Member Spotlight (July-August 2022)

Matthew Rader
Senior Vice President, Commerce Marketing and Applied Analytics
Public Label Agency

Biggest challenge right now: One of our biggest focus areas is 2023 planning. The biggest challenge is how to objectively allocate finite budgets to get the most efficient and effective return on the investments. Historically, shopper dollars have been largely allocated in a subjective way with retailer size dictating allocation. However, this approach leaves opportunity on the table and finding an objective lens by which to see the client’s retailer landscape and help them achieve objectivity in decision making is our primary delivery.

Solution for others facing the same challenge: To address the challenge, we have developed a proprietary approach that allows us to strip subjectivity from the decision-making process and provides transparency through isolated variables to calculate a “powerscore.” The powerscore allows us to objectively know where to spend the first and last dollars of a budget to get the ultimate return for our clients. The tool has proved invaluable in allowing deep internal conversations enterprise wide and driving critical thinking when it comes to effective planning. 

New marketing tactic that you’re adding to your toolbox: It’s not a new tactic, but more of an emerging tactic within the traditional “shopper” toolkit, which is digital out-of-home. Many view this as a pure above-the-line media play, but it is far from it. The ability to strategically place and geo-target proximity to store can be a tremendous asset within the shopper marketing arsenal. Its ability to be a complementary piece within the consideration part of the funnel, and fuse seamlessly in messaging and delivery with more traditional retail network offerings can prove very valuable.

Best career advice: “Improvement, not perfection, is the goal.” Putting the focus firmly on the idea that growth, whether personal or career, is a journey and not a destination allows you to embrace the reality that there will be struggles and tough parts of the journey, but they are part of the growth process. This statement also provided a secure environment to be courageous, bold and make mistakes with learning and improvement as the outcome.

Memorable aha moment in your career: When it truly dawned on me that as a professional you are in a race with yourself, not anyone else, when it comes to career [advancement] and acceleration. Getting to this spot can take time as a professional, but when I did it just opened up so many more professional opportunities and potential growth avenues. This is a piece of advice I share with people on my team all the time.

What are your summer plans? My family is heading to the Outer Banks for the first time. Time together is so precious, because we don’t get enough of it where we can just truly focus on each other without distractions.