P2PI_09/10-22

HOW TO WIN AT RETAIL

With in-house expertise in design and manufacturing, we bring your vision to life and transform an average shopping day into a memorable experience. Our innovative approach adapts to changing markets and shoppers’ needs with transformational displays from temporary to permanent.

Contents

Cannabis: Ready to Ignite CPG

This growing CPG category is poised to become a significant multi-category influencer and market disruptor.

FEATURES

18

P2PI LIVE & Expo Sneak Peek

Want to know what to expect at our flagship show in October? Here’s the inside scoop on the must-attend special events and conference lineup.

Special Report: Shopper Engagement with Retail Media

Exclusive research examines what consumers think about retail media, and how they are interacting with it across platforms. (In collaboration with Vibenomics.)

30 44

P-O-P Showcase

Our gallery presents a sampling of eyecatching and effective in-store activations.

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. POSTMASTER: send address changes to Path to Purchase Institute magazine, 8550 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. Ste. 200, Chicago, IL 60631.

STORY

Editorial Advisory Board

Keith Albright

Post Consumer Brands

Dana Barba

Coca-Cola North America

Stephen Bettencourt

Peapod Digital Labs

Lianna Cabrera

L’Oreal Paris Cosmetics

Mia Croft Native

Christiana DiMattesa

Under Armour

Gregg Dorazio

Giant Food (Ahold Delhaize)

Paige Dunn

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

DEPARTMENTS

5

6

8

Editor’s Note

Cannabis: A CPG Story

P2PI Member Spotlight

The New Consumer

How inflation is impacting grocery purchasing behaviors.

10 Brand Watch: Mielle Organics

The beauty brand rolls out an exclusive line at Ulta.

12

In-Store Experience

Best Buy’s new format serves as an immersive experience hub.

15 On Trend

A Q&A on social shopping; Jose Cuervo in the metaverse.

Activation Gallery

Back to School

58

Insider Intel

Clorox leverages AR at Walmart for spring cleaning.

Follow the Path to Purchase Institute here:

Jessica Fair

The J.M. Smucker Company

Tony Fung

Bob Evans Farms

Patrick Hallberg Apple

Travis Harry Home Depot

Brendon Lynch

Jushi Holdings

José Raul Padron

The Hershey Experience

Rodney Waights Beiersdorf

Editor’s Note

Cannabis: A CPG Story

Recently, I was chatting with someone who described cannabis — and its potential market positioning — as “a zerocalorie White Claw.” It’s an analogy that has stuck with me as we dove into this issue of P2PI Magazine and began working on the cover story, which explores how cannabis is poised to become a significant multi-category influencer and market disruptor with global sales forecasted to reach $55 billion by 2026.

Whether you agree with the White Claw metaphor or not, the premise is no less tantalizing and provocative. Could cannabis be the disruptor that will turn the BevAlc, Big Pharma and wellness industries on their heads? What will the landscape look like when cannabis use is further normalized? And what does this all mean for commerce marketers as cannabis infi ltrates across categories with its own host of big brands and labels?

We sought out to answer these questions in our cover story, delving into branding, marketing, customer strategy, e-commerce, loyalty, packaging and physical retail — all as they relate to the burgeoning market.

Vice President, Brand Director Eric Savitch, esavitch@ensembleiq.com

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 Heidi Bitsoli, hbitsoli@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

Central to all of this, marketers working in this emerging sector are tasked with educating consumers on how to integrate beneficial products into their daily lives and giving cannabis a sense of normalcy. And part of shedding its legacy stigma and rebranding cannabis for normalcy lies in reimagining the shopping experience from its medical and underground roots.

The dispensary experience has already come quite a long way in just a few short years, evolving from the seedy (pun intended … is it really a cannabis story without some sort of stoner dad joke thrown in for good measure?) first days of shady-looking dispensaries located under a bridge in a run-down part of town, to the elevated concierge experiences and uber-efficient pickup spots nestled in between trendy boutiques and restaurants we see across more and more cities today.

On page 28 of our cover story, we dive into the plethora of exciting new dispensary concepts, featuring a handful of unique locations, pop-ups and other formats from various cannabis retailers. This roundup includes Wyllow (pictured on the cover), an other-worldly 500-square-foot Los Angeles dispensary reminiscent of a jewel box, which captivates customers’ senses while a dedicated Atelier guides their shopping journey.

In addition to the spread of dispensaries, there are also now cannabis kiosks, consumption lounges and delivery options popping up across the U.S. and Canada. Perhaps buying it with your weekly groceries may not be as far off as we think. Just imagine all of the cross-promotional merchandising that would be possible … BOGO on Nestle Toll House chocolate chip cookies with your vape cartridge refi ll? Don’t mind if I do!

Director, Membership Development Nicole Mitchell, 203.434.5733, nmitchell@ensembleiq.com

Director, Membership Development Christopher Barry, cbarry@ensembleiq.com

Membership Experience Manager Ann Estey, aestey@ensembleiq.com

Manager, Membership Development Brady O’Brien, bobrien@ensembleiq.com

Membership 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 People Officer Ann Jadown

Executive Vice President, Operations Derek Estey

Executive Vice President, Content & Communications Joe Territo

EDITORIAL AND EXECUTIVE OFFICES 8550 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Suite 200 Chicago, IL 60631

JESSIE DOWD, Editorial Director

Phone: 773.992.4450 | Fax: 773.992.4455

Shedding its legacy stigma and rebranding cannabis for normalcy lies in reimagining the shopping experience.

Member Spotlight Meet the Marketers

HERE’S A SNAPSHOT OF INDUSTRY LEADERS FROM THE P2PI MEMBER COMMUNITY.

large store, convenience and value channels.

DANA BARBA Senior Vice President, Marketing, North America Operating Unit The Coca-Cola Co.

Main job responsibilities: I lead the frontline marketing team, which amplifies brand and shopper strategies with our bottling system, integrates shopper marketing with our top retail customers, and leads the marketing of our Freestyle beverage experience for North America. Collectively, the team serves as the face of our brands to the customers, asset partners and bottling system. My team focuses on the last mile to the consumer.

As part of our evolution in 2021, we launched a new high-touch, brand edge field marketing capability. It combines strategic consumer recruitment and partnership marketing with retail engagement. Unique and authentic sampling experiences are amplified by local influencer, social media and partnership drops, and then leveraged for new business and sales.

How you win with shoppers during uncertain economic times: We are focused on building end-to-end experiences tailored to our customers, which has helped us react quickly and adapt to challenges as they arise. We used agile design principles to introduce (in just six weeks) “The Coca-Cola Value Collection,” which features new and existing package assortments of our popular sparkling beverages across various price points, sizes and flavors. The value packs will be featured in

New marketing tactic in your toolbox: We’re very excited about the way we have approached our Coca-Cola Creations innovation platform. Coca-Cola Starlight harnessed Gen Z influencer culture with a digital experience that articulated the full magic of the Starlight experience, including bespoke influencer “unboxing” of product and an AR music performance unlocked by the label. Next, inspired by Gen Z’s connection to drop and gaming culture, Coca-Cola Byte became the fi rst Coca-Cola product to launch in the metaverse and debut on the livestreaming platform Twitch. We continued to build on this successful platform with our most recent launch of Coca-Cola Dreamworld in August.

Memorable aha moment in your career: Learning about and applying insights from our new consumer segmentation model. It’s defi ned by higher order needs and motivations versus simple demographics. It can be applied to customer planning and shopper marketing. The aha came when in diving into the work, they described a consumer based just on demographics. We look at six additional layers of influences and differentiators beyond demographics to really understand who the consumer is, what is important to them and how to connect with them.

AMBER HUBBS GOLEGOS Shopper Marketing Manager Merrick Pet Care, Nestle Purina

How you win with shoppers during uncertain economic times: Our messaging has a humanized approach to develop a connection with our pet parents. Similar to how they shop for their children, pet parents are not willing to sacrifice quality for a lower cost.

New marketing tactic in your toolbox: Not a tactic, but a new approach. All of our programs are built from an omnichannel lens. We try to think about the pet parents’ shopping behaviors as a cohesive experience between online and instore. Personalization has been a big unlock for us also. We bring this to life via digital media and CRM activations.

Best career advice you’ve received: Start with the end in mind. When you understand what success looks like, you are able to create more effective marketing plans that measure against your KPIs. And as a mom with two boys under 2, the advice was, “It takes courage to be a working mom. You need the courage to leave your kids with someone other than you. You need courage to prove your value in the workplace. And you need courage to focus on what’s right for your family. As a working mom, you are stronger than you think.”

Memorable aha moment in your career: During a summer internship, I gathered more information and found that a role in sales would be extremely beneficial in making me a well-rounded candidate for future marketing roles. From that invaluable experience, I realized that not all paths are linear. There are infinite ways you can get to an end goal, you just have to be open to alternate routes to get there.

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

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: Nicole Mitchell nmitchell@ensembleiq.com

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Research & Thought Leadership

The

Inflation and Shopping

A LOOK AT HOW AD SPEND IS INCREASING AND HOW INFLATION IS TURNING RETAIL ON ITS HEAD, IMPACTING GROCERY PURCHASING BEHAVIORS.

BY JACQUELINE BARBA

Findings from a recent report on inflation commissioned by Nielsen and Catalina’s joint venture NCSolutions (NCS), a purchase-based ad targeting and measurement firm serving the CPG industry, found that nearly half of U.S. consumers (45%) feel like they can’t afford their previous lifestyle and 76% said their family has changed how they buy food with prices on the rise. The report includes findings from a June consumer sentiment survey as well as proprietary NCS purchase data, which reflects the buying trends of consumers for CPG products.

Takeaways from the NCS report include:

• Six in 10 Americans believe CPG product packaging has gotten smaller but costs the same, compared to one year ago. Consumers still feel the strain of supply chain issues, as 69% said there are fewer items of the same product on the shelves.

• Fifty-three percent said they find basic food staples more expensive, and 40% believe a recession will occur in 2023. Seventy-one percent said the increased price of groceries is straining their savings. And 45% said increased prices in the grocery aisles mean seeking out less expensive brands.

• Other ways consumers are coping with the increased price of groceries are loading up the pantry (27%) or freezer (26%), or shopping closer to home (24%).

• When it comes to consumers’ preferred brands, 60% are seeking less expensive alternatives when their favorite brands reach a price beyond their budget. Forty-six percent plan to go without their favorite brands, and 43% look for sales to offset the cost.

• There was an almost 13% price increase on average over six years.

“For the second time in a little over two years, consumers are pivoting to new purchasing behaviors at the grocery store,” said Alan Miles, CEO, NCSolutions, in a news release about the survey results. “Since the start of the pandemic,

Year-over-Year (YoY) Spending Growth

they’ve been swapping their favorite brands for what’s available. Today, though, value is the centerpiece more often than availability, (and) consumers are selecting brands and products to stretch their budgets as far as possible. CPG brands that meet customers where they are both in this inflationary moment and as prices ease have the best shot at keeping them for the long term.”

Adjusting for Inflation

Quantum Metrics’ latest retail benchmarks report, “Adjusting for Inflation,” analyzed data from the software company’s clients as well as survey responses from 3,400 consumers in the U.S. and U.K. to identify how rising prices caused by inflation and concerns about a recession are causing consumers to rethink their shopping habits.

A key takeaway from the research indicates the shift from “spontaneous shopping culture,” driven by big-box stores and Amazon, to more planned purchases of multiple items in one checkout. Consumers are also putting more of an emphasis on value as money constraints remain top of mind. Other trends highlighted in the report include:

• Generic store brands are the new go-to. As costs climb, consumers are increasingly considering replacing name brands with generic items, particularly in the U.K., where two in three Brits will opt for generic or store-brand health and wellness items (69%) to cut costs. More than half in the U.S. and U.K. (55%) would even go generic for home goods such as furniture, sheets or appliances.

• Consumer technology purchases are taking a backseat . Unlike during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when many consumers were upgrading their tech to work and study remotely, new and backto-school tech (such as laptops or tablets) will make up less than 10% of consumer school supply budgets, while warranties, parts replacements and other accessory upgrades will likely see a boost.

Retail Media Paid Search Paid Social

• Checkout is evolving. Most consumers across the U.S. and U.K. are leaning into interest-free, buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) programs like Klarna to manage costs. There are already concerns that BNPL usage over the summer could have lasting effects on fall and holiday spending. Americans are looking to credit cards, as 39% plan to apply for new credit cards ahead of the holidays and more than half will reserve their credit card points or rewards to redeem for holiday gifts.

• Black Friday and Cyber Monday will be busy. Due to rising costs, four in five consumers (80%) already plan to shop Black Friday this year, and 57% of those who will shop the sales have either never done so before or have just a few times in the past. Despite storefronts being fully open, most sales traffic will still happen online, with 75% of consumers planning to do most of their shopping digitally.

Ad Spending Increases Across Channels

Recent research from Skai’s “Q2 2022 Digital Marketing Quarterly Trends” infographic, an in-depth analysis of the digital marketing trends that defi ned the second quarter, revealed that advertising spending increased across channels overall in the quarter, compared to previous quarter and 2021.

It also indicated that commerce ads across retail media and social channels showed robust growth, while paid search spending focused more on services than goods. Some other key takeaways from the Q2 research included:

1. Overall spending growth continues: Retail media growth accelerated 42% year-over-year (YOY) in Q2 as advertisers continued to increase spending both on Amazon and the growing number of other retail media networks. Paid social media spending growth grew 15%, as 2022 has proved a more stable spending environment than the same period in 2021. Paid search spending increased 11% YOY.

2. Shopping a big factor across channels: Retail media growth was driven by more

brands trying to reach a larger group of shoppers while they are in-market. Paid social spending growth in the quarter also benefited from investment on commercefocused ad types and advertisers. Only in paid search did investment follow the trend away from goods and toward services.

3. Social advertisers are adjusting to IDFA (Identifier for Advertisers — the random device identifier assigned by Apple to a user’s device): 2021 saw “sequential spending declines” from April to May to June as the release of iOS 14.5 introduced changes to privacy controls and availability of data for both targeting and measurement.

There are already concerns that BNPL usage over the summer could have lasting effects on fall and holiday spending.

4. Responsive search ads dominate search spend: The migration of paid search from the expanded text ad (ETA) format to the responsive search ad (RSA) format has put RSA in the dominant position, comprising 38% of total Q2 spend compared to 23% in Q2 of 2021. ETA spend has dropped from 40% to 27% of spend over that same period, with shopping ads making up most of the balance.

Other key fi ndings include:

• Commerce spending in social media was a major driver of overall investment, whether based on accounts or ad types, even outgrowing retail media both quarter-on-quarter and YOY.

• Ads for CPG products are proliferating on newer retailer media networks, including Instacart’s and Kroger’s.

• More sophisticated ad formats and bidding strategies continue to drive growth as they replace legacy options.

Prices Rise & Consumers Shift Choices

Increased Prices

Change the way they buy groceries

Feel a strain on their savings

Drive Americans to: 76% 71% 60%

Buy less expensive alternatives when they can’t afford their favorite brand

Seek out sales and promotions to afford their favorite brands

Source:

Mielle Organics Shines at Ulta

THE FEMALE- AND BLACK-OWNED BRAND ROLLS OUT A NEW LINE EXCLUSIVELY AT THE SPECIALTY RETAILER.

BY CHARLIE MENCHACA

Mielle Organics made a splash this summer with the launch of a six-piece collection exclusively at Ulta Beauty.

The Mango and Tulsi botanical blend collection is positioned as the fi rst textured haircare collection to feature tulsi, which is known for its nourishing leaves and richness in vitamin C and zinc to maintain scalp moisture.

“It is one of my greatest passions to fi nd new ingredients

and develop problem-solving products,” Monique Rodriguez, founder and CEO of the Black-owned beauty brand, said in a media release for the product launch.

The vegan and cruelty-free product line consists of a serum, shampoo, conditioner, leave-in conditioner, whipping creme and styling gel.

To support the launch, the Mango and Tulsi collection had

— Monique Rodriguez , Mielle Organics

a dedicated endcap in Ulta stores in August, says Nicole Ray Robinson, senior brand director at Mielle Organics. The collection was also featured on two themed etageres at Ulta — “Black Brilliance Off-Shelf” and “Curl Cocktailing.”

To highlight the collection’s exclusivity, “only here” messaging appeared on product display pages, the Mielle landing page on Ulta.com and a circular feature within Ulta’s Aug. 28-Sept. 17 store ad. Emails, text messages and social media posts touted the launch, Robinson says. The social media activity included a static post and video content from Rodriguez, and several Mielle Mavens, or influencers and members of the brand’s loyalty program.

Various posts on Mielle’s social media accounts in June and July plugged a “Mielle x Ulta Mango & Tulsi” giveaway. For a chance to win an Ulta store gift card and Ulta Salon hair service, participants were asked to tag three friends and follow Mielle and Ulta Beauty on social media. The entrants then had to comment using a specific phrase and an #MiUltaMTMadness hashtag, which refers to the retailer and the new product line. The entry process concluded when participants shared their posts in a story while tagging Ulta, Mielle and an account related to Rodriguez, the brand’s founder.

Ulta began to carry Mielle’s other products in stores and online in April. A photo and bio of Rodriguez was added to a dedicated web page within Ulta.com celebrating Black-owned and founded brands.

“The brand has established a loyal fan base over the years and we’re excited to offer yet another touchpoint for beauty enthusiasts to discover their beloved products,” said Jessica Phillips, VP of merchandising at Ulta Beauty, in a media release.

