Seasonal Collaboration

At Safeway, the calendar – as Safeway defines it – is the foundation. "It's like the paint color in a room," says Jocelyn Wong, global vice president of shopper marketing. "But then you need to layer onto that foundation. Understanding consumer insights and how you add dimension to that foundation – that becomes key."Across the board at retailers large and small, pre-planned shopper seasons enable the retailers to create a unique point of difference. Working around retailers' calendars has always been important, says Jamie LaRue, senior director, shopper marketing at Kellogg Co., but with competition tougher in this economy, CPGs are putting in extra effort."When you align [your strategies] to the retailer's calendar," says Chris McGown, Campbell Soup Co.'s group manager, integrated shopper marketing, national shopper marketing strategy, Walmart and Sam's Club, "you know you're going to get strong and focused execution on the retailer's end because they are fully invested in the event as well."Insights that Lead to SolutionsThe number of shopper seasons vary – anywhere from six to more than a dozen – depending on which CPG or retailer you talk to. "While we've always had the traditional seasons like Super Bowl, Easter, Mother's Day, summer, back-to-school, and holiday, now there are mini-seasons and shoulder seasons grouped in, such as Heart Health Month, spring/fall cleaning, cold and flu, and 'Game Time' [football]," says Jon Kramer, chief marketing officer at RockTenn Merchandising Displays, Norcross, Ga. "Shoppers are all about being delighted and stimulated. So no matter the season, it's about bundled solutions that drive shoppers to actions."Shopper seasons are times throughout the year in which retailers attempt to connect with shopper's purchasing habits, behaviors and trip patterns, says Anne Jones, vice president, shopper marketing, at Kimberly-Clark."The seasons were always there," adds Deb Fifles, vice president, consumer insights, at Safeway, "but it's how we're interpreting them and going after them that's changed. Instead of just being very holiday and event-focused, our calendars have evolved to reflect more of what is going on in the shopper's life throughout the year."As a marketer, you need to keep asking "why," says Safeway's Wong. "The seasons may be the same, but why and how they impact her life continues to change. You have to look at a number of different trends – in the economy, in pop culture – and how they impact shoppers, and combine that with the seasons. And then you also have to overlay your business and strategic objectives onto the calendar."To learn why its brands are important at specific times of the year, ConAgra Foods worked with Naperville, Ill.-based Fusion Marketing Power in 2008 to better understand seasonal behavior changes of "moms" – the target shopper across the company's portfolio of brands. Fusion conducted one-on-one interviews and focus groups to complement the quantitative and behavioral data that already existed for individual brands and find the emotional drivers behind seasonal shopping behaviors. ConAgra also used a variety of qualitative methodologies, from online surveying to ethnographies, as part of its ad hoc research against many of their retail customers' shopper segments.The research led to the identification of six seasons in a mom's "mental calendar" – Post-Holiday (January and February), Spring (March, April and May), Summer (June, July and mid-August), Back to School (mid-August and September), October Fling (October) and Holiday (November and December). "Shoppers have very distinct attitudes and behaviors toward food and grocery shopping during these times," says Tim Miller, senior director, shopper insights. Although ConAgra did find slight regional variations based on school start and end dates, the seasons were fairly consistent around the country. "For example, messaging during back-to-school might be about helping the family get back on a schedule because this is a very stressful time, but when October comes around the messaging will be light, and more fun, focusing on the last fling before winter." Think comfort food and lying low in January and February, freedom and fun in the summer, and the traditions and parties of the winter holidays.Calendar Creation and SharingWhile nearly every retailer uses a calendar to plan annual activities and organize resources – such as communications, in-store displays and merchandising – the degree to which retailers share that calendar with suppliers varies, says Andy McMillin, vice president of shopper marketing, The Coca-Cola Co. "Some retailers are very interested in collaboration; others want to play it close to the vest. Some plan far in advance; others plan for the next week's ad. For the most part, more retailers recognize that productive synergies are achieved when they share their calendars. If they get suppliers on board with their retail calendar, they have that much more power to deliver the message to shoppers. We also see more retailers moving to a joint business planning