The Life Stage Marketing Summit Full Program and Early Bird Savings!

Understand and maximize your customer lifetime value by knowing your customers better than anyone else, anticipating their needs and satisfying them first.

Knowing your customers inside and out is the key to innovation. These days, we're operating in a transparent "real time" world with abundant choice and increasing customer power. Identifying and focusing on core segments is critical. Understanding needs and behaviors and translating those insights into new business opportunities becomes the real foundation for achieving growth.
Are you ready to put 2009 to rest and focus on real growth in 2010?

Attend The Life Stage Marketing Summit
Exploring the intersection of life style and life stage marketing strategies allows you to deeply understand your customer segments beyond demographics. The key to achieving customer relevance means knowing your best customers even better so you can deliver on their current and future needs while identifying new high priority segments for new growth.

Event: http://bit.ly/509XjY
Brochure: http://bit.ly/6a0Lq0
Register Today: http://bit.ly/5zOvfP


Why Life Stage Marketing 2010 is a must attend:
· Learn from the best... Practitioner speakers share real life actionable case studies on Innovation, Trends, Segmentation, Market Research and Marketing and Loyalty-
· The IIR Motto: NO COMMERCIALISM from the platform
· Featured topics include: Behavioral Economics, Applying Key Information into Actionable Strategies, Anticipating the Future, Leveraging WOM, The Power of Experience Design, Driving Brand Relevance and Growth across Multiple Categories...
· Segments covered include: Millenials (Echo Boomers), Boomers, Gen X, Hispanic and Latin Americans
· NEW 360 Degree Trends Panel and Multiple Interactive Real Time Exercises

Delve Deeper...
· ALL Day Symposia Dedicated to Social Media & Technology

· ALL DAY Ethnographic Workshop: Using Ethnography as a Tool for Identifying Opportunities and Building Customer-Relevant Strategies at the Intersection of Lifestyle and Life Stage

· NOW CO-LOCATED with The Youth & Family Marketing Mega Event! The destination for those looking to deeply connect with all segments of the contemporary family to drive innovation, make smarter decisions and ultimately create what's next first, before your competitors.

Green Fashion Goes Mainstream

This recent post on retailwire discusses how many years ago consumers did not believe that eco-friendly fashions were all that stylish, but to the contrary in today's age the opposite is actually true. More and more shoppers are wearing green and clothes made with organic fibers.

Zem Joaquin, founder of ecofabulous.com, mentions "Four years ago, there was very little in the mainstream. Now there are clothing stores devoted solely to environmentally conscious designs like Eco Citizen ... and eco-couture being sold at Barneys New York. Pact showed a beautiful example of organic underwear on the runway. It used to be hard to find, and when you did, it was saggy and unattractive."

Fashion designers are now re-thinking what materials to use in their clothes now that consumers have the environment in mind.

Kimberly-Clark CEO: People Want Value, Innovation

ABC News and the Associated Press report that Kimberly-Clark Corp. CEO Thomas Falk did things most executives ran from during the recession: He plunged money into innovation and marketing, and raised prices. But just as Falk went against traditional means of running a large corporation during a recession, ABC reports that Falk's paid off.

Part of Falk's success lies in how he conveyed value to shoppers:

Q. You said that a lot of consumers are focusing on value right now. How do you convey the message of value to them?

A. I was in the Philippines not long ago, where we do some advertising to consumers on how a Huggies diaper would last 10 hours. A mom who was buying a very low-tier diaper in a market like that would know that a private-label or a low-tier brand wouldn’t last 10 hours. You communicate it that way as a perception of value.

If you look at marketers around the world across all categories, you see more marketing dialing up value messaging. We are all trying to communicate to the consumer that we are a good value relative to their other alternatives.

For more of Falk's interview, please click here.

Designers Working with Fur for a Righteous Cause

Fashion fur has not been big in the US for a several reasons, but with the nutria (a large rodent) quickly decimating the natural habitat of Louisiana's and Maryland's Eastern shore this might be a reason for fur to take off in the running.

This article in retailwire highlights how the quick reproducing species has put a strain in the marshlands of these states and how Cree McCree, founder of an organization called Righteous Fur, recently ran a show putting up products that were made from nutria on display. Will we see other designers using nutria for their products and how will consumers react to this once they see the big picture?

