included a digital toolkit for retailers to feature the brand’s content on their own retailer media properties, as well as custom endcaps, WOW displays and case stackers.

Diageo hosted regional in-store sampling events where legal-age shoppers could taste a series of new mindful cocktail recipes (think an 86-calorie Captain Morgan Rum & Ginger), developed in partnership with Diageo’s on-staff professional bartender. On-premise activations at restaurants and bars featured the recipes on menus to extend the reach of the program.

Choose a Spirit to Fit Your Lifestyle surpassed business expectations, increasing Diageo’s portfolio sales by more than 12% over the previous year and achieving incremental display/merchandising in more than 1,500 stores.

For many Walmart shoppers, doing laundry is an important way to show their families that they care. But even more Walmart shoppers — 85% — are “very satisfied” with their current laundry routine. Henkel saw an opportunity to capitalize on this disconnect between the shopper’s pride as a family caretaker and a “what I use is good enough” attitude toward washing clothes by tapping into the emotional role that laundry plays in the shopper’s life.

We Speak Laundry centered around a first-tomarket category solution campaign on Walmart. com featuring Henkel’s laundry brands Snuggle, All, Purex, Borax, Zout and Persil. Visitors to the landing page selected their unique laundry problem (and their budget limits) and were offered a selection of custom ready-to-purchase product regimens to deliver quick, effective solutions.

Walmart Connect on-site and off-site display media directed visitors to the platform, while emails sent to Walmart+ members reinforced the campaign’s problem-solution oriented messaging and how Henkel’s brands could make laundry routines more efficient.

The campaign drove a 7.36% incremental sales lift and ROAS that surpassed the benchmark goal by 186%. Based on those strong results, Walmart and Henkel expanded the program in stores in the first half of 2022.

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REGGIE Awards Trolli x 20 Years of Xbox Marketer: Ferrara Candy Co. and Microsoft Xbox Agency: Tripleclix Reggie Category: Gaming or eSports Marketing (SILVER)

Be in a Class of Your Own Marketer: Mondelez International Agency: Phoenix Creative Reggie Category: Partnership Marketing (SILVER)

Gum sales have been slipping for years, and the category has lost relevance with consumers.

At CVS, younger Millennial and Gen Z shoppers were coming in store for beauty products as the COVID-19 pandemic receded, but they were passing up gum, which they did not view as relevant or fun.

Mondelez International sought to address these challenges by shifting its Trident brand positioning to an emotionally uplifting and playful experience while partnering with Maybelline’s Baby Lips lip balm brand on a back-to-school program to drive incremental purchases at CVS. Be in a Class of Your Own featured custom, fourtier partnership displays at 3,943 stores nationwide that paired Trident and Baby Lips products with enticing graphics. A quarter-page ad ran in CVS circulars with an ExtraBucks offer for $4 back on purchases of $9. A CVS Beauty Instagram post featuring custom flavor-forward art helped build awareness of the deal and reinforced Trident as a natural player in the beauty channel.

The program exceeded all sales goals and expectations. Gum category sales at CVS increased 11.7% versus the previous year and total basket size increased by 2%. Trident dollar sales increased 12% and household penetration increased 17.7 points to 62.9%. The program boosted Baby Lips as well, increasing household penetration 25.4 points to 39.7%.

In 2021, Trolli wanted to expand its reach within the gaming audience while driving sales of its gummy worms and other candy products.

Thus, Trolli (part of Nestle’s confectionary business owned by The Ferrero Group) partnered with Xbox, which was celebrating its 20-year anniversary, to deliver an on-pack offer to Gen Z candy consumers and hardcore gamers.

As part of the promotion, Trolli released a series of “deliciously dark” limited-edition packaging inspired by Xbox games “Halo Infinite,” ‘Psychonauts 2,” “Sea of Thieves” and “Destiny 2.” Each qualifying purchase of specially marked packages offered fans a free month to the popular Xbox Game Pass subscription service. Trolli also worked with Xbox to develop a custom Xbox Series S console as a sweepstakes overlay and launched League Trolli, an always-on, grassroots e-sports tournament organization to support amateur e-sports communities.

Trolli sales rose 21.3% year-over-year as a result of the program, vastly outpacing competitors in the space. Trolli saw awareness grow to 83%, a 55% earned brand fan conversion rate and a 60% earned gaming influencer conversion rate. League Trolli players reported that 92% recognized Trolli products more when shopping and 64% purchased Trolli more due to their involvement, proving Trolli was able to become credible/authentic with core gamers.

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MORE STAND UT CAMPAIGNS The 65+ Skincare Opportunity

Marketer: Johnson & Johnson Agency: The Integer Group Reggie Category: Age-Targeted Marketing (GOLD)

Women ages 65 and up are spending more time and money online and on social media than ever. Neutrogena’s Rapid skincare products intercepted this audience on Facebook with ingredient-forward messaging and imagery that reflected how they see themselves, positioning Rapid as the smart way to get affordable, prestigeworthy benefits without sacrificing results.

Oreo Pokemon Adventure at Target

Marketer: Mondelez International Agency: VMLY&R Commerce Reggie Category: Shopper Marketing, Retailer-Specific or Omnichannel Marketing (BRONZE)

Looking to develop an e-commerce play for Oreo’s limited-edition Pokemon partnership at Target, the Mondelez brand highlighted different Pokemon characters via animated social posts.

This helped drive awareness of the Pokemon characters that could be “captured” by purchasing multiple packages of Oreo cookies and encouraged basket building across multiple shopping trips.

Canfessional

Marketer: Kimberly-Clark Agency: FCB Chicago Reggie Categories: Influencer Marketing (GOLD); Digital, Social or Mobile Marketing (BRONZE) Kimberly-Clark’s Poise brand was launching its first 2-in-1 bladder leak and period pad but had one clear problem: young women are inclined to avoid the category.

In an influencer-led social activation, Poise invited women into The Canfessional, a safe space to get real about life, leaks and what really happens in the bathroom.

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REGGIE Awards Save It, See It

Marketer: Anheuser-Busch/Michelob Ultra Agency: GUT Reggie Category: Creativity & Innovation (BRONZE)

Recognizing the fact that female athletes don’t get the same treatment as male athletes, Michelob Ultra created an anthem film dedicated to stars from women’s college and professional sports. It then encouraged Instagram users to hit the “save” button on the film, which would enable women’s sports to show up in more user feeds than in the past.

Sargento and Mondelez: Balanced Breaks Cheese & Crackers

Marketer: Sargento Foods Agency: Ogilvy Chicago Reggie Category: Partnership Marketing (BRONZE)

Sargento and Mondelez International teamed up on a beatboxing campaign aimed at Millennials to promote the launch of this classic snack pairing. A new customized beatbox track was at the center of the campaign, backed by broadcast TV, digital video and social media to drive awareness, as well as shopper promotions to drive early incremental trial.

Jameson SPTO

Marketer: Pernod Ricard USA Agency: Weber Shandwick Reggie Category: Content Marketing (SILVER) Jameson’s Irish whiskey brand ran a multi-week cultural campaign to remind Americans to take time off work during the St. Patrick’s Day holiday. A total of 1,000 people who pledged to take SPTO (St. Patrick’s time off) won $50. An additional $50 “tip” for each winner went to the Restaurant Workers Community Foundation, complementing Jameson’s donation of $150,000.

