Sci-fi writer William Gibson said, 'The future is already here, it's just not very evenly distributed.' At FITCH our retail insights are based on direct observation and systematic analysis through our global network. By monitoring the latest retail innovations and tracking consumer behavior, we identify trends that are both robust and actionable.

“The key to a successful shopper marketing strategy is an in depth understanding of how shoppers shop, a clear understanding of the retailers key business drivers and an accurate grasp of the brands business ambition"

Shopper Marketing of the future is not a discipline or specialty: It is Marketing with a capital "M". Marketers must build their brand plans on Consumer AND Shopper AND Retailer insights to in order for the big brand idea to be relevant and effective.

The point of purchase is the most valuable partner to brands. In the same way that brands are nurtured and loved, so too should the point of purchase. At the final juncture, where brands and shoppers meet, great execution truly matters.

Men are living alone longer, shopping more — and for a wider variety of items. Smart marketers are realizing this and know that they will not become the biggest and the best unless they win with men.

The single most valuable asset retailers have in their stores is NOT the merchandise, nor the store floor space. It is the shoppers' time, because every second the shopper spends in the store is another opportunity to SELL them something. Even though it is "self-service", CLOSING SALES (completing the purchase process) is what this is all about.

The path to purchase has evolved dramatically. Shoppers are actively seeking information that will affect their purchase decision, but are looking on their own terms and their own timeline. Understanding the levers and knowing which to pull and when is critical and changes significantly between differing shopper segmentations and retail partner.

In a world where virtually every product category is suffering from brand proliferation and time-pressured shoppers are being enticed by ever more sophisticated retail offerings, effective design has to do more. It must work for the benefit of the shopper as well as the retailer and brand owner. It has to sell actively.

We all live increasingly complex lives, constantly confronted by an overwhelming volume of options, information and decisions to be made. Smart retailers will make life simpler for overloaded shoppers by making item selection easier and creating stores which are a sanctuary from constant choice-anxiety.

Downloading is the New Clipping. Expect even more people to embrace digital couponing as a way of life as stores expand programs to allow consumers to more easily download and take advantage of offers on smart phones.

Consumers are pretty clued up about what they want and where they are going to get it. The shopper experience is one that needs to add surprise, delight and value to where they buy on or off line, but importantly should also embrace the consumer to help continue to build the brand story when they leave the store.

Share of Wallet is aimed at increasing the size of a shopper’s basket on a both in a single trip and over time. In order to do this, clients ask: What formats need to be developed to capture more shopping occasions? How can online and offline be balanced? And what insights are required to be successful?

It’s no surprise that shopper marketing is a complex game with often competing stakeholders, but too many in-store initiatives fail because they’re simply not remarkable – they don’t move the needle because they aren’t demonstrably better for shoppers.

" 20 years into the digital revolution, the use of technology in the everyday lives of the consumer is now mature, sophisticated and second nature. At OgilvyAction we see this in the context of a new shopper behaviour, and thereforeas a huge opportunity for our clients."

Renegades often provide a glimpse into the future. Depending on your perspective, a ‘retail’ renegade’s actions could range from a monumental shift to a more subtle strategy. Our goal is to share some of the most intriguing global examples, highlight commonalities and provide inspiration for your quest to establish deeper shopper connections.

There have been massive changes in the marketplace when it comes to consumers’ commitment to brands. Now more than ever, consumers are able to ignore, tune out or de-select brands. Traditional advertising alone can no longer be expected to transform ordinary consumers into the committed consumers that marketers covet most.

Retailers rely on leading brands for the insight and knowledge that will not only drive demand for categories, but keep shoppers loyal to the retailer versus their competitive set. To excel in Shopper Marketing, you must first think like a retailer.

The retro movement is driven, in part, by consumer-goods companies feeling pressure from retailers' private-label products, which are generally less expensive. Brands are saying, ‘wait a minute, we invented that category,’ so they are now reminding consumers which brand came first.

As the retail environment begins to gain prominence as more than just a tactical channel for price or value promotions … marketers now believe that they can not only use the retail channel tactically, but that they can also use it as an environment to build lasting brand value that goes beyond a momentary promotional effort.

For many consumers these days, our ‘first moment’ neither occurs exclusively at the retail shelf display nor is it even captured as a single moment in time. Within a relatively short period, consumers have transformed from passive recipients of marketing messages and information into active, in-control seekers of our own moments of truth.

Social purpose as a business value is here to stay, and in 2011 we can expect even more companies to acknowledge its importance. Brands will work to identify the ways they can help society. Success in the marketplace will require that companies be sustainable, committed, and authentic.

Data in a vacuum is like a duck riding a bicycle. Fascinating to look at, but creating more questions than answers. Getting to simple human truth means pulling on all available threads of information in order to tell a story that provides contextualized thinking around the what, where, why, how and who of consumer action.