Shopper Marketing is a Supply Chain Partner's Next Marketing Frontier

Industry Week reports that seventy-three percent of consumer product goods manufacturers and 86% of retailers rank shopper marketing as the number one activity that delivers meaningful return on investment.

"Shopper marketing is the hottest issue in retail and consumer package goods," said UT Shopper Market Forum organizer Dan Flint, UT's Proffitt's Inc. Associate Professor of Marketing.

Learn more: Shopper Marketing is a Supply Chain Partner's Next Marketing Frontier

Mark your calendars:

Shopper Insights in Action
July 11-14, 2010 • Marriott Chicago Magnificent Mile • Chicago

Are you engaging your Customers as Partners in the Package Design Process?

What motivates purchase behavior? From the first moment of truth through engagement towards loyalty, creating a brand relationship begins and often ends with the package itself. In a world of abundance, get the message right.

PROOF: Market Research for Packaging Design is back!

April 14-15, 2010
Trump International Hotel & Tower
Chicago, IL

Event: http://bit.ly/505okF
Brochure: http://bit.ly/82zay9
Registration: http://bit.ly/8IocS2

This April, join the leading minds in brand, research and design and arm yourself with the strategies, insights and tools you need to "lead the way" and stay ahead of the competition in 2010.

What's New for PROOF in 2010:

Keynote Jim Stengel, Retired Global Marketing Officer, Procter & Gamble shares his experience with Applied Leadership, Amazing Results

Featured session by Coca-Cola, "Busting the Burst" Optimizing On-Pack Promotional Messaging Brand"

Industry leading corporate practitioners sharing case study presentations, including: Kimberly-Clark, Sherwin Williams, HP, DuPont and more.
Presentation of the 1st Annual Packaging Awards brought to you by The Dieline and FUSE

More interactive networking sessions than ever before enabling you to meet your fellow PROOF attendees. Plus shared cocktail receptions with FUSE allows you to network with hundreds of design and branding experts and visionaries.

Join us!

1-800Flowers reminds users of their abandoned carts

In an article recently published at Internet Retailer, they share how 1-800 Flowers successfully reminds shoppers of unpurchased items in their online carts. The open rate of the email reminding them that there are still unpurchased items in their boxes is 5 times higher than regular marketing emails. On the downside, the opt-out rate is significantly higher than on regular marketing emails. To find out more about 1800Flower's online customers, read the article here.

A&P to Adjust Pricing Strategy

The Wall Street Journal reports that Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co., which owns A&P and Pathmark grocery chain is working with shareowner Yucaipa Cos. to develop new marketing strategies to lure tight-fisted consumers. Christian Haub, the executive chairman and interim chief executive said that A&P is discontinuing several marketing programs and reinvesting those funds into lowering shelf prices on everyday foods. New advertisements also will focus on those lower-priced shelf items.

Sales at the supermarkets have fallen by a reported %5.8 percent as the grocery chain has not had success and connecting with customers.

Learn more: Supermarket chain A&P to shift its pricing strategy

Key Growth Drivers as Identified by Tesco CEO

Chief Executive of Tesco PLC, Sir Terry Leahy, recently identified six drivers for growth coming out of a recession. With global economies still in the picture this will be crucial in reaching consumers. Here are the drivers as posted by this article in retailwire. Enjoy!

Trust: Consumers will begin to shift to organizations that they trust during difficult times. Companies that show consumers that they are genuinely interested in doing better things will gain long term loyalty.

Information: Businesses must become transparent and hold nothing back from consumers.

Health: Products that focus on fitness, cosmetics, and fashion fulfill the need that consumers have of looking great and feeling great forever.

Convenience: Convenience stores like 7-11 and Tesco have thrived with more and more people having time constraints on a daily basis.

Simplicity: Consumers do not need 1,000 products but answers and solutions to the problems in their lives.

Climate change: Businesses must be able to adapt to changing times and different consumer needs as time goes by.

Sam's Club to Sell Private Label Vodka

The popular bulk retailer, Sam's Club will soon debut its own brand of premium vodka. The New York Times reports that the wholesaler will sell their vodka to approximately one third of its stores. The vodka, named Rue 33 is coming to the shelves, to join private-label wines and beers that the chain already sells.