It is one of my greatest passions to find new ingredients and develop problemsolving products.

In-Store Experience

Best Buy’s Experiential Format

NEW STORE IN CHARLOTTE SERVES AS AN IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE HUB FOR AUDIO, HOME THEATER, APPLIANCES AND OTHER CONSUMER ELECTRONICS.

BY JACQUELINE BARBA

Best Buy has been testing new store formats in the Charlotte, North Carolina, area over the past two years, including an experiential format, a smaller digital-fi rst store concept and an outlet store.

After seeing success with the pilots, the electronics retailer will expand the number of experiential stores by remodeling about 50 locations in the next year and transforming approximately 300 locations by 2025. The retailer also plans to increase the number of outlet centers to 30 by the end of 2023, while expanding beyond major appliances and televisions to also include computers, gaming consoles and mobile phones in those locations.

The Path to Purchase Institute recently visited Best Buy’s 35,000-square-foot Charlotte-North Lake experiential store. The location, which was renovated in 2021, serves as a hub of immersive experiences for audio, home theater, appliances and other consumer electronics. In addition to the noticeably absent carpet covering much of the store, here’s what else stood out:

Located at 10221 Perimeter Pkwy., the remodeled Charlotte store includes expanded in-store experiences from brands such as Samsung, Meta’s Oculus, Amazon and Lego, in addition to larger Apple and Microsoft shops.

Best Buy will expand the number of experiential stores by remodeling about 50 locations in the next year and transforming about 300 locations by 2025.

The Oculus brand store-within-a-store has grown from an interactive endcap display found in Best Buy’s standard stores to a larger handson experience for shoppers to try out the tech with plenty of space. At the time of our visit, the Oculus space was demoing Beat Saber, a VR rhythm game, on a large screen.

Premium experiences for audio, home theater and luxury appliances are also part of the offering, as well as an in-store selection of fitness equipment, still a relatively new and growing category for Best Buy. This store offers dedicated spaces for shoppers to view, touch and try out unboxed large exercise equipment, including a treadmill and cycling machine from NordicTrack, as well as a smart mirror from Tempo complete with a floor cling and informational signage to provide an immersive product testing experience.

Like most Best Buy stores, the experiential format also offers a curated selection of popular products and categories, including home theater and audio, computing, headphones, wearables, cell phones, cameras, smart home and small appliances. Each product category is elevated in the store with unboxed product showcased on a display and/or inside a clear case for viewing. Digital price labels are also used throughout the store, something Best Buy has expanded in recent years.

The camera selection in particular is wide ranging and merchandises individual cameras

In-Store Experience

on extended endcaps in front of screens displaying product information, store promotions and other assistance.

The smart home assortment also received a facelift at this store, offering a more immersive experience for shoppers of the category via wall displays, including touchscreens.

More digital and interactive endcaps also are part of the enhanced in-store experience. Most endcaps in the experiential store include large TV screens playing promotional, educational or other information from Best Buy or a brand. Unique endcaps that particularly stood out include a double-sided display from Hyperice, merchandising

Normatec compression boots and muscle massagers, as well as an illuminated product showcase endcap for the new PlayStation Plus.

The experiential store also offers a larger Geek Squad experience, a range of fulfillment options such as lockers and curbside pickup, and other engaging experiences and in-store expertise from Best Buy’s Blue Shirt associates.

With a focus on store remodels, Best Buy currently expects to close 20-30 stores annually through 2025, consistent with prior-year trends. Best Buy currently operates 1,144 stores in the U.S. and abroad.

On Trend

Social Shopping

WE TALK TO HAMUTAL (TULA) SCHIEBER ABOUT WHAT’S WORKING AND WHAT CHALLENGES REMAIN IN THE DIGITAL COMMERCE SPACE.

BY CHARLIE MENCHACA

Every day it appears another company is fi nding a way for consumers to “add to cart” faster and complete transactions in one click (or swipe). Such is the current state of commerce that now exists in nearly any place at any time.

The “everything commerce” revolution is concentrated on social shopping — the notion of making social content shoppable, and making shoppable content social, says Hamutal (Tula) Schieber, CEO and founder of Schieber Research. She answered a few questions about platforms, purchase drivers and the anticipated rise of consumer-to-consumer commerce.

P2PI: How do you classify the various social shopping platforms?

Schieber: Generally, we can divide them into three groups. First, there are currently thriving social commerce platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat. Those platforms enable tools like live shopping, direct-to-purchase video ads and catalog listing ads. Consumers expect — and want — to discover brands and shop through those platforms. The challenge is to break through the noise with engaging, relevant content, and to drive awareness and influence through creators.

Second, there are walled gardens, or places where people influence each other, talk, and recommend products and services. Brands and retailers are not openly welcome here. In some of these consumer-to-consumer platforms, commerce also is taking place. Those include Discord, Reddit, and the many long-tail, peer-to-peer reselling, creator and upcycling platforms. To benefit from these platforms, the best move for a brand will be to humbly participate in the conversation, ethically, as an equal.

Finally, there are platforms where brands and retailers are invited, and consumers are active, but are not currently thriving as social shopping platforms. These are mainly gaming platforms and content streaming.

P2PI: You’ve indicated that stress is a main driver of social shopping. Why is that?

Schieber: While digital shopping is by itself a less stressful way to shop (less time-consuming, convenient, enables price and product comparisons), it is actually proven to be physically

stress inducing. Social shopping enables a more personalized discovery process. It allows for easier decision-making based on people we trust, like friends, family and creators. This type of shopping can even avoid stress-inducing errors, such as wrong size or color, since one may consult the seller or other members of the community. TikTok, for instance, combats decision fatigue by explaining that the personalization on the “for you” discovery page allows you to see more relevant choices (i.e., minimizing the number of decisions).

The above is not limited to digital shopping. The best shopper marketers already know how important it is to maintain the sense of curation and personalization in physical stores, as well as corresponding with the overall omnichannel strategy. Today it means connecting social media trends to the store by helping customers easily fi nd the products they discovered online or helping them make decisions based on creators they know and trust. A famous example is Barnes & Noble’s in-store connection to the “TikTok made me read it” trend, featuring books that are trending on “booktok.” Various brands also are launching limited-edition products to correspond to social media trends.

P2PI: What are some of the remaining challenges or friction points as it relates to social commerce?

Schieber: One of the biggest future challenges for brands and retailers will be their participation in consumer-to-consumer (C2C) commerce. Brands and retailers gradually lose control of the conversation with consumers. In the past, we saw a brand or retailer selling on social media and including a user-generatedcontent element (reviews, recommendations, etc.) to support decisions. Today, the conversation is seldomly led by brands, and consumers discover new products based on what their favorite content creators and their friends recommend. The sale also is increasingly led by creators, who sell directly to fans without the need to enable a brand or a retailer to partake in the process.

The real challenge is the C2C platforms — such as resell, fan art and upcycling — which could leave brands and retailers out of the conversation entirely. In my opinion, to play in the field, you must adopt a platform mindset to enable transactions and empower consumers. The bottom line is that brands must come to shoppers where they are spending their time and offer a personal and seamless experience, and relevant content — no matter the technology.

On Trend

Inside a Metaverse Distillery

LANDER OTEGUI, MARKETING SVP AT PROXIMO SPIRITS, EXPLAINS THE PROCESS OF GOING VIRTUAL FOR JOSE CUERVO AND HOW IT CAN TRANSLATE TO REAL-LIFE PURCHASES.

BY CHARLIE MENCHACA

Proximo Spirits fully embraced the metaverse this summer by opening a virtual reality distillery for its Jose Cuervo tequila brand.

The “metadistillery” launched July 24 on the Decentraland digital platform to coincide with National Tequila Day. As metaverse avatars, users completed a gamified version of the tequila-making process and concluded their adventure with a virtual cocktail while mingling with other avatars. Those who completed the experience during the opening received digital wearables for their avatar.

To fully explore what this digital space can offer, we spoke with Lander Otegui, senior vice president of marketing at Proximo Spirits, importer and distributor of Jose Cuervo.

P2PI: Why did Jose Cuervo decide to enter the metaverse? Otegui: We are always looking for new ways to meet our consumers where they are, and we know that Millennials and Gen Z have a genuine interest and curiosity in the metaverse. We also see great value in bringing tequila to this emerging tech frontier.

Jose Cuervo was the fi rst tequila brand to be granted a license to distill more than 260 years ago. We’ve been pioneering within the industry ever since. … It’s only natural for us to be the fi rst tequila brand to open a

distillery in the metaverse and set a precedent for how this experience can come to life for others in the category.

Cuervo aims to help our fans create genuine connections. We recognized how Decentraland offers its visitors many ways to connect that they don’t often do in real life. That’s why we created the metadistillery — to bring strangers together. From the distillery space itself to shared activities and experiences, followed by prizes and tokens that reward people for making friends, we see this as a chance to show the world that Cuervo can fast-forward friendship both online and off.

P2PI: What are the objectives of this multistep virtual experience?

Otegui: Our primary objective is to demonstrate to visitors how tequila can be emulated in a virtual environment. Cuervo has been a brand unafraid to venture into new territories when it comes to innovating the liquid, so it’s only natural for us to explore how we can bring tequila to life in this new frontier. We want to show tequila lovers that there are numerous ways they can learn about and interact with the spirit, and the Cuervo metadistillery helps translate that experience into a platform with endless opportunities.

We also know that at large, Cuervo fans and tequila lovers are energized by enriching experiences that allow them to meet new friends and build lasting memories with existing connections. That’s why we’re encouraging strangers to form new bonds, whether it’s by experiencing many of the touchpoints within the virtual experience or just enjoying some quality time at the Familia Bar. Cuervo has always been a brand with a strong focus on fostering connections, and the metadistillery is another avenue to explore that passion point.

P2PI: How did you decide on the sequence and visual representation of each step?

Otegui: As we started conceptualizing the Cuervo metadistillery, it was important that we translate the distillery experience one would have at La Rojena — the oldest operating distillery in Latin America where Cuervo is produced — and elevate it with the boundless limitations that only the metaverse can provide.

That ethos is felt throughout the entire experience and is meant to mirror the distillation process from start to fi nish. From the beginning touchpoint, where visitors can harvest their very

That’s why we created the metadistillery — to bring strangers together. … We see this as a chance to show the world that Cuervo can fast-forward friendship both online and off.

— Lander Otegui, Proximo Spirits

own agave pinas for distilling, to the barrel maze that evokes the aging process via American white oak barrels, visitors will fi nd that each interactive moment evokes the tequila distillation process. We’ll continue to explore new ways to recreate the steps throughout the metadistillery and are excited to receive user feedback to make the entire experience true to Cuervo’s heritage and tequila-making process.

P2PI: How does the metadistillery lead age21-and-over shoppers to purchase Jose Cuervo products in the real world?

Otegui: At this stage, we’re offering a $5 discount code for new Drizly users following the completion of the metadistillery experience that visitors can use to purchase Cuervo expressions in real life. We’re exploring new ways to connect the metadistillery to physical Cuervo offerings and are excited at the possibilities — with more to come in the future.

P2PI: Whom did you collaborate with for this project?

Otegui: It started with the Jose Cuervo brand team, along with Mekanism, our creative agency of record. Consulting agency Ache served as creative co-lead, while Tangible headed up the metaverse experience.

Bompas & Parr, food and beverage experience designers, were responsible for the aesthetic and consumer experience in the distillery. Innovation firm Rojkind Arquitectos handled the architectural design while M2 Studio covered architecture optimization for the metaverse environment. Finally, Vegas City was responsible for programming.

Decentraland offers its visitors many ways to connect that they don’t often do in real life.

Want to know what to expect at P2PI LIVE?

the inside scoop …

Inspiring Keynotes

Be ready at 8 a.m. as the P2PI LIVE conference agenda kicks off with impactful keynote presentations each morning.

Tuesday, Oct. 18:

• “The Zero-Compromise Customer Experience,” Bill Bennett, VP of eCommerce, The Kroger Co.

• “The Evolving (and Fast-Moving) CPG Path To Purchase,” Justin Honaman, Head, Worldwide Business Development, Consumer Products - Food & Beverage, Amazon Web Services, Amazon

• “Confluencer Commerce: Navigating the Integration of Commerce, Media and Content,” Bryan Gildenberg, SVP, Commerce, Omnicom Commerce Group

Wednesday, Oct. 19:

• “Reimagining Brick-and-Mortar Retail,” Carla Dunham, Chief Marketing Officer, Foxtrot

“The Frictionless Future of BevAlc E-Commerce,” Derek Correia, President, ReserveBar

Thursday, Oct. 20:

• “The Sunny Future of Cannabis,” Cory Rothschild, National Retail President, Cresco Labs

• “Tomorrow’s Shopping Era: From Community Commerce to Commerceverse,” Amy Lanzi, Chief Operating Officer, Publicis Groupe, and Roberto Cymrot, Director, Cross-Category Market Insights, Samsung Electronics America

• “Reconnecting with Rite Aid,” Andre Persaud, Executive Vice President & Chief Retail Officer, Rite Aid

Carla

Bill

Andre

Sponsored by 84.51LUNCHEON

The Path to Purchase Institute’s second-annual OmniShopper Awards will celebrate innovative commerce marketing activations from brands, retailers, marketing agencies and consumer-facing solution providers driving engagement across the entire path to purchase. Find out who will be recognized for their excellence in shopper engagement during an awards luncheon at 12:15 p.m. CDT on Thursday, Oct. 20, when we’ll announce the winners live and share what made them rise to the top.

Women of Excellence Awards Ceremony & Cocktail Reception

Sponsored

The Path to Purchase Institute’s seventhannual Women of Excellence Awards program recognizes female brand marketers, retailers, agency executives and solution providers for their achievements in influencing shoppers along the path to purchase. The categories include Technology Award, Innovator Award, Mentorship Award, Industry Impact Award, Business Excellence Award and Executive of the Year Award. Come celebrate the winners at 5 p.m. CDT on Tuesday, Oct. 18, at the awards ceremony and cocktail reception.

Visit the Exhibit Floor

Visit the expo floor anytime during show hours and peruse the various booths to meet the players and learn more about the exciting innovations and solutions offered from more than 25 exhibitors.

You’re invited to the PAVE Bash @ P2PI LIVE, which takes place at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 19, at Untitled Supper Club. We’re celebrating 30 years of PAVE as well as the Path to Purchase Institute’s 20-year anniversary. Purchase a special discounted ticket to the Bash for $50 during registration and help support the future of in-store experience. The party will combine music, food, cocktails and entertainment for a fun evening of networking — all for a great cause. Ticket proceeds benefit PAVE’s educational and student aid programs.

PAVE X Frito-Lay Student DESIGN CHALLENGE

The PAVE X Frito-Lay Student Design Challenge is a project that brings together some of the best student design talent to showcase P-O-P display creativity. Frito-Lay presented a real-life design problem to the students, who in turn had to address these challenges to offer a creative display solution. The best designs have been chosen and the sponsoring manufacturers — Menasha and Bish Creative — have worked directly with the students in a mentoring role to translate their intentions into prototypes. These prototypes will be proudly displayed in the PAVE booth on the expo floor.

Networking Opportunities

Connect with industry friends and meet new faces during various networking breaks, lunches and awards ceremonies throughout the show. Be sure not to miss the cocktail reception (sponsored by Product of the Year) on Wednesday, Oct. 19, from 4:45 p.m. to 5:45 p.m., for an extra opportunity to mingle with fellow attendees.

BevAlc Track

P2PI LIVE ’s curated conference sessions have focused topic areas, including a track dedicated to the BevAlc category on Wednesday, Oct. 19. Among the scheduled speakers in that track are:

• Tammy Ackerman, VP Retail eCommerce, Treasury Wine Estates

• Matt Hodge, Vice President, B2C eCommerce, RNDC

• Jason Oziel, Manager, eCommerce Sales Strategy, Boston Beer Company

• Sara Goucher, North American eCommerce Director, Molson Coors

• Brandy Rand, Chief Strategy Officer, IWSR Drinks Market Analysis

• Risa Crandall, SVP, CPG Strategy + Sales, Aki Technologies, an Inmar Intelligence Company

Campfi res/Ask the Experts

Following the keynote sessions on Oct. 18 and 19, attendees have their choice of attending any of the various breakout sessions on the agenda or joining in on an informal peer-to-peer discussion in the Hilton’s Buckingham Room. Come eager to share. Among the experts conversing will be Anne Louise Marquis (pictured) of Campari America.

Special Session: SM2 COMMISSION

In a breakout session on Thursday, Oct. 20, hear updates from the SM2 Commission. Responding to the lack of common understanding of how to measure the impact of shopper marketing in the industry, the SM2 Commission convened in 2020 to identify a common approach that would standardize shopper marketing measurement. The effort included preliminary studies, the development of a world-class Playbook and ultimately — despite the challenging executional environment brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic — measurement modeling executed across three real-life pilot programs. This panel discussion with commission participants will reveal the current shopper marketing measurement landscape, the results of the modeling pilots, and a path forward.

Tammy Ackerman Matt Hodge

Visit the Product of the Year Booth

Stop by the Product of the Year (POY) booth on the expo show floor to learn about entering the 2023 Product of the Year Awards — the largest consumer-voted award for product innovation, where winners are chosen by the votes of 40,000 American shoppers. Chat with the POY team, enter to win daily giveaways, and enjoy goodies and surprise activations throughout the conference.

