People to Watch 2016: Melissa Vest, Time Inc. Retail

It makes sense that Melissa Vest now works with Time Inc.’s iconic portfolio. An avid reader of magazines growing up, she would read her favorites from cover to cover until they practically fell apart.Her focus in college became architecture and art, and she now is able to use that design background to creatively problem-solve and apply it to marketing and shopper marketing. “The creative side coupled with the business side helps me every single day,” she says.Vest’s first job after graduate school was with Hallmark on its Walmart team. She got her feet wet in shopper marketing, working as a designer on Hallmark’s largest retail account. She then moved over to shopper agency New Creature, where she became senior creative director. It was there that she really broadened her understanding of shopper marketing, working on everything from small to pie-in-the-sky-type programs.As field shopper marketing manager at Time Inc. for the last year, Vest is based in Bentonville, Arkansas, and responsible for the shopper marketing programs at Walmart as well as Target. “I also find partnerships for shopper marketing campaigns and help build unique shopper programs within those two retailers,” she says. “It’s fun to use the content we have in cool ways in the retail environment.”Ann Anderson, Vest’s boss and vice president of national accounts, has been an important mentor for her since she came on board. “She’s so enthusiastic about the work we do that it’s contagious, and she teaches us a lot,” Vest says. “She encourages us to go for big ideas to help grow our brands at retail.”Since her background is on the creative side, Vest appreciates the depth of data that is housed in a company like Time Inc. “We’re encouraged to think about a program from all aspects, not just the beginning,” she says. “We need to know that the research is in place so we can look at the ROI on the back end and ensure we’re spending our marketing dollars effectively. It makes us look at everything more holistically.”Vest says she’s challenged with the endless ways marketers can use technology as a tool to connect with the customer. “We are looking at humanizing some of them, knowing that the customer is on the other end of a mobile app or whatever it might be, but we need to be doing more,” she says. “We need to think about that end customer when developing programs.”The back-to-school season brings a partnership that Vest is heavily invested in – one she says is a true omnichannel solution for the customer. Exclusive to Walmart and featuring Ragu pasta sauce and Time Inc.’s Cooking Light, the program has touchpoints everywhere on the path to purchase, from an advertorial in the September issue of Cooking Light and inspirational posts from “Whoa Wait Walmart” bloggers during the months of August and September to shopper events, instantly redeemable coupons and Ibotta offers. An exclusive bundle with Ragu and a Cooking Light cookbook rounds out the online presence.Vest hopes to continue to explore opportunities for pairing the magazines with other brands. “Our content lends itself so much to shopper marketing, whether recipes for people, beauty tips or anything else.”She sees e-commerce as a way to test and learn beyond brick-and-mortar. “We can get data back quickly, see what customers like and create more unique offerings,” she says. “It’s another way for us to tie in with social and digital efforts in a more natural and personal way.”Helping consumers see, touch and engage with products in-store will remain important, she says. “We can create experiences for the customer and provide solutions in the store using digital, signage or any other tactics to bridge those spaces. When we bring our content to the solution with shopper marketing, it’s a great way for us to bring those moments into the physical store space.”

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