Learn more: Sam’s Club Adds a Private-Label Vodka

What do you think about the move by Sam's Club to add more spirits to its private label offerings? Will other wholesalers do the same?

Warner Brothers and Netflix partner to delay DVD releases

According to The Street, Netflix and Warner Brothers have come to an agreement about the release of DVDs. Netflix will now release new releases 28 days after they've hit store shelves.

According to Ted Sarandos, Netflix's chief content officer, "We're able to help an important business partner meet its objectives while improving service levels for our members by acquiring substantially more units than in the past after a relatively short sell-through window. At the same time, we're able to extend the range of choices available to be streamed to our members."

How do you think the Netflix customers react to this? While it will help boost in-store selling of DVDs, will Netflix customer retaliate and drop the service? How many other major motion picture companies will follow through with the same thing?

Target Bulk Promotion Competes with Warehouse Clubs

According to this article in retailwire, Target will be giving consumers all the benefits of bulk deals found at stores like Costco and BJ's without the need for any membership fees that these warehouse clubs usually charge.

"The Great Save" event will run from January 3rd through February 21st and it will give consumers a treasure hunt experience on designer brands, and a way to stock up post holiday season. There will be "Great Save" location inside roughly 1,000 participating Target stores across the U.S. It will be interesting to see what other huge stores will follow suit.

Shopper outlook for 2010

With food sections of stores outperforming all others, forecasters at Nielson believe that consumers are going to continue to cook at home instead of eating out. Many other stores are also seeing benefits of frugal Americans: super centers, club stores and dollar stores.

Other highlights for the 2010 consumer forecast:

- Restraint remains the new normal
- Value is a top priority
- Store brand growth continues

- Grocery consolidation intensifies

- Assortment wars escalate.

Read the full article about Neilson's forecast for shoppers here.

Happy Holidays from Shopper 360

We're taking some much needed time off from our coverage of shopper marketing and private label to celebrate the season with our loved ones. We want to sincerely thank you for your readership, your comments and your participation.

Here are our top posts from 2009:

Walgreens making changes to be customer centric

*Updated* The Return to “Personal Selling” at Retail

*Updated* Keynote:A Fresh and Easy Place to Shop


We'll be back in January with more coverage.

We wish you Happy Holidays!

Hispanic Market Sees Value in Private Labels

Supermarket News reports that nearly three-quarters (73%) of Hispanics agree that “store brands are a great value for the money,” and 64% said “store brands are just as good as national and international brands.” The study also found that 73% of Hispanics are buying more private label foods this year and one in four plan to purchase private labels in 2010.

What do you think?

Learn more: Hispanic Market Sees Value in Private Labels

Popular Author Deals Directly with Amazon.com

This post in retailwire discusses how the high-popular author Stephen Covey has given Amazon.com the exclusive e-book rights to two of his most popular titles. Musical artists have long partnered with big retailers to help increase music downloads and sales of their units, but this is a first in electronic publishing.

Amazon.com has offered Stephen Covey a royalty rate double that he would normally receive through the publisher. Is this the new route for popular authors? Will we see less book publishers in the future?

Archived Recording Available: Do Consumers Prefer Private Label? A Look Into Consumer Attitudes About Private Label

What is the difference between name brands and store brands? Do consumers know? Do they care? How do they describe private label compared to name brands? Does this differ across categories? How about across markets?

Private label and store brands are having an impact on many consumer purchases today, both in the US and Europe. And within these markets the definition of private label compared to name brand varies according to category and retailer.

When is a name brand important? What makes a name brand different? Do consumers feel the same way about brands today as they did a year ago? Why or why not?

Showcasing BuzzBack’s unique portfolio of award-winning online research techniques, this webinar will highlight new consumer research conducted in the US and UK about purchasing behavior and attitudes associated with private label versus consumer name brands. The study will present ways to identify consumer behavior and attitudes about shopping via an online survey.

