The Power of Many

Field Report footnotes to Hall of Famer John Mount’s Q&AMOUNT: “We were constantly trying to work with different departments within Kroger.”Although Mount no longer manages the Kroger account, Coke’s perimeter-penetrating efforts continue. In January 2012, the manufacturer rolled out a permanent display with a “Meals in Minutes” theme to 1,275 Kroger stores. Accompanying signage encourages shoppers to use a bag dispensed from the display to pick up hot chicken, biscuits and side dishes for an easy dinner that they can “enjoy with Coca-Cola.”MOUNT: “[We] worked hand-in-glove … to really bring those initiatives to life and ensure that we had great packaging tied to, for instance, the Daytona execution.”Coca-Cola’s annual participation in Kroger’s blockbuster February event always includes custom packaging and displays (which actually have become the table stakes for participation). In 2010, the manufacturer gained elevated placement by leveraging its own NASCAR sponsorship for a variety of P-O-P materials that included a digital clock counting down the minutes to the Daytona 500 race and a corrugate replica of a post-position tower.MOUNT: “There are so many different platforms to focus on [such as] working with our “Power of Many” partners like Mondelez [and] Hershey.”For the Super Bowl merchandising season in 2013, CVS/pharmacy hosted a bulk-purchase incentive dangling a $10 “CVSCash card” with purchase of $30 in game-day party necessities from Coke, Mondelez, Hershey and Campbell Soup Co. Supporting P-O-P materials included shelf signs showcasing all the partners and product spectaculars that cross-merchandised Coca-Cola Zero with Mondelez’s Planters brand.MOUNT: “Through our partnership with Mondelez, we’ve successfully placed co-branded merchandising racks with customers in the supermarket and drug/value channels.”Archrival PepsiCo’s ability to cross-merchandise its own Pepsi-Cola beverages and Frito-Lay snacks in “Power of One” scale events has driven Coke and Mondelez International (formerly the snack businesses of Kraft Foods) to become frequent partners for both extensive seasonal campaigns (like national Super Bowl and NCAA “March Madness” efforts) and smaller promotions (such as combo deals in c-stores).MOUNT: “When you can have a conversation with a retailer about an Olympics initiative and have a Procter & Gamble, an Anheuser-Busch, a Chobani and a Kellogg’s with you — well, all of a sudden, you represent 30% of their ACV.”Teaming with fellow Olympics sponsors P&G, Kellogg and Bimbo Bakeries, Coke helped Kroger put a “Supporting Our Home Team” spin on the retailer’s periodic “Cart Buster” sales event last summer. Bilingual P-O-P materials carried the logos of the sponsoring brands; stanchion signs dispensed take-ones of the participating products on deal; yellow tags identified the items at the shelf.MOUNT: “At the end of the day, we want to make sure that we’re matching our brand strategies with our customers’ strategies.”The core Target shopper has an affinity for fashion, which is a major reason why the retailer strives to maintain its “shabby chic” positioning. PepsiCo effectively leveraged that insight in February 2011 in an account-specific promotion to introduce Diet Pepsi’s new “skinny can.” Diet Coke followed suit in fall 2011 by developing a “Young Designer Challenge,” which invited students at top fashion schools to create T-shirts inspired by the brand’s “Stay Extraordinary” marketing platform.Staged in collaboration with the Council of Fashion Designers of America, the contest involved a public vote on Target.com that identified 10 finalists to be judged by top designers Zac Posen, Cynthia Rowley and L’Wren Scott. Voters were automatically entered into a sweepstakes awarding a trip to New York to meet the trio during the annual “Fashion Week.The winner earned a $10,000 scholarship and had his design produced – and used as a fall 2012 purchase incentive: Target offered the T-shirts free with a three-SKU buy of 12-can or eight-bottle packs.MOUNT: “There are certain core initiatives that we invest in that are real game changers, such as the vitaminwater/Carrie Underwood program at Kroger.”In spring 2011, Coke’s vitaminwater brand wanted to support Kroger’s storewide “Health Matters” platform while helping the retailer capture greater share in the enhanced water category. The manufacturer devised an integrated program that tapped into the high affinity among Kroger shoppers for country music star Carrie Underwood, who was enlisted to help illustrate how vitaminwater could aid “Mom’s” lifestyle needs (while guiding her down the path to purchase).A dedicated website connected the target audience with health and wellness information presented by Underwood. A unique pallet program put the star in prime positions inside stores. The overall effort improved key brand health metrics while significantly increasing sales volume. And that led to a return engagement at Kroger for both vitaminwater and Underwood in 2012.

The Power of Many

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