Trade Promotion Optimization

Sales and marketing trailblazers from Mondelez, Unilever, J&J and Kellogg joined more than 225 consumer goods executives in NYC this week for the 2013 Consumer Goods Sales & Marketing Summit. This year, New York Times bestselling author and entrepreneur since birth Gary Vaynerchuk kicked things off with a provocative presentation on the need for consumer goods companies to adapt in the Internet era. Get a recap of the event here.

The deal with TABS Group, Inc. is expected to help Prestige Brands measure, plan and optimize its promotional spending.

With volatile commodity prices impacting COGS and inability to raise prices, CG firms are forced to consider reducing trade spend while simultaneously ensuring that remaining spend delivers maximum impact. It's worth asking the question -- does your organization have a trade ROI mindset?

CGT's readers rank the top 10 technology companies that provide a solution for trade promotion effectiveness, including trade promotion management (TPM), price management, trade promotion optimization (TPO), etc.

Members of CGT's TPM Share Group met in Orlando, Fla., during the Consumer Goods Business and Technology Leadership Conference on October 23, 2012. The group moved away from the recent TPO discussions, which are aspirational for most, and focused on more practical aspects of TPM execution. Here is a recap of the discussion.

For more than 30 years, trade promotions have been the "currency of the realm"; the way to get new items on shelves, to encourage retailers to advertise and display existing products and to fund price reductions. Over that same period, the industry has spent millions on improving the efficiency and effectiveness of these investments. While that remains important, we dont see trade promotion optimization as the answer. What we need is a new currency.

Succeeding in the market today is closely tied to how well retailers and manufacturers respond to evolving consumer needs. In the 2012 Shared Strategy Report, CGT offers several compelling examples of collaboration between consumer goods manufacturers and retailers that are designed to deliver improved customer service. Read on for an exclusive preview of research findings on Big Data, Mobility and Product Quality.

The acquisitions strengthen the company as a leading provider of end-to-end trade promotion optimization and mobile field sales solutions, and expand its reach to over 40 global markets.