[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":4687},["ShallowReactive",2],{"/thinking/retail-findability-tailored-messaging-and-conversion-in-the-age-of-ai":3,"thinkingCategoriesSingle":126,"thinkingArticlesSingle":208},{"id":4,"title":5,"articleTitle":5,"author":6,"authorTitle":7,"body":8,"brandCommercePage":111,"category":112,"date":113,"description":14,"extension":114,"hide":111,"meta":115,"navigation":116,"ogImage":117,"path":118,"pullQuote":119,"seo":120,"sitemap":121,"stem":124,"weighting":117,"__hash__":125},"thinking/thinking/retail-findability-tailored-messaging-and-conversion-in-the-age-of-ai.md","Retail Findability, Tailored Messaging and Conversion in the Age of AI","Kevin Sherman","VP, Digital Experience",{"type":9,"value":10,"toc":106},"minimark",[11,15,18,21,24,27,34,40,46,52,58,61,64,67,72,75,78,81,100,103],[12,13,14],"p",{},"For CPG food and beverage brands, the right response to AI search and agentic shopping is to treat them as an evolution of search and commerce, not a replacement for traditional SEO. The core strategic implication is to maintain a governed source of truth, use the brand site as the authority layer, adapt content by retailer and shopper mission, and improve decision-ready product data.",[12,16,17],{},"Traditional search remains the largest driver of discovery, but AI is increasingly changing how search is resolved. Consumers are still using Google, retailer search, recipe search, social discovery and digital shelf environments to find products and meal solutions, but those behaviors are becoming more conversational, more comparative and more AI-assisted. For food and beverage brands, that means content now has to do more than rank. It has to be easy for AI systems to understand, summarize, trust and recommend.",[12,19,20],{},"The right model is not identical content everywhere. It is a consistent core story and product truth, adapted by retailer, channel and shopper mission. Brands should maintain a centralized source of truth for product facts, ingredients, nutrition, certifications, pack sizes, claims, imagery, recipes and usage occasions. That foundation should remain consistent across touchpoints. But content should still be tailored to the context in which consumers shop.",[12,22,23],{},"The brand site should serve as the deepest authority layer. It should go beyond duplicating retailer PDP content and instead provide richer education, product distinctions, recipes, ingredient or sourcing stories, storage guidance, occasion-based inspiration, FAQs and comparison content. This is where a brand can best answer conversational queries and build trust with both consumers and AI-powered search environments.",[12,25,26],{},"Retailer content should then be customized based on each retailer's role in the consumer journey:",[12,28,29,33],{},[30,31,32],"strong",{},"Kroger, Albertsons, Ahold and Publix","\nThese are planned grocery environments where shoppers are often building baskets, using loyalty programs and responding to promotions. Content should emphasize meal relevance, everyday usage, flavor clarity, easy product identification and fit within a broader grocery trip.",[12,35,36,39],{},[30,37,38],{},"Instacart","\nThis is a convenience-led, search-driven and substitution-prone environment. Content should be highly functional, with strong clarity around product name, size, format, flavor and intended use so shoppers can confirm quickly that they have the right item and are less likely to accept an unintended substitute.",[12,41,42,45],{},[30,43,44],{},"Walmart","\nThis is often a value-oriented and family-shopping environment. Content should emphasize value, size clarity, household fit and everyday practicality, making it easy to understand what the shopper gets and why it is a smart purchase.",[12,47,48,51],{},[30,49,50],{},"Amazon","\nThis is typically a more comparison-oriented and review-driven environment. Content should work harder to explain differentiation, answer objections, clarify product formats and surface proof points. Reviews, detailed modules and product comparison cues tend to matter more here.",[12,53,54,57],{},[30,55,56],{},"Club and value channels","\nThese environments are more about multipack economics, pantry loading and household value over time. Content should focus on quantity, frequency of use and longer-term value.",[12,59,60],{},"Across all retailers, the principle is the same: keep the facts