A shift in ad spending is another trend that marketers are creating and will have to deal with in the coming months. This interview with Dave Haley of Dean Foods highlights the trend in consumer package goods to reach the consumer at the point of decision. You may say that point-of-sale advertising is nothing new, and we would agree with you. There is, however, a noticeable trend in the percentage of ad spending moving toward that confluence in time when the buyer is ready to make the purchase.

My theory is that online analytics pioneered by Amazon and Overstock.com among others are being merged with the historically creative marketing strategies of package goods leaders, like Procter & Gamble. This mix of cyber-shopping and physical in-store communication tactics is creating a new generation of “profile marketing.” Throw into the mix things like consumers subscribing to e-newsletters and the potential of podcasting, and you have a consumer-company dialogue that adds value to daily life where the consumer is a willing participant.

This interview references an article in the Wall Street Journal from Sept. 21 on the shift in ad spending and refers to Wal-Mart’s in-store television network. This shift is no different, I might add, in the B2B world, where marketers are shifting marketing dollars to programs where buyers seek out vendors - and not those where vendors seek buyers. That’s a topic for another day.

This Marketing Focus segment of the Marketing Edge podcast is approximately 10 minutes. Any questions, contact Albert Maruggi or call 651-695-0174.

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