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Snap to Steal

Marketer: Frito-Lay North America Agency: Goodby Silverstein & Partners Reggie Categories: Creativity & Innovation (SILVER); National Consumer Brand Activation Marketing (BRONZE) PepsiCo used Snapchat’s image recognition technology to turn a Super Bowl commercial about stealing Cheetos into an ad people could “steal” Cheetos from. An AR experience featured a 3D hand appearing to steal a bag of new Cheetos Crunch Pop Mix, and users could click on it to receive a coupon for a free bag redeemable at their local store.

‘The Raisin House’

Marketer: Sun-Maid Agency: Quench Reggie Categories: Small Budget Brand Activation Marketing, Overall Budget Less than $500,000 (GOLD); Holiday or Seasonal Marketing (GOLD) Sun-Maid leaned into the unpopularity of raisins with kids on Halloween by erecting an actual Raisin House in Merchantville, New Jersey, full of tricks and treats: a dead products graveyard featuring headstones with names like “raisin toothpaste” and “rehydrated dried fruit;” a live zombie sampling wall; and an 8-foot-tall raisin monster aptly named The Monster of San Joaquin Valley.

The Lil Jif Project

Marketer: The J.M. Smucker Co. Agency: PSOne Reggie Categories: National Consumer Brand Activation Marketing (GOLD); Content Marketing (GOLD) When rapper Ludacris released his first single in more than six years, no one could understand the lyrics. It was intentional: he sang with a mouthful of Jif peanut butter. That moment kicked off a viral TikTok challenge inviting Jif lovers to do the same, sparking renewed interest and a major sales comeback.

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TRENDS

SHAPING THE FUTURE OF CONSUMER ENGAGEMENT B Y E M I LY S A F I A N - D E M E R S

What does the future of retail and commerce hold? Over the past two years, shopping habits have undergone a seismic shift. Lockdowns and quarantines pushed shoppers online en masse, sending the digital revolution into hyperdrive, upending standard paths to purchase and introducing a new commerce lexicon.

From direct-to-avatar retail to virtual flagships, the e-commerce landscape is rapidly evolving. Newly digitized habits are also paving the way for the creator economy, with co-creative platforms and social media superfollowers. And in the world of IRL retail, as bricks-and-mortar retail picks back up, physical stores are being reformatted.

Read on for a roadmap to the future of retail, adapted from Wunderman Thompson Intelligence’s “The Future 100: 2022” report.

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Co-Creative Platforms

Source: Together Labs, creator of avatar-based social platform IMVU

The next generation of digital platforms is putting creative power in the hands of the user.

“For Generation Alpha and Generation Z, customization and creation are intricate parts of their gaming experience,” says Keith Stuart, games editor at The Guardian. “For them, customization and the play element are part of the same thing — self-expression and exploration.”

Snapchat believes that creativity is the driving force propelling the future of digital engagement. As a user, “you’re not creating content that people consume, you’re creating content that people then create with,” says Carolina Arguelles Navas, group product marketing manager at Snap Inc. “That’s really powerful. You’re putting out a piece of content that everyone personalizes and has a personal experience with.”

IMVU is a “next-generation social network” that revolves around creativity. “There are over 200,000 creators on our platform. Over the years we’ve amassed 50 million items in our catalog [almost all of which are user-driven],” says Daren Tsui, CEO of the social app and its parent company Together Labs. “We create 0.001%; everything else is done by creators.”

IMVU calls creativity “the new status symbol” for the next digital era — dethroning influence and income. When users come onto the platform, “making money is not the most important thing for them. It’s about being recognized for their creations,” Tsui explains.

Why it’s interesting: Online habits are evolving. As stated by digital fashion house The Fabricant, in the digital world “people are not passive consumers, but creative agents crafting their self-expression and curating their virtual identity.”

Superfollowers

Social media apps are allowing users to monetize their content without using third-party apps, creating new tiers within their creator communities.

Twitter launched Super Follows in September 2021 — a new feature that allows content creators to tweet out exclusively to their superfollowers, who pay to view subscriber-only content. Super Follows users can charge from $2.99 to $9.99 a month through payment app Stripe, and can earn up to 97% of their subscription revenue after third-party fees until they reach earnings of $50,000 across all Twitter monetization products.

Tumblr also launched a new subscription feature in September 2021, open to all users in the United States. Its Post Plus offering allows creators to post only to subscribed followers, similar to Twitter’s Super Follows. Tumblr posters can charge from $1.99 to $9.99 a month, and can paywall existing content, not only new posts.

Why it’s interesting: Social platforms are evolving to offer more than entertainment in multimedia content. Boosted features and incentives to attract, gain and maintain a significant following are driving creativity and enhancing conversations for creators and consumers on social media.

Actual Super Follows content will vary.

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Source: American Eagle

Direct-to-Avatar Retail

From B2B and DTC to DTA — the latest business model sees brands releasing digital products direct to screens.

A host of apparel brands have begun releasing direct-to-avatar (DTA) collections. Nike released its first virtual sneaker collection in April 2022. At the end of 2021, Balenciaga released a collection of in-game clothing in Fortnite. Earlier in the year, Ralph Lauren launched a 50-piece digital wardrobe on social networking app Zepeto, American Eagle debuted its DTA apparel for Bitmojis, and Gucci and The North Face partnered on avatarwear for Pokemon Go. Why it’s interesting: The future of consumerism lies in virtual products, Kerry Murphy, founder and CEO of The Fabricant, predicts.

“People are going to start seeing value in digital items, and realize that they’d rather interact with a digital item, or have an infinite wardrobe of digital fashion items but a very limited wardrobe of physical items,” he says.

energy movement, making electricity from sustainable sources universally accessible and affordable.

In July 2021, John Lewis Partnership — British parent company of retail brands John Lewis & Partners and Waitrose & Partners — revealed plans to become a private landlord. A survey of its land portfolio identified excess space that could be used for at least 7,000 homes. The properties, ranging from studio flats to four-bedroom houses, will be built on the partnership’s sites, meaning householders could soon be living above a Waitrose supermarket or next to a distribution center. By 2030, John Lewis Partnership aims to have 40% of its profits coming from non-retail lines.

Why it’s interesting: In the new retail era, consumers no longer see brands as serving one core purpose. People want deeper experiences with the brands they trust, so there are opportunities to capture new revenue streams. Diversification could be key to the future of brick-and-mortar.

Retail Shapeshifters

Long-term challenges are forcing retailers to rethink their core offers, with some diversifying into novel areas.

In the face of falling foot traffic, disrupted supply chains and labor shortages, enterprising retailers are shifting gears, finding creative ways to diversify that go beyond the borders of their business.

In a swing away from flat-pack furniture, Ikea is aiming to build the world’s biggest renewable

Source: Ikea

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Private Domains

Messaging platforms are becoming the next battleground for brands and loyalty.

Chat commerce (ccommerce, c-commerce or cCommerce) — also known as private domain commerce — is sprouting on messaging platforms.

In China, WeChat — which has 1.2 billion monthly users — has been especially successful in building relationships with luxury brands through livestreaming and private messaging. Consumers spend an annual average of $26,550 via WeChat, according to a 2020 report by Boston Consulting Group and Tencent Marketing Insight.

In Thailand, global brands like Burberry, Louis Vuitton and Chanel have launched official accounts on messaging app Line, engaging consumers with custom stickers, livestreamed fashion shows and digital ads.

Line Shopping, the commerce arm of the chat platform, boasts more than 7 million users in Thailand alone, as of July 2021.

Why it’s interesting: As people increasingly converse on WeChat, WhatsApp and Line, brands are jumping on these chat platforms to build smaller but more intimate, personalized relationships with groups of consumers.

Virtual Flagships

Digital flagship stores are taking over e-commerce storefronts.

