As always, the latest report on shopper marketing from GMA has much to commend it. Some fantastic data about the uptake of shopper marketing amongst the largest consumer goods companies, and some useful insights (e.g key challenges include the ability to integrate consumer and shopper insights).
But the key thrust of the document – that the next step of the evolution of shopper marketing is something called shopper solutions, got my alarm bells ringing. According to GMA/Booz, shopper solutions are “insight-driven events that often feature two or more products that shoppers can purchase together.”
One example from the document a “pizza night” –Pizza, Coke and Ice Cream from Coca-Cola and Nestle. The idea is simple, and I am sure effective. People buy more because it simply meets a shopping need. Another is from Conagra, offering meal suggestions and bringing all of the ingredients together in one place.
So far so good, but wait a minute – haven’t we seen this somewhere before? Meal suggestions? Ingredients together?
Sainsbury’s in the UK created recipe cards as far back as the 1980’s – I personally remember back in my biscuit marketing days in the early nineties working with them to create recipes, merchandising solutions and advertising (yes, on TV) to promote a marscapone cheesecake which used our ginger biscuits in its base (check out the recipe here.
Don’t get me wrong – I’m not criticizing these activities. They are smart, insight driven, and I am sure effective. But if the latest evolution of shopper marketing is largely the same as what “trade marketing” was doing in the nineties, then Shopper Marketing has a problem! If like me, you believe that Shopper Marketing has more to offer than this, please let me know!