Product of the Year Awards

Product of the Year is the largest consumer-voted award for product innovation. Each year, winners are determined using a nationally representative study — conducted by consumer research fi rm Kantar — with the votes of 40,000 real shoppers.

The Product of the Year Award positions winners as the people’s choice for the best and most innovative product in their categories. Honorees often fi nd success using the win as a powerful merchandising strategy, giving their new products an edge over the competition.

Below, four brands share their experiences as former winners:

Drinks Are on POY

After a full day at P2PI LIVE on Wednesday, Oct. 19, come to the Continental Ballroom at the Chicago Hilton at 4:45 p.m. to unwind and network with fellow attendees at the Product of the Year-sponsored cocktail reception.

Nexcare Duo Bandages: “Winning this award has helped raise brand awareness, incentivize trial and expand household penetration for this exciting new product launch,” says Peter Berens, Nexcare Global Portfolio Leader, 3M.

Purex Crystals: “The 40,000 people is the thing that stands out the most for us; while I’d love to get the seal of approval from a bunch of scientists that my product works — I know it works, and it’s great to have consumers tell me that it’s something they really love,” says Devin Angle, Brand Manager, Henkel.

Pro Plan LiveClear: “We are currently using the POY emblem on our website to highlight our product innovation and boost credibility in the marketplace. Winning this award has also helped drive awareness to new customers in the time since the original product launch,” says Vanessa Hopkins, Pro Plan Brand Manager, Nestle Purina.

Veggieful Pocket Pies: “The award provides us a reassurance that we are indeed offering a product that is beloved by consumers, so we use the award when talking about our product directly with consumers on social media,” says Liam Farrell, VP of Brand Marketing, Del Monte.

CHICAGO

CHICAGO

OCTOBER 18-20

OCTOBER 18-20

THE PREMIERE INDUSTRY EVENT FOR COMMERCE MARKETERS

THE PREMIERE INDUSTRY EVENT FOR COMMERCE MARKETERS

Come experience and unmatched lineup of conference sessions and exciting networking opportunities crafted to inspire, educate and cultivate new connections with the top experts and industry trailblazers in commerce marketing.

Come experience and unmatched lineup of conference sessions and exciting networking opportunities crafted to inspire, educate and cultivate new connections with the top experts and industry trailblazers in commerce marketing.

WE CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOU OCTOBER 18-20

WE CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOU OCTOBER 18-20

SPONSORSHIPS & EXHIBIT

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

SPONSORSHIPS & EXHIBIT

BOOTHS AVAILABLE, CONTACT:

RECONNECT WITH COLLEAGUES

BOOTHS AVAILABLE, CONTACT:

Arlene Schusteff 847•533•2697

LATEST IN P-O-P AND IN-STORE

Orlando Llerandi 678•591•8284

Arlene Schusteff 847•533•2697

Orlando Llerandi 678•591•8284

LATEST IN P-O-P AND IN-STORE

NETWORKING HAPPY HOURS

NETWORKING HAPPY HOURS

INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS

INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS

BY JENNY REBHOLZ

Itis no secret that the cannabis industry is ripe with opportunity. However, discussions often position this growth in future terms. Well, that future is now.

The cannabis industry has seen meteoric growth in recent years, spurred by the legalization of recreational use across the U.S. Combined medical and recreational cannabis sales could reach $33 billion in the U.S. by the end of 2022 — and global sales are projected to reach $55 billion by 2026.

With legal cannabis products poised to become the largest-growing new CPG segment in the U.S., companies are seizing this opportunity with the launch of exciting new brands and retail concepts. And cannabis has the opportunity to grab market share in multiple expansive CPG categories, including alcohol, medicine and wellness.

“When you think about existing consumer product categories and you think about the potential of what cannabis is going to be, it is incredibly significant,” says marketing veteran Cory Rothschild, now national retail president of cannabis and medical marijuana company Cresco Labs, which operates its own retail banner, Sunnyside. “And those use occasions are not just in a narrow percentage of adults’ lives. You are talking about 21- to 81-year-olds who have very different needs — a huge percentage of the U.S. adult population with parts of their lives that cannabis can make better.”

IGNITE CPG

With global sales forecasted to reach $55 billion by 2026, this growing CPG category is poised to become a significant multi-category influencer and market disruptor.

The strategy for bringing this coveted CPG category to market may not be as different as you think. Branding, marketing and customer strategy, e-commerce, brick-and-mortar retail and the overall customer experience can leverage lessons learned in traditional categories. However, legacy stigma and complex regulations that vary from state to state and across international lines make this exciting category also a very tricky one.

Branded for Normalcy

Due to the reach of cannabis across categories and the number of people it can impact, the drug is on the path to normalcy. “Something used by that many people will be, by defi nition, normal,” says Rothschild. “It literally has to be normal because so many people will be using it in so many different parts of their lives.”

This sets the stage for powerful branding opportunities. “It means that the brands that exist in these categories will be some of the largest brands in the world,” says Rothschild. “Because it is in an industry that needs education, because it is so new and growing up so fast, and because there is legacy stigma based on the way it has been regulated in the past, brands are very important to help people understand the category, trust the category, set expectations and deliver on them.”

Jason Vegotsky, CEO of Petalfast, a fi rst-of-its-kind, route-through-market platform for the cannabis industry, believes heightened competition in cannabis markets across the U.S. is forcing companies to implement new branding strategies. “It’s a new era in the industry where brands need to race to the bottom on price or back up more high-priced products with quality,” he says. “In this competitive landscape, brands must fi gure out how to connect on a deeper level with the consumer, which is why more companies are opting to invest strategically in brand building.”

The 2021 BDSA and IRI industry report “What’s Next for Cannabis as a Consumer Packaged Good?” found that: “Brand alone doesn’t seem to matter at the surface, but a good experience, trusted recommendations and brand familiarity does.”

Rothschild believes the industry will see the emergence of big brands. “Not unlike other categories, there will be scaled brands and retailers that drive a consistent experience that you know and can expect. Those will have the lion’s share of the category,” he says.

Vegotsky predicts that the brands that can successfully scale through multi-state expansion will be in the best position for long-term growth, especially brands that have broken through in the competitive California market and expanded east. Vegotsky highlights Wyld, Stiiizy, Wonderbrett, Lowell, Cann and Kiva as cannabis brands to watch.

Through education and raising awareness, brands will introduce consumers to cannabis products that can help with health concerns and

support social aspects of their daily lives. From options to address issues such as insomnia, muscle soreness or anxiety to beverages that can be offered at a backyard BBQ, this is the path to normalcy.

In fact, the cannabis beverage category has been gaining a good deal of market traction. Beverage brands are highlighting the benefits of this alternative and speaking directly to consumer hot buttons — plant-based, low- or no-calorie, same session quality and less likely to induce a hangover.

“If the basic deliverable of alcohol can be done with cannabis, you are starting to think about a structurally better value proposition than one of the largest categories in the U.S.,” says Rothschild.

Marketing & Customer Strategy

When building brands and customer bases from scratch, there are endless opportunities for innovation. While cannabis regulations can pose numerous challenges, these restrictions raise the bar for innovation and push teams to create breakthrough ads, inventive packaging and clever social posts. Education across marketing channels plays a key role in customer strategy and efforts to achieve normalcy.

Rachel Soulsby, senior director of marketing at Agrify, a provider of advanced cultivation and extraction solutions for the cannabis industry, believes that as the sector matures through the end of the year and into 2023, marketing tactics will mature alongside the space. She emphasizes the importance of providing free education and doubling down on consumer base values, from a heightened focus on video assets and staying in tune with changing social media algorithms to live and virtual events.

Soulsby also recommends leveraging wellness propositions. “The wellness sector is booming, just like cannabis is,” she says. “Find alignment with brands and influencers in the wellness space that want to link arms.”

The wellness sector is booming, just like cannabis is. Find alignment with brands and influencers in the wellness space that want to link arms.

— Rachel Soulsby, Agrify

Connecting with Products

The pandemic helped the industry stretch boundaries in many ways, especially advancing technologically via robust e-commerce and POS systems. This means cannabis brands are now gathering consumer data like other categories and leveraging that information to better connect with their customers through target marketing.

Similar to traditional CPG, one of the fi rst places a consumer interacts with a product is on the shelf, so product packaging plays a significant role in brand recognition.

Cannabis consumers also are much more likely to shop by ingredient, in terms of strains, terpenes or percentage of THC, Rothschild notes. But he hopes branding efforts can help change that. “Most people don’t walk down the chip aisle and shop ingredients; they are picking favorite brands and flavors and the quality for the type of event,” he says. “That’s what brands do for us in all parts of our life. That’s what we need in cannabis, and packaging plays a significant role.”

Rothschild also emphasizes the need to fi nd more sustainable packaging options. “It is required by law to have all the layers of packaging, so it is on us to fi nd ways to make sustainable solutions, so cannabis doesn’t become one of the most polluting industries,” he says.

Unlike other CPG categories, a major cannabis retail challenge is that most consumers can’t see the product until after purchasing it. This is another area where Rothschild hopes to see a change in the future. “These regulations for control and safety are understandable when you are starting a new industry,” he says. “So, how can we do that responsibly? I think a lot about that because it would change the experience for millions of people who come through our doors and help them find a product that is a better fit for them.”

Depending on local regulations, retailers are exploring options such as products under lockable enclosed glass or employee-driven interactions.

Retailers are also leveraging digital platforms and incorporating sounds and scents in the retail environment to give customers the best sensory experience currently possible.

The Evolving Dispensary Experience

Brands continue to raise the bar on the dispensary experience, exploring multisensory strategies, nostalgic references, unique collaborations, community connections and event planning that positions them at the heart of culture. The in-store experience plays an important role in transforming consumer perceptions of cannabis. This is a way to normalize cannabis shopping, reinforce brand relationships with savvy customers, and connect with and educate new or potential customers.

As competition increases and product offerings become similar over time, the dispensary experience will become a true differentiator.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced dispensary owners to fine-tune design and systems, and to leverage technology for maximum shopping efficiency. With more efficiencies in place, retailers are using the technology to constantly analyze the dispensary experience to

make sure they are elevating the customer journey for different types of shoppers as well as different customer journeys.

Just like Sephora, Total Wine or the local hardware store, dispensaries need to support the in-and-out, express trip, the browsing experience to gain familiarity or a longer, consultative purchasing process. “We have to fi nd a way to address the different customer needs if we are going to be a scalable retailer that everyone knows about,” says Rothschild. “We have to win on the experience we deliver.”

Brands and retailers are advocating and pushing boundaries to continue to enhance the customer journey and be at the center of culture.

With products in hand, customers are limited to certain places for consumption. This is what’s next in the cannabis customer journey. Industry innovators are exploring this opportunity in states and locations where they can. This includes the emergence of cannabis lounges, the integration of visible grow facilities within dispensaries, concert experiences and the evolving topic of canna-tourism.

If there are brewery and winery tours and wine country destinations, why not the same for cannabis?

CANNABIS RETAIL SPOTLIGHT

Here are a few examples of brands bringing unique designs, features and events to round out the customer experiences in the markets they serve:

The Artist Tree evolved its brand with the community aspect front and center. Each store (currently six locations) is also an art gallery that showcases revolving exhibits from local artists. Aside from hosting art shows, contributions are made to arts organizations and art supplies are gathered for donations. There are in-store presentations by artists and participation in arts-related events. The Artist Tree in West Hollywood, California, features a cannabis lounge adjacent to its retail location.

Thrive, the largest independent cannabis retailer in Nevada, currently has eight locations across the state. Each store prioritizes efficiency and security within a sleek minimalist design, and a few unique features depending on the location. The Southern Highlands location highlights an innovative, automated conveyor belt that delivers orders to customers, while the North Vegas location offers a drive-thru. The recently opened flagship off the Vegas Strip will also open a consumption lounge in the near future.

When it comes to immersive shopping experiences Jushi Holdings Inc. , a vertically integrated, multistate cannabis operator, is committed to raising retail expectations. Their reinvented motto “Beyond Hello” is focused on retail experiences that engage all the senses and establish a place at the heart of culture. These sensory experiences are aimed to create a “retail scene” that mixes art, performance and curated, designed products. The company is engaging consumers with a variety of experiences. Tasteology/Astrology comprises pop-up events for the Tasteology brand — real fruit, cannabis-infused gummies and chewable tablets. To play on the tarot-card theme of the brand, Jushi offered tarot card readings in its Massachusetts dispensaries.

Photo credit – Thrive

Photo credit – Martin Depict

Photo credit – Jushi

Superette (French for mini supermarket) launched in 2019 and has received multiple awards for its brand identity and store design. The brand banks on the familiar and making a relevant connection to normal daily life experiences. The nostalgic shop designs recreate memorable diner, deli, bodega, flower shop, candy store and subway newsstand experiences. They are hyperlocal-focused with each new immersive shop experience adapted to its surrounding neighborhood. The most recent, The Annex, is a 500-square-foot, Italian-deli-inspired store immersed in a student-centric neighborhood in Toronto. In 2021, Superette opened Sip ‘N’ Smoke (pictured), a first-of-itskind “express” cannabis retail concept located in Toronto’s Trinity-Bellwoods Park. The 690-square-foot kiosk serves only pre-rolls and infused beverages that are meant to be enjoyed at the park. The walk-up location and cafeteria-style shopping experience push the retail boundaries.

Sunnyside is the first national retail brand of multi-state operator Cresco Labs. There are currently 53 Sunnyside dispensary locations with plans to expand to 150 locations by the end of 2023. This expansion will bring their retail experience to 17 states and make it the most expansive cannabis retail footprint. Focused on building an optimal and efficient experience in the midst of the pandemic, the company is now leveraging the bright, welcoming atmosphere and passionate staff to enhance interactions and education. The clean, fresh design is increasingly enhanced with digital screens and projections, QR code educational touchpoints, and music to create a full-sensory experience and inviting culture for staff and customers.

Wyllow ’s 500-square-foot Los Angeles dispensary captivates customers’ senses while a dedicated Atelier guides their shopping journey — a truly immersive cannabis experience designed by Space Objekt. The storefront is clad with cone-shaped mirrors and provides a perfect selfie moment. The design takes inspiration from Wyllow product packaging, incorporates sustainable materials derived from hemp and makes architectural nods to the neoclassical era. Multicolored lights, backlit product displays and four appointed guest seats create a lush, jewelbox setting. Customers are further delighted with an interactive terpenebased scent installation as well as curated soundscapes (by sound artist Intriguant) that layer sounds of nature with spoken word and details such as the rolling of paper.

Photo credit – Sunnyside

Photo credit – Alex Lysakowski

Photo credit – Chris Greenwell

Shopper Engagement Retail Media

Retail media might just be the hottest topic in the world of commerce

marketing — and it’s showing no signs of slowing down. But what do consumers think about retail media, and how are they actually interacting with it across platforms? On the following pages, we invite you to dig into retail media from the shopper’s viewpoint. (Hint: promotion/sale messaging still reigns supreme!)

BY TIM BINDER

Research from the Path to Purchase Institute earlier this year focused on the state of retail media from the industry’s perspective — that of CPG and durable goods professionals. But what about retail media insights from the consumers, or shoppers?

While average consumers likely have little or no knowledge about the term “retail media,” they are exposed to it often. And their opinions on their exposure to retail media’s tactics could be a gold mine for those same industry professionals we heard from in our May survey (reported in our July/August issue).

Before we fielded our survey of consumers in July, we had to fi rst identify retail media’s primary touchpoints. To get there, we looked at the published/known tactics of established retailer media networks (including Walmart Connect,

General Attitude about Advertising Inside of Stores

I enjoy seeing or hearing about the products available at the retailer and am open to considering purchasing them during my shopping trip.

I enjoy seeing or hearing about the products available at the retailer and may consider purchasing them during future trips.

I don’t usually pay much attention or notice the advertising when shopping in-store.

I find in-store advertising intrusive, and it takes away from my shopping experience.

Q. When thinking generally about the advertising retailers use inside of their stores, which of the following best describes you? [Not asked among online-only shoppers]

Source: Path

Engagement with

Advertising Encouraging Action

Target’s Roundel and Kroger Precision Marketing) and devised general questions about retailers’ instore, online, email and social media engagement with consumers, as well as the relevant activity that occurs on third-party media sellers’ websites.

We surveyed 1,000 self-identified shoppers who shop in-store and/or online at least once per month at one of the 25-plus retailers we named who operate their own media networks. Respondents’ shopping activity broke down like this:

• 74% shop both in-store and online.

• 22% shop in-store only.

• 3% shop online only.

We asked them to identify which retailers they shopped, with Amazon (76%), Walmart (72%), Dollar General (60%), Target (51%), CVS (48%), Walgreens (47%), Kroger (42%) and Family Dollar (41%) being cited most often.

In-Store Advertising – Grabbing Their Attention

Tells me about a promotion or sale

Advertisement is unique or eye-catching

Introduces me to a new or unique product

Reminds me about a product I needed to buy

Advertises for a brand I know and trust Happens to be related to my reason for that shopping trip

Is exactly what I want or need on that trip

Advertises a new brand I haven’t heard of before Directs me to a location within the store to find a particular item

None, I don’t pay attention to in-store ads

Q. What is it about brands’ advertising inside retail stores that most catches your attention or makes you want to learn more about the product being advertised? (Select up to two)

Source:

Special Report

Noticing Advertising In-Store (after Online Exposure)

Frequency of noticing brand advertising in-store after seeing/hearing ad online:

What captures attention for a second time, in-store:

Tells me about a promotion or sale for that item

Advertisement is unique or eye-catching

Reminds me about the product Is a brand I know and trust

I am already planning to purchase the item Happens to be related to my main reason for that shopping trip

Directs me to a location within the store to find the item

Frequently Sometimes Rarely Never

Q. Do you ever notice brands’ advertising while shopping in physical stores after previously seeing or hearing an ad for that brand online?

