Retailer Partnerships

Collaboration will be the theme of this week’s GMA 2008 Information Systems & Logistics Distribution (IS/LD) Conference, March 30 – April 2 at The Westin Mission Hills Resort & Spa in Palm Springs, CA, with more sessions focused on manufacturer-retailer partnerships than ever before. Co-located with the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) Supply Chain Conference, IS/LD is must-attend event for information technology and logistics executives.

Save the Date: Joint Industry Unsaleables Conference, September 22-23
The 2008 Joint Industry Unsaleables Management Conference will be held September 22-23 at the Renaissance Vinoy Resort & Golf Club in St. Petersburg, FL. Manufacturers, retailers and service providers interested in exploring challenges associated with unsaleables should plan to attend this highly-regarded annual conference. Session topics are currently under development; please contact Troy Beeler with input and/or speaker proposals. For more information about sponsorship opportunities, contact Jonathan Downey.

The GMA/FMI Joint Industry Unsaleables Leadership Team and Deloitte Consulting LLP will complete the data collection phase of its annual unsaleables survey at the end of March. The survey analyzes costs, root causes and industry best practices associated with unsaleable products, and provides the foundation for an annual report on improving management practices. If your company isn’t already involved in the study, don’t miss the opportunity to participate: contact GMA’s Troy Beeler for more information.

Product Safety, Innovation Underscored for Industry Analysts at CAGNY
Escalating commodity costs and a weakening US economy were among hot topics presented to Wall Street’s industry analysts by food, beverage and CPG companies at the annual Consumer Analyst Group of New York (CAGNY) event last month. Companies acknowledged that tackling these challenges will take time, but for now are largely focused on three key areas: improving safety and quality of existing brands; innovating in the areas of sustainable packaging/delivery and healthy, convenient products; and creating fresh marketing messages. “Boosting product safety and quality was a key message sent to analysts and it reinforces the importance of GMA’s work to strengthen, modernize and improve our nation’s food safety system,” said GMA Senior Vice President of Industry Affairs Stephen Sibert, who attended CAGNY along with GMA’s Brooke Weizmann, senior manager, industry financial performance.

Other key goals issues/goals shared at CAGNY included tapping into markets in developing nations, particularly BRICs countries; the ethanol debate and rising energy and commodities costs; and the reevaluation of pricing for both competitive advantage and cash generation. Also on the horizon: new tax and accounting standards and a pending fight in Washington to gain relief on taxes and SEC regulation.

GMA is introducing a virtual version of its popular Environmental Sustainability Resource Guide, which will allow visitors to search for-profit and not-for-profit companies actively engaged in sustainability initiatives within the CPG and retail industries. The new online format will also allow users to access case studies and other educational materials from featured industry partners. The guide will be posted on the GMA Environmental Sustainability Summit website in late spring. For information about being listed in the guide, contact Jonathan Downey.

Bringing the voice of the shopper to the sales and marketing process.
www.SmartRevenue.com

New Report Shows Revenue Growth Depends on Exceeding Shopper Needs

Grocery marketing has come a long way from the big brand dominance of decades past, with today's marketers operating via multiple retail channels, dozens of marketing vehicles and a more savvy, information-rich consumer. A new position paper by SmartRevenue examines the benefits of using "Shopper-Centric" knowledge to build models of the most effective ways to deliver what shoppers want, when and where they want it. The model looks at the shopping trip as the confluence of all promotional activity, starting from the home and/or workplace and leading to the store shelf and the POS. SmartRevenue's paper explores how marketers can move beyond existing demand creation paradigms and begin converting data into competitively useful insights and shopper-centric strategies to increase conversion at the customer, category and brand levels. Click here for the full report.

GMA’s Industry Affairs Review has teamed up with consumer research firm NPD Group to provide readers with a monthly snapshot of consumer trends and eating patterns. Check out the latest research in this space each month.

Despite recent food safety incidents, Americans believe their food supply to be safe.