In this Issue

Jason Reiser, COO at Vitamin Shoppe

 
Some of life’s greatest lessons can come from the pages of a comic book. Take, for instance, Uncle Ben’s advice to his nephew Peter Parker, aka Spider-Man: “With great power comes great responsibility.”

Consumers are driving change in the snack category with their ever-increasing demand for organic, non-GMO, vegan, gluten-free and other more natural snacks.

Bringing beauty to life” is Paris Presents’ mantra. For the company, accomplishing this goal — and catering to its millennial audience — means focusing not on products themselves, but on what those products can do for the customer and how they can help her attain her own objectives. For example, applying makeup to achieve a particular look. It also means working with social influencers who understand millennials and their priorities.

Transactional business is over; brands must connect heart and soul. Today’s new consumer is more informed, more independent, more curious and more conversational than ever before. They want to be talked with — not talked to. It is about “share of heart,” not just “share of wallet.”

Marketers constantly “push” customers into sub-segments. And occasionally they forget to step back and find the commonalities to which they can appeal. “These are often the emotional or aspirational commonalities, as well as the benefits and needs,” said Delfina Cinco, director of marketing at Beiersdorf.

Asked what drives their brand preference, 80% of millennials are highly influenced by a brand’s potential to make the world a better place and want to do business with these brands.

The fact is business in the supplement aisle is booming. The majority of U.S. adults — 68% — take dietary supplements, and consumer confidence remains high, with 84% of U.S. adults expressing overall confidence in the safety, quality and effectiveness of dietary supplements, according to the latest Council for Responsible Nutrition Consumer Survey on Dietary Supplements.

Capturing the attention of, and marketing to, young consumers takes more than advertising in the manner of “Mad Men’s” Don Draper, said Anthony “Max” Baron, founder and CEO of PrepReps — currently still a high school senior — whose company connects social influencers on high school and college campuses, with brands looking to cultivate the loyalty of young consumers, provided four tips for how to get the job done.