Samsung opened a virtual replica of its flagship New York store in Decentraland in January 2022. In July 2021, luxury brand Fendi opened a 360-degree digital flagship based on its 57th Street store in New York, offering visitors virtual tours and access to its latest collections. Hermes has rolled out digital flagships in Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and Thailand.

Lancome debuted its first virtual flagship in Singapore, in summer 2020, offering 3D shopping experiences, consultations and educational events, and included a “discover zone” where visitors could take a personality test, designed by psychologist Perpetua Neo, to find their strength. The L’Oreal-owned skincare brand has since introduced virtual pop-ups for Australia, Korea and the United States.

Why it’s interesting: 81% of global consumers agree that a brand’s digital presence is as important as its instore presence, a July 2021 Wunderman Thompson Data survey found. And according to predictions from eMarketer, the global e-commerce market will grow from $4.89 trillion in 2021 to $5.42 trillion in 2022. Virtual flagships are becoming the new storefront to entice shoppers and enhance a brand’s overall digital experience.

Source: Fendi

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Source: Patti & Ricky/Alexis Buatti-Ramos, Hyphen Photography

Gen Alpha Retail

Born between 2010 and 2025, Generation Alpha — Gen Z’s younger siblings — are already making waves in the retail world. Here are three ways in which Generation Alpha are driving the next era of retail: Genderless shopping. PacSun launched a new gender-neutral children’s clothing brand, PacSun Kids, in June 2021, followed by its own gender-neutral label, Colour Range, in September and its first gender-free kids’ clothing store two months later. In October 2021, California became the first U.S. state to enforce genderless retail, thanks to a new law requiring large stores to have gender-neutral sections for toys and childcare.

Inclusive aisles. Brands and retailers are widening their offerings to be more inclusive of a range of physical and mental abilities. In January 2022, Nike launched FlyEase for kids, a range of hands-free inclusive sneakers and apparel. JCPenney launched children’s clothing with adaptive features in July 2021, and also partnered with adaptive fashion marketplace Patti & Ricky to expand its range of adaptive accessories for kids.

Sustainable play. In May 2021, Mattel launched a program that lets families give back their old Mattel products so the materials can be reused to make new ones. And Lego unveiled its first prototype brick made from recycled plastic in June 2021.

Why it’s interesting: Following in their older siblings’ footsteps, Gen Alphas are cementing the key retail ethics that Gen Zers pioneered.

retail landscape from big-box luxury to community microcosm.

Beales, which closed all of its U.K. stores in 2020, has reopened three locations under new ownership — and is looking beyond retail. The top floors of the Poole branch will be turned into a “health village” run by the National Health Service, with dermatology, orthopedics, ophthalmology, and breast cancer screening departments, as well as counseling rooms for those suffering from long COVID. A new concept department store is reinventing a location formerly occupied by legacy British retailer Debenhams. Called Bobby’s, the new store opened in the U.K. town of Bournemouth in September 2021 and houses a beauty hall, an art gallery and ice-cream and coffee parlor, alongside shopping and local artisans, in place of floors filled with clothing, accessories and homeware.

Future plans include a hairdressing salon, dental services, a microbrewery, and even a smokery.

Why it’s interesting: It’s clear that the traditional department store format is no longer working. Wunderman Thompson Intelligence reported the death of the luxury department store in “The Future 100: 2020,” following a string of closures and bankruptcies among big, longestablished names. Now, the next generation of department stores are having to rethink and adapt.

Department Stores Reformatted

Retailers are rethinking the traditional department store model.

The latest department stores are more town squares than retailers, reflecting a shift in the Source: Beales

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Digital Twins

Source: Burberry

NFT Marketplaces

Brands are finding new revenue streams in the evolving non-fungible-token (NFT) sector.

The New York Stock Exchange filed a trademark application in February 2022 for its own NFT marketplace.

Fractal is a new gaming NFT marketplace from Twitch cofounder Justin Kan, launched in December 2021. The platform raised $35 million in seed funding in April 2022.

Yuga Labs, the owner of Bored Ape Yacht Club, raised $450 million at the end of March 2022 to build its own NFT marketplace and metaverse. The goal is to create “an interoperable world” that is “gamified” and “completely decentralized,” Wylie Aronow, a cofounder of Bored Ape Yacht Club who uses the pseudonym Gordon Goner, told The Verge.

Sotheby’s is the first auction house to launch a marketplace dedicated to NFTs. Announced in October 2021, its Metaverse is backed by celebrities and supports numerous digital artists that it has worked with during the past year.

The Associated Press (AP) has launched an NFT photography marketplace, built by tech provider Xooa. The marketplace Source: Yuga Labs features work by AP photographers past and present, and will include Pulitzer Prize winners.

Why it’s interesting: NFT marketplaces are opening the door to the future of e-commerce.

“There’s always been lots of hype around NFTs, but what investors are now seeing is that it’s actually durable,” Justin Kan told CoinDesk. “Even if it’s a bear market, even if the prices might go down, the idea that people want to collect digital assets on the internet, that’s going to stay.

Digital items in gaming, it’s like a new category of e-commerce, basically.”

Retail stores and factories are being cloned for the virtual world, to promote familiarity and efficiency.

“In the future, every single factory and every single building will have a digital twin that will simulate and track the physical version of it,” Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, told Time in April 2021.

Huang’s vision of the metaverse is “ultimately about the fusion of the virtual and the physical worlds.”

Currently, Nvidia and BMW are partnering on a digital twin of the carmaker’s factory in Regensburg, Germany, allowing the teams to virtually plan and play out new workflow logistics before implementing these changes at BMW’s physical facility.

Retailers are also opening digital twins of existing stores to promote familiarity and more natural navigation for shoppers.

In March 2021, Burberry launched a digital replica of its flagship store in Ginza, Tokyo. And Coach collaborated with virtual store developer Obsess to clone its New York Fifth Avenue flagship store.

“The digital showroom enables wholesale buyers to experience our new collections each season without having to fly in to see products in person, reducing the carbon footprint of our business and speeding the buying process,” explains Giovanni Zaccariello, senior vice president of global visual experience at Coach.

Why it’s interesting: Digital twin stores are innovating the retail sector, with the promise to solve logistical issues for the realworld and replicate the in-person shopping experience.

About the Author: Emily Safian-Demers is an editor at Wunderman Thompson Intelligence.

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Activation Gallery

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1 Pride Month June marked the return of in-person Pride parades and celebrations across the U.S. after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many brands and retailers celebrated the month-long occasion with philanthropic efforts supporting the LGBTQ+ community, themed collections and limitededition product launches, and colorful (or in Skittles’ case, lack thereof) marketing campaigns.

BY JACQU ELI N E BARBA

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Mars Wrigley put its marketing muscle behind an omnichannel campaign for a new variation of its Skittles Pride packs, which historically strip its rainbow and comprise all-gray skittles during June to support the LGBTQ+ community. This year’s pack received a splash of color from six LGBTQ+ artists who crafted original designs that represent how they “see the rainbow” every day. From May 9 through July 15, for every Skittles Pride pack purchased, $1 was donated (up to $100,000) to GLAAD, an organization that works to shape the media narrative for cultural change and LGBTQ+ acceptance.

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Target, a strong supporter of Pride Month, again activated its “Take Pride” campaign in-store and online, highlighting its own philanthropic efforts as well as brands that support LGBTQ+ organizations. This year, the retailer also promoted a dedicated page within its website spotlighting the brands, including Mars Wrigley’s Skittles, Mondelez International’s Oreo, PepsiCo’s Bubly and Johnson & Johnson. Target also elevated its own Pride-themed hub online and launched an exclusive Pride product collection.

