Ali Dembishack
Senior Manager, Omnichannel Marketing
Lactalis US Yogurt
Main job responsibilities: I conduct strategy, planning and execution across our portfolio of brands, including Stonyfield Organic, Siggi’s and Brown Cow.
How you win with shoppers during uncertain economic times: We begin with consumer insights, focusing on shoppers and buying behaviors to personalize offers and meet their needs.
New marketing tactic that you use:We have seen success in working with vendors that are able to tap into first-party data sources and using that to inform our targeting methodology and approach. Also in the toolbox are tactics that allow for shoppable integrations and personalization.
Best career advice you’ve received:Dare to be a leader. Leaders are people who hold themselves accountable for recognizing potential in people and ideas — then developing that potential. Stay curious and ask questions.
What you are watching right now: “City on a Hill” and eagerly awaiting the next season of “Succession.”
What you do when you’re not working: Spend time with my family and friends, and I added a few road trips on the East Coast to the mix.
Rick Shuman
Head of Shopper Marketing
Grey
Main job responsibilities: I lead the shopper marketing practice for Grey North America, as well as partnering with our global offices to deliver borderless shopper solutions. I’m responsible for strategy, capabilities, vendor evaluation and, in general, developing our shopper and commerce department.
How you win with shoppers during uncertain economic times:Uncertainty brings immense opportunity to shopper marketing/commerce, as we know shoppers are obsessed with finding a good value and brands are focused on delivering a strong ROI on their marketing spend. This brings together the perfect opportunity to find ways to add value for shoppers (not always a discount), as well as to deliver on ROI goals, due to shopper marketing/commerce sitting at the point of sales conversion.
New marketing tactic that you use:I’m finding success with anything that breaks through conventional behaviors to disrupt and reach the shopper in an unexpected way. Sometimes this means what’s old is new again. For example, out of home (OOH) is now becoming prevalent in many additional locations versus the past world of billboards. Measurement has come into the space, as well as digitalization and the ability to buy programmatically. As a result, the tactic is growing exponentially and is being adopted in areas that were not possible previously.
Another area that I’ve been pushing into is Web 3.0 and expanding our capabilities to deliver solutions for any brand within the space. One of the biggest mistakes I see brands make in this area is jumping in because everyone else is. Instead, we must focus on having a clear objective and desired outcomes. A full-on metaverse or NFT may not be the right experience for your brand at this point, but there are many ways into this world to begin testing and learning with low risk.
Best career advice you’ve received: Never lose your curiosity. There is always something new to learn. To be impactful in your position, you must be deeply curious about new technologies, platforms and innovative approaches others are taking. When I started my career, brands were beginning to form “digital marketing,” but in 2023 “digital marketing” is just marketing. If you don’t understand the importance of digital due to a loss of curiosity, you now find yourself behind. The next example of this I see in the making is Web 3.0. Many people don’t understand the space or think it will be decades before it gains mass adoption. But it’s coming and if you are not learning now you will be left behind by the industry.
Memorable aha moment in your career: As cliche as it may sound, there is no one-size-fits-all approach in marketing. I’ve worked in beauty and personal care for most of my career — both on the agency and client side. I can say with confidence that what works for one category, brand or retailer is unlikely to work universally across the board. As marketers, we must seek to gain as much data and implement strategies to constantly be testing and learning in a small way before we scale into new tactics.
What you are watching or reading right now:I’m watching “Mad Men” for the third time. Now that I work in advertising again, I just can’t get enough. And I’m reading “Meditations” by Marcus Aurelius.
Recent travels: My wife and I have family all over the country, so during the fall we traveled to California and West Virginia to see much of them. In December, we headed to Spain, France and Italy for two weeks of relaxation.
Lisa Travieso
Senior Manager, Shopper Marketing
Nestle Coffee Partners
Main job responsibilities: I am focused on developing strategy and communication frameworks for how we connect with our shopper in the future. I’m leading a shopper consumer journey that bridges our brand team campaigns with shopper-facing communication. I also oversee our annual planning process, shopper marketing toolkits for innovation launches at retail, and measuring our program success by leading our marketing mix.
How you win with shoppers during uncertain economic times:A coffee purchase is so personal to different shoppers. Some are only focused on price, and they have their preferred brands that work for them. Others are focused on taste and how they craft their cup. For these shoppers, we are balancing quality and experience, while being mindful that everyone is making tough choices when they shop. Therefore, we are laser-focused on what we say, how we say it and where our communication shows up, so that we drive behavior change and purchase.
New marketing tactic that you use:I’m in a measurement state of mind these days. Shopper marketing measurement is so complex, but we have to use the data we collect in a way that captures our impact to the business without oversimplifying and not focus on tactics that might erode brand equity.
Memorable aha moment in your career:When I led shopper marketing for the dollar channel, I saw the magic of shopper marketing — how you can connect with the shopper, meet retailer objectives and deliver profitable growth for your company. It all started by sharing an insight with the buyer, collaborating with other CPG partners to develop a holistic shopper activation plan (before omni was a thing) and drive profitable results by selling in incremental merchandising. It is so satisfying to see hard work pay off and be a win for everyone.
What you are reading right now: I’m reading “The Midnight Library” by Matthew Haig. It’s a great story that takes the reader through the journey of a young woman who lives a dull and uninspiring life. Then, when she takes some action, she enters a magical library where she gets to try out different lives and see how different choices result in different outcomes. It’s been great to think about all the choices we make in life and how changes could make small or significant impacts in our lives.
Recent travels: We visited family in Texas over the holidays. Then I’m going to make a trip to Hawaii a reality this quarter. I’ve unsuccessfully planned a trip there four times, and this time, it’s going to happen!
