Kraft, Coke and More Reveal Sales & Marketing Insights
June 10, 2009 - The 2009 Consumer Goods Sales and Marketing Summit came to a close Wednesday afternoon, leaving the almost 200 consumer goods executives in attendance with enhanced insight into customer-facing trends and topics. In its sixth year, the event, hosted by CGT in NYC on June 8-10, provided a forum for attendees to network with peers, share ideas and experiences, and learn about important industry matters. Consumer trends, category captaincy, trade promotion management and optimization, downstream data, collaboration -- you name it, our speakers covered it. Here are a few of the event's many highlights:
- In an opening keynote address, Tom Szaky, CEO and co-founder of TerraCycle, addressed eco-capitalism as a new business model and what it means to the consumer products industry. He leads by example as TerraCycle, the producer of the world's first products made from and packaged entirely in waste, received the Home Depot Environmental stewardship award twice, was featured in Wal-Mart's sustainability report and was repeatedly named the ultimate eco-friendly brand. "Every piece of garbage, as long as it is separated, can be made into something," said Szaky. The proof: TerraCycle has turned circuit boards into picture frames, wine corks into cork boards and newspapers into pencils, to name a few.
- Rick Brindle, customer vice president eSales & Industry Relations for Kraft Foods, shed some light on how shopper insights coupled with emerging technologies are colliding with the world of food retailing. He explained why the digital consumer is so important, and how the technology revolution can be leveraged to improve consumer engagement as well as in-store conditions. Although Brindle believes that new technologies are inevitable, he said, "Technology helps you get closer to your customer, but you still have to know your customer."
- Given the economic climate and drastic changes in shopper buying behaviors, downstream data has become an even more important driver for many improvements in customer-facing and supply chain processes. In a session titled "Leveraging Downstream Data," Anthony J. van der Hoek, director, Strategy & Business Solutions, Wal-Mart Global Account Team, The Coca-Cola Company, highlighted the company's successful use of such data, including benefits across multiple processes. "In the recession, everyone wants to be more shopper demand driven, but the tools are not there yet. Business benefits are only driven by actionable data," said van der Hoek.
- Collaboration is often an overused buzzword, but in this industry, consumer goods suppliers that have true collaborative relationships with their retail customers reap untold benefits. In a session aptly titled "Retail Collaboration," Eric Lauterbach, vice president of Business Development for Attune Foods, shared the company's strategy for creating mutually beneficial partnerships with major grocery customers, like Whole Foods to Wegmans. Lauterbach explained, "We needed to partner with retailers to bring the health message to consumers. Education at the point of purchase is critical to us." For example, a recent pharmacy program in select retail stores yielded an incremental sales growth of 13.8 percent.
- Despite margin pressure, 55 percent of respondents to the 2009 Sales & Marketing Report survey, conducted by CGT and AMR Research, indicated that they will increase sales and marketing spend in 2009. Lora Cecere, vice president, CPG, AMR Research, revealed additional findings from this study. She was joined by a panel of esteemed experts from The Hershey Company, L'Oreal USA and Conair Corporation, who provided real-world insight and perspective into emerging sales & marketing strategies. "2009 is not business as usual, driving a new need for improved front-office technology for branded CG companies," said Cecere.
For a more in-depth review of the 2009 Consumer Goods Sales & Marketing Summit, including exclusive video interviews with key speakers, click here to sign up and receive the July digital issue of CGT.
- In an opening keynote address, Tom Szaky, CEO and co-founder of TerraCycle, addressed eco-capitalism as a new business model and what it means to the consumer products industry. He leads by example as TerraCycle, the producer of the world's first products made from and packaged entirely in waste, received the Home Depot Environmental stewardship award twice, was featured in Wal-Mart's sustainability report and was repeatedly named the ultimate eco-friendly brand. "Every piece of garbage, as long as it is separated, can be made into something," said Szaky. The proof: TerraCycle has turned circuit boards into picture frames, wine corks into cork boards and newspapers into pencils, to name a few.
- Rick Brindle, customer vice president eSales & Industry Relations for Kraft Foods, shed some light on how shopper insights coupled with emerging technologies are colliding with the world of food retailing. He explained why the digital consumer is so important, and how the technology revolution can be leveraged to improve consumer engagement as well as in-store conditions. Although Brindle believes that new technologies are inevitable, he said, "Technology helps you get closer to your customer, but you still have to know your customer."
- Given the economic climate and drastic changes in shopper buying behaviors, downstream data has become an even more important driver for many improvements in customer-facing and supply chain processes. In a session titled "Leveraging Downstream Data," Anthony J. van der Hoek, director, Strategy & Business Solutions, Wal-Mart Global Account Team, The Coca-Cola Company, highlighted the company's successful use of such data, including benefits across multiple processes. "In the recession, everyone wants to be more shopper demand driven, but the tools are not there yet. Business benefits are only driven by actionable data," said van der Hoek.
- Collaboration is often an overused buzzword, but in this industry, consumer goods suppliers that have true collaborative relationships with their retail customers reap untold benefits. In a session aptly titled "Retail Collaboration," Eric Lauterbach, vice president of Business Development for Attune Foods, shared the company's strategy for creating mutually beneficial partnerships with major grocery customers, like Whole Foods to Wegmans. Lauterbach explained, "We needed to partner with retailers to bring the health message to consumers. Education at the point of purchase is critical to us." For example, a recent pharmacy program in select retail stores yielded an incremental sales growth of 13.8 percent.
- Despite margin pressure, 55 percent of respondents to the 2009 Sales & Marketing Report survey, conducted by CGT and AMR Research, indicated that they will increase sales and marketing spend in 2009. Lora Cecere, vice president, CPG, AMR Research, revealed additional findings from this study. She was joined by a panel of esteemed experts from The Hershey Company, L'Oreal USA and Conair Corporation, who provided real-world insight and perspective into emerging sales & marketing strategies. "2009 is not business as usual, driving a new need for improved front-office technology for branded CG companies," said Cecere.
For a more in-depth review of the 2009 Consumer Goods Sales & Marketing Summit, including exclusive video interviews with key speakers, click here to sign up and receive the July digital issue of CGT.