MARKET WATCH
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Catalina Expands to C-Stores
Marketers and retailers looking to deliver promotions and brand-building efforts to convenience store shoppers have a new vehicle. Catalina Marketing Services is expanding its nationwide point-of-sale (POS) media network into C-stores, following a successful pilot program with technology partner, Outsite Networks. The network is a targeted consumer communication system, currently located at checkout in more than 26,000 retail grocery, drug and mass outlets throughout the U.S.
Catalina has been piloting C-store brand-building programs over the past year in nearly 500 stores using a system that was specially designed for the channel. It features a consumer-facing printer that can rapidly issue relevant promotional messages and coupon offers directly to consumers based on their individual purchase behavior.
Catalina officials say consumers have proven to be highly responsive to relevant marketing programs in C-store nnel. Brands have been achieving exceptional results in generating trial for new products and volume growth for established ones. Retailers are seeing increased trips and sales driven by the promotion programs sourced and designed by Catalina’s team of brand consultants. In a channel with relatively few promotion vehicles, the Catalina Network offers a significant new marketing opportunity, says Ed Kuehnle, president of Catalina Marketing Services.
Online Ads Lift In-Store Brand Sales
Exposure to online display advertising can lead to improved in-store sales for CPG brands, say multiple studies from comScore and dunnhumbyUSA. Retail sales were measured by analytically linking the permission-based comScore panel of one million U.S. Internet users to their anonymous loyalty card in-store purchase data provided by dunnhumbyUSA; no identifiable personal data was disclosed. By comparing the in-store brand buying of households exposed to online advertising with that of households not exposed, it was possible to determine the impact of online advertising campaigns.
“Effective advertising has always been about increasing awareness, favorability and purchase intent in order to increase in-store conversion,” said comScore Chairman Gian Fulgoni. “It’s now clear that online ad campaigns should be an integral part of any CPG marketer’s integrated communications strategy.”
Matthew Keylock, Senior Vice President, New Business Development & Partnerships at dunnhumbyUSA, added, “The research highlights the potential impact of an integrated, customer-driven approach across channels. With these results we are one step closer to a more comprehensive understanding of what motivates shoppers to buy and how online advertising can play a significant role along the path to purchase.”
An analysis of multiple CPG online ad campaigns that involved comparing the offline buying of households exposed to advertising with the buying behavior of households who were not exposed revealed a median in-store sales lift of 21% among the exposed households, with five out of every six campaigns generating a positive sales lift. About 70% of campaigns generated a double-digit sales lift, and more than 40% generated lifts of at least 30%.
Mobile Retail Websites Shine
Consumers increasingly turn to mobile retail websites as they shop to find products, special offers and competitive prices, says a new survey. As such, they have emerged as an indispensible in-store tool for consumers as they shop, according to a new survey conducted by Hipcricket, an Augme Technologies company.
The fourth annual Hipcricket Mobile Marketing Survey revealed that consumers—particularly smartphone owners—are turning to mobile retail sites as a critical tool for locating the products they want, searching for coupons and special discounts, and comparing prices at competitors’ stores. Sixty-three percent of smartphone users have visited a retailer’s website from their mobile device — up from 53% in 2010—and 41% percent have done so while in the retail store. Of interest, 50% have checked a competitor’s mobile website while in another store.
While mobile retail sites have historically served as “brochures,” lightweight versions of retailers’ full websites that provide limited information such as store locations, directions and hours, today’s mobile-specific retail sites are now providing more significant benefits to consumers as they move along their path-to-purchase.
The survey found that smartphone owners are visiting mobile retail sites to:
- Research prices (46%)
- Research for coupons and offers (36%)
- Research products (28%)
- Purchase products (13%).
Campbell’s Expands eLabels Program
The electronic school rewards program operated by Campbell Soup has added two grocery companies: Giant Eagle and Supervalu.
E-Labels for Education awards points for qualifying product purchases. Points can be redeemed for school products such as books, sports gear and music instruments. To take part, consumers key in their loyalty card number and school at elabelsforeducation.com. The school automatically receives points every time a participating item is bought.
Campbell products in the program include soups, Prego sauces and V8 juices. Other retailers in the promotion include Kroger, Safeway, Price Shopper and ShopRite.
‘My Local Walmart’ Now on Facebook
Walmart listens to its Facebook friends - all 9 million of them. In response their request for more local focus from the world’s largest retailer, Walmart is launching Facebook pages for each of its more than 3,500 stores. The “My Local Walmart” app will provide locally-relevant information on everything from new electronics to hot Rollbacks, as well as continue to illustrate the brand’s commitment to creating a deeper relationship with people in the communities it serves.
As technology continues to shape the retail experience, the “My Local Walmart” Facebook application now allows shoppers to use social media to track exactly what’s in their Walmart U.S. stores and when, including:
- New Products: from the latest LED-TV to organic dog food, customers can now get updates on products available in their local Walmart.
- Rollbacks: fans will be notified of additional savings on already everyday low prices for items ranging from popular hair care products to favorite cereals.
- In-Store Events: information will be shared for family-friendly events and product demonstrations. For example, in the next few weeks, customers planning their holiday shopping for one of the busiest shopping days of the season - the day-after-Thanksgiving - will be able to print their store map via the “My Local Walmart” application.
Stephen Quinn, executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Walmart U.S., said, “Our innovative approach with Facebook allows us to bridge the gap between local and social, giving millions of customers the personalized shopping experience they expect from Walmart.”
Price Chopper Ramps Up Digital Marketing
By leveraging technology from software developer Mercatus USA, Price Chopper Supermarkets aims to use improved digital marketing to gain a competitive advantage, boost brand equity, and improve financial performance.
“We believe that the Mercatus Smart Shopping Technology can help us communicate and connect more meaningfully with our customers on a variety of levels and ultimately, to contribute to the growth of our overall business,” said Russell Zwanka, Senior Vice President Sales, Merchandising and Marketing for the progressive 128-store chain.
Rewards Kick in at Giant Eagle
Customers at Giant Eagle supermarkets will be able to get rewarded for buying specific brands thanks to a location-based mobile shopping application from Shopkick. Shoppers can use the app’s Kickbuys technology at any of the chain’s 228 stores. They can collect thousands of “kicks” by buying featured products from many of the world’s leading brands.
“Shopkickss location-based shopping app is a valuable addition to our growing array of mobile customer offerings, led by our Giant Eagle app and e-offers digital coupon program,” Giant Eagle spokesman
Rob Borella said.
Adaptability Is Key for Social Media Success
The ability to react and adapt quickly to change is ranked as the most important factor for succeeding in today's social media environment, according to a new survey from Booz & Company and Buddy Media Research.
Among surveyed Fortune 500 marketers, 94% cite the ability to adapt quickly to change as the most critical enabler of social media success, followed by having an in-house social media champion (93%), clearly communicated executive support (90%), a solid education on social media (90%), and a culture of experimentation (88%).
Applying an integrated approach to social marketing (86%) ranks sixth among success enablers, followed by the training staff which is unaccustomed to social media (83%), a strong PR capability (80%), unique content that's exclusive to audiences on various platforms (79%), and the ability to coordinate multiple service providers (62%).
Budgets and staffing rank lower among leading marketers: 53% cite having a dedicated social media budget as a key enabler of success, while 50% say having a senior-level company-wide head of social media is critical.
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