As traditional brand loyalty swings increasingly over to the retailer and the role of the manufacturer brand in the category mix is beginning to change, brand owners are only just beginning to realise what retailers have known for years. Supermarket shoppers don’t buy brands so much anymore. They buy solutions.

There has never been a time in business history when an understanding of psychology and delivering on an understanding of people’s desires, attitudes, and behavior has been more important to marketing success. It is not about being soothsayers, but about mixing the art and emotion of human nature with the science that drives results.

In chapter 8 of Shopper Marketing, Sara writes, “…as (the) picture emerges, there are also large, overarching themes that become apparent. Recognizing the patterns out of the detail, and watching the trends even among trends, can help marketers make smart, predictive decisions ahead of the curve.”

A insight-driven, dynamic, groundbreaking and compelling shopper program is meaningless without the acceptance and support of the buyer and sales team .

Experiential marketing has earned its place as a vital thread of the marketing mix with the power to change consumer behavior. We must communicate on and offline, convert interactions to transactions and create lifetime ROI.

Experiential Marketing can be a powerful tool both in and around the retail shopping experience. With clutter at an all-time high, people now distracted at every moment-by phone calls/texting, on Facebook, etc.- the experience must be engaging/relevant to the audience. If you don’t enhance their experience, add value, they will not take notice.

A significant increase in budget or spend allocation on shopper marketing will not happen until the creative effectiveness of in-store communication can be accurately measured and proven. Shopper insights are key - without which even the most creative programme can be skating on the ‘slippery surface of irrelevant brilliance (David Ogilvy)’.

S2B’s expertise lies in the strategic planning, buying, and measurement of shopper media. Under Kinetic’s umbrella, we leverage proprietary planning tools to gain strategic insights on how to reach targeted consumers in the ‘shopper mindset’ at all points throughout their shopping journey.

Retail market evolution and the consequent Shopper behavior in China is at significantly different stages of development dependent on whether you’re in a Tier 3 City like ChaoHu, Anhui, or a Tier 1 City like Beijing. Understanding how to win with Shoppers in China despite this diverse retail landscape, is therefore critical.

Shopper marketing has never been more complex. Factoring for both bricks and clicks in an era where consumers are in control leave marketers with more questions than answers. At Rockfish we marry digital diagnostic tools with traditional shopper marketing methods to deliver customer journeys that matter.

It’s like cooking a recipe. But it’s not enough just to pick the ingredients or know the proportions of each. It takes judgment, using equal parts art and science. Two different people, making the exact same recipe, can end up with wildly different results—soufflé or scrambled eggs.

It is a new landscape and a dynamic marketplace with opportunity abound. Brands and retailers who modify their promotional strategies and align their budgets to include emerging technologies and mediums will stay ahead of the game. Those organizations that stand by and idly look on will be left to play catch-up in later years.

Dreaming, exploring, locating are all shopper mind states. At FITCH we‘re constantly exploring the dynamics of these wants and needs. We seek to understand how they influence the store experience—online or offline— and can differentiate in a way that leads to improved sales and brand loyalty.

G2 Promotions Italia, with its extensive experience in Italian promotional communications, finds the best triggers at POS to involve the consumer, with Brand Commitment being the final objective. Therefore, the consumer is encouraged to get to know and test the brand so as to create a loyal brand commitment for the next purchase.

At FITCH we approach shopper marketing as a vital component in the wider shopping journey from initial engagement between a customer and a brand, product or service through to purchase and beyond. The role of shopper marketing is one that needs to continue to evolve against a backdrop of exciting and meaningful changes in customer behavior.

Mobile is now an essential shopper marketing and retail activation touchpoint. It is clear from our research that shoppers are using mobile sites, apps and utilities to assist in their purchase decisions and as a result, we see a huge opportunity in using mobile technology to both activate sales and then build longer term customer loyalty.

Technology has changed the way consumers interact with brands and that has impacted consumers’ power within the relationship. To be truly successful in this new environment, we need to listen to our consumers more than we talk to ultimately deliver the value they need.

Our laser focus [at OgilvyAction] on both Shopper Marketing and Experiential Marketing is really delivering for our clients .

The digital shopper is about utility and immediacy and for the agency creating solutions for them it is about accountability and willingness to experiment and be wrong. We must be partners with shoppers, listen to their feedback and build things that are social media worthy to begin with, and provide solutions that you want yourself.

At FITCH, we approach shopper marketing as a fundamental component of the journey from initial engagement between a customer and a brand, product or service to purchase and beyond. As the world changes so must shopper marketing, and our mantra of BOLD THINKING seeks to explore the boundaries of this change in with our clients and their customers.

I am passionate about the need for creating "end to end" marketing programs for brands. I am energized by clients who take a more integrated view of their consumer, shopper and retailer growth strategies and who are focused on using this view of the world as a foundation to drive marketing communication planning.

