CG Execs Meet to Share Sales & Marketing Insights
More than 225 consumer goods executives convened in New York City this week for the 2013 Consumer Goods Sales & Marketing Summit. In its 10th year, the event provided senior-level consumer goods executives with an intimate forum to network with peers, share ideas and experiences, and learn about important industry trends under the very relevant theme, "Datatopia: From Big Data to Meaningful Customer Dialogue." Hot topics included retail collaboration, brand penetration, social and mobile marketing, trade promotion optimization and more.
Here is a recap of the event's many highlights:
• During his entertaining and insightful opening keynote address (watch it here), New York Times bestselling author Gary Vaynerchuk examined the need for consumer goods (CG) companies to adapt in the Internet era, where the empowerment of the common consumer has created a fundamental shift in how businesses are expected to behave. With close to one million Twitter followers, Vaynerchuk is known as a true social media trailblazer, and was included in BusinessWeek's list of the top 20 people every entrepreneur should follow. "I love social media because it sells stuff," said Vaynerchuk. Key insights were shared around the battle for the end consumer's attention; the digital and social impact on shopper marketing; and the dismal realities of your company's future if it doesn't change. "You have to market like its 2013 instead of like it's 2003," he said. "Everyone in this room is grossly, grossly underestimating the Internet. It's only been 18 years since its creation, but it's the biggest cultural shift of our time."
• Next up, Former Global CIO and SVP of Business Services for the Colgate-Palmolive Company, Ed Toben, took the stage to define Big Data and explore how it is being leveraged to make a difference for leading CG manufacturers. He discussed how recent initiatives are different than those of the past and what new technology brings to the table. "It doesn't happen much, but when a new technology alters the fundamentals of business, you better pay attention because the benefits are huge," said Toben. "Does Big Data fit into this category? I think it does... if we're smart about it."
• Paramount Farm's social marketing strategies are designed to always create meaningful interactions with consumers and fans — 400K on Facebook by last count — and each interaction always ends with a direct call to action, which is the company’s social media “discipline". The company's Vice President of Marketing, Marc Seguin, shared insights learned from Wonderful Pistachios' highly-successful marketing campaign, Get Crackin', as well as the thinking behind its techniques for leveraging the social conversations. "One lesson in the digital and social space is that you have to give up some control and allow things to evolve organically in order to turn into something bigger," he said. Click here to read CGT's May cover story, featuring Marc Seguin. Click here to watch his presentation from the event in its entirety.
• In a lively panel discussion, high-level executives from Kellogg Company, Hallmark Cards Inc. and Johnson & Johnson (picture right) added real-world context to the findings of CGT and IDC Manufacturing Insight's annual Sales & Marketing Report. Topics debated included TPM, Downstream Data, Direct-to-Consumer Selling, Emerging Markets and more. Among the compelling findings disclosed: 72 percent of consumer goods companies are going direct to consumer.
• During one of the most popular sessions year after year, influential Wall Street analysts from Citi Investment Research divulged which companies are doing the best job of building profitable brands and partnerships within the consumer goods industry and touched upon the keys to their success. "Growth in the CPG market will come from a push into emerging markets," says Nathan Rich, Retailing/Broadlines; Food & Drug Chains Analyst for Citi Investment Research. "And in many ways, that means just being there."
• According to David Warschawski, brand clarity is the answer to succeeding in a digital age. "Marketing is not a function, it's not a department. It's a mindset," he said. "We want people to be mentally predisposed to choose our product or service and recommend it to others tine and time again." He then explored how leading companies, like Starbucks and Southwest, have built and stayed consistent with great branding. He then rewarded audience members for theatrically reading 15 commandments in the new media world, like "Thou shall not try to create the next viral video – the odds of favor being bestowed upon thee are exceedingly poor."
• Marie Hanson, SVP, Sales, Diamond Foods Inc., explained how a mid-tier company can play in big categories with the right trade strategy. With a full-blown trade promotion optimization (TPO) implementation that is not on top of a TPM application, Diamond Foods is making its trade funds work harder with tight parameters and retailer collaboration. Click here to read CGT's cover story on Diamond Foods TPO project.
• In a closing keynote address, titled "The Journey to WOW Marketing," Marc Riccio, Esq., SVP, New York Jets LLC, revealed how the football organization uses data touch points and social media to create a direct relationship with the consumer it didn't have before. "We're a big brand, but we're a relatively small to mid-sized business," said Riccio. With $0 allocated to marketing, this new relationship has allowed the Jets to create consistent messaging linking brand loyalty with brand value, while driving a better consumer experience.
For a more in-depth review of the 2013 Consumer Goods Sales & Marketing Summit, including exclusive speaker interviews, visit CGT's YouTube Channel. Or click here to access the event's twitter feed and see which presentations excited attendees the most.
