WRIGLEY GETS POPAI AWARD FOR RETAIL-BASED BRAND MARKETING

Carol Angrisani

CHICAGO -- Point-of-Purchase Advertising International presented the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. here with its Chief Award for the company's contributions to the in-store advertising industry.

The Washington-based trade association of the POP ad industry annually hands out the award for excellence in in-store advertising and ethical business practices.

Dick Blatt, POPAI president and chief executive officer, commended the confectioner for its success in retail-based brand marketing.

"The Wrigley Co. is totally committed to communicating with customers very often. Consequently, Wrigley's retail-based brand marketing efforts do a great deal to boost brand awareness, while simultaneously enlivening the retail environment," Blatt said. "The Wrigley Co.'s successes in-store serve as a standard for many others to strive for."

Wrigley utilizes an array of POP tools, including both temporary and permanent displays, as well as floor graphics and window signs. It also is exploring in-store video.

The company has gone to great lengths to strengthen its brand marketing at retail, Ralph Scozzafava, Wrigley's vice president, general manager, U.S., told SN.

It is executing this by improving communications between its consumer and customer marketing teams, Scozzafava said. Over the last two years, for example, it's worked to integrate the two departments through regular meetings and updates.

"Consumer marketing clearly owns branding, advertising and communication. But customer marketing also owns communications to the retailer and store. So, these two areas have to go together in order to complete the communication wheel," Scozzafava said.

This integrated approach has enabled Wrigley to leverage its messaging better. As an example, Scozzafava cited Wrigley's "Gotta Have Sweet" promotion, aimed at highlighting its Juicy Fruit gum's new longer-lasting sweet flavor.

Along with online consumer giveaways and prizes, Wrigley used retail-based brand marketing to bring the promotion into the store. The goal of the promotion was to surround the consumer with communications -- a key strategy for Wrigley.

"We want to interact with consumers where they live, work and play," Scozzafava said.

This year will be filled with new product launches, and Scozzafava said Wrigley has a full calendar of events to support its retail customers.