approach, and the calendar is a natural offshoot of that."Campbell's McGown says that some manufacturers are invited to work in conjunction with retailers. Those CPGs are viewed as valued strategic partners to that retailer. If partnering on a calendar, he says, "We start with existing internal and retailer data, both custom and syndicated, to help us build a creative brief. Once we've developed concepts against the brief, we can field custom research with a specific retailer's shoppers to see how those ideas resonate with them." The research allows Campbell to validate that it is meeting shoppers' needs during any given season. He notes that it's important to field research at appropriate times: "May is not the best time to ask shoppers about the holidays."Historically, shopper marketing focused on connecting a brand's calendar with a retailer's calendar, and finding the overlaps, McMillin says. But today's model is more about working together to build a calendar with activities that reach shoppers while at the same time are mutually beneficial for the brand and retailer. "Understanding the rationale and emotional drivers of a retailer's most valuable shoppers is the lynchpin for a successful effort. We work with a national grocer that is committed to a NASCAR effort in the first quarter. By understanding the importance of this event to the grocer and its shoppers, and by making it part of our joint calendars, we turned the promotion into a big win for everyone."At Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Brant Burchfield, director of shopper marketing, says that the company is now prioritizing participation in retailer calendars. The company has partnered its Canada Dry, 7 UP and Squirt brands with various E&J Gallo Winery brands "to provide a full-year solution to our retail partners focused on key holiday events such as Cinco de Mayo, Memorial Day, Fourth of July and the holiday season."And it's not just the big players that are able to do so, RockTenn's Kramer says. With thematic positioning created by a retailer, it can actually be easier for small brands to participate because they can focus on the retailer's template. "Secondly, it's easier for little brands to create shopper solutions with other brands that will create a bigger impact. For large brands, it's hard to work across companies, but it's part of the smaller brands' DNA to be nimble. If retailers are building seasonal calendars to drive excitement and relevance, and those seasonal calendars result in the presence of in-store shopper solutions, then a small brand can play brilliantly and a large brand can play brilliantly."Bringing the Calendar to LifeAt Safeway, both Fifles and Wong say they work at least 12 months in advance on their calendar, and although they don't necessarily deploy it in its entirety, they do share elements of it with CPGs. The retailer's back-to-school program, now in its seventh year, is a completely collaborative effort with brands. "We have a tremendous partnership, such as teaming with General Mills for a collaborative marketing program including in-store POS, unique Safeway package artwork, email blasts, online advertising and co-op TV."McGown finds the most useful retailer calendars to be those that include as much information as possible related to the seasons. For example, Walmart shares information such as the shopper barrier, the shopper insight and main message it plans to communicate to the shopper for a specific season, he says.During back-to-school season, McGown says Campbell works with retailers to provide "mom with easy and delicious meal solutions" in response to her distinct mindset at that time of year. "Summer is over, and mom needs to get her family back into the routine of the school year. The day is hectic and time is at a premium again, but dinner is the occasion that she knows she can bring her family together."Also during this same season, the brand works with retailers to leverage its Labels for Education program with in-store merchandising and signage. "With budget cuts significantly affecting school systems," says McGown, "the program gives her an easy way to help her kids' school." In exchange for proofs of purchase from Campbell brands, schools are awarded free educational equipment.Kellogg's LaRue says, "Where we are collaborating well with our retailers, they share with us well in advance what they envision their calendar to be and how we can help bring that to life. We too share with them our vision of how our brands are seasonally relevant throughout the year and look to identify places where our objectives are the same, and then develop programs and platforms that we can bring to life with shoppers." With back-to-school, LaRue says, that may mean a targeted mailing through Cincinnati-based dunnhumby at Kroger, a "buy 10, save $10 on apparel" offer at Meijer, or a free scholastic book with purchase of certain items at Walmart. "And meanwhile, complementing these programs, we may have a national consumer offer."

Seasonal Collaboration

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