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Walgreens united various brands to fill in-store endcaps exclusively merchandising Pride-themed products or items from brands activating Pridethemed initiatives, including Mars

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Pernod Ricard’s Absolut doubled down on its support for the LGBTQ+ community with the launch of “Out & Open,” a digital space and audio-visual series within Absolut.com, led by photographer Bronson Farr.

The initiative featured public figures, like comedian Bowen Yang and queer musicians and writers, to highlight the impact of LGBTQ+ bars and

In June, The Lego Group kicked off an ongoing campaign that will run through 2023, called the “A-Z of Awesome.” The toy brand recruited LGBTQIA+ creators to design Lego creations representing their individual story and the letters representing the community, while also calling on consumers in the community to share their own creations out of Lego bricks using #AtoZofAwesome on social media.

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Wrigley’s Skittles, Mondelez International’s Oreo, Kiss USA and licensed Disney merch.

One endcap spotted by P2PI also included colorful shelf displays from Coty Inc.’s Sally Hansen and CoverGirl promoting their respective GLAAD collaborations.

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Activation Gallery

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Petco this year launched a Pride collection of dog, cat, small animal and pet parent merchandise under its Youly brand, while also pledging to donate 10% of every Pride collection purchase (with a minimum of $125,000, regardless of sales) made between April 24 and July 4 to support the Trevor Project and its mission supporting LGBTQ+ youth. Digital and in-store activity supported the efforts and themed product, including special rainbow “Give Back” badges to call out eligible products.

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Kellogg Co.’s Pop-Tarts this year launched its first Pridethemed box and flavor, called Neon Pink Block Party Lemonade.

In partnership with GLAAD x NEON, a digital content series

powered by GLAAD that amplifies LGBTQ+ Black voices through storytelling, the limited-edition flavor featured colorful frosting art representing people of color in the LGBTQ+ community. Every Friday in June, Pop-Tarts added 450 boxes available for purchase on its Instagram shop for $5, and one of four LGBTQ+ and BIPOC partner organizations was spotlighted on the brand’s social channels.

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As part of CVS Pharmacy’s Pride Month efforts, the retailer recruited multiple LGBTQ+ makeup artists/influencers to demonstrate colorful Pride-inspired looks using national brand and private-label products available at the drugstore chain. Instagram Reels were shared via the CVS

Beauty Instagram handle, including one by Autumn Angelize, who used cosmetics from L’Oreal’s Garnier and NYX as well as CVS’ store brand, all of which also partnered to support The Out Foundation.

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Meijer was among the retailers supporting Mars Wrigley’s Skittles Pride campaign and GLAAD this year, positioning a mostly gray, branded floorstand near checkout. Stocking multiple Pride-themed package designs as well as regular Skittles packs, the displays called out the cause element, communicating an “Only the rainbow matters during Pride so we’ve given up ours to show our support” message and encouraging shoppers to scan the pack to learn more.

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Solutions & Innovations

E-Commerce and Beyond A ROUNDUP OF TECHNOLOGY-DRIVEN TOOLS THAT DRIVE CONSUMER UNDERSTANDING, ENGAGEMENT AND CONVERSION ON EVERY STEP OF THE PATH TO PURCHASE.

BY B ILL SCHOB ER

A mobile store called Santa is delivering in the Dallas-Fort Worth and Boston areas. Vehicles go out twice a week stocked with 20-30 fashion, beauty, tech, home decor and gift items. When it’s close to an app user’s location, it texts them so they can peruse the inventory. If they make a purchase, 12-60 minutes later a personal shopper arrives with those items in hand, letting customers try on clothing or test out decor in the home before getting charged.

Best Upon Request, a national provider of concierge services to businesses, has launched a new mobile app for customers to offload tasks and errands called “BestURequest.” The app is available to employees of organizations that offer Best’s “concierge services” as an employer-paid benefit. They can use the app to request various things, ranging from a shopping trip to Costco or Kroger to lunch deliveries, the shipping of packages, oil change, vacation planning and so on.

Pigee is a startup that partners with small, local businesses that international tourists might discover while on vacation. Pigee connects payment gateways (PayPal, Stripe, Visa, AliPay, Apple Pay) to let travelers see charges calculated in their own currencies. Once payment is made, a tracking number is generated and delivery is managed through partners to the shopper’s home. For travelers, this means no more cramming purchases into suitcases and extra baggage fees.

Savitude, a B2B SaaS platform for assortment optimization and best fit, has launched “Savitude Creative Search,” a discovery engine that integrates into a retailer’s e-commerce platform to recommend best-fit clothing for individual body shapes and proportions. The system was designed to meet fashion shopper expectations regarding inclusivity and personalization. Using patented data, analytics and visual recognition modules, the SaaS module also enables shopper data capture, provides insights and analytics to inform future design and assortment optimization.

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Solutions & Innovations

Spacee has launched HoverTouch, a plug-and-play, AI and computer-vision solution that makes almost any in-store surface (tables, walls, glass, etc.) interactive and also collects data on the interactions. HoverTouch uses light and a projector so shoppers do not have to touch anything, simply hovering their hands. Brands can deploy content in an HTML5-compliant media player, meaning the system can run virtually any content.

There’s also a kiosk option called “HoverTouch React” with a projecting surface.

Perch, a retail marketing platform, has partnered with Unilever and Giant Food to test “lift-and-learn” technology. As shoppers step in front of a Dove endcap, Perch’s computer vision detects their presence and monitors every product they touch, responding with SKU-specific on-screen information. The shopper doesn’t have to scan QR codes, touch a screen or download an app. Perch claims this approach achieved 30%-188% sales lifts and drove 5-10 times the engagement of traditional digital signage.

Jow, an end-toend personalized meal plan and grocery-list recommendation platform, has launched its app in the U.S. After users give Jow household info such as food preferences, kitchen equipment, age, food allergies and family size, the app can (using algorithmic technology) generate a personalized menu built around recipes. Jow also creates a grocery list built around corresponding ingredients that users can take to stores and check off items as they go.

Hungryroot, a personalized subscription service that delivers fresh groceries along with recipes to put your food to use, has introduced a mobile app. The service processes subscriber preferences and ordering patterns through an AI-powered grocerysuggestion algorithm to reduce food waste by predicting how much of each kind of food to buy before sourcing it. Consumers can make substitutions throughout the process and can edit their deliveries every week.

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CrownTV has released a digital signage app that enables NFTs to be displayed on a TV screen in a retail location. The app can bring NFTs (unique digital assets that live on a blockchain) into “the physical realm” to be displayed in stores. While NFTs as an investment are controversial, CPG companies and sports teams have begun offering them, usually in the form of digital artwork, photography, music, videos, tweets, memes and other digital files.

Mavi.io announced angel investor funding (including former Amazon executives) to launch a new in-car-commerce platform by mid-year. MAVI is an in-car technology that connects drivers with a curated selection of retailers, eateries, CPG companies, service providers and others.

“Dashboard Commerce” is said to instantly calculate and identify stores, based on a driver’s projected route, that will be the most time- or mileageefficient. The app then completes transactions and notifies businesses when the user arrives.

“Open to All” announced that 28 retailers signed its “Mitigate Racial Bias in Retail” charter, committing them to reduce racially biased experiences for shoppers.

Participants include Dick’s Sporting Goods, Michaels, Gap, Old Navy and Levi Strauss. A Sephora study found that two in five BIPOC shoppers experience unfair treatment.

Retailers pledge to increase diversity across their marketing and branding and create a reporting mechanism.

