MARKET WATCH
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Special Interest Groups to Support NFC Market Implementations
The NFC Forum, a non-profit industry association that advances the use of Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, has created Special Interest Groups (SIGs) that will bring together leaders from the areas of Consumer Electronics, Health Care, Payment, Retail, and Transport to collaborate on NFC solution implementation, interoperability, best practices, and future requirements.
By fostering the direct, concerted interaction of NFC stakeholders in key vertical markets, use cases, and technology segments, the SIGs will enable the NFC Forum to take a more active role in driving NFC solutions development, deployment, and adoption.
The new SIGs build on the NFC Forum’s progress to date and reflect the growing momentum behind NFC. Analysts estimate that more than 100 million NFC-enabled phones were sold in 2012 and close to 300 million will be shipped in 2013.
Inmar Reaches out to Independent Retailers
Inmar, an operator of intelligent commerce networks, has chosen reach│influence to market Inmar’s digital promotion solutions to independent grocers. Based in Troy, Michigan, reach│influence will be the exclusive provider of Inmar's cloud e-wallet program for paperless coupons to the independent retail grocery channel where ownership is 50 locations or less.
Inmar's cloud e-wallet program for paperless coupons is one of the many solutions delivered through its industry-leading real-time relationship platform. Inmar’s real-time relationship platform is cloud-based — offering maximum flexibility and security with no incremental capital expenditures.
In choosing reach│influence as its channel partner, Inmar placed particular importance on the group’s in-depth understanding of technology and its influence on shopper behavior. Other factors were the group’s experience in employing data to effectively inform promotion strategy and their success with engaging grocery retailers in developing and/or enhancing shopper loyalty programs.
“We’ve found just the team we need to help us further accelerate growth of the Inmar Promotion Network,” said Inmar CEO David Mounts. “We believe their command of the digital promotion ecosystem - combined with their insight into the marketing function of the independent grocery channel - will be invaluable as we work to add retailers to our Promotion Network that already comprises more than 14,000 digitally enabled retail rooftops.”
Dassault Systèmes Launches Solution for ‘Perfect Package’
A new solution for consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies from Dassault Systèmes aims to transform the way marketers can design packaging for their consumers. Called Perfect Package, the solution is designed to help integrate the highly fragmented package design process across the entire supply chain to enable winning package designs and faster time to market.
The company said the package development process has traditionally been a serial development process plagued by multiple rounds of rework, resulting in sub-optimal designs. The “Perfect Package” solution experience turns it into a synchronized package design process from end to end, integrating internal and external organizations to create breakthrough packaging in record time. Brand manufacturers, design agencies, packaging suppliers and artwork studios collaborate together to virtually create, visualize and validate innovative designs, allowing for rapid packaging iterations and decision taking.
The solution significantly reinforces innovation, shortens package design cycles, lowers materials costs and virtually eliminates the chance for costly packaging-related recalls by creating tighter integration and control of artwork development and copy management. “Perfect Package” also drives packaging reuse. Instead of redesigning new packages for every product initiative, CPG companies can repurpose and modify existing designs, saving time and increasing package sustainability and delivering more value through a desired consumer experience.
For more information, visit http://www.3ds.com/solutions/consumer-packaged-goods-retail/overview/.
GSK Consumer Health Care to Become Duke-Ipsos Board Member
GSK Consumer Health Care has joined the Duke-Ipsos Research Center as a Board Member. GSK, a provider of oral health, nutritional, wellness and skin health products, becomes the ninth member company on the board of the shopper think tank and collaboration between CPG/OTC manufacturers, academics and retailers.
Jointly led by Ipsos, a provider of retail and shopper insights research, and Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business , the center now consists of nine premier consumer packaged goods (CPG) and over the counter (OTC) manufacturers, as well as Retail Board Advisors.
The purpose of the center is to advance the knowledge of participating members through a better understanding of the decision theory associated with creating demand generation through the shopping experience. The center also provides a critical link between business and academia, sponsoring over 20 research projects per year, aimed at advancing the state of the art in shopper research.
While board members consist of CPG/OTC companies, Retail Board Advisors largely consist of retailers that guide the board on their research plans and share in the learning from the Duke-Ipsos Center’s research projects. Participating retailers will also provide access to their stores for research testing.
Safeway Debuts Gas Rewards Program
Safeway has rolled out a gas rewards program with ExxonMobil in the Mid-Atlantic.
Grocery shoppers can earn points for most items at Safeway stores and redeem the points at participating Exxon and Mobil stations.
For every 100 points earned, Shoppers earn a discount of 10 cents per gallon at Exxon or Mobil stations for every 100 points they accumulate. They merely swipe a club card or enter a phone number before fueling up.
“By teaming up with ExxonMobil, we’re able to thank our customers with a loyalty program that makes two frequent and critical purchases lead to real savings,” said Mir Aamir, Safeway’s president of customer loyalty statement.
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