Q. What is it about that brand’s ad that catches your attention for a second time, this time in-store?

Source: Path to Purchase Institute Shopper Engagement with Retail Media Study, July 2022

In-Store Retail Media

To start, we investigated the advertising that retailers use inside of their stores. Eighty-four percent of respondents said they enjoy seeing or hearing about available products while shopping in-store — and 59% not only said they enjoy it, but that they are also open to purchasing the items advertised. Meanwhile, 14% said they don’t pay attention to that advertising, and just 2% said they fi nd in-store advertising intrusive.

We next asked how often they notice specific types of brand advertising in stores: 84% of respondents said they frequently or sometimes notice brand displays on shelves. Furthermore, at least 70% of respondents said they frequently or sometimes notice video ads on TV screens, video screens at gas pumps, digital screens or displays at checkout, and in-store audio. Among our choices, only digital displays at electric vehicle charging stations came in below 60% (likely impacted by the lack of these types of locations to begin with).

Breaking things down further, for those who indicated they enjoy seeing or hearing advertising in-store, 47% said they “frequently notice” brand displays on shelves — significantly higher than for those who said they don’t pay attention or fi nd ads intrusive, which came in at 21% for noticing brand

Seeking Out Brands In-Store (after Online Exposure)

Men

of the time Most of the time Some of the time

Source: Path to Purchase Institute Shopper Engagement with Retail Media Study,

Rarely Never

2022

displays on shelves. Those two groups also noticed in-store audio at much different rates: 34% for ad lovers compared to 13% for the ad-adverse/aloof.

Next, we zeroed in on those who said they notice a particular tactic in stores, asking them if they believe seeing or hearing those advertisements encourages them to locate a product in the store, to fi nd the product online and consider purchasing, or to briefly consider but take no further action.

There were similar results across the board:

• 68% (video screens at gas pumps) to 81% (brand displays on shelves) said they frequently or sometimes locate the product in-store and consider purchasing.

Q. How often do you seek out brands in-store after seeing their ads online?

Special Report

Reasons for Visiting Retailer Websites/Apps

• 63% (video screens at gas pumps) to 76% (digital screens at checkout, and digital displays at EV charging stations) said they frequently or sometimes fi nd the product online and consider purchasing.

• 72% (video ads on TV screens) to 76% (brand displays on shelves) said they frequently or sometimes briefly consider but take no further action.

Shopping Behavior on Retailer Websites/Apps

We then asked what aspect of brands’ in-store advertising most catches their attention or makes them want to learn more about the product. “Tells me about a promotion or sale” topped the list at 32%, followed by “Advertisement is unique or eye-catching” (22%), “Introduces me to a new or unique product” (21%) and “Reminds me about a product I needed to buy” (19%). Other responses fi nished close behind. (See chart, page 31.)

FAST FACT:

To understand how online exposure to ads affects their in-store shopping, we asked if they ever notice a brand’s advertising in-store after previously encountering an ad for that brand online. The “frequently” (28%) and “sometimes” (50%) answers outpaced “rarely” (16%) and “never” (6%).

Furthermore, we asked what about that ad catches their attention for a second time. The top responses were: “Tells me about a promotion or sale for that item” (31%) and “Advertisement is unique or eye-catching” (28%).

Looking at things differently, we asked how often they seek out brands in-store after seeing

that when

they

know exactly what they are

INSIDE THE DATA

Research shows why in-store audio marketing generates results

BY PAUL BRENNER

The retail landscape has changed dramatically over the past two years with the rise of virtual shopping. But as COVID-19 cases decline and vaccination distribution increases, brick-and-mortar shopping is making its return.

The influx of brands in brick-and-mortar stores requires retailers to adopt effective marketing strategies that drive foot traffic and customer loyalty. While e-commerce will remain popular, brands interacting with customers through various media — print ads, e-commerce apps, social media ads and primarily contextual ads instore — will keep ahead of competitors. To drive purchases, brands must reach consumers across the sales funnel, delivering a consistent buying experience online and offl ine.

To capture and maintain shoppers’ attention in the crowded retail landscape, brands must invest in efforts designed to maximize customer interaction. For example, 48% of shoppers say instore audio encourages them to locate products in-store and consider purchasing — the same amount as with video ads and digital screens. One of many notable fi ndings in the Path to Purchase Institute’s “Shopper Engagement with Retail Media” research report.

Retailers are increasingly adopting audio out-of-home (OOH) — an in-store advertising strategy sitting at the end of the marketing funnel and targeting shoppers at the point of purchase. With 89% of consumers noticing in-store audio, retailers are eager to tailor ad messages played between songs to target hyper-specific, local customers with the highest propensity to spend.

This strategy offers a dynamic — not static — advertising approach. For example, it doesn’t rely on someone to walk by a display or see a posted sign. Instead, it reaches a “captive audience” throughout a store. The report found that 59% of consumers enjoy seeing or hearing about the products available at the retailer and are open to

considering purchasing them during their shopping trip, proving this is an effective advertising tactic.

Retailers can customize audio OOH campaigns based on current inventory, eliminating the accidental promotion of out-of-stock products. Customer demographic data such as gender, age and lifestyle offers insights to guide decisions about ad choice and scheduling to optimize impact.

By implementing audio in-store as an integral part of their retail media strategy, advertisers and retailers gain an additional tool to raise in-store sales through optimized customer engagement, a sentiment Vibenomics has been driving with larger retailers in the industry for years.

Despite the current economic climate, retail media has cemented itself in the advertising landscape. “Fool-proof” channels like paid search, social media ads and cookies do not offer the same access to customers they once did. Therefore, brands realize the necessity of building a more complete marketing funnel by connecting with their customers through multiple touchpoints along the buyer’s journey.

Continued investment in retail media, specifically digital in-store media — including video displays and audio advertising — demonstrates these markets’ resilience in the face of economic and industry change. Shopper first-party data will continue to drive these channels, providing a win-win for advertisers and retailers. Advertisers can maximize the value of each customer interaction. Retailers open themselves to alternative revenue streams.

In competitive environments like grocery, convenience stores or big-box retailers included in this report, audio in-store can make the difference in what items people choose. Brands need options to layer their campaigns and highlight their products. For this purpose, audio OOH is the perfect partner.

About the Author

Paul Brenner joined Vibenomics in 2019 as Chief Strategy Officer to help develop the go-to-market strategy for the company’s first-to-market Audio Out-of-Home advertising solution. After a successful launch, Brenner was promoted to President of Audio OOH to oversee all efforts surrounding revenuegenerating activity and related partnerships, and recently joined the DPAA Research Committee and new IAB Retail Media Committee. He has more than 25 years of experience in media and entertainment and technology leadership.

Special

Retailer Websites/Apps – Attitudes & Behaviors

I enjoy when retailers show they know me by advertising products that have purchased or considered purchasing.

I have made purchases based on seeing an ad on a retailer’s website or their mobile app.

I am often reminded of products I have considered in online advertising.

I like when retailers suggest new products to me that I haven’t heard of before.

I rarely click on or engage with online ads.

I feel like most online ads are not relevant to me.

Q. When thinking about shopping online, either on retailers’ websites

disagree with each of the following statements?

Source: Path

Retailer

mobile

Q. Here are two examples of brand ads you may see on a retailer’s website or mobile app. How often do you notice things like this when shopping online?

Q. Have you ever clicked on something like this when shopping on retailers’ websites or mobile apps?

How often do you notice ads like this?

you clicked on ads like this?

50%

Retailer Websites/Apps – Paid Search Ads

Sometimes Rarely Never

Frequently Yes, I frequently click on ads like this.

Yes, I occasionally click on ads like this.

Yes, but it is rare.

No, I have never clicked on an ad like this.

Q. Here are two examples of brand ads you may see on a retailer’s website or mobile app. How often do you notice things like this when shopping online?

Q. Have you ever clicked on something like this when shopping on retailers’ websites or mobile apps?

Source: Path to Purchase Institute Shopper Engagement with Retail Media Study, July 2022

their ads online. “All of the time” (21%), “most of the time” (29%) and “some of the time” (34%) garnered the most responses — a combined 84% of our survey takers.

Online Retail Media

Changing the focus to retailers’ online activity, we asked respondents why they typically visit retailers’ websites or mobile apps. Looking for promotions, deals or coupons (48%), comparing prices with other retailers (45%) and browsing products and finding inspiration (42%) garnered the most responses, followed by repurchasing items they buy regularly (39%) and purchasing new items or items they don’t buy regularly (37%).

Respondents then had to choose the best description of how they shop on retailers’ websites or apps. “I usually know exactly what I’m looking for and navigate there right away” (48%) and “Sometimes I know exactly what I’m looking for, but other times I am there just to browse” (44%) far outpaced “I am often just browsing” (8%) as the top choices.

When asked how often they notice brand advertising on retailers’ websites or apps,

Brand Ads on Retailer Websites/Apps –What Captures Attention?

Offers a discount or promotion

Is something I want or need to purchase

Is a product I was already searching for Eye-catching image or video

Is a brand I know and trust Is personalized to my browsing/shopping history

Introduces me to a new or unique product

Features real customer reviews

Reminds me of a product I have recently viewed

Is a new brand I haven’t heard of before

Features a celebrity or influencer I like Features user-generated content or images/ videos from real customers

None, I don’t pay attention to online ads

Q. What makes a brand’s online ad, like the examples we have shown, capture your attention or make you want to click to learn more about the product being advertised? Please select up to three items from the list below that are most relevant to you.

Source: Path to Purchase Institute Shopper Engagement with Retail Media Study, July 2022

Special Report

Do Brand Ads on

Websites/Apps Encourage Purchase?

88% of respondents answered “frequently” or “sometimes.” Just 11% said “rarely” or “never.”

Survey responses indicated a significant opportunity to increase relevance and engagement, as 69% of respondents at least partially agreed that they rarely click on or engage with online ads, and 66% said they feel like most online ads are not relevant to them.

The same question positively showed that 77% at least partially agreed that they enjoy when retailers show they know shoppers by advertising products that they have purchased or considered purchasing. Additionally:

Source:

How often do you notice ads like this?

• 77% at least partially agreed that they have made purchases based on seeing an ad on a retailer’s website or app.

Digital Ads Beyond Retailer Sites

Frequently

Q. Do you ever notice digital ads that promote a certain brand’s product available at a retailer when browsing online? In other words, do you ever notice ads promoting a product or products at a specific retailer when you are not shopping on that retailer’s website or mobile app?

Q. How often would you say you pay attention to or engage with these types of ads (e.g., consider the product or retailer being advertised, click the ad, etc.)?

Source:

Do you pay attention to ads like this?

• 81% at least partially agreed that they are often reminded of products that they have considered in online advertising.

• 80% at least partially agreed that they like when retailers suggest new products that they haven’t heard of before.

We showed survey takers separate images of brand display ads and then paid search ads from retailer websites before asking how often they noticed ads like that and have they ever clicked on them. Results showed:

With brand display ads, 83% said they at least sometimes notice ads like that, and 60% said they at least occasionally click on those ads.

With paid search ads, 90% said they at least sometimes notice ads like that, and 73% said they at least occasionally click on those ads.

FAST FACT:

say they frequently or sometimes notice ads promoting a product’s availability at a specific retailer when browsing online.

For both types of on-platform ads, we asked what captures our respondents’ attention or makes them want to click on the ads. “Offers a discount or promotion” (31%), “Is something I want or need to purchase” (28%), “Is a product I was already searching for (26%) and “Eyecatching image or video” were all selected by at least one-fourth of respondents.

Among only the respondents who previously said they “rarely” or “never” click on such ads, 39% said “Offers a discount or promotion” captures their attention and would make them want to click on the ads.

When we asked how often these online ads encourage them to purchase the product, 27%

Digital Ads Beyond Retailer Sites –What Captures Attention?

Offers a discount or promotion

Is a brand I know and trust

Is a retailer I know and trust

Advertisement is unique or eye-catching

Is a product I am already shopping for

Introduces me to a new or unique product

Reminds me of a product I have recently viewed

Is personalized to my browsing/shopping history

Features real customer reviews

Is a retailer I don’t shop with regularly Features user-generated content or images/videos from real customers

Features a celebrity or influencer I like I don’t usually engage with them

1%

Q. What is it about these types of ads that captures your attention or makes you want to engage with it? (Select up to three)

Source: Path to Purchase Institute Shopper Engagement with Retail Media Study, July 2022

Digital Account/Loyalty Program/Email Opt-In

Specialty retail/Mass merchant Online-only retailers

Grocery stores

Drug stores Club stores Discount/Dollar stores

Q. Do you have digital accounts, are you a loyalty program member, or have you opted in to receive emails from any of these retailers where you shop?

Source: Path to Purchase Institute Shopper Engagement with Retail Media Study, July 2022

Retailer Emails – Preferred Content

Promotions, sales or coupons

Personalized offers that are relevant to me

New product announcements

Product suggestions based on my shopping or browsing history Eye-catching images or videos

Reminders about products I left in my cart Reminders to re-purchase a product that I may be running low on Informative newsletters or content related to their industry Informative content related to their products

User-generated content or reviews

Nothing, I don’t want these emails

Q. What do you most like retailers to include in their emails to you? What most catches your attention or makes you want to learn more? (Select up to three)

Source: Path to Purchase Institute Shopper Engagement with Retail Media Study, July 2022

Special Report

Retailer Emails – Subsequent Action

said “frequently” and 55% said “sometimes,” while 19% answered “rarely or never.”

To understand their attitudes toward off-platform advertising, we showed an example of a brand’s digital ad on a news website promoting its availability at a specific retailer, and 71% said they frequently or sometimes notice ads like that. Furthermore, 70% said they frequently or sometimes pay attention to or engage with these ads.

Like with retailers’ onsite ads, these offsite ads do capture attention when they offer a discount or promotion (indicated by 31% of respondents). Other top responses included, “Is a brand I know and trust” (27%) and “Is a retailer I know and trust” (23%).

Retailer Email

To get an understanding of how consumers react to retailers’ emails, we fi rst asked if our survey takers had digital accounts with the retailers we identified, were members of their loyalty programs, or opted in to receive their emails. More than half said yes for Amazon, while at least 25% said yes separately for Walmart, Target, Kroger, Walgreens and CVS.

We then asked what they want retailers to include in those emails — what most catches their attention or makes them want to learn more. Similar to the opinions they gave for in-store as well as online advertising, respondents selected “promotions, sales or coupons” (45%) more often than any other option. “Personalized offers” was next with 30%. Far down the list was “user-

Following Retailers on Social Media

generated content or reviews,” which was selected by just 13% of respondents.

When asked how often they take certain actions after seeing a brand’s product being advertised in retailers’ emails:

• 74% of respondents said they click on the product to learn more at least some of the time.

• 71% said they at least sometimes purchase the product being advertised the next time they are in the store.

• 71% said they at least sometimes purchase online the product being advertised.

Social Media

To get an understanding of how consumers react to retailers’ social media activity, we fi rst asked our survey takers if they follow any of the

that at least sometimes the content they see from retailers on social media influences them to shop for or purchase certain

retailers they shop on social media. Thirty-seven percent said yes for Amazon. Beyond that, those named most often were Walmart (27%), Target (23%), Dollar General (16%), Kroger (15%) and CVS (14%).

We then asked how often the content they see from retailers on social media influences them to shop for or purchase certain products. Eightysix percent said it at least sometimes does, while 14% said it rarely or never does.

We then presented six different types of social media postings (see chart, below) and asked how likely our respondents were to want to learn more about a product available at a retailer after hearing about it in those ways. Approximately 80%-90% said they were at least

Retailer Social Media – Influencing Shopping

Q. How often would you say you shop for or purchase products based on the content you see from retailers on social media?

Source:

Social Media – Influence by Tactic

“Recommended for you” pages on social media

Post from a celebrity or celebrity influencer

A brand’s social media post

A retailer’s social media post

Post from a micro-influencer

An

Source: Path to Purchase Institute Shopper

with Retail Media Study, July 2022

Special Report

Seller) Websites – Clicking on Ads

Q. How often do

click on ads to learn more about a product when

somewhat likely to want to learn more for every way we presented. “Recommended for you” pages and posts from either brands or retailers were most influential.

Third-Party Media

Since ads that appear off of retailer sites (i.e., on third-party sites) are often an integral part of retailer networks, we wanted to understand if consumers view or engage with these ads differently than those on retailer sites.

We started by establishing how often our respondents actually visit or use specific thirdparty sites. Respondents said they visit Google or YouTube (each have more than 80% visiting at least once per week), as well as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Hulu (each have at least 70% visiting that much).

We asked how often respondents click on ads to learn more about a product when using a specific third-party website/app, and 50% said they click at least most of the time when on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube — while the others we named all received 40%-50% for most or all of the time. (See chart, above.)

Finally, and to no surprise, when we asked what about these ads on third-party sites/apps captures their attention and makes them want to click to learn more: “Offers a discount or promotion” (35%) was the clear leader among the responses we offered.