Yelp has added an “Open to All” filter to its retail search app.

Bludot Technologies has updated its “Open Rewards: Shop Local” program. It lets residents and visitors earn and redeem rewards while shopping at local businesses. The rewards are provided in partnership with city economic development departments. Once shoppers link their credit/debit cards into the app, they can search for businesses from inside the app and automatically earn 5% back on any purchases.

They can then apply those rewards against other local purchases, again using the app.

Ikea has launched Kreativ, a “lifelike” way to design living spaces. Users can examine products in 50 3D showrooms, and a “Scene Scanner” lets customers take photographs of a room that’s accurately processed into a wide-angle replica. Customers can then erase existing furniture and place Ikea furnishings. Kreativ uses AI neural networks that recognize the geometry of indoor spaces, stereo-vision algorithms to see it in 3D, computational-photography algorithms to provide expansive photography, and mixed-reality-3D graphics.

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Insider Intel

‘Wake Up & Makeup’ E.L.F., DUNKIN’ PARTNER TO DELIVER ‘OMG’ MOMENT’ — FIRST ONLINE AND THEN AT ULTA, WITH A COLLECTION INSPIRED BY DUNKIN’S DOUGHNUT BOXES AND ICONIC LOGO. B Y E R I K A F LY N N

An unlikely collaboration between TPG Growth’s e.l.f. and Inspire Brands’ Dunkin’ resonated with consumers last spring.

The e.l.f. x Dunkin’ cosmetics collection rolled out on March 31 for e.l.f. Beauty Squad loyalty program members on ElfCosmetics.com. The limited-edition products then hit Ulta Beauty stores and Ulta.com on April 3. Ranging in price from $6 to $75, the collection comprises an eyeshadow palette, putty primer, coffee-themed lip scrub, lip gloss set and face sponge, as well as a set combining all five SKUs packaged with an e.l.f. x Dunkin’ branded reusable cup and strawinspired brush set.

With a target audience of Gen Z superfans, the brands came together after executives realized how much they had in common. Dunkin’ and e.l.f. are community-led brands that deliver high-quality products at accessible prices, says Gayitri Budhraja, e.l.f. Beauty chief brand officer. Budhraja describes e.l.f. as a company that disrupts industry norms, shapes society and connects communities through inclusivity, positivity and accessibility. In thinking about a partnership, she says the company looks for like-minded digital disruptors with a Gen Z cult following, who remain at the forefront of culture.

“We loved how aligned our brand missions are,” she says.

For the collaboration, the team at e.l.f. worked closely with the Dunkin’ team to create a makeup collection that would be true in look, feel and smell to Dunkin’ products. “We wanted it to be an absolute ‘OMG’ moment that would delight our communities,” Budhraja says. “Every piece was created with great thought and care, developed to be a mirror image of what you experience when you order your favorite coffee and doughnuts at Dunkin’.”

The collection was inspired by Dunkin’s doughnut boxes and iconic pink-andorange logo. Each product was also sealed with the same type of order receipts that

“We wanted it to be an absolute ‘OMG’ moment that would delight our communities.”

— Gayitri Budhraja, e.l.f. Beauty chief brand officer

come with Dunkin’ orders, as well as inspired by the shapes, textures and scents that consumers find in Dunkin’ locations. Further connecting the doughnut and coffee chain and cosmetics brand, e.l.f. promised shoppers a $5 Dunkin’ coupon code with eligible purchases of the five-piece set on ElfCosmetics.com.

Influencer and makeup artist Mikayla Nogueira served as the official e.l.f. x Dunkin’ ambassador.

She hosted a live shopping event on her TikTok channel on April 5, and Budhraja says thousands of fans tuned in to watch as she walked viewers through an e.l.f. x Dunkin’ makeup look while giving commentary. All collection products were shoppable in addition to some of Nogueira’s other favorite e.l.f. products. Nogueira also plugged the collection in a video posted to e.l.f.’s YouTube channel.

At Ulta, the collection enjoyed prime merchandising space via a table display with the SKUs stocked in a doughnut box carrying a “Wake Up & Makeup” message. The marketing plan also included window posters, digital takeovers and Nogueira’s voice streaming in stores.

“This was truly an example of force multiplying — Ulta Beauty, e.l.f. and Dunkin’ combining their marketing muscle to explode the visibility,” says Shannan Carlson, associate vice president of sales at e.l.f. Beauty.

A doughnut-shaped walk-through pop-up experience on April 5 in New York also supported the partnership.

Located in the West Village, consumers saw an oversized walk-up window where they could view the collection and leave with samples and Dunkin’ gift cards.

Budhraja says the program’s success was measured through the PR impressions and headlines generated.

“These collaborations aim to propel both brands to the top of conversation in a culturally relevant way and expand our orbits,” she says. To date, the program generated more than 3.8 billion impressions.

54 l July/Aug 2022

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pa

Featuring special retailer guests in each episode, join us for a dialogue about current trends and strategies that are driving innovation for the next era of retail.

In partnership with Great Northern Instore, the Path to Purchase Institute invites you to listen in to a discussion with executives from today’s leading retail chains, emerging brands and parallel industries as we dive into the issues impacting the evolution of retail.

Attendees will: •

Hear firsthand retailer insights and experiences navigating successes and challenges in the market

•

Discover how changing shopper behavior is reinventing retail across various segments

•

Explore the shifting dynamics that will impact commerce marketing across all channels of the retail arena

2022 WEBINAR TOPICS

AUGUST 9 Beauty Retail – trends across mass merchant, specialty and drug store SEPTEMBER 28 Get Well Soon: The boom of healthcare and wellbeing at retail DECEMBER 15 Retail Roundup: A special panel of retailers will recap 2022 and share predictions for 2023 and beyond

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Sign up now to gain insights, get inspired and go enact change at your own organization with the learnings from Retail Intel 2022.

PLEASE VISIT

P2PI.COM/EVENTS

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER. AN OFFICIAL EVENT OF

PRODUCED BY

I N PA R T N E R S H I P W I T H

7/25/22 1:21 PM

CHICAGO • OCTOBER 18-20 CHICAGO • OCTOBER 18-20

THE PREMIERE INDUSTRY EVENT THE PREMIERE INDUSTRY EVENT FOR COMMERCE MARKETERS FOR COMMERCE MARKETERS Come experience and unmatched lineup experience of conference and Come andsessions unmatched exciting lineup ofnetworking conference opportunities sessions and crafted to inspire, educate and exciting networking opportunities cultivate connections crafted tonew inspire, educate with and the top experts and industry trailblazers cultivate new connections with the in commerce marketing. top experts and industry trailblazers in commerce marketing.

WE CAN’T WAIT WE CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOU TO SEE YOU OCTOBER 18-20 OCTOBER 18-20 SPONSORSHIPS & EXHIBIT SPONSORSHIPS & EXHIBIT BOOTHS AVAILABLE, CONTACT: BOOTHS AVAILABLE, CONTACT: Arlene Schusteff 847•533•2697 Arlene Schusteff Orlando Llerandi 847•533•2697 678•591•8284 Orlando Llerandi 678•591•8284

54-55-PATH_Insider Intel.indd 56

THE P2PI LIVE EXPERIENCE THE P2PI LIVE EXPERIENCE

CURATED SESSIONS CURATED SESSIONS FOCUSED TOPICS FOCUSED TOPICS BEVALC SESSIONS BEVALC SESSIONS OMNISHOPPER AWARDS OMNISHOPPER AWARDS WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE AWARDS WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE AWARDS EXPO SHOWCASE EXPO SHOWCASE RECONNECT WITH COLLEAGUES RECONNECT WITH COLLEAGUES LATEST IN P-O-P AND IN-STORE LATEST IN P-O-P AND IN-STORE NETWORKING HAPPY HOURS NETWORKING HAPPY HOURS INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS

7/25/22 1:21 PM

COMMERCE MARKETING AGENCY GUIDE 2022

FEATURED PROFILES PATH_CMA guide.indd 1

Advantage Unified Commerce Blue Chip Worldwide Bold Strategies, Inc. Collaborative Marketing Group HMT Associates Inc.

