Shopper Marketing Executives: 3 Ways to Gain Attention in an Increasingly Distracted World

As shopper marketing executives, you know the importance of getting the shopper’s attention and how new technology is making this more difficult. As a graduate student at Northwestern University in Medill’s Integrated Marketing Communications program who has learned from experts at Arc Worldwide, I have found articles which address the issue of how shopper marketers need to implement strategies that get noticed.

In, “5 Trends That Are Radically Reshaping Shopper Marketing,” T.L. Stanley writes about how most shoppers prefer to buy from physical stores, rather than buying online. Shoppers want to touch and feel before they purchase. Additionally, virtual reality, beacons, and other new technologies are joining the shopper marketing realm in order to enhance the shoppers’ experience. Stanley emphasizes a personal approach to shopper marketing, and that it isn’t just about the standard display anymore. If it doesn’t capture the shopper’s attention, it isn’t relevant.

            

                Source: Gartner

           

            Jonathan Dodd shares tips for shopper marketers in “10 Ways Shopper Marketing Can Help Improve Sales in a Tough Economy,” on how to improve their sales in today’s evolving market. He stresses that “consumers use, shoppers buy,” and that shopper marketing focuses on the active behaviors in the purchase decision journey. In addition, Dodd recommends keeping the message simple, otherwise shoppers will default to price. Also, he recommends shopper marketers should constantly evaluate and remain flexible when it comes to their campaigns.

           

Based on my review of these two articles, and my relevant studies in the Medill IMC program at Northwestern, I have developed 3 action-items you should regard for the future, they are:

• ·      No Attention, No Sale—If it doesn’t grab and keep the shopper’s attention, it won’t work.
• ·      High-Touch = High-Engagement—It’s important to engage the community by being interactive.
• ·      It’s Their Journey—It is important to remember that it’s about the shopper’s purchase journey, their active behaviors, and to look beyond the traditional “push” campaigns.

 Next time you’re creating a new shopper marketing campaign, remember these 3 action-items, and you’ll have more and greater successes.

 

Mary C. Fox

I am a Northwestern University graduate student studying Integrated Marketing Communications, graduating in August 2017, and I am interested in specializing in Brand Strategy and Strategic Communications. You can follow me on Twitter at @MCatFox or on LinkedIn.

            

Business Owners: Increase Profits using Hyperlocal Technology

As a business owner, I'm sure that you've come to find that new technology and e-commerce is making it difficult for you to keep up. As a graduate student in Integrated Marketing Communications at Northwestern University, I have focused my research on tech marketing and have found two articles which will give you insights into how to use hyperlocal technologies to grow your business.

          

According to "How Hyperlocal Tech Is Reviving Brick-and-Mortar Sales" by Allan Haims of Street Fight Magazine, hyperlocal technology is revitalizing physical retail locations. He suggests that the ubiquity of smartphone use has opened the door to direct digital marketing. Haims also discusses the various  ways in which new marketing technologies are affecting the hyperlocal retail market. First, he talks about the ability to monitor in-store traffic patterns to improve the store and sales and mentions the expanded use of different payment types that allow brands to be more connected with the consumer. Second, Haims touches on beacon technology and the use of social media to target customers with discount deals. Lastly, he calls on retailers to improve the efficiency of their inventories using new marketing technologies.

The second article, titled "Apple Watch will support hyper-local ads urging users to flash the cash", by John McCarthy of The Drum, surrounds the highly-anticipated release of the Apple iWatch and its tie-in with Hyperlocal Technology. McCarthy is reporting that the upcoming Apple iWatch will have the ability to receive ads pushed to it, hyperlocally, from nearby stores. Also, the fact that the smartwatch will be Apple Pay compatible means that these ads will be able to be redeemed and paid for just by touching your watch. The rest of the article is comprised of quotes regarding the potential magnitude of the Apple iWatch.

                

Based on my insight gained from Northwestern's IMC program and the information from these two articles, there are three actionable tactics that I recommend you as a marketer should do:

• Invest Hyperlocally. Start to consider options for investing in hyperlocal beacon technology. If you fail to get ahead of the trend, your competitors will leave you in their digital dust.

• Accept Digital Currency. Create the ability to use Apply Pay and Google Wallet in your retailer locations so that customers’ purchases are as simple as touching their wrists.

• Prep your Team. Develop hyperlocal campaigns and financial strategies that would be most profitable and implement these campaigns/strategies using beacon technology.

As a marketing executive, it is crucial that you stay abreast of technologies like hyperlocal and beacon technologies that have the potential to be the “next big thing” in marketing tech. Follow these three steps in order to stay ahead of the curve and eclipse your competitors.

Brandon Duran, originally from Los Angeles, CA, is
pursuing a Master’s in Integrated Marketing
Communications from Northwestern University’s Medill.
Currently on the Brandy Strategy and Data Analytics
specialization tracks, Brandon is interested in using data
analytics to improve the equity of brands in the tech industry.

Connect with Brandon on Twitter and LinkedIn.