(Third-Party Media Seller) Website Ads –What Captures Attention?

Offers a discount or promotion

Is a product I am already shopping for

Is a brand I know and trust

Introduces me to a new or unique product

Advertisement is unique or eye-catching

Is personalized to my browsing/shopping history

Is a new brand I haven’t heard of before

Reminds me of a product I have recently viewed

Features real customer reviews

Features a celebrity or influencer I like

Features user-generated content or images/ videos from real customers

Q. What is it about these types of ads that captures your attention and makes you want to click to learn more about the product being advertised? (Select up to three)

Source: Path

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.

P-O-P SHOWCASE

Our gallery presents a sampling of eye-catching and effective in-store activations.

BY ERIKA FLYNN

Manufacturer: Bish Creative

Bubly has quickly become one of the top-selling products in the PepsiCo portfolio. Launched as a fruit-infused sparkling water, this product line has single-handedly risen to the top of the sparkling water category. Bubly is all about smiles, and each can offers a clever phrase with a smile and a message as a consumer opens the product. For example, the Blackberry flavor includes the phrase “hi u.” Bubly needed an attractive display to launch its new 16-ounce, single-serve cans. As part of a render to reality program, the authenticity of the display needed to carefully match this now well-recognized can. The display targeted all consumers and was used successfully in food service, airport locations and convenience stores. Bubly’s No. 1 seller, Blackberry, became the focal flavor of the display, which was carefully engineered to ensure it held a significant amount of product to provide an ROI to the store or establishment. A vacuum-form replica of the can surrounded the display, along with a vacuum-form cap and laser-cut wood for the pull tab. The bright blackberry-colored fi nish made the display recognizable during the product launch, and now with Bubly seeing greater distribution, the display serves as the sole vehicle for incremental sales in delis, convenience stores, airport concessions and food service entities. Delivered to the stores fully assembled, retailers immediately saw a return on investment when employing this display.

Results: As the brand continues to be one of the fastest-growing sparkling waters on the market today, the display has seen a sales lift of more than 200% when placed in strategic parts of the store.

Manufacturer: Visual Branding

Colgate Palmolive — Centro America wanted a unit that would have an impact for different sales initiatives and Colgate product launches. Versatility was needed in this program, so the result was an adjustable planogram system in this endcap structure. Placed in retail locations in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama, the attractive and versatile endcap for retail is durable and fits Colgate’s different sales initiatives and product launches. It employs compatible parts including hooks for toothbrushes or trays for products, such as toothpaste or mouthwashes, that can be placed in the unit. The hotspot can be placed in the most convenient position or removed to maximize dispensing. The side pieces have interchangeable graphic communication, but it also has a rotating system that turns the side into another business unit, allowing it to dispense more product. The endcap can be as customized as the showroom needs, while remaining a standard design for production. With only adjustments in planogram and graphics, it is possible to have a different design, adjusted to the objective of each campaign.

fits Colgate’s different sales initiatives and product launches. It employs compatible

Results: This unit increased sales results by 40% and since it was implemented, Colgate has launched at least three different campaigns, some specific to points of sale or countries.

Manufacturer: Great Northern Instore

This Logitech/Office Depot display features edge-lit acrylic to make the display look like it is lit with LED lights for the demo area. Also boasting bright colors, it easily attracted consumers from across the store. The company engineered the display to be structurally sound and hold the weight of the product not only in store, but also during shipment.

Results: Logitech had a sizable sales increase year over year, selling upward of 38% more product after putting the display in stores. The design and promotion were so well received, the company has plans to create and place similar displays for other seasons.

Manufacturer: Great Northern Instore

In an effort to showcase the product, this solution became an opportunity for Heaven Hill Brands to incorporate its process for charring bourbon barrels and how the char level impacts the product. Actual staves of the barrels became the focal point of this display. The eye-catching and durable display made a statement in-store, highlighting the Elijah Craig Bourbon. Additionally, it only took four steps to assemble the display in retail locations.

Results: Heaven Hill Distilleries and retailer Total Wine saw significant sales increases from the display. On average, retailers saw an increase of more than 40%, with some markets seeing a 60% increase year over year.

hooks

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P-O-P Showcase

Manufacturer: Visual Branding

Mexico City-based Coca-Cola Femsa S.A. needed a durable and resistant solution to strengthen its position in traditional retail locations in Guatemala, while also increasing sales. The unit was designed to merchandise three standard boxes of Coca-Cola bottles. It had to be easily mobile at the point of sale, practical for dispensing the product and with graphic communication of the brand. The solution is focused on high resistance and optimized cost, to obtain greater coverage of commercial distribution, but with the same budget. The design of the trays allows easy dispensing of each bottle and refi lling product is more practical because empty boxes are exchanged for others with new product. At the same time, its functionality as a pushcart allows the display to move easily and with high rotation, even though it is full of heavy product. The design company used electrostatic printing and painting systems that resist wear over time, and an interchangeable printing system was included in the header.

Results: Coca-Cola saw a greater brand positioning in traditional retail in Guatemala, and even though its competition had greater coverage in this distribution channel, with these 2,500 displays placed in strategic points of sales, the brand strengthened its positioning and has exceeded its expectations in sales.

Manufacturer: Bish Creative

Outdoor activities have been on the rise for several years, and today’s consumers want a balanced lifestyle that includes their favorite outdoor adventures. Enter Proximo Spirit’s Tincup whiskey, named after an old mining town in Colorado that got its name from the cups miners would drink from. The authentic American whiskey has seen its own success over the past several years, in part because of its unique pentagonal-shaped bottle with a tin cup shot glass as the cap. Tincup whiskey has become the choice of more outdoorsmen, whether fi shing during the summertime or during the winter in a shanty. This whiskey display mirrors a shanty, complete with a front porch, rocking chairs and fi shing rods, visually helping consumers picture themselves fi shing near a lake, river or pond. The brand stands for relaxation and enjoyment, and the blended whiskey is popular with young adult consumers between the ages of 25 and 35 who love the outdoors. Being one with nature and enjoying a fi ne whiskey is what Tincup emulates in all of its merchandising displays.

Results: This retail theater approach to marketing helps guide the consumer to the brand — and sales have grown substantially each year, with case stackings also increasing 50%-60% for retailers that use these displays as the focal point for the craft whiskey category.

Manufacturer: Bay Cities

Kinder sauces, rubs and seasonings during the holiday

while

Walmart and P.K. Kinder Co. executed a “Summer Grill” promotional half-pallet display to showcase Kinder sauces, rubs and seasonings during the holiday season — just in time for Memorial Day. The unit was designed around the focal point of Kinder spices while highlighting the longevity of P.K. Kinder Co.’s “Awardwinning flavors for over 70 years.” A convenient QR code was included in the design to provide an array of recipe options to choose from to feed family and friends in celebration.

Results: From concept to installation, the partners pulled off a successful retail display to run through the summer season, with a fi nal push through September for National Spice Day.

Manufacturer: Bay Cities

Walmart and Moose Toys came together to deploy the retailer’s “Toy of the Year” retail display. With its design created specifically to resemble an actual cauldron, it required a great amount of care regarding the assembly, as well as the logistical challenge of shipping the unit.

Results: The Disney-like showpiece sold out of product soon after arriving in retail locations. In the end, the product and the display were the tandem elements of a successful retail display campaign.

Manufacturer: Innomark Communications

This two-sided pole display was designed to drive sales for New Belgium Brewing Co.’s Mountain Time beer, while highlighting its partnership with the Colorado Avalanche. Its hexagonal structure, angled hockey sticks and Mountain Time cans add dimension, enhance branding and create visual interest in-store. Meanwhile, lug-ons communicate prize package details and further link the brand to the excitement of professional hockey.

P-O-P Showcase

This holiday-themed pallet program was designed to drive sales for multiple brands, while highlighting PepsiCo’s partnership with Toys for Tots. It includes a front tunnel with a freestanding train, as well as a back piece with a printed caboose. Retailers can adjust the space between the front and back pieces to accommodate one, two or three pallet floor sets.

The objective of this color wall was to consolidate two distinct paint brands, Valspar and HGTV Home by SherwinWilliams , into one cohesive category presentation while allowing each brand to have its own character and identity. The goal was to have this presentation act as a beacon to attract attention and draw consumers into the paint department at Lowe’s stores. The color wall is crowned with a dramatic tidal wave graphic that blends the two logos into one seamless, flowing brand statement. Each brand is then supported and delineated by a 16-foot-long subheader graphic featuring a freshly painted room scene along with a thoughtful tagline to inspire DIYers. Color palettes are positioned below and segmented for maximum visual impact, while allowing customers to

Walmart sought to improve the overall paint shopping experience in stores. The solution was to engage the shopper with a display that offered a simplified color palette, which matched up with the in-stock inventory for easy self-service. The Walmart Better Homes & Gardens Color Center display from PPG Architectural Coatings was 100% fiber-based for sustainability and cost savings. The color swatch pockets, normally molded from plastic in this display, were engineered to be made of paperboard. This saved the cost of manufacturing new molds for the new size of the color swatches. Overall, this temporary solution costs roughly one-third as much as a permanent material version would have cost. The production time was reduced from eight months for the traditional permanent unit to 10 weeks for this temporary solution. The concise, simplified color palette — including the top, most usable colors — matched up to ready-made colors immediately available on the shelf. A scannable code printed provided access to additional online shopper resources. Since the display could be set up by one person, the solution realized labor savings as well at retail.

Manufacturer: Innomark Communications

Manufacturer: WestRock

Manufacturer: Innovative Marketing Solutions

quickly and easily fi nd the perfect color for their project. The entire organization of each color presentation is balanced to reinforce the overall unity of the color wall. Bold, eye-catching colors and graphics grab shoppers as they enter the store. All display elements ship on two oversized skids, limiting freight costs. Each component was engineered to be easily assembled in-store and replaceable over time, if needed, and all graphic panels can be individually updated. Base drawers provide color chip and literature storage, along with detailed wayfi nding to facilitate inventory organization and restocking.

Results: The initiative has seen great reception and increased sales within Lowe’s.

Manufacturer: Innovative Marketing Solutions

Born from the spirit of Bolle Brands dba Spy Optics’ Spy brand with its cutting-edge “Sci-Fi” vibes, this obelisk-like design acts as the ultimate cool-space merchandiser. The display features a brushed-metal base with laser-cut logo details. It is topped with a sleek, locking display case. Custom display hardware is mounted on an interior acrylic panel, creating a floating effect for the product displayed. The Spy logo appears to be “carved” onto the base to create a more dramatic branding statement, and the mirrored bottom reflects the ambient light from the store, and shows off the colors and shape of the frames. Showcasing six pairs of Spy’s newest sunglass design, the Monolith guarantees recognition from shoppers that a new and exciting product is being introduced to retail.

Results: The displays have been in the U.S. since Q4 2021 and have exceeded the client’s expectations. The customer is very happy with the interest this “showstopper” has garnered at the point of sale with consumers and retailers alike, and retailers appreciate the ease of assembly (the display ships in two parts and locks into place automatically).

Manufacturer: WestRock

Intending to bring Dr. Squatch to life for shoppers in the natural and organic health section at Walmart , the various components for the launch consisted of an endcap, power wing and an inline shelf display. The endcap utilized the humorous elements from some of the brand’s video ads for strong visual impact. With a 48-inch inline section in the category, the company designed a permanent unit replicating a quarter section of a fallen log to support the brand’s natural, outdoors identity. Die-cut hand graphics act as aisle violators, and a removable corrugated graphic block allows the additional product to be loaded, adding even more flexibility and future-proofi ng of the unit. Two versions were produced of the inline unit: a 10-inch-deep version and a 12-inch-deep version to accommodate different retail shelf dimensions. The power wings provided additional product exposure for the retail launch and the flexibility of placement.

Results: The Dr. Squatch brand became the No. 1 selling soap at Walmart during this retail launch.

Back to School

Despite inflation hitting American consumers hard in 2022 (see “The New Consumer,” page 8), recent research and earnings reports are indicating that back-to-school shopping generally remained resilient despite a softening economy. While some studies indicated that parents wouldn’t do all their back-to-school shopping within the usual period, parents were willing to cut costs in other areas before pulling back on spending for their children. According to the National Retail Federation, total back-to-school spending was expected to match 2021’s record high of $37 billion, meaning brands and retailers could still bet on the shopping occasion to drive sales.

BY JACQUELINE BARBA

1PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay variety packs ushered in a multifaceted omnichannel campaign for the return of the snack brand’s “Back-to-School Blast Off” program, encouraging girls to pursue careers in STEM. The brand teamed up with science-fiction actress Sonequa Martin-Green and STEM Next’s Million Girls Moonshot initiative to support the cause. In stores, the campaign came to life through branded displays, resembling a combination of a school bus and spaceship, and special packaging depicting a QR code that linked to an interactive microsite.

2Revlon added a back-toschool element to its program honoring Mental Health Awareness Month and supporting nonprofit Mental Health America (MHA), which rolled out in May in partnership with mental health platform Real. Revlon teamed up with Walgreens for a charitable donation to MHA and rolled out account-specific endcap displays to stores, depicting QR codes directing to a dedicated landing page within MHANational.org, offering resources and a downloadable “Back-toschool toolkit” that was made available on Aug. 22.

3Meijer and Clorox Co.’s Brita teamed up for an early BTSthemed contest awarding a

Midwestern school with a garden, including recycled garden beds, picnic tables and a trash receptacle. The “Brita Meijer Recycled Garden Program” ran March-July and awarded garden supplies made from recycled waste collected through the Brita Recycling Program — a national program from Brita and recycling company TerraCycle. Accountspecific endcap displays and signage featuring a QR code linking to Meijer.com/Brita supported the program in stores.

4Co-branded

four-way

pallet displays spotted at Kroger stores united vitamin brands, including Pfizer ’s Emergen-C and Bayer ’s One A

Day and Flintstones Chewables, and tied into back-to-school season this year. Located near the wellness and personal care aisles, the colorful displays depicted rocket ships and a “Take immunity to school” message.

5Bel Brands’ Babybel cheese deployed account-specific shelf talkers at Ahold Delhaize’s Stop & Shop as part of the brand’s national “Unwrap the Magic” BTS-themed program. The effort included limitededition Disney-themed product packaging, inviting shoppers to enter a sweepstakes awarding a vacation to the Walt Disney World Resort, courtesy of Babybel.

Activation Gallery

6Ahold Delhaize USA chains, including the Giant Co., ran an online-only BTS-themed promotion, offering loyalty members $5 in savings with the purchase of five participating family-sized items in a single purchase. Participating brands included Mondelez International, Hershey, Kellogg and Unilever as well as the retailer’s store brand, to name a few. Home page carousel ads and display ads located throughout chain websites supported the offer, which ran from Aug. 26 through Sept. 1.

7Kroger gave significant instore support to back-toschool season and particularly Kellogg Co.’s “Feeding Reading” BTS cause campaign this year with

a school bus-shaped floorstand train from Kellogg. The display plugged the national effort and promised shoppers one free book with purchase of a qualifying SKU in custom packaging from select brands. The spectacular directed shoppers to FeedingReading.com, where Kellogg’s Family Rewards members can upload receipts and redeem credits. The displays also pointed to 140 available books, slightly more than last year.

8Chickpea-based

food brand

Banza tied into BTS season with the August launch of its new product line, Banza Masterpiece’zas, a pizza kit that reimagines the brand’s high-protein pizza into an art canvas for a good

8cause. Marketed as a fun way to help parents implement healthier eating habits, the line also benefits a good cause with 50% of sales donated to Whole Kids Foundation, a nonprofit founded by Whole Foods Market

9Walmart took to the children’s arts and craft aisle to deploy a BTS-themed endcap display made from recyclable corrugate, stocking a slew of crafting products for kids and depicting various colorful animated animal characters. The display encouraged shoppers to “get exclusive craft bundles, stepby-step guides and more” online and depicted QR codes linking to search results for “Season craft essentials” within Walmart.com.

Tech Tools

WE COVER WHAT’S DRIVING CONSUMER UNDERSTANDING, ENGAGEMENT AND CONVERSION ALONG THE PATH TO PURCHASE.

BY BILL SCHOBER

Over the summer, Simon Property Group launched “Simon Search,” a new platform that lets shoppers not only find items at participating retailers within a mall, but also determine which ones are actually on shelves right now. A beta version, accessible via browser or through Simon’s app, is being tested at 29 U.S. retail centers with a wider rollout planned for late 2022. Participating retailers include Levi’s, JCPenney, Old Navy and Banana Republic, with Finish Line, Macy’s and Nordstrom coming online soon.

In August, GoMacro announced that its MacroBar wrappers can now be recycled “from anywhere” through a partnership with recycling platform TerraCycle. GoMacro joins companies, ranging from Colgate-Palmolive (toothbrushes, tubes, caps) to Taco Bell (sauce packets), that let customers mail in certain items of packaging at no cost and earn points that can be redeemed for donations to charities and schools. Once collected, TerraCycle processes the wrappers back into raw materials to produce playground equipment and other items.

Shoppable recently released “Instant Shop” in a full-production beta launch. Shoppable is a suite of e-commerce technologies that lets content creators embed a commerce experience into their websites and mobile apps. Instant Shop is said to let them “effortlessly” choose from a 200-million-product catalog representing pre-integrated merchants and brands (such as Target, Walmart, Walgreens and Best Buy) due to its frictionless checkout technology and inventory shipping from its partners.

