The CPG View

With your extensive experience in the eCommerce space across various CPG companies, can you discuss the main challenges and opportunities in the sector as it continues to evolve and grow? As a leader in the CPG industry, you have witnessed the rise of direct-to-consumer (D2C) business models. Can you share your thoughts on the impact of D2C on traditional retail channels, and how CPG brands can adapt to this shift? You have experience in developing eCommerce capabilities and strategies for different organizations. What are the key factors to consider when implementing a successful eCommerce strategy, and how do these factors vary across different CPG sectors? As the global eCommerce landscape continues to evolve, what emerging technologies or trends do you believe will have the most significant impact on the CPG industry, and how can companies leverage these advancements to stay competitive?

Can you elaborate on how the pandemic pushed marketplace control issues to the backburner for many brands? What were the primary challenges faced by these companies, and how did this affect their operations and sales strategy? Some brands have been reluctant to cut off any distribution even if the distributors might be reselling their products on the marketplace due to post-pandemic sales slumps. Can you speak to the risks and rewards of this strategy, and what you believe a healthier approach might be? One of the reasons that brands struggle with implementing marketplace control solutions is the difficulty of measuring the negative impact of practices like price matching and loss of brand control. Could you share some insights or potential methods to quantify these impacts and convince internal skeptics? How do marketplace control measures affect internal sales teams, particularly when it comes to their compensation and future opportunities? How can brands mitigate these negative impacts while still maintaining control over their marketplace distribution?      

Retail Media Ecosystem -- "Given your expertise in the CPG sector, how do you see the role of retail media evolving? Can you share an example where leveraging retail media has significantly impacted your brand's performance?"   Data Utilization in Retail Media -- "Retail media offers a wealth of data for advertisers. How have you successfully integrated this data into your marketing strategies to drive ROI, and what challenges have you encountered?"   Investment Strategies in Retail Media -- "With Retail Media being an approx. $50 billion category and 63% of retailers expecting increased brand investments, how are you adjusting your investments in this space? How are you working with brands to enable/guide them….as 44% who have created an entirely new marketing budget for it?"   Budget Allocation Trends -- "The data shows various ways brands are shifting their budgets towards retail media. Which of these resonates most with your strategy? Are you among the 42% who have shifted from non-retail media specific digital marketing budgets, or perhaps among the 23% who are not investing in new retailer media networks?"   Consumer Behavior -- "The pandemic has led to significant shifts in consumer behavior. How have these changes influenced your product development and marketing strategies, particularly in the digital space?"   Leadership in CPG -- "Leading in the CPG industry comes with its unique set of challenges and opportunities. Could you share a pivotal leadership moment in your career that had a lasting impact on your approach to business?"   Nerdy retail media information can be found here….

How are you and the team at Incremental approaching the question of budgeting for brands that you all work with? Why does it seem like such a challenge today in the world of retail media? How is Incremental approaching the measurement of retail media, given all of the puts and takes you and I just discussed? Why do you think incorporating non retail media into the model is important?

Retail/Commerce Media has emerged as the fastest-growing digital advertising channel. What are the key factors that differentiate it from other advertising channels, and what do you believe is driving its rapid growth? Does the current trajectory of Retail/Commerce Media align with the initial expectations and hype surrounding its potential?  With the exponential growth of Retail/Commerce Media as a digital advertising channel, what specific attributes or capabilities make it stand out from other forms of media? From your perspective, does Retail/Commerce Media live up to the hype in terms of delivering effective results and providing value for marketers and advertisers? How do Commerce Media platforms, with their closed loop attribution and ability to turn ad spend into cost of goods sold (COGS), offer unique advantages in addressing signal loss and driving performance for marketers, particularly in the face of recessionary concerns? How can CPG brands effectively utilize these advantages to optimize their advertising strategies and achieve meaningful results?

Can you shed light on how Stanley became the winner for Equipment Accessories in the 2022 NPD U.S. Outdoor Sports Retail Performance Awards? What innovations or strategies contributed to this success? Given the trends in the U.S. outdoor specialty market, how do you foresee the future for equipment accessories, especially in a post-pandemic era? What are Stanley's plans to keep up with these evolving trends? Stanley's win represents a significant achievement in the outdoor market. How do you align your products with the core values of outdoor enthusiasts, and how does this alignment contribute to building a loyal customer base? Considering the growth and competition in the U.S. outdoor and snow specialty retail markets, how does Stanley differentiate itself from competitors? Could you share some insights into your digital strategies and partnerships that have made this differentiation possible? Staying ahead in the competitive outdoor market requires a careful balance between understanding consumer demands and aligning with retailer objectives. Can you discuss how Stanley approaches this balance? What specific strategies or tools do you employ to listen to consumers while ensuring that retailer relationships remain strong and profitable?

Skye Frontier, SVP, Growth at Incremental, discusses the challenges in measuring incrementality in retail media and the importance of media neutrality. They also explore the hurdles brands face in retail media, integration with existing platforms, and the evolving analytics in the digital landscape.

How can retailers better understand and adapt to this ‘mission driven shopping’ trend to optimize their customer engagement and increase sales? Based on the shift in classic correlations between visits and sales, what are some of the key performance indicators that retailers should now focus on? Considering the consumer’s adaptability, what strategies can retailers adopt to create win/win scenarios that result in a more impactful engagement? In the context of ‘things are still not normal’, how can retailers remain flexible and bring value to the consumer, given the fluctuations in consumer behavior?

Could you please introduce yourself and provide some background on your role as the VP of ads at DoorDash?  How does DoorDash's CPC pricing benefit CPG brands and enable them to invest in growth without upfront capital risk? How does DoorDash leverage the data from its CPC model to improve ad performance for CPG brands and drive more effective advertising campaigns? What are the advantages of DoorDash's self-serve ads for CPG brands in reaching their target audience and promoting products? As the VP of ads at DoorDash, how do you effectively integrate CPG brands' products into advertising campaigns on the platform, and can you share success stories in the CPG sector? How does the partnership between DoorDash and Roku, particularly the "Shoppable Ads" powered by DoorDash, benefit CPG brands by combining the reach of linear TV advertising with targeted measurement capabilities, allowing advertisers on Roku to link TV impressions to CPG purchases?

Could you tell us about your journey and how you got into the field of ecommerce? What led you to your current role at Weleda? As the Director of Ecommerce at Weleda, what are some of the unique challenges you face in the natural beauty industry? How does Weleda approach ecommerce differently compared to other beauty brands? In your previous role at Walmart, you were responsible for leading a $88MM vitamins and supplements business. How did you leverage data and analytics to achieve over 50% growth? What insights did you gain from this experience? Could you walk us through your approach to developing an ecommerce strategy for Weleda? How do you balance short-term revenue goals with long-term growth and brand building? You have a diverse set of skills ranging from performance marketing to P&L management. How do you stay up to date with the latest industry trends and innovations? What skills do you believe are most important for success in the ecommerce field?