Category — Agency Management

Advertising and shopper agencies must learn to play by new rules. By Chris Hoyt. To help provide its readers with direction in 2012 and beyond, The Hub Magazine ran a survey last December to ferret out what product marketers and their agencies think will be the key functions and skill sets that agencies will need to help their clients achieve their objectives over the next five years.

What do current practitioners think the respective roles of these agencies should be in terms of planning, media development and promotion development in a path-to-purchase environment? What obstacles are seen for each type of agency in performing these functions? What are the areas of potential conflict — i.e., in which segment of the path-to-purchase is the battle occurring? How do these practitioners — again, defined as both product marketers and agencies — envision the ideal working relationship? … read >>

Below-the-line agencies are rising to the top. By Paul Kramer. In the past, when asked what their biggest asset was, marketers would invariably reply, "our brand." In today’s environment, you are just as likely to get the answer, "our customers," defined as both retailers and their shoppers.

Yet surprisingly, in today’s highly visible world of brand building and mass advertising, the reality is that traditional, above-the-line agencies often lose focus on the most important part of the equation — the customer. The better agencies tend to be adept at growing brands while also building customer relationships. Below-the-line agencies, where the focus is on targeted, direct and measurable customer interactions, are well-positioned to meet today’s challenges, and tomorrow’s … read >>

Strategies eclipse tactics among the best in shopper marketing. By Dr. Dan Flint. Welcome to the fourth annual Hub Top 12 report on shopper-marketing excellence! Thanks goes out to all those who participated in this year’s survey, and especially those who took the time to add insightful comments.

We expanded this year’s evaluation criteria from 10 to 13, based on feedback provided by participants in previous surveys. Specifically, we added evaluation categories of digital and global capabilities, and retailer relationships. These three categories added interesting dimensions to our results … read>>

The new shopper-marketing agency is ready to lead the way. By Ken Barnett. When Advertising Age took its latest look at “What the Media Agency of the Future Will Look Like,” 11 industry leaders shared their visions. Not surprisingly, none mention the words shopper, retailer or path-to-purchase. Instead we got visions such as the following:

This begs the question: Is it ethereal thinking like this that is best equipped to lead one’s business into the future, or is it the grasp of hard, everyday realities that will best service the needs of marketers whose challenge is to integrate brand with retailer objectives? … read>>

Expectations intensify as shopper marketing charges into the future. By Chris Hoyt. (pdf) or (text)

The new way forward is at the nexus of brand management and shopper marketing. By Ken Barnett. (pdf) or (text)

The Hub Top 12 reveals both undeniable progess and much work to be done. By Tim Manners.
(pdf) or (text)

The “best of the best” in shopper marketing get better and better.  By Chris Hoyt.

(pdf) or (text)

Turn it up: The Hub Top 12. By Tim Manners.

(pdf) or (text)

Shopper marketing is the elephant in the room that nobody sees quite the same way. By Chris Hoyt.

(pdf) or (text)

The King of Madison Avenue, Creative Capitalism, Problem Solving 101

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The entire March/April ’09 issue of The Hub (44 pages), centered on retail, including an interview with Jill Lajdziak of Saturn and 12 other articles.

(download pdf)