In August, T-Mobile invited weR — a “deep tech” company with an AR/AI platform for monetizing retail spaces — into its Accelerator to build immersive experiences for smart glasses. The goal of weR is to connect the physical store with the digital channels via an AR and VR cross-platform that will enhance a shopping experience in an intuitive way: Shoppers can see what’s around them, with a compass that will highlight the most relevant, promoted and featured products in relation to the user.

Solutions & Innovations

Over the summer, fashion-tech startup Mys Tyler launched a “Daily Inspiration” prompt through its app that shows styles for women of different heights, shapes and sizes. The new venture-backed socialshopping app says it has 3,000 partner brands and retailers. It combines AI and human-based recommendations to match users with body-relevant content creators from across the globe. Once a user sets up a profile and completes a body quiz, the app’s “FIT algorithm” will let her automatically see posts from women who match her dimensions.

Birdzi recently announced Visper 2.0, a tool that enables grocers to automatically create promotions customized specifically to individual shoppers. Instead of using a preset list of vendor deals, it chooses products from the store’s entire catalog using KIC Scores, a shopper quality index. Images, text and discounts are matched in ways most likely to intrigue the individual. One chain saw a 6% improvement in customer retention, Birdzi reported.

After initial testing in Beverly Hills, California, H&M Group began rolling out tech-enabled shopping solutions in selected COS stores over the summer. The new technology includes fitting rooms equipped with smart mirrors that can recognize products (item, size and color) and offer personalized styling recommendations. Other types of smart mirrors are being deployed on the sales floor for virtual try-on.

In August, Attentive, a conversational commerce platform, launched a “text-tobuy solution” with Shopify’s Shop Pay checkout flow. It lets consumers purchase directly in response to a promotional text message from a brand — without having to navigate a website or a checkout page. Attentive sees an opportunity here as the mobile e-commerce conversion rate is only 2%, compared to desktop e-commerce’s rate of 3%. Text ideas include reminders when supplies are running low or limited-edition product drops.

In late August, Chamberlain Group announced that Walmart would be using its myQ smart ecosystem of automated access products to offer Walmart+ InHome deliveries through garages. According to Chamberlain, one in five households using smart garage technology have chosen myQ. Full-time, tenured Walmart associates will be making the deliveries, having one-time access to the garage via a myQ connected device. Amazon announced a similar service, also using myQ, in mid-2021.

Energous , a wireless power network, announced the first retail deployment in Sydney of Flagship’s Wiliot smart tags. These sensors can monitor light, humidity, proximity and temperature. This “Massive IoT technology” pilot demonstrates that over-the-air power can be transmitted wirelessly to thousands of in-store IoT spots. Wireless power lets you monitor inventory 24/7 without any interruptions, which reduces shrink while offering merchandising insight into, for example, which items are being tried on together.

In late August, TikTok announced Shopping Ads — three formats for brands becoming “gradually available for testing.” Video Shopping Ads place shoppable videos across a user’s “For You” page. Catalog Listing Ads promote a brand’s product catalog at scale. LIVE Shopping Ads drive users from their “For You” pages to a brand’s live events. Brands can begin testing with the “Ads & Campaign Partner” (Smartly.io) and “Commerce Partners” (Shopify, Big Commerce, Ecwid and Woo Commerce).

In August, Columbia Care announced that its cannabis shopping and loyalty mobile app, Stash Cash, is available across its retail brands, including Cannabist, The Green Solution and Project Cannabis. The Stash Cash platform lets patients and customers build loyalty rewards and order remotely through integration with Forage, a tool that makes a recommendation based on mood (“energetic, relaxed, tingly, giggly”), plans (“partying, managing pain”), occasion (“concert, workout, sleeping”) and mode (“smoke, vape, edible, dab”).

Selfies at Walmart

CLOROX LEVERAGES QR CODE, AR TO QUIZ THE MASS MERCHANT’S SHOPPERS ON SPRING CLEANING.

BY SAMANTHA NELSON

The Clorox Co. earlier this year depicted a QR code on a custom display at Walmart to direct shoppers to an augmented reality (AR) quiz that would determine their spring cleaning personality — and the products to match.

“We recently had an opportunity to include an additional call-to-action on our in-store display for spring cleaning at Walmart stores nationwide,” says Julie Nelson, omni marketing lead at Clorox. “We have been experimenting with augmented reality over the last year and decided to use this opportunity to link to an engaging mobile experience for in-store shoppers.”

The “Fresh start. Great clean” half-pallet display merchandised Clorox and Scentiva sprays and wipes, employing a “scan to activate the experience” message. The QR code linked to the quiz on Instagram or Facebook, requiring access to phone cameras in selfie mode. The quiz then depicted statements, such as “My home is my sanctuary,” atop a user’s head and had them choose between two responses — in this case “yes” or “I wish it was!” — which they could select by tilting their head in the direction of their chosen prompt. Participants could add effects to the images, and save or share them.

“The idea for a spring cleaning quiz came directly from the desire to build something selfie-facing in augmented reality,” Nelson says. “We know from previous augmented reality work that selfie fi lters, predominantly used on social platforms like Instagram, are a common user behavior that people understand, love to interact with and love to share. So, we started there with our concepting.”

The quiz sorted consumers into four personalities, each with a custom call-to-action to access a shopping list of products to buy through Walmart.com:

• Procrastinators were told, “Cleaning shouldn’t be a chore. Clorox makes it easy,” and were recommended Clorox Scentiva multisurface spray, a 3-in-1 toilet wand starter kit, disinfecting wipes and disinfecting mist.

• Enthusiasts that “love to clean” were encouraged to “try something different,” such as disinfecting all-purpose cleaner, disinfecting wet mopping cloths, the 3-in-1 toilet wand starter kit and a three-pack of disinfecting wipes.

• Entertainers that want their home “to smell as good as it looks” were recommended Scentiva disinfecting wipes along with the multisurface spray, toilet wand and disinfecting mist.

• Protectors were assured that “These Clorox disinfecting products kill 99.9% of germs” and recommended Clorox Clean-Up cleaner with bleach, disinfecting wipes, mopping cloths and the toilet cleaning kit.

Users who didn’t want to take the quiz could simply scroll down to see all four archetypes and access each shopping list.

Clorox decided to use a QR code rather than in-store physical markers to power the experience so that it would also be accessible through paid media, Nelson says. Mobile and social ads, which opened the fi lter directly within Instagram or Facebook, led to more than 53,000 engagements. Nelson also says that 17.5% of Walmart shoppers who scanned the QR code took some form of action on the website beyond just viewing or scrolling, spending an average of seven minutes engaging with the experience.

“The campaign itself was very successful at driving shopper engagement,” Nelson says. “We got some great learnings in this space and look forward to exploring future opportunities to incorporate AR into the retail environment, displays and perhaps even products themselves.”

The idea for a spring cleaning quiz came directly from the desire to build something selfie-facing in augmented reality.

—Julie Nelson, Clorox

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

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

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

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: Nicole Mitchell nmitchell@ensembleiq.com

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Research & Thought Leadership

Retail Media Fuels New Business Models

“There’s death, there’s taxes and there is everincreasing, online ad spend.”

Satya Nadella, CEO of Microso , shared this anecdote as part of his keynote at the National Retail Federation’s “Big Show” in January 2020. I was among the maskless crowd of thousands packed into New York’s Javits Convention Center listening to him urge retailers to invest resources in building out their own media platforms.

“You have, as retailers, the most valuable asset, which is commercial-intended consumer behavior data,” he said. “The question is, how can you convert that, through your marketing e orts, into e ectively new online advertising channels for every brand, every supplier? This, to me, is perhaps what’s going to reshape retail business models.”

Thinking back on his comments now, I reflect on how quickly much has changed.

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, retailers such as Walmart, Target and Kroger — taking note of the success at Amazon, and even the advertising dollars amassed by Google and Facebook — were building up their digital media assets to better establish themselves as legitimate and powerful options for national brand advertising, not just trade and shopper programs. The rise in e-commerce grocery adoption fueled by the pandemic, and Google’s plan to end third-party cookie tracking, have since made retail media table stakes for advertisers (and an alternative revenue stream for retailers).

The rapid proliferation of retail media and retailer media networks has made it hard to keep up. Retailers, such as Kroger and Target (page 32), are either increasingly building out their capabilities and expanding their partners or launching new networks altogether. However,

at the Path to Purchase Institute, I’m proud to say, we’re positioned to not only be a resource of information, but also to provide a platform for the community to discuss best practices as well as the opportunities — and challenges — in working with retailer media networks and related partners.

For the first time, we’re making the retail media omnichannel landscape and definitions, which I created in partnership with the Commerce Executive Network, accessible beyond P2PI members. The freshly updated content demystifies what is and isn’t a retailer-owned media network to help determine where advertisers receive credit for participation, and where they can expect to leverage it for merchandising and joint business planning purposes. To access the definitions, landscape and other great retail media content, scan the QR code on this page.

P2PI members also have access to:

• Retailer profiles with new retail media sections;

• Full summaries of proprietary retail media research findings;

• An on-demand lineup of presentations and content-rich educational courses on retail media; and

• Case studies, field reports and an image vault, all providing retail media activation examples.

As retail media continues to grow and evolve, keep up by checking back in with us at P2PI.com or come connect in person at one of our live events. Also, look out for my new column devoted to retail media, debuting in the next edition of P2PI Magazine

CYNDI LOZA Managing Editor, Member Content

“Rapid proliferation of retail media and retailer media networks has made it hard to keep up ...”

Our philosophy

By giving CPGs the freedom to cra and execute their own campaigns, Adsta facilitates success for brands, consumers, and retailers simultaneously. CPGs are able to put their products in front of grocery shoppers at crucial moments in their purchase journey, consumers learn about previously unknown brands or products, and retailers increase sales. With access to over 50 million shoppers nationwide, Adsta is the perfect complement to brands’ existing media plan.

Our point of difference

The majority of Retail Media Networks (RMNs) are controlled by national chains that force CPGs to play by their rules. Adsta provides brands flexibility with their advertising, allowing them to prioritize their goals and specific objectives. In addition to unprecedented levels of control when compared to other RMNs, Adsta also provides crucial access to valuable insights and first-party data to help brands better understand their customers and what is working in their outreach.

Tackling challenges

RMN’s are still in their infancy, and brands today are le with an overwhelming amount of options. This makes it di icult for CPGs to identify the best use of their advertising budgets. Adsta helps brands diversify their ad spend, and expand their reach. With access to millions of shoppers with a single implementation, Adsta helps simplify the execution process and gets brands the most value from their ad spend.

At-A-Glance

WHO WE ARE

Adsta is an expanding grocery Retail Media Network (RMN) with a multichannel approach reaching 50 million shoppers as they are making grocery buying decisions. Brands have the flexibility to cra campaigns that collect valuable analytics and essential first-party data.

• CPGs

• Grocery

• Convenience

CUSTOMER BASE

Adsta works directly with brands big and small to cra brand-centric promotional campaigns that are distributed via our network of grocery digital platforms. We also power the retail media platforms of the nation’s largest grocery wholesalers.

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

• Web/Mobile – Interactive Banner Ads

• Shopper Loyalty Programs – Digital Circular & Targeted Email Placements

• In-Store Media – Inspirational Kiosks in high-tra ic areas

• Additional Media Opportunities (i.e., Social, OOH, etc.)

• Targeted Advertising & Promotion – FinTech, Coupons, Scale Tie-in

• Featured Video Campaigns

KEY PARTNERSHIPS

• InMobi

• National & Regional Wholesalers

• AppCard and other digital coupon providers

• Google

KEY EXECUTIVES

John Thompson, Principal Shawn Tuckett, Principal Al Jones, VP of Sales

CONTACT

Shawn Tuckett shawn@adsta.com 727-507-1660

Al Jones al@adsta.com 513-227-4079

Access to Grocery Shoppers When it Matters Most

The Missing

Brands of all sizes are already benefiting from flexible and customized Adsta retail media campaigns. Our unique approach includes:

• Combining over 3,500 grocery stores and their 50+mm shoppers into a single digital network.

• Giving CPGs access to millions of grocery shoppers across the country at crucial moments in their purchase journey.

• Allowing brands to craft and execute their own campaigns to their ideal specifications.

• Providing crucial access to advanced analytics and first-party data.

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to partner with Adsta and find the perfect complement to

existing media strategy.

We have actively listened to our partners and built our platform for you.

We have actively listened to our partners and built our platform for you.

We have centered our development on what is important to your brands. Through decades of combined experience, we know the challenges and want to ensure that, with any programming at Albertsons Media Collective, you are experiencing the best we have to offer.

We have centered our development on what is important to your brands. Through decades of combined experience, we know the challenges and want to ensure that, with any programming at Albertsons Media Collective, you are experiencing the best we have to offer.

Our planning and programming are powered by our first-party, real purchase behavior data from all our diverse stores. We annually reach 106MM shoppers, with our best customers frequenting our stores an average of 2.5 times a week. This allows us to target the right shopper when and where they want to be engaged with – ensuring that your investment works harder and smarter than ever before.

Our planning and programming are powered by our first-party, real purchase behavior data from all our diverse stores. We annually reach 106MM shoppers, with our best customers frequenting our stores an average of 2.5 times a week. This allows us to target the right shopper when and where they want to be engaged with – ensuring that your investment works harder and smarter than ever before.

At Albertsons Media Collective, we are as committed to your success as you are. Let us prove how we can be a growth accelerant for your brands.

We’re a partner that drives growth and builds relationships

We’re a partner that drives growth and builds relationships

Let us show you!

At Albertsons Media Collective, we are as committed to your success as you are. Let us prove how we can be a growth accelerant for your brands. Let us show you!

Our Philosophy

At Brandcrush we believe retailers are the new media. Through their owned-media channels they have the power to offer brands a unique and authentic path to connection with engaged audiences, lowering the cost of customer acquisition and driving conversion.

Our Point of Difference

We close the adtech gap in retail media with a white label software to streamline and scale physical and digital shopper media across the entire retailer ecosystem; in-store, outof-store and online. Our omnichannel solution empowers retailers to unlock and grow their media revenue without having to grow their team. Retailers can scale their top and bottom lines by maximizing their media opportunities and efficiencies and brands can save time with streamlined media management that fuels product discovery and growth.

Tackling Challenges

The focus to identify and align marketing efforts that drive the greatest conversion, instore, out-of-store and online is driving a need for a complete 360 degree view of the shopper and a consolidated approach to retail media across the entire ecosystem.

Brandcrush solves for this by transforming digital and physical retail shopper marketing programs from inefficient systems and spreadsheets, into self-serve portals, centralizing media sales and operations. Our technology works at the core of the retailer’s media ecosystem solving for complex activation workflows and integrating with partner platform solutions.

At a Glance

Who We Are

Brandcrush is an omnichannel retail media platform

- we make it easy to buy and sell shopper marketing across the entire retailer ecosystem, in-store, outof-store and online. We power retailers to transform their owned media assets from antiquated PDF packs and spreadsheet management to a scalable solution that the world’s leading brands and agencies trust.

Product and Services

• 360 degree media asset inventory management

• Self-serve white label media portals supporting long tail monetization

• Scalable inbound and outbound sales tools

• Optimized campaign activation management

• Supplier investment management

• Real-time campaign analytics

• Flexible billing and collections tools

• Partner platform and DSP integrations

Key Partnerships and Integrations

We work at the core of the retailers’ media ecosystem, integrating with partner platforms, including financial systems, CMS, CRM and complimentary on-site and off-site media platforms and marketing agency partners and systems, including Criteo, PromoteIQ, SAP, Salesforce, Sage, Anaplan, Hubspot and more to drive an end to end solution for our retail partners.

Customer Base

We meet retailers wherever they are in their media monetization journey; our partners include bricks and mortar retailers from 50 stores to 2500 stores and D2C retailers.

Industries Served

• Grocery retailers

• Pharmacy retailers

• Liquor retailers

• D2C retailers

• Big box retailers

• Electronics retailers

• Shopping Malls

• DIY retailers

• CPGs

• Agencies

Criteo connects the retail media ecosystem for better advertising outcomes.

Criteo connects the retail media ecosystem for better advertising outcomes.

Criteo integrates the world’s largest commerce data set, based on retailer first-party audiences, allowing brands and agencies to engage with their loyal and prospective customers across Criteo’s best-in-class supply on leading retailer sites (on-site) and premium publishers (off-site).

on retailer first-party audiences, allowing

across

(off-site).

With Criteo:

Brands, agencies and retailers can now manage advertising

efficiently across leading retail media inventory and scaled premium open web supply, accessing unique 1st party audiences, and closed-loop measurement with product-level sales data – in one single enterprise-grade self-service DSP.

Brands, agencies and retailers can now manage advertising efficiently across leading retail media inventory and scaled premium open web supply, accessing unique 1st party audiences, and closed-loop measurement with product-level sales data – in one single enterprise-grade self-service DSP.

By powering trusted and impactful advertising, Criteo supports an open internet that encourages discovery, innovation, and choice.

