I recently attended the Shopper Marketing Expo in Minneapolis, and was particularly struck by Peter Hoyt’s,comments on the first day. Peter, the Path to Purchase Institute Executive Director and CEO, indicated that we are undergoing a tectonic shift in marketing because of the shopper empowerment revolution. And, as a consequence, product manufacturers can no longer advertise and retailers can no longer discount their way to success. Our industry needs shopper-centric thinking to succeed, and shopper centricity needs to be a multi-disciplinary approach involving brand management, shopper insights, shopper marketing and sales just to name a few. It is incumbent upon all of us to provide a better shopping experience and optimize how we leverage paid, earned, owned and shared media as part of an omnichannel experience.

Opportunity awaits those who are strategically aligned with this shopper-empowered revolution. Are you a champion of shopper-centric thinking? And what does this even mean?

You have to tap into human empathy and make business decisions that are in the best interests of shoppers and their needs. You have to understand and be present when, where and how the shopper engages in their omnichannel shopping journey. Once you have provided a relevant shopping experience, you’ve earned the right to have a deeper, more trusting relationship at those moments that matter most to shoppers. At Brandtrust, we are huge proponents of Daniel Kanehman’s Peak-End Theory that clarifies the moments which matter most in the shopper’s journey. The Peak-End maps we develop for our clients enable multi-functional focus and direction to zero-in on those moments that matter most in the shopping experience. This is a shopper-centric winning approach, based on insights, that deepen shopper engagement and relationships to deliver the right shopper tools and messages at the right moment.