As you listen in, you will learn:
What drives consumer purchases of private label brands and why
Consumer perceptions and attitudes about private label compared to name brands
Types of people who purchase private label compared to store brands

Listen: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/781266785

Official Call for Presenters is Now Open for the 10th annual Shopper Insights in Action Conference

The Institute for International Research (IIR) is currently seeking corporate practitioner presenters for the 10th annual Shopper Insights in Action Conference.

Due to the high volume of submissions, we suggest you submit your proposal early and no later than January 5th, 2010 to Amanda Powers, Senior Conference Producer at apowers@iirusa.com or call 1-646-895-7332. (Only proposals from brand and retail corporate practitioners will be considered, for all other submissions please see sponsorship section below).

Shopper Insights in Action is recognized as the world's leading conference focused on understanding shopper behavior and translating insights into action.

This year's theme is The new 360 degree sphere of influence: physical. virtual. mindset.

It addresses the game-changing paradigm shift from influencing shoppers in-store to influencing them whenever, where ever they are in a shopper mindset.

2010 will be a true best practice and idea exchange for those responsible for activating purchasing behavior across the brand and retail continuums. It is the only unbiased shopper-rooted platform where practitioners can properly benchmark their research/marketing practices against the leading brand and retail companies.

2010 Main Themes:
You may choose a specific topic or suggest a topic that fits within one of the themes.

1. STORE DESIGN & THE EXPERIENCE

2. REVOLUTIONARY RESEARCH PRACTICES

3. BRAND IDENTITY & PRODUCT INNOVATION

4. PRIVATE LABEL INSIGHTS: MEETING CHALLENGES WITH OPPORTUNITY

5. NEW & NEXT PRACTICES

6. ACTIONING THE INSIGHTS

7. WHAT'S NOW, WHAT'S NEXT...in the retail landscape

8. Other

Speakers receive FREE admission to the conference as well as any pre-conference activity such as workshops or symposium.

What if I am not a corporate practitioner (from a client-side company) but still would like to participate?

More than 75% of our content will be delivered by corporate practitioners. If you are a consultant or solutions provider and wish to be a part of the program, please contact Jon Saxe, Senior Business Development Manager at jsaxe@iirusa.com or 646-895-7467. We will customize opportunities to fit your needs from speaking, branding, networking and/or exhibiting.

CALL FOR PRESENTERS:
For consideration, please e-mail apowers@iirusa.com with the following information by January 5th, 2010:
• Proposed speaker name(s), job title(s), and company name(s)
• Contact information including address, telephone and e-mail
• The main theme you plan to address
• Which format you'd like to present
• A brief summary (75 words max)
• Please indicate what is NEW about the presentation
• What the audience will gain or learn from your presentation (please list 3-5 deliverables)
• Previous conference presentations
• Short Bio (2-3 sentences) & Speaker Headshot

If you are a retail executive and interested in attending the event but can not commit to presenting, you may apply to be a "retail thought-leader”. Write to Amanda at apowers@iirusa.com with your interest.

Complimenary Webinar: Do Consumers Prefer Private Label? A Look Into Consumer Attitudes About Private Label

Wed, Dec 9, 2009

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM EST

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/781266785

Mention priority code MWS0020BLOG

Do consumers know the difference between national brands and store brands? Do they care? How do they describe private label compared to national brands? Does this differ across categories? How about across markets?

Private label and store brands are having an impact on many consumer purchases today, both in the US and Europe. And within these markets the definition of private label compared to national brands varies according to category and retailer.

When is a brand important? What makes a national brand different? Do consumers feel the same way about brands today as they did a year ago? Why or why not?

Showcasing BuzzBack’s unique portfolio of award-winning online research techniques, this webinar will highlight new consumer research conducted in the US and UK about purchasing behavior and attitudes associated with private label versus national consumer brands. The study will present ways to identify consumer behavior and attitudes about shopping via an online survey.

As you listen in, you will learn:

• What drives consumer purchases of private label brands and why
• Consumer perceptions and attitudes about private label compared to national brands
• Types of people who purchase private label compared to national brands

Featured Speaker
Brendan Light, SVP, Research and Development, BuzzBack Market Research

Register: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/781266785
Mention priority code MWS0020BLOG

Does your shopper marketing need to be re-evaluated?

