a)    Assessing channel and customer developments and opportunities

analysing brand and customer shopper profiles; identifying brand opportunities based on shopper insights; assessing impact of trade and customer developments on consumer marketing;  experimenting with exciting and emerging ‘routes to market’;  developing new and alternative channels;  assessing where value is created and diminished within a channel;  building knowledge of trade customers from store visits, company literature and historic behaviour;  analysing sales data to identify drivers of brand growth;  rapidly communicating consumer insights to members of Customer Management.

b)    Interpreting trade partner marketing needs

investigating channel, partner and customer needs and opportunities;  appreciating trade margin structures and objectives in each channel;  recognising the implications of customers’ decision and implementation processes; incorporating trade partners requirements from the beginning of brand development projects ;  reflecting customer requirements in brand/ category plans (e.g. store image, shelving, storage, promotional policies). 

c)    Contributing to Category Management

developing clear internal category strategies to guide category management with customers;  helping to determine a consumer orientated category definition;  determining the priority channels for the category;  deciding the role of each channel in meeting the category goals;  defining and promoting role of our brands within the trade partner’s assortment;  contributing to shelf management proposals;  developing, jointly with Customer Management and key customers, an efficient line assortment;  identifying brand mix development opportunities to maximise in-store effectiveness, (e.g. shelf impact);  encouraging the development of effective shelf layout and cabinet siting plans;  translating consumer insight and brand strategy into  relevant trade communication. 

d)    Developing channel and customer-specific marketing plans

planning marketing activities to grow brand equity and sales; determining an appropriate brand portfolio in each channel;  aligning brand plans to consumer and channel specific needs and opportunities;  agreeing brand marketing objectives and support budgets for trade activities;  participating in the design of effective tailor-made trade promotional activities;  leveraging brand communication and activation campaigns via in-store activities;  identifying and assessing opportunities to adapt products to specific channels;  ensuring brand pricing strategy is coherent across channels;  ensuring all trade activities are in line with brand objectives and strategy.

Tasks:

·      Read the trade press, annual reports and the business pages to keep abreast of developments in the retail trade.

·      Go shopping (alone or accompany someone with a different perspective) to look at store layout, signage, shelving and merchandising.

·      Discuss shopper behaviour and your brand's performance with local store managers or owners.

·      Attend external conferences to hear the perspectives of leading consultants, retailers and brand marketers.

·      Borrow a shopper research study and any datamining output from our own or customer databases to appreciate the role of the insights they can provide.

·      Analyse your brand's performance by retailer and/or channel and generate hypotheses for why it performs better in some areas than others.

·      Attend a meeting between a manager from Customer Management and a key retailer to experience the kind of discussion which takes place.

·      Monitor how retailers market their products to identify how they treat different categories, how they segment shoppers and the promotional techniques they use.

·      Carry out an audit of your brand's prices in all key channels and customers to ensure a coherent pricing strategy is being followed.

·      Ask experienced managers in your company to show you examples of good Customer Plans and category management assessments.