Over 200 CG Execs Talk Marketing Strategies

6/17/2015
During the 2015 Consumer Goods Sales & Marketing Summit, over 200 consumer goods executives met to discuss strategies that begin and end with the consumer. From social media to the marketing/IT alliance to digital and more, these sessions offered best practices and action items for attendees to bring back to their organizations. The following are key highlights from the most talked about sessions at the Summit: 
 
-In a lively and though-provoking opening keynote session, Douglas Stephens, Retail and Consumer Futurist and Founder of the Retail Prophet, discussed inspired retailing. With 20 years of experience in the retail industry, he is also the author of the groundbreaking book, The Retail Revival: Re-Imagining Business for the New Age of Consumerism. “I don’t think that we shop purely just to buy stuff, it’s a social thing,” said Stephens during the session. He is also the consumer technology contributor on the television series App Central TV, as well as the retail contributor for CBC Radio Canada, among other attributes. Use @RetailProphet to check out more of his thoughts and ideas from the session.

-Stephens was followed by a powerful session from Kimberly-Clark, which showcased how the CPG giant is marketing in a digital world. Mukund Kaushik, vice president, IT Services, Global Marketing and Jennifer Sepull, CIO & Vice President, IT Services, demonstrated how the consumer journey is clearly becoming a personalized engagement. This 1:1 experience expectation is no longer a passing fad, and Kaushik and Sepull revealed how they are paving the way for a seamless consumer experience and how IT is partnering with Marketing to move boldly into a digital world. “The intersection of marketing and technology is where the magic happens,” the pair divulged. Click here to read more about this initiative, titled New Marketing Machinery from the May 2015 issue of CGT. The audience also buzzed when the duo included a great example of “experiential marketing” called Meeting Murilo (presented by Huggies). You can watch it by clicking here.
 
-Getting beyond “Likes” in social media is no easy feat. So, Dmitri Williams, PhD., Professor, University of Southern California took to the stage to talk about C2C social analytics. A 15-year veteran of analytics and consumer behavior analysis, whose work has been featured by CNN, Fox, the Economist, the New York Times and most major news outlets, Dr. Williams explored the impact of the connected consumer on marketing and acquisition. “You can’t be an influence if you’re by yourself,” reinforced Williams, also explaining the importance of using predictive analytics to spot the ‘social whales’.
 
-During a special awards ceremony, CGT was proud to present The CMO of the Year award to the very-deserving Bruce Fleming, EVP and CMO of Church & Dwight Co. Inc. “I am honored for Church & Dwight to be recognized in this way. We have always been inspired by our rich heritage to help drive forward our future in relevant, accessible and unique ways for our consumers. And we are committed to always pushing the envelope in the innovation space — from our product technologies to digital engagement to marketing,” said Fleming in a press release.
 
-Marc Smith, chief social scientist & director for the Social Media Research Foundation guided the audience through identifying social media maps and how to analyze them using six basic network patterns. He showed how these maps reveal the key people, groups, topics and connections in a stream of messages, tweets, posts, e-mails or updates. “You want to be on a first-name basis with the top 600 influencers or ‘mayors’ of your brand,” said Smith. He also revealed the formula for the perfect tweet, and even presented and analyzed our very own #CGSM15 map. The result? #CGSM15 is identified as a community, and we couldn’t agree more. Congratulations to Bree Kelley of Relational Solutions (@SmartSuiteBree), as being identified as the ‘mayor’ of #CGSM15, scoring herself a $100 Visa gift card! Don’t forget to keep the conversation going by tweeting to @CGTMagazine using #CGSM15, and stay tuned for more contests during our #CGEM15 and #CGBTLC live events in the fall. Also, be sure to check out the Top 20 Tweets from #CGSM15, by clicking here
 
-Other key sessions to highlight included Bill Graham, director, multi-channel integration for Gamestop, who talked about going from engagement to transactions. Steven Ramage, trade analyst for Rich Products went beyond TPM, explaining driving panning through visibility. Simon Ellis, practice director, supply chain strategies from IDC Manufacturing Insights presented the findings from the annual Sales & Marketing Report, which provides insight and perspective into emerging customer and consumer-facing strategies. E&Y Partner, Kathryn Gramling hosted a Wall Street Panel, featuring influential analysts who divulged which consumer goods companies are building profitable brands and partnerships within the industry. During a new myth-busting panel, real consumers gave real data about the ways they shop. What was the bottom line? “Know me to serve me, but don’t bother me after I leave the store,” was the consensus.
 
-During the closing keynote session, Peter Gold, CMO of SHOP.COM & MarketAmerica, shared direct insights on how his company has developed a collaborative, non-contentious relationship between marketing and technology to drive its digital success. He demonstrated how valuable internal and external collaboration could bring your brand closer to the connected consumer.
 
Don’t forget to check out exclusive pictures and videos from the 2015 Consumer Goods Sales & Marketing Summit, and more coverage in the July/August digital issue of CGT.
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