As a former Walmart buyer across multiple departments I have seen the shoppers need for clear communication that helps them make an educated purchase decision. Concise messaging that actually provides value to the shopper is key to moving from purchase consideration to actual purchase.

There is no dark magic to shopper insights. But many brands today spend millions at the point of purchase without first understanding the needs, motivations and behavior of their shoppers. Technology will revolutionize the way brands and retailers communicate with shoppers, which will only increase the need for a proper understanding of shoppers.

The customer is a consumer as well – yours. Unfortunately, it’s easy to focus on standard “get the display” or “sell it in to sales” tactics without remembering that there’s a human being on the other end of that pitch that’s as interested in ideas as the next guy.

Success with category-level solutions can be achieved when manufacturers and Shopper Marketing agencies collaborate with retailers in an effort to better understand and serve shopper needs. Category growth solutions using targeted, motivating communication helps our clients and their retail partners create incremental demand.

Walmart's efforts to "rollback" Project Impact aren't registering with shoppers. Attempts to decrease shoppers' reasons to go elsewhere (by bringing back SKUs) and stronger, more consistent value messaging are not producing the desired outcomes.

Reviews find that the chance of an acquisition increasing shareholder value is no better than a flip of the coin. A solid brand architecture plan can greatly improve these odds. The better defined the brand architecture strategy, the more likely a company will be to keep brand top of mind during the deal, value an acquisition appropriately.

Lots of shiny new things come across our desks on a seemingly daily basis and it’s easy to get excited about technology for technology’s sakes. Step back, let technology take a back seat and instead focus on consumers, on the relationships you want to create and the actions you want to drive.

New shopping strategies have emerged from economic uncertainty and are now here to stay - but its not simply behavioral change - shoppers now take pride in and enjoy being the 'smart shopper' like never before.

Ranked highly amongst the most salient brand comms channels, the shopper marketing experience engages retail customers and consumers on a 24/7 ‘on air’ journey. We apply a rich mix of media to attract consumers to store (3 miles +), engage in store, through tactical POS (30 feet) and convert to purchase with compelling packaging design (3 feet).

We have entered a new era of more considered consumption and shopping behavior. Shoppers are now more savvy and sophisticated than ever before. This shift was accelerated by the response to the economic crisis and continues to be facilitated by advances in media and technology.

Technology has changed the way shoppers make purchase decisions to such a degree that in-store marketing is now only one component of the Shopper Marketing mix. We are at the beginning of an exciting journey !

In terms of shopper marketing, (the) ‘battle for balance’ should be seen as a great opportunity for both brands and retailers. By forming relationships with shoppers that help facilitate their attempt to achieve balance, retailers as well as brands can develop trust and passion.

G2 has been at the forefront of pioneering shopper marketing in Asia for the past five years and it is encouraging that more clients are understanding the need for Shopper to be a key component within their communication plans.

Shopper marketing used to begin the moment a consumer stepped into a local store, but today's digital shopper requires Everywhere Shopper Marketing – connecting stores with consumers wherever they may be, whether that be through mobile, social commerce or other emerging technologies.

In order for a brand’s category leadership to keep hold, the brand must connect with the shopper. Marrying key attributes from both the brand’s target consumer and the customer’s shopper is the foundation for actionable and relevant communication which will give the consumer a reason to pause, consider and ultimately select.

In the digital age, shopper marketing is more than simply influencing what occurs at retail, it’s about achieving greater preference and selection of brands at key points of influence in the purchase decision journey.

The path-to-purchase is defined by the foundations that shape each and every day in which a shopper engages in their ongoing activities and habits. The future of shopper marketing is therefore entrenched where strategic planning and creativity connect, to be meaningful in the everyday lives of shoppers.

With consumer in control, the media world has now turned upside down; the Store, either on-line or made of bricks and mortar is the only place where shoppers are looking for a conversation about what their needs are.

Sure, you’ve got to ensure your product is inherently different in a way people care about before you go to market. But these days it’s only the starting point. No matter how different or interesting or beneficial your product may be in terms of its functionality, this is no longer good enough to get it on the leader board.

“Shoppers are not just looking for a DEAL, they are looking for IDEAL solutions and experiences crafted around them, and for them. Its about meeting my needs at the right time and right place. Retailers pay a major role here and collaboration with them is key to executing successful shopper marketing”

Today the power rests with the shopper and engaging them is the future engine of growth for brands.

As retailers’ clean store policy trends gain momentum, package design practitioners would be wise to gain a better understanding of Shopper Marketing fundamentals. By following a few basic principles, designers can ensure that their work speaks powerfully at the moment of truth when a retail shopper actively considers a purchase.

It is exciting to search ideas and strategies to join together what customers, shoppers and influencers have on their minds. Shopper marketing makes it even better as the search includes their hearts.