aligned, but tailor the expression to the shopping environment.",[12,62,63],{},"From a search standpoint, food and beverage brands should also expand beyond keyword optimization and build content around meal occasions, recipe needs, dietary questions, \"best for\" queries, usage ideas, substitutions, comparisons and hosting moments. The opportunity is not just to rank for branded terms, but to appear when consumers search for solutions, occasions and meal ideas.",[12,65,66],{},"To prepare for AI search and more agentic shopping behavior, brands need cleaner, more decision-ready product data. That includes stronger taxonomy, consistent naming, flavor and format distinctions, nutrition and certification metadata, pack architecture, usage guidance, ratings, reviews, availability signals and substitution resilience. For food and beverage, agentic shopping is likely to emerge first in basket building, comparison, replenishment and substitution support, rather than fully autonomous shopping.",[68,69,71],"h2",{"id":70},"bottom-line","Bottom Line",[12,73,74],{},"For CPG food and beverage brands, the winning model is:",[12,76,77],{},"keep the fundamentals of SEO, build for AI answerability, and tailor content to the realities of each retailer and shopping mission.",[12,79,80],{},"The brands best positioned to win will be the ones that are easiest to:",[82,83,84,88,91,94,97],"ul",{},[85,86,87],"li",{},"find",[85,89,90],{},"understand",[85,92,93],{},"trust",[85,95,96],{},"compare",[85,98,99],{},"add to basket",[12,101,102],{},"They will succeed not by making every touchpoint identical, but by building a consistent product truth and adapting that truth intelligently across owned content, grocery retail, digital shelf and emerging AI-assisted shopping environments.",[12,104,105],{},"So while the problem of search/findability in the Age of AI may seem overwhelming, Blue Chip offers a systematic approach to solve these problems, one grounded in evidence and results. As a start, we'd suggest performing an audit of a client's digital ecosystem to uncover the issues, strategically prioritize the issues and develop a roadmap for resolving them.",{"title":107,"searchDepth":108,"depth":108,"links":109},"",2,[110],{"id":70,"depth":108,"text":71},false,"Brand Commerce","2026-04-14T00:00:00.000Z","md",{},true,null,"/thinking/retail-findability-tailored-messaging-and-conversion-in-the-age-of-ai","Innovation isn't an initiative—it's an operating system.",{"title":5,"description":14},{"loc":118,"videos":122,"images":123},[],[],"thinking/retail-findability-tailored-messaging-and-conversion-in-the-age-of-ai","zidZl9Y8ETaKfRRxuyrjXkLVjwXi3USClp0HXbsV88c",[127,137,145,154,163,172,181,190,199],{"id":128,"color":129,"extension":130,"icon":131,"meta":134,"name":133,"stem":135,"__hash__":136},"thinkingCategories/thinking-categories/Creativity.json","#5AB0FF","json",{"src":132,"alt":133},"/Icons/creativity.svg","Creativity",{},"thinking-categories/Creativity","b4_ZVqMUZgWzIqloLOE-nB0cUUu2Tt49ruf85oXbCd8",{"id":138,"color":139,"extension":130,"icon":140,"meta":142,"name":112,"stem":143,"__hash__":144},"thinkingCategories/thinking-categories/brand-commerce.json","#2AE3FA",{"src":141,"alt":112},"/brandcommerce.svg",{},"thinking-categories/brand-commerce","ocNoNK_UsAOLFszG0TjGLpFRcJYytkPzTp6gSswxeAE",{"id":146,"color":147,"extension":130,"icon":148,"meta":151,"name":150,"stem":152,"__hash__":153},"thinkingCategories/thinking-categories/brand-operations.json","#AB85DD",{"src":149,"alt":150},"/Icons/brandoperations.svg","Brand Operations",{},"thinking-categories/brand-operations","doo7Qr2oU0uXqXDZ1fugFxLwOunOjMsv2h4iz7fvHvI",{"id":155,"color":156,"extension":130,"icon":157,"meta":160,"name":159,"stem":161,"__hash__":162},"thinkingCategories/thinking-categories/consumer-data.json","#9747FF",{"src":158,"alt":159},"/Icons/consumerdata.svg","Consumer Data",{},"thinking-categories/consumer-data","5GZRDglRNCS2QnFmuI5pOqINv1s7EU1KOCmuG1ZFmF4",{"id":164,"color":165,"extension":130,"icon":166,"meta":169,"name":168,"stem":170,"__hash__":171},"thinkingCategories/thinking-categories/media.json","#6E03F9",{"src":167,"alt":168},"/Icons/media.svg","Media",{},"thinking-categories/media","ohYdglp7-1yaE9iHXVzM1tgHXkuPrKe93y10qxfvmNk",{"id":173,"color":174,"extension":130,"icon":175,"meta":178,"name":177,"stem":179,"__hash__":180},"thinkingCategories/thinking-categories/retail-media-networks.json","#008899",{"src":176,"alt":177},"/Icons/retailmedianetworks.svg","Retail