Plus, check out the compelling agendas of CGT's two other industry events this year (follow the links below). We hope to see you there!
2013 Consumer Goods Growth & Innovation Forum
2013 Consumer Goods Business & Technology Leadership Conference
Here is a recap of the event's many highlights:
• During his entertaining and insightful opening keynote address (watch it here), New York Times bestselling author Gary Vaynerchuk examined the need for consumer goods (CG) companies to adapt in the Internet era, where the empowerment of the common consumer has created a fundamental shift in how businesses are expected to behave. With close to one million Twitter followers, Vaynerchuk is known as a true social media trailblazer, and was included in BusinessWeek's list of the top 20 people every entrepreneur should follow. "I love social media because it sells stuff," said Vaynerchuk. Key insights were shared around the battle for the end consumer's attention; the digital and social impact on shopper marketing; and the dismal realities of your company's future if it doesn't change. "You have to market like its 2013 instead of like it's 2003," he said. "Everyone in this room is grossly, grossly underestimating the Internet. It's only been 18 years since its creation, but it's the biggest cultural shift of our time."
• Next up, Former Global CIO and SVP of Business Services for the Colgate-Palmolive Company, Ed Toben, took the stage to define Big Data and explore how it is being leveraged to make a difference for leading CG manufacturers. He discussed how recent initiatives are different than those of the past and what new technology brings to the table. "It doesn't happen much, but when a new technology alters the fundamentals of business, you better pay attention because the benefits are huge," said Toben. "Does Big Data fit into this category? I think it does... if we're smart about it."
• Paramount Farm's social marketing strategies are designed to always create meaningful interactions with consumers and fans — 400K on Facebook by last count — and each interaction always ends with a direct call to action, which is the company’s social media “discipline". The company's Vice President of Marketing, Marc Seguin, shared insights learned from Wonderful Pistachios' highly-successful marketing campaign, Get Crackin', as well as the thinking behind its techniques for leveraging the social conversations. "One lesson in the digital and social space is that you have to give up some control and allow things to evolve organically in order to turn into something bigger," he said. Click here to read CGT's May cover story, featuring Marc Seguin. Click here to watch his presentation from the event in its entirety.
• In a lively panel discussion, high-level executives from Kellogg Company, Hallmark Cards Inc. and Johnson & Johnson (picture right) added real-world context to the findings of CGT and IDC Manufacturing Insight's annual Sales & Marketing Report. Topics debated included TPM, Downstream Data, Direct-to-Consumer Selling, Emerging Markets and more. Among the compelling findings disclosed: 72 percent of consumer goods companies are going direct to consumer.
• During one of the most popular sessions year after year, influential Wall Street analysts from Citi Investment Research divulged which companies are doing the best job of building profitable brands and partnerships within the consumer goods industry and touched upon the keys to their success. "Growth in the CPG market will come from a push into emerging markets," says Nathan Rich, Retailing/Broadlines; Food & Drug Chains Analyst for Citi Investment Research. "And in many ways, that means just being there."
• According to David Warschawski, brand clarity is the answer to succeeding in a digital age. "Marketing is not a function, it's not a department. It's a mindset," he said. "We want people to be mentally predisposed to choose our product or service and recommend it to others tine and time again." He then explored how leading companies, like Starbucks and Southwest, have built and stayed consistent with great branding. He then rewarded audience members for theatrically reading 15 commandments in the new media world, like "Thou shall not try to create the next viral video – the odds of favor being bestowed upon thee are exceedingly poor."
• Marie Hanson, SVP, Sales, Diamond Foods Inc., explained how a mid-tier company can play in big categories with the right trade strategy. With a full-blown trade promotion optimization (TPO) implementation that is not on top of a TPM application, Diamond Foods is making its trade funds work harder with tight parameters and retailer collaboration. Click here to read CGT's cover story on Diamond Foods TPO project.
• In a closing keynote address, titled "The Journey to WOW Marketing," Marc Riccio, Esq., SVP, New York Jets LLC, revealed how the football organization uses data touch points and social media to create a direct relationship with the consumer it didn't have before. "We're a big brand, but we're a relatively small to mid-sized business," said Riccio. With $0 allocated to marketing, this new relationship has allowed the Jets to create consistent messaging linking brand loyalty with brand value, while driving a better consumer experience.
For a more in-depth review of the 2013 Consumer Goods Sales & Marketing Summit, including exclusive speaker interviews, visit CGT's YouTube Channel. Or click here to access the event's twitter feed and see which presentations excited attendees the most.
Plus, check out the compelling agendas of CGT's two other industry events this year (follow the links below). We hope to see you there!
2013 Consumer Goods Growth & Innovation Forum
2013 Consumer Goods Business & Technology Leadership Conference