Susan Frech

Articles by Susan All articles by Susan

• Ready, Set, Grow: Consumer Community Outreach Best Practices in Marketing: CPG on 05/17/2017
  

  Great! You've established an online community of consumers. You've included them in sampling campaigns and maybe a few other engagement activities. But how do you ensure your community's long-term success beyond specific campaigns? How do you continually keep the community active, engaged and growing? How often should you reach out - what's not enough or, maybe worse, too much? And what kind of two-way interaction will your consumers welcome? What's the right cadence?

• Brands Can't Live By Simple Sampling Alone in Marketing: CPG on 04/17/2017
  

  A few weeks ago, I met with a new client who told me that in the past their main tactic to drive awareness was in-store sampling. They are a new product in a well-represented personal care category and face a slew of behemoth brands as competitors. When executing an in-store sampling, they would pay anywhere between $1,000 $2,500 per day for the privilege (depending on the retailer). For that day, and a few days after, the client would notice their coupons being used, and would see a lift in sales - but then sales would go flat or even down again. They were frustrated with the lack of longevity or lasting returns. They had fallen into the exhilarating trap of the quick hit for short-term gain.

• Want To Reach Moms? Celebrate Imperfection, Authentically in Engage:Moms on 03/31/2017
  

  Motherhood is as old as time. And so is perpetuating the myth of the perfect mother. Whether a stay-at-home mom or a work-away-from-home mom, most women do not relate to the flawless and faultless mother archetype that media and advertising continue to exalt.

• Harness Social And Online To Influence Mom's In-Store Purchases  in Marketing: CPG on 03/06/2017
  

  There's no question the path to purchase is nonlinear, especially for moms. Moms seamlessly zigzag through various channels and media all the way to the checkout line. For many years, in-store shopper marketing was limited to initiatives such as store signage, displays or promotions to drive sales at the point of purchase. While these tactics are certainly still effective, moms no longer rely on just the latest end cap.

• When It Comes To Brand Community Success, It's All About The Feels in Marketing: CPG on 02/20/2017
  

  As I travel around the country speaking about brand advocacy and engagement, the question I am often asked is, "What makes for a truly successful brand-owned community?" Having worked with many marketers on establishing a home base for their consumers, or when I consider other companies that have made meaningful connections with their fans, my answer is this: the most successful brand communities are grounded in deep emotion.

• Omni-Channel Marketing Meets Consumer Engagement  in Marketing: CPG on 01/16/2017
  

  Omni-channel marketing seeks to provide the consumer a seamless shopper experience whether in-store, online, desktop or mobile. Retail marketers like Starbucks, Sephora, and Crate & Barrel have made moving towards this goal a priority, investing in processes and platforms to ensure consumers enjoy a familiar and consistent interaction whether brick, click, swipe or scan. As this continues to become the norm, consumers will expect frictionless interactions with all brands.

• How CPG Marketers Can Spark Engagement Post-Holiday Gift Season in Marketing: CPG on 12/19/2016
  

  It's shaping up to be another shiny and bright shopping season. A recent Gallup poll indicates that Americans will spend an average of $752 on gifts this holiday season, while Deloitte's 2016 Holiday Survey reports that those holiday dollars will yield an average of 14 gifts per shopper. The survey also shows that intended holiday spending on health and beauty aids and cosmetics and fragrances continues to climb. Candy and food purchases should also see an uptick, according to The National Retail Federation. After this flurry of activity, how many shoppers will come back to your brand? In the last few 2017 planning meetings, I have heard several times long-term customer loyalty and engagement were a 2016 challenge and will continue to be an uphill battle in the upcoming year.

• Harness Social And Online To Influence Mom's In-Store Purchases  in Marketing: CPG on 12/05/2016
  

  There's no question the path to purchase is nonlinear, especially for moms. Moms seamlessly zigzag through various channels and media all the way to the checkout line. For many years, in-store shopper marketing was limited to initiatives such as store signage, displays or promotions to drive sales at the point of purchase. While these tactics are certainly still effective, moms no longer rely on just the latest end cap.

• Brand Communities And 3 Ways To Ensure Their Success in Marketing: CPG on 11/21/2016
  

  Forrester predicted that as social media matures, branded communities would make a comeback. Marketing leaders report they're significantly less satisfied with Facebook and Twitter marketing. Along with that, Forrester found that 60% of businesses have a branded online community and 15% were planning to add one in the following 12 months. With that knowledge, many CPG marketers feel it is time to focus their engagement efforts on owned channels.

• If CPG Marketers Wrote An Open Letter To Amazon in Marketing: CPG on 10/21/2016
  

  Earlier this month, Amazon created a tremor in the CPG marketing world when they announced the platform will no longer accept reviews from consumers who have received a free or discounted product to facilitate said review.

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