Pepperidge Farm Goes Premium

Norwalk, CT -- Knowing it was missing an opportunity to attract premium shoppers, Pepperidge Farm revamped its permanent merchandising program with a more upscale look and, more importantly, a consistent look down the line to aid shopper recognition in-store. Working with Santa Ana, CA-based Display Boys, the companies developed what the brand is calling four "next generation" displays, designed to remain in stores for two to three years. All displays incorporate light maple wood, square steel tubing with pewter finish, graphic header panels and warm brown logo embossing on shelves. The endcap also includes frosted Plexi accents. The pieces range in size from the 15-inch-deep "junior primetime" to the 41-inch-deep "endcap maximizer." All fixtures can hold various assortments of snack crackers, cookies and breads. They are built and merchandised on an ongoing basis by Pepperidge Farm's field sales organization. Pepperidge Farm is owned by Campbell Soup Co. "This program was developed to reflect our visual strategy, providing a platform for merchandising our products that will sustain a premium look and feel over time," says Susan Bell, director of in-store merchandising. With adjustable shelving, the pieces can be used in various store formats. "Placement positions will depend upon the units and retailer, but we have a variety of sizes available to optimize any potential placements available from endcap to any perimeter opportunities," Bell says. "A key objective for this program was to establish consistent display design guidelines throughout our P-O-S, enabling a consistent, premium presentation of our product for retailers and shoppers," Bell adds. "Using the initial designs as a guide, we are now incorporating elements from the structural silhouette, the material finish -- across both metal and wood -- as well as graphic elements, all designed to reflect our premium position." The graphic panels can be customized, as was done for a recent Baked Naturals product launch. "There is flexibility to customize for various brand messaging," Bell says, "and we plan to do more of this going forward." Being able to meet demand and learning more about the cantilever design method have been the only challenges with the initiative, she says. "The response has been excellent from retailers. There has been quite a bit of excitement in having these upgraded fixtures available." While Bell does not mention a supermarket shift to "lifestyle" formats and an increase in clean-store policies as motivators for the new P-O-P, she does note that all brands "have to work carefully with our customers to understand their objectives and to create P-O-S that honors their store policies and guidelines. For this program, it certainly helps for us to have P-O-S offerings that are more upgraded from where they were in the past." The ongoing rollout was launched in October 2007. In lieu of a pilot program, the company worked actively with field sales throughout the development process. After showcasing the initiative at a national sales meeting in the summer of 2007, the structures were refined based on feedback. "At that point, we ran several small-production runs to allow sales to test the waters with customers," says Bell. "We found the demand for units grew very quickly and then scaled up to a more full-production schedule." In the first year, more than 3,000 units will be placed at retail, says Bell. In addition to the continued rollout of the initial structures, the company also plans to extend the use of the design elements. Success of the new merchandising program is being measured by effectiveness and unit ROI. Bell notes that placements and other measures are also being taken into account. As she says, "We have been shaping this process aggressively as a key part in proving out the design principles and strategy for the program."

Pepperidge Farm Goes Premium

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