Phoenix Creative Co. Propac Public Label LLC The Mars Agency VMLY&R Commerce

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Proprietary Tech Proprietary Tech

What Makes Different What Makes UsUs Different solve disconnects in our Clients’ We We solve for for thethe disconnects in our Clients’ marketing commerce practices. marketing andand commerce practices.

Unified Commerce brings integration a siloed Unified Commerce brings integration to atosiloed landscape. hyper-connected data landscape.

We We useuse hyper-connected data andand analytics to converge Activation, Commerce Media, analytics to converge Activation, Commerce Media, E-Commerce, Search, Content, Trade, Supply E-Commerce, Search, Content, Trade, andand Supply Chain, unlocking Commerce potential, scale, Chain, unlocking youryour Commerce potential, scale, sales. and and sales.

Introducing Alchemy™ Introducing Alchemy™ Alchemy™ powers everything Alchemy™ powers everything Created with Google, we we do.do.

Created with Google, it’sit’s our proprietary OS connecting our proprietary OS connecting data tools to give clients ourour data andand tools to give clients real-time visibility to growth and real-time visibility to growth and effectiveness.

This technology effectiveness.

This technology spine uses machine learning spine uses machine learning to to help us identify new consumer help us identify new consumer targets plan brand activity targets andand plan brand activity with scary-precise attribution. with scary-precise attribution.

a Glance AtAt a Glance WHO WE ARE WHO WE ARE

We’re not a specialist shop. We’re a shop full of We’re not a specialist shop. We’re a shop full of specialists—unified from agencies, retailers, specialists—unified from agencies, retailers, brands, and startups. We know our model works, brands, and startups. We know our model works, because the first thing we unified was ourselves, because the first thing we unified was ourselves, combining Advantage commerce, e-commerce, combining Advantage commerce, e-commerce, and media agencies into an industry-first model of and media agencies into an industry-first model of effectiveness that uses advanced data and tech to effectiveness that usesAnd advanced data and tech to scale commerce. we bring a no-ego, all-outcome scalementality commerce.

And we bring a no-ego, all-outcome to the table. mentality to the table.

MAJOR CLIENTS MAJOR CLIENTS Keebler Keebler Famous Amos Famous Amos Nutella NutellaFerrara Candy Co. FerraraMoët Candy Co. Hennessy Moët Hennessy Family Dollar FamilyKIND Dollar KIND Blue Bunny Halo Top Blue Bunny Bomb Pop Halo Top Bomb Riviana Pop RivianaTabasco Cap’n Crunch Tabasco Cap’n Crunch

KEY EXECS KEY EXECS Victor Lee, President Victor Lee, President Allison Welker, EVP Client Allison& Welker, EVP Client Customer Engagement & Customer Engagement Dino de Leon, Executive Creative Director Dino de Leon, Executive Creative Director Marcella Oglesby, Executive Creative Director Marcella Oglesby, Executive Creative Director Fahim Naim, SVP Amazon Fahim Naim, SVP Amazon Valerie Bernstein, EVP Marketing Business Development Valerie& Bernstein, EVP Marketing & Business Development Stephanie Rogers, SVP Strategic Services Stephanie Rogers, SVP Strategic Services

PRODUCT & SERVICES PRODUCT & SERVICES BRAND ACTIVATION BRAND ACTIVATION We take a brand's purpose into of-the-moment activation, We take a brand's purpose into of-the-moment activation, creating immediacy to engage across national or marketcreating immediacy to engage across national or marketspecific campaigns. specific campaigns.

OMNICOMMERCE ACTIVATION OMNICOMMERCE ACTIVATION Our 360° activation selects the most relevant points of Our 360° activation selects the most relevant points of influence in retailer ecosystems and beyond, whether national influence in retailer ecosystems and beyond, whether national or account-specific. or account-specific.

COMMERCE MEDIA PLANNING & BUYING COMMERCE MEDIA & BUYING From retail mediaPLANNING networks and social commerce to last-mile Fromdelivery, retail media networks and social commerce to last-mile our layered media approach puts commerce at the delivery, media approach puts commerce at the core our andlayered precision targeting throughout. core and precision targeting throughout.

FULL E-COMMERCE ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT FULLOur E-COMMERCE ACCOUNTand MANAGEMENT real-time optimization analytics connect platform Our real-time optimization and analytics connect platform management, supply chain optimization, assortment strategy, management, supply chain optimization, assortment basic and enhanced content management, searchstrategy, and media. basic and enhanced content management, search and media.

AMAZON AMAZON A team of 200+ Amazon specialists helps brands navigate the A team of 200+ specialists brands navigate the unique rulesAmazon and best practiceshelps to deliver results. unique rules and best practices to deliver results.

GREENLIGHT™ GREENLIGHT™ Plug-and-play e-commerce products allow clients to accelerate Plug-and-play e-commerce products allow clients to accelerate and enhance brand presence across any platform, and enhance brand presence across any platform, from search to PDP to content. from search to PDP to content.

1756 W Lake Street, Chicago, IL 60612 But really, wherever we need to be, through the power of remote collaboration.

646.924.8601 | Valerie.Bernstein@advantagesolutions.net 1756 W Lake Street, AdvantageUnifiedCommerce.com Chicago, IL 60612 But really, wherever we need to be, through the power of remote collaboration.

646.924.8601 AdvantageUnifiedCommerce.com | Valerie.Bernstein@advantagesolutions.net

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B t m e c a

A

Built Built to be the world’s the most most effective effective commerce commerce agency. agency.

AdvantageUnifiedCommerce.com AdvantageUnifiedCommerce.com

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guided by 40 years of guided by 40 years of experience and innovation experience and innovation The shopper marketing landscape is always changing, and we’ve helped The shopper marketing landscape is always changing, and we’ve helped brands navigate these changes for 40 years. Our fully integrated team brands navigate these changes for 40 years. Our fully integrated team of shopper marketing experts continues to lead with insight, planning, of shopper marketing experts continues to lead with insight, planning, media, creative & analytics. Trust our experience to take your brand media, creative & analytics. Trust our experience to take your brand where it needs to be. where it needs to be.

at a glance at a glance

key services key services Retailer knowledge & insights Retailer knowledge & insights Shopper profiling & journey mapping Shopper profiling & journey mapping Retail media networks & Retail media networks & shopper media shopper media Campaign development & design Campaign development & design Retailer e-commerce Retailer e-commerce Sponsored search & SEO Sponsored search & SEO Digital shelf content (PDPs) Digital shelf content (PDPs) Measurement & advanced analytics Measurement & advanced analytics

client snapshot client snapshot

categories categories we know we know Food & beverage Food & beverage Health & wellness Health & wellness Beauty & personal care Beauty & personal care Household products Household & durablesproducts & durables Apparel & footwear Apparel & footwear

Bausch & Lomb Bausch & Lomb Daisy Brand Daisy Brand Jack Daniel’s Jack Daniel’s Makita Makita Merrell Merrell Procter & Gamble Procter & Gamble Splenda Splenda White Castle White Castle

difference makers difference makers Jamie Olson Jamie Olson President President

Sarah VanHeirseele Sarah VanHeirseele Chief Growth Officer Chief Growth Officer

David Hubert David Hubert & VP, Measurement VP, Measurement Advanced Analytics & Advanced Analytics

Jenn Moore Jenn Moore Senior Retail Senior Retail Media Planner Media Planner

Dan Eisenberg Dan Eisenberg Chief Marketing Officer Chief Marketing Officer

get in touch get in touch

deisenberg@bluechipww.com deisenberg@bluechipww.com 847-418-8082 847-418-8082

bluechipww.com bluechipww.com

©2022 b ©2

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the path to purchase is always changing the path to purchase is always changing

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©2022 blue chip. all rights reserved. ©2022 blue chip. all rights reserved.

