A.T. Kearney, NACDS unveil joint survey results at Total Store Expo

BOSTON — Early Monday at the NACDS Total Store Expo, NACDS’ Retail Advisory Board and A.T. Kearney presented the results of the “Winning with Digital Marketing” study that the two organizations undertook. The study provides insights on effectiveness and engagement in digital marketing campaigns based on retailers’ responses.

“The NACDS Total Store Expo is the ideal place for this research to be presented,” NACDS president and CEO Steve Anderson said. “The study highlights the importance of retailers and suppliers working collaboratively — not only with each other, but with other departments within their own organizations to make the most of emerging technology. This type of collaboration is one example of the collaboration made possible by this show’s unique format.”

The most common ways in which retailers tried to reach out to customers were the company’s website, email, twitter, Facebook and mobile.

Among the groups’ findings is the fact that retailers use the company’s website as the most prominent place for delivering circulars and creating awareness of the brand. When it comes to awareness, many respondents said they use Facebook and Twitter to drive awareness as well.

When it comes to educating consumers, retailers reported moving more toward mobile platforms, something that respondents said email carries the brunt of. Overall, the study points to digital as an important part of an omnichannel approach for retailers.

“Digital Marketing is becoming a game-changer in retail,” said Todd Huseby, a partner at ATKearney.  “We believe that how companies adopt and adapt with these capabilities will have a long-term impact on successful partnerships between retailers and their suppliers.  We will support this project going forward by releasing companion pieces where we will discuss our interpretations of how individual CPG manufacturers and retailers can use these study results to prepare for the future.”