An Ironic 2013 NRF

By Gib Bassett, Global Program Director of Consumer Goods for Teradata

I recently attended my first National Retail Federation (NRF) event, representing Teradata’s CPG manufacturing business unit.  Given the progressiveness of many retailers when it comes to consumer marketing technology adoption and analytics I was excited to hear the latest and greatest.

Almost immediately, I got the impression the event’s theme was the emergence of Generation Y, or Millennials, as economic powers who shop and make buying decisions very differently than other age segments.

That wasn’t too surprising since showrooming, omni-channel, social media and mobile are all top of mind topics for retailers.  What was rather surprising – and ironic – was the example put forth by NRF organizers as a model of consumer-centricity – a product company named Coca Cola.

In their keynote session on the Sunday of NRF, Coca Cola executives described their focus on a collection of activities designed to nurture brand affinity for Coke products.  From innovative self-service vending options via their Freestyle machines to being among the first to display calorie information on packaging, Coke clearly “gets” the new shopper landscape.

Coca Cola is obviously a heavy hitter, possessing one of the world’s most coveted brands, but their example I thought shows how critical manufacturers are to retailer success at a time when consumers are often less interested in product attributes and store formats than they are in brands that literally “care” – care about the environment, the communities in which they operate, and ultimately the “happiness” of individuals (to use Coke’s language).

When speaking about my observations with Coke’s VP, National Specialty Retail Justin Honaman, he corrected me, saying Coke is not so much a product company as a retail solutions company.  Their drive to be the best consumer marketer is a means to that end.  This made complete sense, but especially when physical stores remain the way manufacturers sell most of the time.

Of course brands and retailers alike can only succeed to the extent they can communicate with consumers in timely and relevant ways – which makes participation in mobile and social channels essential.  So it was also ironic that an event all about mobile-enabled shoppers had spotty wireless internet access, such that sharing insights during sessions via Twitter wasn’t always possible.

With brands connecting consumer passions to retailers, as said by Coke’s Chief Retail Sales Officer Mel Landis, manufacturers are positioned to play a leading role how retailers address the key issues of the day.  It will be ironic if we don’t read about more examples like Coke throughout 2013.

Gib Bassett is the Global Program Director for Consumer Goods within Manufacturing at Teradata (TDC), the world’s leading analytic data solutions company focused on integrated data warehousing, big data analytics, and business applications.  Contact him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @gibbassett.