Safeway to discuss CPG partnerships

Retailer/CPG collaboration is key to any successful shopper marketing campaign.

At this year’s Shopper Marketing Conference & Expo, Chris Almeida, Safeway’s VP of shopper marketing, core business and loyalty, will discuss tips for creating a successful partnership between brands and retailers. The session will be held Wednesday, Oct. 22, at 8 a.m.

To make collaboration succeed, both the retailer and the CPG manufacturer need to be honest and transparent, Almeida said.

Chris Almeida

“Far too often ideas are pitched in a big meeting, and everyone walks away feeling like they are on the same page, but everyone has a different takeaway or next step,” said Almeida.

Both parties need to be clear on the details: What each team considers success, how much they can invest and how much merchandising/promo support do they need to make the return on investment work, Almeida said.

“It’s critical to have these conversations up front,” he said.

And it has to be a shared conversation. The best shopper ideas or sales ideas often run the risk of falling flat or never coming to life if all the key stakeholders aren’t on board and have a voice at the table.

“Sometimes this means checking and rechecking in along the way,” he said.

Indeed, successful CPG-retailer partnerships are those in which parties agree to focus on a joint business opportunity, added Peter Hoyt, CEO and executive director, Path to Purchase Institute.

“The objective must be important, sizeable and strategically relevant for both retailer and manufacturer,” said Hoyt.

Peter Hoyt

Once the common objective is defined, both parties need to develop joint insights and strategies on both sides in a united effort to deliver value to the shopper and capture demand together. 

A second essential common factor is cross-functional integration between the two companies.  This requires the involvement of multiple functions, not just the salesperson and the buyer.

“This ensures all the right levers can be pulled throughout the process, from planning to execution, in ways that are mutually beneficial,” said Hoyt.

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