Mondelez arms in-store reps with mobile access to retail software
Mondelez is boosting the effectiveness of its in-store sales force via a partnership with retail software maker StayinFront, part of the snacks company?s deep dive into mobile.
The agreement will allow Mondel?z, whose brands include Oreo cookies, Nabisco biscuits and Cadbury Dairy Milk, to equip its in-store representatives with access on Android phones and tablets to StayinFront?s retail software. It is the latest example of Mondelez? determination to be a major presence in the mobile retail space, a direction that already has included a number of innovative advertising campaigns and shifting more of its TV budget to online video.
?By providing advanced mobile technology to Mondel?z?s 45,000 international field employees and distributors worldwide, we aim to transform retail execution into perfect in-store selling,? said Thomas Buckley, CEO for StayinFront, Fairfield, NJ.
?StayinFront?s in-store selling application, StayinFront PitchBook, gives Mondelez reps quick access and the ability to drill down into data from across the organization as well as from external sources placing actionable insight at the reps? fingertips, so they can uncover sales opportunities and spot problems or trends.
?StayinFront PitchBook is all about selling more and delivering dynamic, relevant pitches on a mobile device, while in-store,? he said.
Store buyers
PitchBook will allow reps to use live POS data from an application to discuss in presentations how product sales at a specific store are going compared with other stores in a market or chain.
Reps also can show samples of high-performing displays, promotional flyers and commercials.
Sour Patch ad campaign.
?It will create a seamless end-to-end solution and will align and optimize store shelf management and promotional compliance with our mobile field force efficiency solutions,? Mr. Buckley said. ?A sales rep will literally be able to take a picture of a store shelf and receive feedback relating to the management of that shelf in real-time.
?We look forward to piloting this solution with several of our global customers in the upcoming months.?
Up to now, Mondelez?s mobile focus has been primarily on engaging consumers in entertaining campaigns.
In July, it launched a Sour Patch Kids Snapchat campaign that tapped the appeal of social media comedy star Logan Paul to connect with fans through both photo-sharing and gaming functionality.
The five-day campaign documented prankster Mr. Paul?s takeover of the brand's Snapchat account.
Mr. Paul posted a daily description of his antics on Sour Patch Kids? Snapchat account. The pranks changed in tone from sour to sweet, keeping in line with the brand's "first they're sour, then they're sweet" slogan.
The campaign was part of Mondelez?s plan to shift more of its spending to high-return, low-cost mobile advertising, which reaches customers where they are using media today.
Media budget
Last year, digital represented a quarter of the company?s total media budget. It aims to top 50 percent by 2016.
Digital will make up half the company's media budget by 2016.
In June, Mondelez announced a big commitment to programmatic to improve the effectiveness of online video buys across screens. The company said it would shift 10 percent of its TV budget to online video this year and teamed up with TubeMogul to automate the way it plans, buys and serves online video inventory across all online channels.
?Using mobility to improve sales effectiveness is essential in many industries from clientelling tools to salesforce automation,? said Sheryl Kingstone, Toronto-based research director for Yankee Group. ?The tablet truly changes the game by having the right information at the right time.
?Stayinfront has been in the industry for awhile,? she said. ?Customers can sometimes get a ROI on these type of tools just by offsetting printing costs and improved cross selling.?
Final Take
Michael Barris is staff reporter for Mobile Marketer, New York.