3 Ways Shopper Marketing Has Evolved

It's imperative that a marketer understands how target segments behave as in-store shoppers. So it is just as critical to step back and recognize the factors that have changed shopper marketing.

Here are the 3 factors that will change shopper marketing for FMCG companies:

Psychographics Over Demographics

The fastest way to insult a millennial is to make sweeping generalizations about them in the way that demographic focused marketers have. Research upon research proves time & again that the new generation prefers brands that speak to them as individuals and not a customer segment. UAE specific reports point to a growing trend that states that the median marriage age for women has graduated from 23 to 30. So what does this mean for companies like Nestle when marketing products like Cerelac and other brands in the breakfast category? Companies will need to speak to the interests and needs of this independent generation that is just as career focused as their male counterparts. Shopper marketers will need to focus on behavior just as much as they do on demographics.

Digital Go To Market

It's no secret that search marketing contributes the most towards the awareness and consideration phases of the customer purchase decision journey. The flagrant sprouting of eCommerce companies and focus on reviews continually proves that a digital savvy generation is researching a lot before a purchase decision is made. Is your product present on the forums that discuss which breakfast cereal is healthy? How active are you responding to negative complaints around your meal supplement? Questions, if ignored, will direct the researcher to find the negative reviews, guiding their hands away from your shelves and onto others.

Build a Community

By celebrating consumers and what they stand for, in relation to your brand strategy, you effectively form a community such as My Future Champion for Middle Eastern moms. Doing so allows your customers to speak to the people they trust the most - each other  - that too under your platform. Gain insights from the insights to unlock a power competitive advantage, to adjust packaging, messaging and positioning. Find influencers, large and small, to experience your product first hand and talk about it in their own authentic voice. Don't try to control their conversations, celebrate them and in turn, you will be rewarded.

It's a brave new world and advertisers must take notice to help break through the clutter, in both product value and positioning messaging.