In an interesting article at Inside Retailing, they look at the evolving customer and how you can reach them most efficiently when they enter your store. Shoppers need to be directly spoken to by your in-store advertising. This can result in more purchases. According to the article, 68% of buying decisions are made while the shopper is in the store.

Your strategy can be broken down into three stages:
-Developing a clear understanding of shopper behaviour and related insights
-Engaging the shopper in unique instore experiences
-Converting the shopper into a buyer

They also state that shopper marketing success relies on three things: the quality of your customer, your shopper insights and how well you integrate both of them. Read the full article here.

More Choices in Store: India's Retailers Are Stocking Up on Private Label Brands

The University of Pennsylvania's Marketing portal reports that India's retailers are filling their shelves with private label goods.

The report states,

In India, the growth of store brands is a function of increasing retail sophistication. Large-format, modern retail stores (known as the "organized" retail sector) -- as opposed to smaller, traditional "mom and pop" stand-alone stores -- are presently only a small portion of total retail in the country. A report by investment bank Northbridge Capital, titled "Indian Retail Research 2009," estimates the total Indian retail market at US$450 billion, growing more than 30% a year and expected to cross US$720 billion in 2011. Of this, organized retail accounts for just 14%, or US$63 billion -- although this sector is expected to grow 40% faster than the overall market to reach US$90 billion in 2010.

Learn more: More Choices in Store: India's Retailers Are Stocking Up on Private Label Brands

What do you think of the surge in private label goods by Indian retailers? What other factors may be causing this boom?

JCPenney Strikes a Deal with Mango

This recent post in retailwire discusses how JC Penney is striking up a deal with the fashion retailer Mango to setup a "store-within-the-store". This unique agreement will allow JCPenney to offer affordable contemporary fashion to women.

MNG, by Mango, which is an exclusive line for women aged 18-35 will also be sold at JCPenney beginning next fall. Enric Casi, Mango's CEO, mentions:

"Every time we bring Mango to a new international market, it has driven immediate, strong demand, and we have only begun to capitalize on the great desire for Mango in the U.S. JCPenney is the perfect match for us to take advantage of the opportunity we see for the MNG by Mango brand in this market."

Walmart Turns Trash Into Pizza Boxes

In an effort to reduce waste and to recycle their private brand pizza boxes, Walmart is utilizing a new way to reduce its footprint by recycling the cardboard waste collected in its stores into boxes for it’s private-label, take-and-bake pizza boxes, according to Earth911.com.

“We’ve totally and literally closed the loop using a retailer’s own boxes to go through a paper mill and then to make corrugated boxes out of those same things again,” said Myles Cohen, president of the recycling division for Pratt Industries, the company carrying out the new program. “Quite frankly, the program with Walmart that we’re partnering on is groundbreaking [...] It’s the future.”

Walmart estimates this measure alone will save 8,600 tons of waste from landfills. Additionally, it will reduce the need to consume the equivalent of 40 million gallons of water and 125,000 trees.

Walmart Turns Trash Into Pizza Boxes

Retailers Have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season

This post in retailwire highlights that retailers have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season. Economist feared a total economic collapse, and so far we have not yet seen that. They have been though entering this year's holiday season with a little more caution than they have in the previous years. What are some positives coming into the retail industry this year?

British Retailer, Marks & Spencer Hold Live Web Chat with Customers

Last Friday, British retailer, Marks & Spencer held a live web chat with their customers. According to Marketing, a number of people have complained the Advertising Standards Authority claiming that M&S' star-studded TV campaign is sexist, because of ‘Life on Mars' actor Philip Glenister's comment about model Noemie Lenoir "prancing about in her underwear."

This is the second live web-chat M&S has hosted on Facebook. In June customers put questions to M&S' head of sustainable business, Mike Barry, about the retailer's Plan A - M&S' 100-point eco-plan.

McIntosh said: ‘Facebook is a fantastic platform for communicating with our customers. It's direct, responsive and popular with almost 100,000 fans of the M&S facebook site.

‘We want to hear what customers think of our marketing; what we've done well, what we've done less well and what they want more of,' McIntosh said.

What do you think? Do you believe that this life Facebook will help the retailer?

Marks & Spencer marketer to hold live web-chat with customers via Facebook