Direct to Consumer

This section is diverse, with suggested uses of data ranging from price management to product transparency, but the themes of integration and visibility are still the most prevalent. Many analytics initiatives began in sales or marketing, and this area is therefore slightly ahead of the game in adoption and sophistication.

CGT's readers rank the software and/or services for social media (including web monitoring, measuring interactions), consumer engagement (e-mail/web/mobile), web content management, advertising and omnichannel management.

Learn how marketers can use new channels, including social and digital, to create efficiency in consumer engagement, stakeholder relationships and marketing spend.

It's no surprise that this section continues to remain the largest, as the impact of social media and mobile technology (and newer technologies like beacons and 3D printing) are quickly changing the shopper experience.

CGT's readers rank the top technology providers of a solution for retail execution and monitoring to identify tasks and enable the execution of in-store activities.

For brand manufacturers, the launch of direct-to-consumer (D2C) sales channels is critical to staying competitive and represents an unprecedented opportunity to build a direct relationship with its customers.

It's a new world full of new consumers that need and want to be served in new and different ways. CGT's publisher Albert Guffanti sits down with Mark Osborn, Global Lead Consumer Products Industry Marketing with SAP, to discuss this new landscape of opportunity for today's consumer products marketers.

With the advent of personalized digital marketing, social and mobile engagement, and rich consumer insights, brands now have an unprecedented ability to engage directly with consumers, shifting the balance of power between manufacturers and retailers. This month, we asked Cassandra Moren, senior director, CG & Retail Solutions Industry Marketing, Oracle, to weigh in on this unstoppable trend.