Nielsen and GreatVines Agree on Shelf Space Strategies
As was recently noted by a Nielsen representative, “Distribution has a near-perfect correlation with sales volume and there’s a lot of pressure for your product to be on the right retailer’s shelves across channels while maximizing presence in the store.” So how does a supplier ensure their product not only finds shelves to rest upon, but the right shelves in the most effective stores serving the most appropriate markets for their brands?
It’s no coincidence that GreatVines partners with Nielsen to unlock the insights necessary to ensure the most effective, efficient distribution planning and execution. Our respective organizations share a singular passion for leveraging data to derive actionable strategies for getting in front of consumer preferences. In our industry, this is a challenge felt most acutely, and we’re always thinking of ways to leverage the GreatVines platform to accommodate the rapidly shifting consumer product retail environment.
Nielsen recommends suppliers keep close tabs on their consumers’ preferences not only with respect to types of beverage, but also regarding package sizes and promotional offerings. In a recent document designed to offer some suggestions and insights, Nielsen posed several questions to CPG sellers which correspond neatly with the very kinds of metrics GreatVines is designed to capture.
- Which distribution channels represent growth opportunities for your brands?
- How well-represented are you in specialized sales outlets?
- What channels exist to offer cross-promotional opportunities in adjacent categories?
- What can be done to optimize shelf-space for your brand?
- What number and variety of products is best to support incremental growth of your brand or product line?
Using the tools provided by GreatVines, a producer should be able to fairly easily generate reports to answer these questions. Moreover, GreatVines’ “Plan, Execute, Measure and Refine” methodology supports the iterative, data-driven approach the platform is built upon.
Nielsen offers prescriptions for acting on the insights suppliers discover by asking and answering the questions above. These include building systematic engagement processes with retailers, and by extension, consumers. They suggest in-store cross promotions (based on occasions like holidays) that manifest value for the consumer while shopping. Identifying needs among consumers in markets that your brand can address and delivering memorable brand experiences as opposed to simple product marketing are other strategies to be pursued.
With state of the art tools for
- conducting illuminating surveys;
- planning, executing and measuring results of trade promotion marketing programs;
- establishing account objectives; and
- tracking activity by segment or territory,
