Understanding shopper missions is critical to effective shopper marketing

In the shopper marketing lexicon, shopper missions is a bit of a buzz-phrase. And for good reason – it’s hard to really market to shoppers without really understanding their mission, their purpose, for shopping today. As shopping becomes more complex, understanding shopper missions becomes harder, and arguably more important. So how should the shopper marketing manager best understand shopper missions?

Standard models don’t help much

Lots of people have their own ideas about shopper missions. A quick Google search uncovers Evolution Insights , who classify shopper missions using four broad and generic missions for FMCG: on-the-go, top-up, main trolley and stock-up. Howell Penny, a UK agency, uses a different four-mission model to look at different shopper missions: reamers, hunters, finders and keepers. The trouble I find when using these is that whilst they are a great starting point, they are simply too generic to help really understand these shoppers in any detail. A unique way of looking at what drives shoppers should arguably be a cornerstone of shopper marketing, something that differentiates your brand and therefore gives competitive advantage. Is a generic shopper mission model really going to do that? And if not, how should shopper marketers begin to understand shopper missions?

Understanding shopper missions requires an understanding of consumers first

Where many of these ‘shopper missions’ models fall down is that they look primarily through a shopper-only view point.  “Top-up shop” quite nicely describes a quick visit to a convenience store or a local supermarket, but does it really capture or differentiate enough? Is it a quick shop to pick up some extra veggies for tonight’s meal? Or some extra beers because a friend is popping over? Both of these would be rather different shopper missions in truth, but most generic models struggle to capture the required level of detail. Part of what is missing is the consumer. Shopping, in the most part, has consumption or usage at its heart. A shopper is buying against some real or perceived consumption need or needs. If we don’t really understand the consumption behind the buy, then our understanding of the buy will be limited. Understanding the consumption needs and occasions which the shopper is buying for is therefore a critical part of understanding the shopper’s mission. Buying a snack for myself versus buying some nibbles for guests drives a very different shopping mindset (small packs of anything tasty versus large packs of something sophisticated, perhaps!) but both could be described as a ‘top-up shop’.

Shopper missions require an understanding of the shopper

It probably goes without saying, but developing shopper missions requires an understanding of the shopper too. Just as the consumer has needs, so does the shopper. Whether the shopper is the same person as the consumer or not, there are always discrete shopper needs. And to understand shoppers’ needs, we need to think beyond our category. Sure, some shopping trips are single category shops, but many aren’t. It is hard sometimes for marketers to cope with, but to a shopper, your brand or category isn’t always the most important thing.

Shopper needs come in all shapes and sizes. They have to meet all of the consumer needs for the trip, first of all. But they may need to do this within a certain budget, or a certain time frame. They may have to carry their product home, making bulk purchase difficult, or they may need somewhere to park their car. They may want entertaining, they may want to relax, they may need information. All of these may have little to do with consumption needs, but if they aren’t met, then the shopper mission may fail.

Shopper missions are a blend of consumer and shopper needs

A shopper’s mission can be seen as a blend of consumer needs and shopper needs. Or, let me be specific. They are a blend of the shopper’s interpretation of a consumption need, together with a shopper’s need. If the shopper is the consumer, then that interpretation will be accurate. But if the shopper and the consumer are different people, then the shopper will have an interpretation of the consumer’s needs in their heads. A consumer who wants a Heineken to chill out and refresh may be very clear about what they want from the shopping trip, but the shopper may just be looking for beer.

In shopper missions, the shopper needs often outweigh the consumer needs

A shopper mission is therefore a blend of perceived consumer needs and actual shopper needs. A shopper somehow juggles and blends this as he plans his shop. What is interesting is that in most cases we have studied, the shopper’s needs overpower the consumer ones. Not in all cases, but quite often. Out of stock products result in brand switching because going to another store simply doesn’t fit with the time a shopper has to spare. A different water brand is picked up because that was all that was available at the convenience store I visited. I checked out the Samsung brand because they had a far more informative sales guy although as a consumer I prefer Sony. I go to Sainsbury as they have a better store ambience, and because they don’t stock my preferred brand, I buy another.

Having a brand which wins with consumers isn’t enough. Shoppers are key too. Understanding shopper missions is a critical step in being able to market effectively to shoppers. Generic models will get marketers so far, but to really develop a deep understanding a bit more effort is required. Build an understanding of who the target shopper is, which consumption needs they are trying to meet, what needs they have as a shopper, and which of these needs is greater. With that as a foundation marketers can really get under the skin of their target shopper and win by meeting their needs better than the competition.

To learn more about shopper missions and targeting shoppers, take a look at “The Shopper Marketing Revolution” a book I wrote with Toby Desforges. It expands on these themes far more than I can hope to do in a short blog post.

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