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2022 COMMERCE MARKETING AGENCIES SOLUTIONS GUIDE

It doesn’t have to be so complicated...

When founder, Allan Peretz, led Procter & Gamble’s global DTC eCommerce business, he learned an important lesson: eCommerce is harder than it should be. Today, most brands end up working with 5-7 different agencies, each with their own reporting, tech stack, and approach. This makes getting everyone on the same page next to impossible.

BOLD makes it easier!

We’ve made eCommerce easy by bringing together everything you need to succeed: 1. The best CPG eCommerce leaders 2. Our proven eCommerce playbook 3. The technology and data you need to optimize the business With our integrated solution, your brand strategy gets executed consistently across channels. And our software keeps everything in sync!

And unlike typical agencies that nickel and dime you with hidden fees, you can get our complete eCommerce solution for one flat fee.

Your company can save 46% vs. in-house solutions.

ONE BRAND STRATEGY

eCommerce acceleration in all the right places

We’ll create a consistent experience for your shoppers, get the most out of every marketplace, and help you maintain control of your brand.

At-A-Glance WHO WE ARE

BOLD helps brands grow faster online. We’re the only company that brings together everything you need to win online. Bring us your product and we’ll deliver the rest on Amazon, Instacart, Shopify and more than 30 other channels!

EXPERTISE

We’re the multi-channel experts – we bring it all together: strategy, websites, marketplaces, backoffice technology, and media. Our proven ASSESS, BUILD, and GROW process allows our average client to reinvent their eCommerce business.

INDUSTRIES SERVED

We’re CPG specialists – we focus on: • Health & Beauty • Food & Beverage • Household Cleaning

• Household Paper • Pharmaceuticals • Pet Products

PRODUCTS & SERVICES • • • • • •

Digital shelf creative and syndication Portfolio, pricing, and marketing strategy Retail media, search, and social Comprehensive DTC website development 1st and 3rd party retail platform management Proprietary FOCUS dashboard

MAJOR CLIENTS • Ferrara Candy Company • Reckitt Benckiser • Huhtamaki • LifeScan • Lemi Shine

• • • •

Silver Hills Bakery Kora OrganiCare Carbone Fine Foods • GummiShot

CONTACT

Darcy Ramler CRO 479-278-4781 darcy.ramler@boldstrategies.com

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kery

COM PATH_CMA guide.indd 7

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At CMG, we create impactful programs that drive incremental and profitable sales, ROI and ROAS. Our team understands your brands’ KPI’s and objectives, and your key retailers’ objectives to develop programs that drive sales.

SHOPPER

PARTNERSHIPS

DIGITAL & e-COMMERCE

• Leverage insights to more deeply understand, target and engage the most valuable shoppers and lead them through their decision journey.

• Explore and generate a targeted list of brands that would lead to a stronger return than if your brand ran its own program.

• Combine brand guidelines and strategies with our retail knowledge, to deliver results for your brands, AND your key retailers.

• Contact potential partners to gauge interest and feasibility of partnership.

• Recommend the most effective targeted media programs and digital incentives to reach your audience, communicate your brand’s message and drive sales.

• Provide impactful, relevant program concepts and engaging creative to elicit the desired audience response.

• Provide flawless execution to keep programs on track and exceed expectations.

• Deliver customized post-program evaluation reporting.

• Create contracts / joint promotion agreements on behalf of client and route to partner(s) for approval.

• Develop integrated partner creative and route to all parties for approvals.

• Schedule and lead calls between participating brands.

• Convert shoppers prior to their shopping experience by reaching them at the key moments throughout their shopper journey.

• Build relationships with shoppers by activating social influencers who are brand users and shop at your key retailers.

WHY ARE WE SUCCESSFUL?

We have an experienced team of professionals who are dedicated to our clients’ businesses, and passionate about delivering positive results. We staff each client team with the right CMG’ers who have the necessary background to develop and deliver successful programs.

AT A GLANCE FOUNDED YEAR: 2000 WHO WE ARE: CMG’s mission is to provide CPG companies with a full-service, execution-focused alternative for their retail marketing programs. Our objective is to develop programs that address not only our clients’ needs, but also their key retailers’ objectives and merchandising philosophies.

EXPERTISE: Retail marketing, concentrating in Shopper and Partnership marketing, Digital, Social and e-Commerce programming with a focus on execution.

INDUSTRIES SERVED: • Food • Beverage • Household Products • Pet Supplies • Travel

KEY CLIENTS: • Molson Coors • Del Monte Foods, Inc. • McCormick & Company, Inc. • Eagle Foods PRODUCTS & SERVICES: We offer the following services to support our marketing initiatives…

• Program planning, development and execution • Partner solicitation, negotiation, and contract development • Digital and Social marketing management • e-Commerce marketing

• Creative and concept development • Budget management • Post promotion reporting and analysis • Shopper and sales / trade plan integration

CONTACT INFORMATION: Garrett Plepel, President gplepel@collaborativemktg.com • (630) 871-6590 1751 S. Naperville Road, Suite 200, Wheaton, IL 60189 • (630) 871-6590 • www.collaborativemktg.com

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To catch a big fish, sometimes you have to think like one. At CMG, we use our knowledge of the retail landscape and insights into how shoppers think to successfully plan and execute impactful programs.

Our team knows your retailers, the programs they prefer and how to hook your most valuable shoppers.

Are you looking for a strategic and execution-focused solution for your retail programming? If so, visit us at www.collaborativemktg.com.

Shopper | Partnerships | Digital | e-Commerce

www.collaborativemktg.com • 630.871.6590

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2022 COMMERCE MARKETING AGENCY GUIDE

Brand engagement fueled by real-world experience and bold thinking We deliver fully integrated brand engagement solutions that connect consumers’ hands, hearts and minds to your brands. Rooted in insight-driven strategy and fused with real-world experience, we create culturally relevant, actionable ideas to grow your brand.

From insight to activation, our team thinks boldly, pivots quickly and activates flawlessly to deliver results.

Privately owned and fiercely independent, we take pride in our award-winning work and lasting client relationships.

Consumer Engagement

Shopper Marketing

Experiential

We build relationships.

We drive conversions.

We make lasting brand impressions.

We build a strong consumer connection to your brands by fusing curated insights and culturally relevant creative thinking.

With an omnichannel mindset, we reach people in the spaces and places where buying decisions are made with experiences that drive awareness, conversion, and loyalty.

We take the complexity out of conversion and help simplify the retail landscape. Our deep retail experience enables us to navigate all channels of commerce and drive shopper behavior by understanding their journey and the points to connect, engage and convert to buy.

From ideation to activation, our goal is to build your brand community and create passionate brand loyalists by delivering lasting impressions. Whether a live, virtual or hybrid experience, our guest-centric focus creates unforgettable memories.

