Supermarkets and their suppliers are getting more adept at running cross-promotions with videos and packaged goods, but there is still room for improvement, said participants at SN's video roundtable. For example, there has been great improvement in the level of cooperation of studios and other product manufacturers in making presentations to retailers. "It's getting better all the time. Both now share equally in the involvement," said Clifford Feiock, video coordinator at Nash Finch Co., Minneapolis. To make the promotions work at store level, and to get big displays built, "there needs to be that enthusiasm, that excitement. It needs to come from both sides and from management," said Jeff Olson, video coordinator at Copps Corp., Stevens Point, Wis. One area that could still see improvement from some studios is lead time on point-of-purchase materials. For example, there may not be enough time to get the order together and survey the store as to POP needs, said Feiock. "As a result, you end up shooting from the hip and the results are not as good as they could be," he said. Here's what the roundtable participants said about cross-promotions: SN: What difference do joint sales calls with the retailer, make in getting cross-promotions launched effectively? FEIOCK: It's very important in terms of cross-promotional opportunities. If you have a tie-in with Disney and General Mills, for example, those reps should be contacting the headquarters office down to the store-level people, helping them every step along the way. Whenever that's fallen by the wayside in the past, those are the promotions that have not done as well in terms of in-store support. SN: How active are the packaged goods partners in that process, or do they take a back seat to the studios? FEIOCK: It's getting better all the time. Both now share equally in the involvement. HEMBREE: We've had more success with the vendors, such as the packaged goods companies, bringing the proposals to us. The experience we've had with the distributor and the studio is that neither one has been that active on our end. SN: What has Copps' experience been, Jeff? OLSON: Like Cliff said, I think it comes from both sides. We were pretty successful with "Pocahontas," and not only on the video end of it, but the grocery side was excited about it too, because it was being pushed from both sides. The displays can be a very exciting part of it, but if you let it just fall by the wayside, then it ends up being a case of whatever happens happens. Then it's not going to work.
