The following is typically what happens at a cocktail party or whenever I come across the odd cab driver who wants to engage in conversation. It goes like this:

“So what do you do for a living?”

“I’m in Shopper Marketing.”

And then the person’s face becomes profoundly distressed. I might as well have answered in Cantonese, for all the impact my answer had. So to help them grasp one of humanity’s greatest mysteries, I then say:

“We develop tactical programs for mega brands across the shopping continuum, connecting what is in-store with what is out-of-store to make sure all communication and media strategies accurately target the shopper.”

9 times out of 10, that’s enough to return to a conversation about hockey or football or, worse, the weather. But once in a while I get a person genuinely curious enough to dig deeper and ask something like:

“So you’re in the advertising business?”

“Well, not exactly. Like I said, we interact within the shopping continuum. That means we work in conjunction with all of our client’s partner agencies. That includes the advertising agency, the media agency, the PR/WOM agency and, of course, the digital agency. So our role as a Shopper Marketing agency is to effectively bridge our client’s communication message with the shopping environment.

You see, conventional advertising just won’t do the trick anymore. Countless specialized TV channels and the Internet have shifted audiences, making it tougher for advertisers to reach their target. On the other hand, those new players not only help stimulate consumption but also increase traffic through traditional retail channels. 5 of the biggest US retailers in 2008 saw an estimated 312 million shoppers pass through their doors every week, with Walmart representing close to 50% of that amount.

The mega brands that want to be successful today understand that a major shift has taken place. So they hire Shopper Marketing firms as part of their marketing mix.”        

That’s usually when the subject DOES change. But the fact of my being in the cab and having had the opportunity to satisfy the curiosity of a single individual is the very essence of Shopper Marketing.

If Shopper Marketing is often misunderstood, it’s because although we operate on the fringes of so many other marketing activities, we’re the ones who interact most directly with consumers. We’re the ones who can immediately adapt ourselves to make the sale. We’re the ones who represent, one-on-one, the brand’s personality and offer.

We’re the ones who most closely observe consumer reactions; the ones who can track consumer behavior in real time; the ones who retain vital information on our clients’ behalf for future reference.

And we like what we do. Because Shopper Marketing is the very essence of effective commercial activity.