QRCA Views

42 QRCA VIEWS SPRING 2 0 15 www.qrca.org "store back/store first" approach. It estab- lishes the focused way that P&G thinks about and applies insights. Starting at the shelf and working backwards, this insights framework aligns all their shopper initia- tives around a common goal of impacting the end-point of the shopper decision pro- cess at the shelf. It informs both what Procter & Gamble wants to learn about their shopper and how they are going to apply it. A good shopper insights framework: • Informs the scope and scale of shop- per research that needs to be gathered or invested in. • Is structured and organized so the insights drive action by identifying deci- sion-making at each stage of the shopping journey. It explores how the role of different contact points also impacts the purchase. 4. Cross-functional and retailer- manufacturer engagement is essential for in-market success. Shopper strategy and insights has the potential to source from and impact mul- tiple facets of the business – marketing, sales, supply chain, category management, consumer insights, retail buyer, retail mer- chandiser, etc. Active engagement in designing the research and generating the solution, as well as in the execution, is critical to create strong in-market results. The earlier example of linking the shop- ping trip with the cookie-shopper (and ultimately, the cookie-consumer needs) demonstrates the importance of collabora- tion between the shopper insights and consumer insights functions within an organization. In another example, we identified the importance of providing easy meal solu- tions at an accessible price point for low- income shoppers. Through research, we found that consumers need easy meal solutions that require five ingredients or fewer to make the dinner. In further dis- cussions with the retail store operators, we discovered there might only be two clerks in the store (one manning the reg- ister, the other in the back room), along with additional limits around the types of programming acceptable in these types of stores. To mitigate these format-specific issues, we chose to execute end-aisle meal solutions that need only three ingredi- ents, thus reducing the potential for out- of-stocks or taxing the shoppers' and employees' time and resulting in more viable and successful meal solutions sold at dollar stores. Motivate shoppers before they purchase There was a time when in-store B2C or B2B interviewing, intercepts, and observa- tion were the most reliable ways to explore shopper insights. Some of the most effec- tive research techniques for exploring the path-to-purchase have been elevated, thanks to increased mobile research and geo-location capabilities that allow us to implement more seamless research experi- ences and passively collect shoppers' loca- tion data, instead of check-ins that rely on active and on-going participation. Shoppers can capture pictures and take short videos for in-store and competitive intelligence with their smartphones. Thus, today's qual- itative and quantitative researchers have powerful methods at their fingertips to cap- ture what's meaningful and motivating to shoppers before they even arrive at the store. All of this helps us better understand the consumers' mindset and motivations before they purchase and use particular cat- egories of products or services. These insights will make you think twice the next time you see a seemingly out-of-place product display in stores. Consumer vs. Shopper Insights Consumer Shopper Target Who she is How she shops Purpose Get in her mind Get in her cart Story Reason to buy Reasons to buy right now Focus How, when, why consumers How, when, why, consumers use/consume the category shop/buy the category Primary Research User Consumer Insights, Brand Marketing Team Shopper Insights, Shopper Marketing Team, Sales/Account Team, Retailer Key End Uses Marketing communications, Innovation In-Store Path-to-Purchase Influencers/Tactics Actionable Shopper Insights C O N T I N U E D

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