We serve all commerce marketers and media owners across the retail space: Our partners include:

Mass merchant, specialty, department store and grocery retailers

Brands across Consumer Electronics, CPG, Apparel, Toys and more

Retail and brand media and marketing agencies

SaaS and Marketing Platform providers

By powering trusted and impactful advertising, Criteo supports an discovery, Dentsu

Criteo has connected the global retail media ecosystem for more than 11 years.

agency partners (including the Big 5)

revenue generated for retail partners unique shoppers reached products advertised ad clicks per second 60% growth in 2021

New York, New York | 646-410-0400

www.criteo.com/platform/retail-media-platform

New York, New York | 646-410-0400 www.criteo.com/platform/retail-media-platform Ryan Britton, VP of Sales, Retail Media r.britton@criteo.com

Ryan Britton, VP of Sales, Retail Media r.britton@criteo.com

Neil Murphy, VP of Strategic Partnerships, Retail Media n.murphy@criteo.com

DRIVES SUCCESS.

DRIVES SUCCESS.

In an increasingly fragmented ecosystem, retailers, brands and agencies need a partner that has the data, technology, and expertise to help them succeed.

In an increasingly fragmented ecosystem, retailers, brands and agencies need a partner that has the data, technology, and expertise to help them succeed. MILANO MÜNCHEN NEW YORK OSAKA PARIS SÃO PAULO SEOUL SINGAPORE STOCKHOLM SYDNEY TEL AVIV TOKYO AMSTERDAM ANN ARBOR BARCELONA BEIJING BORDEAUX BOSTON DUBAI GRENOBLEMÜNCHEN GURGAON LONDON MADRIDOSAKA MIAMIPARIS MILANOBEACHPAULO

MILANO MÜNCHEN NEW YORK OSAKA PARIS SÃO PAULO SEOUL SINGAPORE STOCKHOLM SYDNEY TEL AVIV TOKYO AMSTERDAM ANN ARBOR BARCELONA BEIJING BORDEAUX BOSTON DUBAI GRENOBLEMÜNCHEN GURGAON LONDON MADRIDOSAKA MIAMIPARIS MILANOBEACHPAULO

Measurement & Data Sharing Capabilities

CMX o ers all advertisers the ability to track real-time media delivery performance via a user-friendly Self-Service Reporting Dashboard. Additionally, CMX leverages a closed loop reporting methodology, which combines data from both the marketing and sales functions. This system allows our brand partners to see exactly how CMX campaigns are driving

influenced sales, ROAS, and new buyers to their brand, ultimately garnering meaningful and actionable insights for the business. Finally, CMX o ers Brand Li Studies enabling advertisers to understand the impact on brand awareness driven by their CMX campaign .

Our Philosophy

Our most valuable asset at CVS is the relationships we have with our customers and their care. Through this trusted value exchange with nearly 78 million addressable households, we simultaneously reward these shoppers and glean a robust understanding of our customers and communities that we serve. This knowledge translates into a data-driven personalization strategy across all CVS touchpoints – and CMX is no exception. Each CMX campaign audience is tailored to our partners’ objectives, success measures, and desired purchase criteria, ensuring that the ad experience is valuable for the advertiser, the retailer, and most importantly: our customer.

Case Study: Driving Visibility and Sales of New Products at CVS

CMX was challenged by a consumer healthcare brand with the goal of driving awareness and sales of a new product sold at CVS. CMX activated a comprehensive, 17-week digital media campaign designed to introduce the product to the most relevant target customers onsite and across o site channels including the CMX Digital Media Network and social media.

To meet this challenge, CMX mined CVS’ expansive ExtraCare database of over 78MM addressable households to unlock and target shoppers with the highest propensity to purchase the new product based on past purchase history. Then, CMX leveraged brand-safe digital formats onsite and o site to drive awareness, consideration, and purchase intent amongst known category buyers. Finally, in partnership with the advertiser, CMX optimized the campaign yielding an 88% increase in new buyers and 6.05% total sales li

At-A-Glance

WHO WE ARE

CVS Media Exchange (CMX) is a data-led, technology-driven retail media network backed by the unrivaled health equity and credibility of CVS Health. CMX enables partners to reach CVS Extra Care customers through a variety of digital platforms.

KEY EXECUTIVES

Kristen DiCorleto, Executive Director - CMX

Sumi Mukoyama, Director, Partnership Management - CMX

Kelly Rahman, Director, Strategy - CMX

•

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

KEY PARTNERSHIPS

•

Kristen DiCorleto

Kristen.DiCorleto@cvshealth.com

Reach Loyal CVS® Customers with CVS Media Exchange™

Connect with nearly 78 MILLION households of health and wellness seekers. CVS Media Exchange™ campaigns deliver quantifiable results and actionable learnings to grow your business.

Partner with the most trusted health retailer today. Learn more at www.cvs.com/cmx

We are a full-service media network created to serve retail brands looking to grow at Dollar General. We offer first-party data on Dollar General customers, unduplicated access and insights into America’s rural shoppers, closed-loop reporting and a self-service dashboard.

Unduplicated Access and Insights

With over 80M+ unique DG profiles, we have over 1400 attributes available to activate audiences across a suite of full-funnel tactics and channels designed to meet campaign objectives. We utilize our multitude of insight capabilities, including a self-service reporting dashboard, to deliver real transparency and actionable insights that drive positive campaign results.

Media Built Better

DGMN can reach over 90% of Dollar General customers through paid media, delivering brand partners a close-up view of the DG customer in ways no one else can. With 75% of stores serving markets of 20,000 or less, we make it easier to reach the hard-to-reach by providing more meaningful connections between partners and potentially overlooked customers.

Williams,

DGMN@dollargeneral.com

Connecting retailers and brands with superior identity resolution

Through our CORE ID identity resolution solution, we help retailers and brands receive a single view of every shopper for audience targeting and measurement. Our unified, SKU-level sales reporting across on-site and o -site campaigns helps brands understand the true value of their media investments at the shopper-level. This creates a value exchange between retailers, brands, and shoppers, where shoppers receive more relevant ad experiences, retailers monetize their inventory and assets, and brands achieve scale, performance, and insights never before possible.

What makes CitrusAd, powered by Epsilon so different?

1. We help power easy and e icient on-site and osite media activation for brands in a single platform, leading to more campaigns within the retailer’s RMN.

2. Our identity resolution solution helps maximize the potential reach of every brand campaign, leading to increased scale, greater e iciency, and enhanced performance.

3. Our reporting helps retailers prove, at the shopper and SKU-levels, that a brand’s investments across channels are working.

4. We o er flexible and scalable services, technology, and strategies to help grow a retailer’s media business quickly and for long-term success.

At-A-Glance

WHO WE ARE

CitrusAd, powered by Epsilon is a comprehensive, scalable retail media network solution that starts earning retailers revenue quickly and easily.

KEY EXECUTIVES

Thibault Hennion, Managing Director, International Operations, Epsilon

David Haase, CEO Americas, CitrusAd

Sean Cheyney, Executive Vice President of Global Sales & Development, CitrusAd

Melissa Kulawiak, Senior Vice President of Business Development, Epsilon

Tackling challenges

In order to make retail media beneficial to retailers, brands, and shoppers alike, it’s important to understand the challenges that each of these parties face today and what can be done to solve them –

• For retailers: We help consolidate the disjointed, black box technologies that currently power many retail media networks, shortening the onboarding and activation process and enabling them to deliver advertising solutions that brands expect.

•

For brands: Inconsistent and opaque reporting and shopper identity resolution lead to significant waste and di iculties understanding the true impact of media on sales. Our identity resolution and unified reporting are designed to empower brands to make informed decisions on their media and develop deeper understandings of their shoppers.

• For shoppers: We help retailers and brands deliver more relevant and cohesive advertising experiences across channels to their most valuable assets – their shoppers.

CUSTOMER BASE

We partner with enterprise and mid-size retailers and brands to deliver stronger customer experiences and maximize sales.

• Walgreens

• Gopu

•

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

INDUSTRIES SERVED

Meijer

Wakefern

• Retail Media Network Solutions for Retailers & Brands

• Shopper audience onboarding, management, and identity resolution

• On-site & o -site media activation including sponsored product and banner ads

• Unified media reporting down to the product/SKU/ UPC level across channels

• Scalable services organization, including brand demand sourcing and campaign management

• Retailer and brand clean room data collaboration

KEY PARTNERSHIPS

• Profitero

• Skai

• Pacvue

CONTACT

Sean Cheyney

sean.cheyney@citrusad.com

Melissa Kulawiak melissa.kulawiak@epsilon.com

A new generation of

retail media, both on-site and o -site

GSTV Delivers Moments That Move, Moments That Matter

GSTV knows that what matters most is capturing that magic moment for consumer action. Connecting along a consumer’s journey is essential to driving top of mind awareness through to purchase. Our video platform and media solutions deliver brand relevant and contextual messaging to an engaged audience moments from purchase.

Investment with GSTV influences sales across all retail channels

GSTV stands out within the retail media landscape with our flexible, customized, and data driven solution that complements omni-channel brand plans both at scale and with a targeted approach. GSTV has shown proven results across key CPG industries such as beverage, food, household, beauty, and more. A single investment with GSTV can deliver immediate impact on consumer purchases across the retail landscape. With budgets stretched thin, we are proud to offer an effective and efficient solution to drive sales across all retail channels.

Track proven results with GSTV’s measurement solutions

Optimizing media tactics based on proven outcomes is important to our partners. GSTV partners with clients to develop measurement plans to track our video media influence on key business objectives including brand awareness, purchase intent, sales lift, traffic lift, and more. We have partnerships with recognized data measurement providers such as IRI, Catalina, Foursquare and more to showcase proven results to our client partners.

AT A GLANCE

WHO WE ARE

GSTV is a data-driven, national video network and the largest centralized media network of convenience retailers. Our full sight, sound, and motion video broadcast connects brands with 116MM monthly unique viewers moments before they shop across top retail channels.

PRODUCT & SERVICES

GSTV is turnkey and business objective driven

Direct Video Buys

Programmatic Video Integration: PMP, Open Exchange, or Direct

• In-House Video Production

• Custom Content Integration with Premium Content Partners

• Data Driven Demographic, Geographic, and Behavioral Targeting Solutions

• Measurement Solutions

Sean McCaffrey President and CEO

CUSTOMER BASE

GSTV works with media buying decision makers. These client partners include: Shopper, Omnichannel and Brand Marketers Media Agencies

• Client-Side Media Teams focused on video and digital (ie. video, digital, OOH, programmatic and retail media)

KEY PARTNERSHIPS

• Convenience Retail Partners: spanning 28K sites nationwide across 7-Eleven, Speedway, Circle K, and more

• Content Providers: Live Nation, Cheddar News, Better Together with Maria Menounos , and more

• Data Driven Measurement Partners: IRI, Catalina, Acxiom, Kochava, Foursquare and more

• Targeting Partners: Claritas, MRI Simmons, Dstillery, and more

• Programmatic Solution Partners: SSP and DSP options such as Vistar Media, Place Exchange, The Trade Desk, among others

KEY EXECUTIVES

Steve Ochs Chief Marketing Officer

Scott Pawloski Chief Revenue Officer

CONTACT

Kristal Walton: Kristal.Walton@gstv.com GSTV.COM/AMPLIFY

Kristal Walton VP, CPG Industry

Retailers need privacy-compliant data and targeting strategies to offer their brand partners. 1 to 1 targeting — leveraging first-party retailer data — continues to be regulated, and advertisers are seeking forward-thinking partners who not only adhere to new privacy rules but are building innovative alternate solutions. Inmar’s proprietary MomentsAI™ technology leverages 1st-party retailer data to inform when and where to deliver messaging based on receptivity. Our modeled approach to targeting is privacy-compliant by design, leveraging a blend of 1st- and 3rd-party signals to reach shoppers.

Inmar offers an integrated, highly flexible approach to retailers.

We recognize retailers are working with many solutions, with the ultimate goal of offering a fully connected platform. However, with so many vendors in play, it’s difficult to integrate and select the right partners. The need for flexibility is imperative for retailers looking to grow their RMN quickly and efficiently, but hard to come by with “all or nothing” retail media network partners. Inmar offers retailers and brands a truly connected omnichannel platform that brings onsite, offsite, in-store and digital incentives to one centralized platform that’s easy to plug in with other vendors when needed.

At-A-Glance

WHO WE ARE

Inmar combines technology and advanced data analytics to make commerce work smarter. We drive growth for leading brands and retailers by delivering value to their shoppers and providing a more personalized and integrated shopping experience.

KEY EXECUTIVES

Spencer Baird, Interim CEO

Jennifer Mauldin, President and Chief Client Officer

Aaron Kechley, Interim President, Martech Division Alvaro Bravo, SVP, Product & Marketing Innovation

•

Inmar helps retailers deliver personalized shopping experiences to a new generation of shoppers.

The rise of online shopping has given consumers access to an unlimited number of shopping options. Consumer loyalty has declined as a result, as shoppers will select the retailer that offers them the most convenient, tailored, and personalized experience. Inmar delivers personalized shopping experiences through its offsite and onsite media platform — ensuring we are providing value and tailored messaging to consumers when they are most receptive, which keeps them coming back.

Inmar

CUSTOMER BASE

Inmar

CPG

INDUSTRIES SERVED

(All

• Adult

• CPG

• CPG

• CPG

• CPG

•

&

Care

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

• Off-Platform Omnichannel Media –Programmatic, Connected TV, Digital Out-of-Home, Social

• Onsite Media – Sponsored Search, Product Listing, Display

• Social Commerce Media

• Intelligent In-Store Media

• Digital Incentives – Rebates, Loyalty, Load to Card, Cashback

CONTACT

Diana Medina

Vice President, Retail Transformation diana.medina@inmar.com

Mike Paley

Sr. Vice President, Bus. Dev., Retailers mike.paley@inmar.com

Inmar is privacy compliant by design, and pioneering the future of a cookie-less world.

Solutions & Services

Solutions & Services

Lowe’s One Roof Media Network Philosophy

Lowe’s One Roof Media Network Philosophy

We help our brand partners create meaningful and long-lasting connections between brands and Lowe’s customers to help DIYers, DIFMs and Pros get the job done.

We help our brand partners create meaningful and long-lasting connections between brands and Lowe’s customers to help DIYers, DIFMs and Pros get the job done.

Company name:

Company name:

Lowe’s One Roof Media Network

Lowe’s One Roof Media Network

Type of company: Retailer Media Network

Type of company: Retailer Media Network

Company website: www.lowesoneroofmedianetwork.com

Company website: www.lowesoneroofmedianetwork.com

Lowe’s One Roof Media Network is a robust portfolio of omni-channel advertising services powered by Lowe’s 70M customer profiles, real-time shopping trends, and proven marketing expertise with home lifestyle shoppers. Our portfolio is powered by a consultative, strategic approach and includes:

Lowe’s One Roof Media Network is a robust portfolio of omni-channel advertising services powered by Lowe’s 70M customer profiles, real-time shopping trends, and proven marketing expertise with home lifestyle shoppers. Our portfolio is powered by a consultative, strategic approach and includes:

Access to leverage Lowe’s rich 1st party shopper profile data for audience targeting both on Lowes.com and the Lowe’s app and across the programmatic & social media landscape

Access to leverage Lowe’s rich 1st party shopper profile data for audience targeting both on Lowes.com and the Lowe’s app and across the programmatic & social media landscape

Native display on Lowes.com (desktop & mobile) and the Lowe’s app

Native display on Lowes.com (desktop & mobile) and the Lowe’s app

Sponsored products on Lowes.com (desktop & mobile) and the Lowe’s app

Sponsored products on Lowes.com (desktop & mobile) and the Lowe’s app

Closed-loop measurement & insights, including in-store reporting

Closed-loop measurement & insights, including in-store reporting

Customer Base

Customer Base

Lowe’ One Roof Media Network services both home lifestyle consumer brands and home improvement professional-oriented brand leaders including Samsung, Kohler, GE Lighting, a Savant company and many others. The brands we serve are focused on reaching the best do-it-yourself (DIY) and home professional (Pro) audiences for their brands.

Lowe’ One Roof Media Network services both home lifestyle consumer brands and home improvement professional-oriented brand leaders including Samsung, Kohler, GE Lighting, a Savant company and many others. The brands we serve are focused on reaching the best do-it-yourself (DIY) and home professional (Pro) audiences for their brands.

Points of Differentiation

Points of Differentiation

Omni-channel programmatic activation across display, video & connected TV, streaming audio & podcasts, and digital out-of-home that drive back to Lowe’s (on site and in store) for shopping

Omni-channel programmatic activation across display, video & connected TV, streaming audio & podcasts, and digital out-of-home that drive back to Lowe’s (on site and in store) for shopping

Social media partnerships dedicated to full-funnel solutions finding shoppers across all mediums

Social media partnerships dedicated to full-funnel solutions finding shoppers across all mediums

In-store activation with overhead audio and in-store signage – Pilot opportunities coming in 2023

In-store activation with overhead audio and in-store signage – Pilot opportunities coming in 2023

Key Partnerships

Key Partnerships

Lowe’s One Roof 360 Partnerships provide the brands we serve with the omni-channel & full marketing funnel innovation edge they need to achieve their media and commerce goals and dominate their categories.

Lowe’s One Roof 360 Partnerships provide the brands we serve with the omni-channel & full marketing funnel innovation edge they need to achieve their media and commerce goals and dominate their categories.

Notable representative partners include (alphabeti cally): Criteo, Epsilon/CitrusAd, Google/YouTube, Pinterest and Yahoo, with more partnership announcements coming before the end of 2022.

Notable representative partners include (alphabeti cally): Criteo, Epsilon/CitrusAd, Google/YouTube, Pinterest and Yahoo, with more partnership announcements coming before the end of 2022.

