Package Design | packagedesignmag.com

(August 2009) posted on Mon Oct 12, 2009

By Matt Egan

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Ask any CPG pro and they'll tell you: Manufacturers have caught the Shopper Marketing fever—and many are retooling entire campaigns to take a more "shopper-centric" or "store-centric" approach. As a result, Shopper Marketing and its related disciplines have become a highly visible growth area in the marketing services arena.

But what exactly is Shopper Marketing? And…What brand touch points does it influence? Broadly speaking, Shopper Marketing refers to the use of shopper insights to influence human behavior at retail and achieve a disproportionate share of brand choice in-store. It can influence everything from merchandising and displays, to POS, retail media, promotion, and—yes—packaging.

Beyond traditional merchandising

Indeed, Shopper Marketing has challenged many long-held beliefs about brand management, and it is changing the way many manufacturers approach communications. For example, brand managers now commonly seek a deeper understanding of the specific needs and motivations of shoppers in-store in addition to more traditional consumer insights. Furthermore, brand managers are putting the store at the center of communications development, driving greater alignment between traditional and in-store communications.

Despite these changes, a surprisingly large proportion of packaging briefs are still "consumer in" and "brand out." That is, they are informed by broad consumer insights and the key brand equities that define a brand proposition. That's a problem. While these traditional inputs are key, more sophisticated marketers are seeking richer shopper and channel data to inform their packaging briefs. They know that 70% of purchase decisions are made in-store, and that to win at retail they need better understanding of the specific choice-drivers within the shopping environment.

As more marketers leverage shopper insights to inform their packaging, those who don't may be left out in the cold. And as more retailers adopt "clean store" policies, packaging may be the only in-store media available in certain channels. Let's face it, packaging is the primary in-store media vehicle. And it's a medium that's available and affordable to each and every brand.

As these 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.

Understand the shopper