Marketers can help build strong shopper-strategies six ways. By Chris Hoyt. (more)

Shopper marketing must not be subordinated to category management.  By Chris Hoyt. (more)

Two years ago, when Chris Hoyt and I decided to create an index of shopper-marketing excellence, we didn’t know if we would end up with a top 5, a top 10 or a top 20 among brand marketers and their agencies. All we knew was that we wanted to try to help set some standards for shopper marketing and move the industry forward. Last year, based on the numbers, we decided it made sense to stop at the top 10. This year, because more brand marketers and agencies scored well, we turned it up to 12 (link).

As an added bonus, because of a tie for 12th place, our brand-marketer result is a baker’s dozen. This is a promising sign of growth in shopper marketing. One thing that didn’t change: Procter & Gamble is still number one in shopper marketing among brand marketers, and Mars Advertising keeps its number-one spot among agencies. Congratulations to both! These laurels have thorns, though. ConAgra zoomed to the number-two spot, and even edged out Procter & Gamble in two of the 10 criteria.

For insights into how that happened, see our exclusive interview with ConAgra CMO, Joan Chow (link). RPM Connect meanwhile gave Mars a run for its money. RPM’s Joe Robinson tells us it’s because his agency adopted the Hub’s 10-point criteria as its strategic blueprint and asked its clients to evaluate its work accordingly. However, both brand marketers and agencies remain relatively weak in the most important area -- shopper insights -- which is what the May issue of the Hub is all about (link).

Shopper marketing is the elephant in the room that nobody sees quite the same way. By Chris Hoyt. (more)