Lowe’s One Roof Media Network’s strategic, consultative approach to full-funnel, integrated, and omni-channel marketing is the foundation of what makes us unique in the retail media space. The rich & unmatched audience access Lowe’s One Roof Media Network gives the brands we serve the ability to meaningfully reach and engage the best DIY, DIFMs and Pro audiences across the right channel mix for their goals, at every stage of their journey — from inspiration to consideration & research to final conversion.

Lowe’s One Roof Media Network’s strategic, consultative approach to full-funnel, integrated, and omni-channel marketing is the foundation of what makes us unique in the retail media space.

The rich & unmatched audience access Lowe’s One Roof Media Network gives the brands we serve the ability to meaningfully reach and engage the best DIY, DIFMs and Pro audiences across the right channel mix for their goals, at every stage of their journey — from inspiration to consideration & research to final conversion.

As our brand partners create meaningful connections and engage our special audience throughout every stage of the purchase cycle, our 1st party intelligence and targeting capabilities help drive back to the point of purchase on Lowes.com or Lowe’s stores.

As our brand partners create meaningful connections and engage our special audience throughout every stage of the purchase cycle, our 1st party intelligence and targeting capabilities help drive back to the point of purchase on Lowes.com or Lowe’s stores.

Additionally, the Pro segment also benefits from LORMN’s offering as it enables brands to offer highly relevant and curated recommendations to help get the job done.

Additionally, the Pro segment also benefits from LORMN’s offering as it enables brands to offer highly relevant and curated recommendations to help get the job done.

Measurement and Data Sharing Capabilities

Measurement and Data Sharing Capabilities

Lowe’s proprietary and third-party measurement and data-sharing capabilities provide unified closed-loop reporting for online and in-store transactions across multiple channels within the digital advertising ecosystem.

Lowe’s proprietary and third-party measurement and data-sharing capabilities provide unified closed-loop reporting for online and in-store transactions across multiple channels within the digital advertising ecosystem.

Full-funnel Approach

Full-funnel Approach

The biggest challenge with retail media today is the focus on lower-funnel performance. While it is absolutely essential to increase sales, that cannot be the only retail media purpose.

The biggest challenge with retail media today is the focus on lower-funnel performance. While it is absolutely essential to increase sales, that cannot be the only retail media purpose.

Lowe’s One Roof Media Network is focused on serving brands with full-function capabilities and provides the strategic planning support to determine the right mix of media throughout the purchase funnel.

Lowe’s One Roof Media Network is focused on serving brands with full-function capabilities and provides the strategic planning support to determine the right mix of media throughout the purchase funnel.

We have built and partnered with media platforms so that brands can meet their range of awareness, consideration, and purchase KPIs.

We have built and partnered with media platforms so that brands can meet their range of awareness, consideration, and purchase KPIs.

The latest from Lowe's.

Total brand engagement for total home improvement.

Let’s get started Get it done with Lowe’s One Roof Media Network.

Now is the time for humanity in marketing.

We believe in a people-first approach that connects deeply to human needs, wants, desires and hopes at a time when human connection is more important than ever before. We build brands in dimension so brands can connect with people on multi-dimensional levels. Physically. Digitally. Virtually. Socially. Emotionally.

We build brand experiences that put humans at the center.

An effective brand experience is rooted in human needs and desires — it isn’t stuck in one channel. It transcends any funnel. Our crosschannel capabilities seamlessly connect people with brands in the right place, at the right time, to achieve the desired results.

At-A-Glance

WHO WE ARE

We are a North American Integrated Marketing Agency that creates commercedriving brand experiences. We use our crosschannel capabilities to seamlessly connect people with brands in the right place, at the right time, to achieve the desired results.

CUSTOMER BASE

Going Beyond ROAS

Mosaic focuses on an omni Planning approach [Retailer Agnostic and Flowing Budgets] – when planning retail media, Mosaic recommends our clients set two levels of planning:

• Determine the Minimum Effective Dose (MED) per retailer. This is the minimum spend that MUST occur through search to drive SKU velocity and prevent market share loss.

• Identify an “Opportunistic” Budget that can be assigned to retailers as perform-ance dictates. Depending on size and scope, this budget can be reallocated monthly or quarterly. This allows budgets to flow with the opportunities that present themselves. In addition, by planning from an Omni perspective, retail media is assessed not at the retailer level, but as an overarching performance that allows optimizations and shifts from one retailer to affect another. While this work requires additional effort to create apples-to-apples measurement, it means that we can assess retailers against each other for the KPIs [ROAS, iROAS, Total Advertising Cost of Sale (TACOS), Share of Voice (SOV) Keyword Incrementality Assignments].

KEY PARTNERSHIPS

Elite and engaged marketing professionals at various level of the brand marketing ecosystem and key decision-makers behind the top industry accounts across US and Canada.

INDUSTRIES SERVED

• Lifestyle

• Technology

Mosaic partners with all key North American retail media providers but also has detailed relationships with the following partners:

•

• FinancialKEY EXECUTIVES

• Justine Greenwald, Co-Managing Director, Chief Creative Off icer

• Debbie Kaplan, Co-Managing Director, Chief Delivery Off icer

• Tony Ciresi, SVP, Commerce

• Rohan Mandelia, SVP, Strategy & Business Intelligence

• Commerce

• Food & Beverage

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

• Media Strategy, Planning & Buying

• Omni-experience Strategy & Planning

• Qualitative & Quantitative Shopper Insights

• Commerce Intelligence & Strategy

•

Content

• Analytics, Optimization &

CONTACT

Angel Scheid

Senior Vice President, Client Growth

312.526.3126

Angel.Scheid@mosaic.com

Danielle Seaman-Matthews

VP, Performance & Commerce Media 312.526.3126

Danielle.Seaman@mosaic.com

Integrated Marketing can be just nuts.

Search for the de nition of an Integrated Marketing Agency and you’ll nd: an agency that can satisfy all of a client’s marketing needs, soup to nuts.

The de nition is not wrong. But is the full course meal approach always right? Sometimes you just need the nuts.

We’re rede ning what we do as an Integrated Marketing Agency. It’s tough because we’re not any one thing. We do di erent combinations of di erent things to solve for di erent clients’ needs. Content. Omnichannel Commerce. Experiential. B2B. Media. Measurement. We could keep going, but a list of our capabilities won’t get to the core of what we do.

Using our collective creativity, we build brand experiences seamlessly across vital consumer touchpoints. It’s not a pe ect de nition. We continue to mark up each draft. But it is an approach that helps our clients win, no ma er their appetite.

We listen to a client’s busine cha enge and solve for it –wi e right mix of specialists at e right time.

mosaic.com

WE’VE SOLVED THE INDEPENDENT RETAIL PUZZLE.

NRS Digital Media is the only of its kind: a turnkey high-frequency digital messaging network exclusively inside independent c-store, small format, and specialty retailers across the country.

NRS Digital Media is the only of its kind: a turnkey high-frequency digital messaging network exclusively inside independent c-store, small format, and specialty retailers across the country.

Smallerformat convenience stores now accountfor 25% offast-moving consumer goods and 70% of shopping trips. NRS's POS ecosystem helps its retailers meetthis demand, and our digital ad network allows brands and advertisers to communicate directlywith the millions of shoppers visiting weekly.

Smaller format convenience stores now account for 25% of fast-moving consumer goods and 70% of shopping trips. NRS's POS ecosystem helps its retailers meet this demand, and our digital ad network allows brands and advertisers to communicate directly with the millions of shoppers visiting weekly.

Because NRS owns the point-of-sale scan data for every location, it's simple to identifywhich stores sell a brand's specific product, activate messaging to increase product sales, and report its performance.

Because NRS owns the point-of-sale scan data for every location, it's simple to identify which stores sell a brand's specific product, activate messaging to increase product sales, and report its performance.

Finally, a simple wayto advertise to new audiences and grow independent retail channel sales.

Finally, a simple way to advertise to new audiences and grow independent retail channel sales.

AGLANCE

WHO WE ARE

National Retail Solutions is a technology and point-of-sale platform for independent convenience, bodega, grocery, and specialty retailers nationwide. Suppliers and Advertisers use NRS's data and digital media to reach over 32M weekly shoppers, generating over $1.1B monthly into its locations.

KEY EXECS

Elie Katz, CEO

Eli Korn, COO

Suzanne Silliman, SVP Data & Insights

KristyDay, VP Advertising

(677-6334)

WE

THE

NRS offers a 360 activation solution for more than 18,000 independent, small format, high-frequency stores that enables Shopper Marketing and complementary functions to influence the path-to-purchase in

NRS offers a 360 activation solution for more than 18,000 independent, small format, high-frequency stores that enables Shopper Marketing and complementary functions to influence the path-to-purchase in

ways not available to brands before.

ways not available to brands before.

•1st Party Scan Data Intelligence & Product Performance Insights

• 1st Party Scan Data Intelligence & Product Performance Insights

• In-store Audience Data

• In-store Audience Data

• Merchant Acquisition

• Merchant Acquisition

•Point-of-Sale Digital Advertising

• Point-of-Sale Digital Advertising

•Coupon Provisioning

• Coupon Provisioning

•Pre & Post Lift Measurement

• Pre & Post Lift Measurement

&

shopper.s

unique shopper.s

You’re a retailer.

You’re a retailer.

You’re a retailer.

You’ve built a retail media exchange and you’re monetizing your digital traffic.

You’ve built a retail media exchange and you’re monetizing your digital traffic.

Are you maximizing your retail media revenue?

Are you maximizing your retail media revenue?

You’ve built a retail media exchange and you’re monetizing your digital traffic. Are you maximizing your retail media revenue?

, a STRATACACHE company, can deploy, maintain and support in-store retail media networks at major retailer scale Monetize your physical traffic. Chuck Billups [800]308-0488 cbillups@prn.com

Get in touch today to learn more!

Get in touch today to learn more!

Only PRN, a STRATACACHE company, can deploy, maintain and support in-store retail media networks at major retailer scale Monetize your physical traffic. Chuck Billups [800]308-0488 cbillups@prn.com

Get in touch today to learn more!

Only PRN, a STRATACACHE company, can deploy, maintain and support in-store retail media networks at major retailer scale Monetize your physical traffic. Chuck Billups [800]308-0488

[800]308-0488 cbillups@prn.com

, a STRATACACHE company, makes in-store retail media networks painless and simple at scale.

Zero capex upfront (opex model)

Zero operational headaches in-store

closed loop analytics designed for physical retail

with your current e-commerce advertising platform

retain control of ad sales, the in-store experience & creative

Done right, you’ll sell more, create a better shopper experience and generate significant incremental ad revenue.

capabilities

30 Year History of In-Store Digital

worldwide

1,100+ employees

It’s not retail media – it’s just media

wag launched with a unique vision: brands want access to first-party data wherever they advertise. Today, wag o ers the most ways to leverage firstparty data from 100M+ loyalty members and more ways to access closed-loop measurement—delivering greater e iciencies and e ectiveness for partners.

Open, flexible options: any channel, any inventory

wag o ers a multitude of options to leverage the high match rates of our first-party data. Choose from self-serve or managed service options and deploy across any channel and with any inventory and creative format. For partners looking to drive sales and conversions, closed-loop reporting is available through partners like IRI and others. High-impact in-store solutions also available.

Rethinking what media can—and should—be

Retail media organizations have an opportunity to disrupt the “walled garden” dynamic – the platforms which restrict visibility in measurement and data. wag is helping to create an ecosystem that provides better, truer transparency for advertising partners.

At-A-Glance

WHO WE ARE

Launched in December 2020, wag is a retail media network powered by first-party data from 100M+ myWalgreens loyalty members. wag provides flexible, full-funnel advertising solutions across the open web and in ~9,000+ stores nationwide. Full service and self-service options available.

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

• Self-service programmatic

• Managed service programmatic

• SEM & social media solutions

• In-store & onsite opportunities

CUSTOMER BASE

$5M in incremental sales for popular brand

Having seen strong results in programmatic, a popular vitamin brand partnered with Walgreens’ “New Year, New You” campaign to launch a new programmatic campaign that leveraged closed-loop optimization abilities.

• The campaign targeted current & lapsed brand buyers, new-to-brand customers who buy in the category, plus those not in the vitamin category, but likely to purchase.

• The campaign was optimized on intent and front-of-store sales every 24 hours.

• Overall, the two-month campaign saw $5M in incremental sales; a 48% sales li , and a $17 ROI.

INDUSTRIES SERVED

wag serves full-funnel needs and partners with advertising and media agencies plus brand marketing/shopper marketing clients.

Brands Agencies

• Bayer AG

• GlaxoSmithKline

• Haleon

• Hallmark

• Johnson & Johnson

• L’Oreal

• Nature’s Bounty

• Pharmative

• Procter & Gamble

• Reckitt

• Crossmark

• Integer

• J3 (IPG)

• Mediacom

• Mindshare

• Platform (Publicis Media)

• Starcom

• The Mars Agency

• UM NY

• Zenith (Publicis Media)

• Health & Wellness

• Beauty

• Personal Care

• Pharma

•

•

•

• Non-endemic

SALES & MARKETING

Jonathan Lustig, Head of Revenue, wag

Cindy Viadella, Head of Marketing, wag

Trish Conheeney, Director of Sales, wag

CONTACT

info@walgreensadvertisinggroup.com

Member of Walgreens Boots Alliance ©2022 Walgreen Co. All rights reserved.

Our philosophy

We’re in the business of evolving retailers into publishers. Retailers are the next media giants. We partner with them in the true sense of the word – our job is to help them grow, at a pace they’re comfortable with. At the heart of it, we know your core business always has been and always will be selling product.

Our point of difference

Zitcha is one of few purpose built retail media platforms in the market, designed to easily accelerate growth. We are retailer first, independent and have a sole focus on retail media. The ability to connect and sell every media asset within a retailer’s kit – via a retailer-branded platform, is what makes Zitcha different.

We know that no other retail media provider offers what we do – onsite, offsite and in-store in one place. It’s this difference that makes us the best choice. We are a retailer’s strategic partner for the long term. From the valuation of a retailer’s media network, change management, solution deployment, training, support and demand generation, the choice is clear. There’s no better way to maximise revenue.

Tackling challenges

Retail media is rapidly growing and the unknown may seem a little scary. And that’s where having a strategic implementation partner whose leaders have over ten years of collective experience in retail media publishing puts you ahead of the game.

With a team who have worked within retail media – and sold it themselves – to having successful digital media agencies for the last decade, we really understand retailers and the potential of their network. We help them to focus on what

At-A-Glance

WHAT WE OFFER

Zitcha is a retail media engine that retailers can use to sell any media assets they want (i.e. not ‘just’ digital or ‘just’ in-store), in the one place with their own brand front and centre with full control over first-party data. The platform automates the purchasing of media, allowing retailers and suppliers to connect directly with shoppers.

KEY PARTNERSHIPS

We have integration partnerships with tech giants Meta (Instagram & Facebook), Google (and YouTube), The Trade Desk, Mercato and more, to offer omnichannel advertising that retailers and brand advertisers can buy, sell and track – all within the one simple platform.

being a media business is. Show us the assets you think you need and we’ll show you what’s needed to be successful.

Zitcha’s job is to help retailers grow their retail media. Our platform scales as fast or slow as scale is desired. Unlike a lot out there, we also help retailers with the all-important change management. From placing client success staff within your business to helping with demand generation, we are a true partner who drives your success.

CUSTOMER BASE

Our global clients range from mid-tier retailers to retail giants. Brand advertisers include Microsoft, Dyson, LEGO, L’Oreal, Samsung and Nestlé.

Our primary targets are retailers that have:

• A supplier base within medium-large media spend categories, including FMCG, Retail and Technology.

• A long tail of suppliers and a broad suite of execution channels across owned and operated assets; and

• Desirable first-party audience data for media targeting and attribution purposes.

MEASURING & DATA SHARING CAPABILITIES

• Insights available within the Zitcha platform mean that retailers and brands maximise sales and return on advertising spend (ROAS).

• Retailers can see how they’re tracking toward media revenue targets while brands see a view of campaign performance that ties back to sales conversion.

• These metrics are presented in real time to enable continuous optimisation. In addition to dashboards, we also make reports available for export for our retail partners.

CHICAGO

CHICAGO

OCTOBER

OCTOBER 18-20

THE PREMIERE INDUSTRY EVENT FOR COMMERCE MARKETERS

THE PREMIERE INDUSTRY EVENT FOR COMMERCE MARKETERS

Come experience and unmatched lineup of conference sessions and exciting networking opportunities crafted to inspire, educate and cultivate new connections with the top experts and industry trailblazers in commerce marketing.

Come experience and unmatched lineup of conference sessions and exciting networking opportunities crafted to inspire, educate and cultivate new connections with the top experts and industry trailblazers in commerce marketing.

WE CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOU OCTOBER 18-20

WE CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOU OCTOBER 18-20

SPONSORSHIPS & EXHIBIT

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

SPONSORSHIPS & EXHIBIT

BOOTHS AVAILABLE, CONTACT:

RECONNECT WITH COLLEAGUES

BOOTHS AVAILABLE, CONTACT:

Arlene Schusteff 847•533•2697

LATEST IN P-O-P AND IN-STORE

Orlando Llerandi 678•591•8284

Arlene Schusteff 847•533•2697

Orlando Llerandi 678•591•8284

LATEST IN P-O-P AND IN-STORE

NETWORKING HAPPY HOURS

NETWORKING HAPPY HOURS

INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS

INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS