When Toby Desforges and I published ‘The Shopper Marketing Revolution’ last year, we did a number of book launch events. At each event we did a “Q&A” session. And whilst the questions were varied, one question came up again and again. The question was formulated differently on each occasion, but ultimately it came to the same point. Should shopper marketing be led by retail collaboration, or should it be led, fundamentally, by a brand’s own strategy?
Since then, the question continues to be raised, and whilst I’m not sure there is a definitive answer – here is my view: Shopper marketing is ultimately part of brand marketing: brand comes first, retail collaboration second.
Retail collaboration is important in shopper marketing
Despite the emergence of online shopping, and the clear reality that many shopping activities take place outside of a retail environment, it should be obvious that the retailer is important to any shopper marketer. Without retail consent and support, shopper marketing initiatives simply will not be implemented. So why not start there? Why not allow retail collaboration to lead and define shopper marketing activities? Surely the store is where most of the shopper action is? And whilst shopping activity is not confined to the retail store, isn’t it the most important part of the shopper journey? Perhaps. But the task that a manufacturer is tasked with is to grow their brands profitably. Period. Retailers have a different goal. Their job is to grow their sales. Arguably a retailers goals are fundamentally opposed to those of a manufacturer. The manufacturer cares which brand is bought, but not about where it is bought. The retailer cares little what is bought, but cares deeply about where it is bought. Retail support is a critical part therefore of driving brand growth, but should marketers put it at the heart of their strategic success? I think not. If the brands are one of the company’s biggest assets, then the strategies employed to grow that brand are massively important. Putting collaboration with a third party who has different goals at the heart of this feels wrong. Retail collaboration should be seen as a means to an end, not an end itself.
Shopper marketing is part of brand marketing
As shopper marketing has grown and flourished it sometimes can be seen to be an entity in itself. Whilst this has benefits for the growth of the discipline, it has sometimes led to confusion. To some, shopper marketing has become a separate ‘thing’ discrete and different to brand marketing. And whilst I have been one of the biggest advocates of thinking of the shopper as different to the consumer, and therefore the need for shopper marketing as well as consumer marketing, it is important that the marketing community sees this as two parts of an overall brand marketing task. After all, no brilliant consumer relationship will be profitable without shopper engagement. Brand equity is valueless unless someone (a shopper) actually buys the product. Shopper marketing is part of brand marketing, and whilst today it might be seen as consumer marketing’s young upstart, and perhaps unsophisticated sibling, perhaps one day shopper marketing and consumer marketing will stand side by side and peers in a total brand marketing world.
Build a Total Marketing approach first, then engage in retail collaboration
Ultimately therefore shopper marketing should be led by brand marketers, albeit brand marketers with a shopper marketing skillset, and a deep understanding of retail and retail collaboration. Shopper marketers and consumer marketers must bring their ‘two halves’ of the equation together to create a more complete marketing approach. The challenge is for the marketing community to really see the value of shopper marketing: to understand what makes it different and yet what makes it part of a Total Marketing approach – if you aren’t marketing to the shopper then you really aren’t doing ‘brand marketing’ properly. Until this happens brands will not get the full benefit from their consumer marketing, their shopper marketing, or their retail collaboration.
What is your view on who should lead shopper marketing? Do you see shopper marketing as part of brand marketing, or something completely distinct? Please share your views in the comments section below.
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