How can you use shopper marketing to drive sales and profits?

1 1. Define your shopper segments

To design effective shopper marketing strategies, you need to know who your target shoppers are, what motivates them, how they shop, and where they shop. You can use data from sources such as loyalty programs, surveys, focus groups, and online analytics to segment your shoppers based on their demographics, psychographics, behavior, and needs. For example, you might identify segments such as convenience seekers, value seekers, health seekers, and brand loyalists.

3 3. Identify your shopper touchpoints

Shopper touchpoints are the moments of interaction between your brand and your shoppers along their path to purchase. They can be online or offline, before, during, or after the shopping trip. You need to identify the touchpoints that are most relevant and influential for your shopper segments, and map out their journey from awareness to purchase to loyalty. For example, you might use online touchpoints such as social media, email, or website to generate awareness and interest, and use offline touchpoints such as shelf, aisle, or checkout to trigger purchase and repeat.

4 4. Develop your shopper marketing tactics

Shopper marketing tactics are the specific actions and tools that you use to influence your shoppers at each touchpoint. They should be tailored to the needs, preferences, and behavior of your shopper segments, and aligned with your category management and shopper marketing objectives. You should also consider the channel and format of the touchpoint, and the competitive and regulatory environment. For example, you might use tactics such as sampling, demonstrations, or reviews to educate and persuade your shoppers, and use tactics such as loyalty programs, rewards, or referrals to retain and grow your shoppers.

6 6. Optimize and innovate your shopper marketing approach

Shopper marketing is not a one-time project, but a continuous process of learning and adapting to the changing needs and behavior of your shoppers, retailers, and competitors. You need to review and analyze your shopper marketing results, and use the insights to optimize and innovate your shopper marketing approach. You should also test and experiment with new ideas and opportunities, and leverage the best practices and learnings from other categories, markets, or industries.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?