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Major Clients

Services

Our Leaders

Mondelēz International Abbott Nutrition Lactalis American Group, Inc. PepsiCo

Shopper Marketing Brand Planning & Activation Experiential (Physical, Virtual & Hybrid) Corporate Hospitality Sales Planning

Patti Conti President/CEO

Scan to check out our award-winning work...

Contact connect@hmtassociates.com

A

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Rick Einhaus EVP Joe Conti Managing Director Mandi Kleppel Managing Director

HMTASSOCIATES.COM

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Co

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Connect with your shoppers... wherever they are.

At hmt, we know how hard it is to reach people in the spaces and places where buying decisions are made.

And while the possibilities to connect with shoppers may be limitless, your budget is not.

So we blend curated insights, cultural relevance and creative thinking to deliver omnichannel engagement strategies that get results. Our programs make smart use of your marketing dollars, disrupting shopper journeys to drive conversions.

Brand engagement fueled by real-world experience and bold thinking

Connect with us to learn more. hmtassociates.com

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© 2022 HMT Associates, Inc.

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2022 COMMERCE MARKETING AGENCIES SOLUTIONS GUIDE

Everything from Package to Purchase

Branding, packaging, advertising, shopper marketing, digital, social... the experience your customers have with your product is about more than just having all the right components. It’s about having them all work together right.

At Phoenix Creative, we have dedicated, in-house expertise for every point along your product’s and shoppers’ path to purchase.

That’s why we understand how your packaging can play a vital role in your advertising, how to tailor your in-store pieces to magnify the impact of your social efforts, and how to make your branding matter in even the most cluttered retail environments.

Whether you need a single service or a complete program that gets your product from the warehouse to their house, we can help.

Quick Thinking. Nimble Results.

We work hard for our clients. Although we’re much more than a “quick-turn” agency, we’ve been known to work wonders with the deadliest of deadlines.

Whether it’s getting a simple shelf-talker to press or getting a 360-degree, channel-specific strategy ready for launch, we do whatever it takes.

Dedicated account staff, top-tier designers—all working together to get the job done. We value good people and great thinking. It’s not unusual to find a client or employee who’s been with us for 20 years or longer. No matter the title, each of us honors the strategic perspective of an account executive, the vision of a writer, and the passion of an artist.

At-A-Glance WHO WE ARE

We’re an award-winning agency located in downtown St. Louis. We’ve been helping businesses of all types find their voice in the marketplace since 1989. In our book, big ideas aren’t limited to big budgets. Everybody’s message can shine.

EXPERTISE

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

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We work with brands, but we also know retailers. Brand marketing only gets a part of the way down the path-to-purchase.

In order to reach the end and win basket share, we have built ourselves into a partner that knows how to position brands with an eye toward each specific retailer’s footprint, digital assets, loyalty programs, and marketing requirements. Brand messaging plus retailer know-how equals a winning combination.

INDUSTRIES SERVED

• • • • • • •

Our shopper marketing know-how comes from 30 years of extensive, battle-tested, retail experience. Strategic planning, concept development, and design/message execution are all of equal importance to our agency vision and our clients’ success.

We Live Retail

Consumer Packaged Goods Retail Alcohol Automotive Commercial/Industrial Durable Goods OTC

• Shopper Marketing – strategic planning, concept, design • Retail Design – channel specific, regional, retailer focused • Packaging – design, extrapolation, production • Advertising – promotional campaigns, full-service marketing • Content Creation – social, mass media, mobile

MAJOR CLIENTS

• • • • • • •

Mondelēz International 7-Eleven Anheuser-Busch InBev AB Mauri North America Sanofi Wella Schaeffer Manufacturing

CONTACT

Abbey Ash Partner, Chief Marketing Off icer 314-609-7539 abbey.ash@phoenixcreative.com

PHOENIXCREATIVE.COM

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Erin Keller Keller Erin VP New Business VP New Business 561.926.7917 561.926.7917 Erin.Keller@PublicLabelAgency.com Erin.Keller@PublicLabelAgency.com publiclabelagency.com publiclabelagency.com

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Making Sense of Retail Media Brand Brand organizations organizations must must better better align align internal internal structures structures and and external external engagement engagement to to succeed succeed in in the the new new retail retail and and shopper shopper ecosystem. ecosystem.

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2022 MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

NOW is the Perfect Time to

JOIN! NEW IN 2022

2022 EVENT SCHEDULE (may be subject to change)

V I R T UA L E V E N T

LIVE EVENTS

All Learning Labs & Virtual Forums included in corporate and universal memberships

A Membership Plan for EVERY size company:

CORPORATE UNIVERSAL The ONLY community that connects THOUSANDS of MEDIA, SHOPPER, OMNICHANNEL and COMMERCE MARKETING professionals essential for solving today’s business problems and driving growth.

•••••••

Recognition

•••••••

Community

•••••••

Insights & Perspectives

300+ COMPANIES representing over 18,000 industry executives and thought leaders.

The most comprehensive collection of commerce insights and perspectives in North America.

Sharing the TOOLS, KNOWLEDGE & EXPERTISE necessary to activate and execute against today’s shopper marketing demands.

CONTACT:

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Patrece Remmel premmel@ensembleiq.com

Tools & Training Research & Thought Leadership

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2022 WEBINAR SERIES

AUGUST 17 40 Under 40 Winners Panel: The up-and-coming leaders in omnichannel marketing SEPTEMBER 13 Consumer Trends & Shopper Behavior

The Institute’s unique Path to Purchase Now webinar series examines some of the critical ways brands and retailers must rethink their existing strategies to address the dramatic changes in shopper behavior that have taken place in recent years. Check the schedule for upcoming events or watch past events ON DEMAND. PLEASE VISIT P2PI.COM/P2PNOW FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER.

NOVEMBER 9 In-Store Experience

hip

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CHICAGO • OCTOBER 18-20 CHICAGO • OCTOBER 18-20

THE PREMIERE INDUSTRY EVENT THE PREMIERE INDUSTRY EVENT FOR COMMERCE MARKETERS FOR COMMERCE MARKETERS Come experience and unmatched lineup experience of conference and Come andsessions unmatched exciting lineup ofnetworking conference opportunities sessions and crafted to inspire, educate and exciting networking opportunities cultivate connections crafted tonew inspire, educate with and the top experts and industry trailblazers cultivate new connections with the in commerce marketing. top experts and industry trailblazers in commerce marketing.

WE CAN’T WAIT WE CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOU TO SEE YOU OCTOBER 18-20 OCTOBER 18-20 SPONSORSHIPS & EXHIBIT SPONSORSHIPS & EXHIBIT BOOTHS AVAILABLE, CONTACT: BOOTHS AVAILABLE, CONTACT: Arlene Schusteff 847•533•2697 Arlene Schusteff Orlando Llerandi 847•533•2697 678•591•8284 Orlando Llerandi 678•591•8284

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THE P2PI LIVE EXPERIENCE THE P2PI LIVE EXPERIENCE

CURATED SESSIONS CURATED SESSIONS FOCUSED TOPICS FOCUSED TOPICS BEVALC SESSIONS BEVALC SESSIONS OMNISHOPPER AWARDS OMNISHOPPER AWARDS WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE AWARDS WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE AWARDS EXPO SHOWCASE EXPO SHOWCASE RECONNECT WITH COLLEAGUES RECONNECT WITH COLLEAGUES LATEST IN P-O-P AND IN-STORE LATEST IN P-O-P AND IN-STORE NETWORKING HAPPY HOURS NETWORKING HAPPY HOURS INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS

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