MARKET WATCH
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VideoMining Announces VIP Members of its Advisory Board
VideoMining Corporation, a leading provider of in-store intelligence for shopper marketing, has announced new members of its advisory board. They include Thom Blischok, Chief Retail Strategist and Senior Executive Advisor, Booz & Company; Gordon Wade, one of the world’s leading marketing consultants; Lance C. Jacobs, most recently CEO of KSS Retail; and Eric Williams, most recently executive vice president and chief information officer for Catalina Marketing Corporation.
“Given the credentials, background and industry stature of these executives, we are delighted to have them join our advisory board,” said Tom Sullivan, president of VideoMining. “Their advice and insights will be invaluable to our growth.”
VideoMining currently has national syndicated programs in the grocery and convenience retail, with a panel of stores from over a dozen leading retailers. These panels employ VideoMining’s breakthrough in-store measurement and analytics technology to provide unprecedented visibility into the shopping process and impact of shopper marketing. There is a major initiative in grocery called Center Store MegaStudy that has already shown, for example, how shoppers react to displays and how they make decisions in-store in different categories.
Blischok has more than 40 years of experience in the retail and consumer packaged goods industries. Prior to joining Booz & Company, Blischok spent eight years at Symphony IRI Group as President of Retail as well as Global Strategy and Innovation. At IRI, he led the development of company’s value proposition for retail and manufacturer clients to deliver relevant and timely thought leadership to global markets in such areas as shopper centricity, new-wave collaboration, rewiring marketing and merchandising and increasing competitiveness at retail.
Wade has consulted for more than 75 major corporations in scores of categories around the globe. An alumnus of Procter and Gamble’s famed marketing department, he brings his clients strategic insights as well as a sophisticated perspective on evolving trends from shopper insights to marketing over mobile devices. In the early 1990’s, a company he founded, the Partnering Group, created the discipline of category management.
Jacobs is a business builder with experience at growing software company revenue, profits and shareholder value. He has spent his entire career in the retail and retail technology industries. He assumed leadership of KSS Retail in 2006 and led the company through consistent growth.
Williams was responsible for directing strategic technology, research and development, and new applications at Catalina. He also served as the company’s Chief Privacy Officer.
Williams led the development of Catalina’s multi-terabyte data warehouse, now one of the largest transaction-level databases in the world. He was instrumental in the development of the first “Internet-delivered” loyalty marketing solution for basket-level data management.
Trade Promotion Conference Set to Rock in Cleveland
Many manufacturers believe they are performing effective promotions, but are they maximizing their trade budget with these promotions? Executives can find out at the 2012 MEI User Conference May 14-16 at the Wyndham Hotel in Cleveland.
“TradeInsight: TPM That Rocks” is the theme of the event. Keynote speakers include Phil Lempert,
the well-known Supermarket Guru, and Dale Hagemeyer of Gartner, who will focus on why Trade Promotion Management still matters (now, more than ever) and why Trade Promotion Optimization should be on every manufacturer’s radar.
More info: www.tpmthatrocks.com.
Consumers ‘Engage in Exchange’ with Brands on Facebook
One of four Facebook users (24%) follow brands only when they get something in exchange, says new consumer research from Mintel. Indeed, it appears that consumer motivation for engaging with brands online lies heavily with being rewarded for the interaction.
However, nearly one in five (17%) of consumers overall claim that they are happy to supply personal information (e.g. age, address, interests) to companies so “they can serve me better”.
Cecilia Liao, Senior Technology Analyst at Mintel, said, “Our research reveals an interesting picture of consumers who will ‘engage in exchange’ with brands in the social media space. Brands who wish to use this medium may wish to think about the incentive they are giving consumers for doing so and brands should not assume that just because consumers are following them on social media they are engaged.”
Social Media Redefines Shoppers’ Relationship with Food
How Americans learn to cook, select recipes, plan their meals, purchase their food and share their culinary secrets with others has dramatically changed, says a new study.
Social/digital media is replacing Mom as the go-to culinary source of knowledge for many people. As such, personal relationships provide cues for food and beverage marketers, according to research from the The Hartman Group and Publicis consultants USA.
Study results show almost half of consumers learn about food via social networking sites, such as Twitter and Facebook, and 40% learn about food via websites, apps or blogs.
“Consumers used to rely on Mom and family traditions for meal planning, but now search online for what to cook, without ever tasting or smelling,” said Laurie Demeritt, president and COO at The Hartman Group. “Digital food selection is less of a sensory experience and more of a visual and rational process: What’s on the label? What’s in the recipe? Show me the picture!”
In the past, whereas consumers listened to the opinions of a few trusted resources — Mom and other family members — in deciding what to buy, cook or eat, modern consumers “crowdsource” the opinions of many before deciding what to buy.
Retailer Mobile Websites More Popular than Retail Apps
Smartphone owners are increasingly using their devices for shopping, from researching products and reviews, to comparing prices, finding retail locations, and redeeming coupons. And retailers are responding with mobile apps and websites designed to attract smartphone shoppers.
So, who’s winning so far? Nielsen’s detailed analysis of smartphone usage reveals that retail websites are more popular than retail apps, and that Amazon is the most popular retail mobile website of all. Nielsen’s metering of the smartphones of 5,000 U.S. volunteers participating in Nielsen’s mobile research shows that during the 2011 holiday season, the top retail apps and websites combined — Amazon, Best Buy, eBay, Target and Walmart — reached nearly 60% of smartphone owners.
“The majority of smartphone owners used their devices for shopping this past holiday season,” said John Burbank, President of Strategic Initiatives at Nielsen. “Mobile shopping has reached scale and is only going to grow as smartphone penetration continues to rise.”
Facebook Flash Sale for Clorox Green Works
Green Works, Clorox’s brand of “green” household cleaners, took part in the first-ever cleaning products flash sale, powered by the Alice.com Facebook storefront. The promotion gave consumers the opportunity to purchase a four-product bundle for only $10 - a savings value of more than 50%.
“As social media transforms and extends into every corner of our lives, we saw an opportunity to innovate the shopping experience for our Green Works consumers,” says Amy Hsiao, brand manager of Green Works cleaners. “This groundbreaking flash sale on Facebook is an exciting way for us to provide an exclusive deal to our fans.”
Click on the LinkedIn logo to join the new Shopper Technology Institute Discussion Group
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