First 100 days

Shopper marketing. It's just like consumer marketing, only for real decision-makers.

With 70% of decisions now made in-store and traditional 'push-media' increasing fragmented, attention is now turning to building conversation with shoppers, rather than end-consumers of products.

The previous assumption of marketing was that you created products for the person who actually used your product and hoped they would use their 'pester-power' to influence whoever did the shopping.

Today's assumption is that you should talk directly to the shopper, which means the store itself has become the most important medium.

OxfordSM research this trend with Europe's leading marketers, and discovered that 'shopper marketing' will outgrow even digital marketing in the next 3-5 years. If getting a grip on shopper marketing isn't in your 100 day plan...it probably should be.

You can read the Shopper Marketing report HERE.

Posted by Editor at 11:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Clearly, marketers, like many others, increasingly make their job selections based on social and ethical values. They’re dealing with customers, many of whom are now concerned about the operating values of the parent company ‘behind the brand’. An even larger consumer segment care about the social, ethical and environmental impact of the brands they buy. So, it’s interesting to see Ethical corporation’s is making the link between the ‘First 100 Days’ theme and social responsibility. Writer Mallen Baker applies the lessons of the research to the newly ensconced CEO. He points out that it’s critical for CEOs to demonstrate quickly they are committed to corporate responsibility and are working towards a ‘truly embedded values culture’. The same applies to the newly arrived marketing director…he must seek to understand the values of the organisation and build a clear values driven culture. Mallen also calls on newly appointed managers to assess social, ethical and environmental factors as part of their 100 Day risk assessment plan. His comments raise an interesting challenge for marketers. How to incorporate issues of social responsibility within their pre-plan? And how to make build a marketing strategy which respects the values of customers and a wider society?

Posted by Editor at 2:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Communities and Corporations....a clash of cultures? or an opportunity for social software?

In OxfordSM's training work with major corporations, we constantly grapple with ways to optimise the sharing of marketing insight and best practice around fragmented marketing functions.

However, even more critical is the way that marketing culture spreads into other functions.

And more critical still is the way that market-led behaviours are institutionalised within front-line encounters and back office relationships.

At least part of the answer lies in an open-source approach...as highlighted in this Economist piece.

However, bringing open-source thinking into marketing demands a radical culture shift, from one that sees customers and colleagues as static knowledge-repositories, to one which sees them as dynamic collaborators.

The question is...can marketing communities actually ever perform a decision-making role within a corporate environment? or must they play the role of agent provocateur...?

Posted by Editor at 10:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

David Cameron is close to finishing his First 100 Days as leader of the Conservative Party. Media coverage and many opinion polls have been favourable. He seems to be leading a fundamental realignment of the Party to meet the needs of consumers previously alientated.

But, from a marketing perspective, how succesful has he really been? Send us your views.

Posted by Editor at 5:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)