Media Networks",{},"thinking-categories/retail-media-networks","LEP6H78z8F4TpSa8WzuRv_EjWrTo3slABp5ww5IXFnI",{"id":182,"color":183,"extension":130,"icon":184,"meta":187,"name":186,"stem":188,"__hash__":189},"thinkingCategories/thinking-categories/shopper-marketing.json","#0074E8",{"src":185,"alt":186},"/Icons/shoppermarketing.svg","Shopper Marketing",{},"thinking-categories/shopper-marketing","dhIcyx5MlW9n18U68NlCsos5FTA0h0IJXMYqmJuPC9o",{"id":191,"color":192,"extension":130,"icon":193,"meta":196,"name":195,"stem":197,"__hash__":198},"thinkingCategories/thinking-categories/strategy-and-insights.json","#0096FF",{"src":194,"alt":195},"/Icons/strategyandinsights.svg","Strategy and Insights",{},"thinking-categories/strategy-and-insights","jv7de-eJZQGAQqX5GP2ITr_t8kJmQPherjm-mgBQg3I",{"id":200,"color":201,"extension":130,"icon":202,"meta":205,"name":204,"stem":206,"__hash__":207},"thinkingCategories/thinking-categories/technology.json","#1A9F92",{"src":203,"alt":204},"/Icons/technology.svg","Technology",{},"thinking-categories/technology","8_1KUcONNDGznwybRZGmHdWgbMzgdsw-ibUfI4Dt9s8",[209,309,401,472,575,741,852,1372,1497,1594,1670,1776,1899,2013,2104,2195,2356,2443,2648,2740,2797,2847,2928,2999,3066,3143,3208,3351,3423,3563,3657,3777,3852,3933,4045,4152,4266,4343,4449,4539,4606],{"id":210,"title":211,"articleTitle":212,"author":213,"authorTitle":214,"body":215,"brandCommercePage":111,"category":112,"date":296,"description":297,"extension":114,"hide":111,"meta":298,"navigation":116,"ogImage":299,"path":301,"pullQuote":117,"seo":302,"sitemap":303,"stem":307,"weighting":306,"__hash__":308},"thinking/thinking/cutting-marketing-during-uncertain-times-it-could-cost-you.md","Cutting Marketing During Uncertain Times? It Could Cost You","Cutting Marketing During Uncertain Times? It Could Cost You.","Sarah Van Heirslee","Chief Growth Officer",{"type":9,"value":216,"toc":291},[217,220,225,261,265,268,275,278,281,284],[12,218,219],{},"When the economy is uncertain and tariffs add pressure, it’s natural for CPG leaders to scrutinize every line item—especially marketing. But history (and data) tell us the same story over and over: Pulling back now puts your brand at risk when the market rebounds.",[221,222,224],"h3",{"id":223},"heres-what-the-data-shows","Here’s what the data shows:",[82,226,227,242,251],{},[85,228,229,230,233,234,237,238],{},"Brands that invest during downturns see ",[30,231,232],{},"4.5x more visibility"," and ",[30,235,236],{},"3x more growth"," after recovery ",[239,240,241],"em",{},"(Harvard Business Review)",[85,243,244,247,248],{},[30,245,246],{},"60% of consumers stay more loyal"," to brands that show up consistently ",[239,249,250],{},"(McKinsey, 2024)",[85,252,253,254,257,258],{},"CPGs that kept advertising during inflation saw ",[30,255,256],{},"18% better sales resilience"," ",[239,259,260],{},"(IRI, 2024)",[221,262,264],{"id":263},"still-facing-pushback-on-your-budget-reframe-the-story","Still facing pushback on your budget? Reframe the story.",[12,266,267],{},"Marketing isn’t just spend—it’s strategy. When competitors go quiet, your message gets louder. You’re not just spending. You’re buying market share at a discount.",[12,269,270,271,274],{},"But not all marketing delivers. The smartest brands are optimizing—uniting brand building and performance in a Brand Commerce approach that drives impact now ",[239,272,273],{},"and"," long term.",[12,276,277],{},"And going dark? That’s expensive: lost trial, lost loyalty and the high cost of rebuilding brand momentum.",[12,279,280],{},"Tariffs and inflation may be out of your hands—but showing up in carts, on shelves and in hearts? That’s the job of marketing.",[12,282,283],{},"So, if your team says, wait and see, counter with this: Invest smart. Show up. Lead. ",[12,285,286],{},[239,287,288],{},[30,289,290],{},"We can help. Blue Chip’s Brand Commerce approach is built for moments like this.",{"title":107,"searchDepth":108,"depth":108,"links":292},[293,295],{"id":223,"depth":294,"text":224},3,{"id":263,"depth":294,"text":264},"2025-06-18T00:00:00.000Z","In uncertain times, smart CPG brands don’t cut marketing—they invest in it. Discover why showing up now means gaining market share, loyalty and long-term growth.",{},{"src":300},"/Thinking/cutting-marketing-image.jpg","/thinking/cutting-marketing-during-uncertain-times-it-could-cost-you",{"title":211,"description":297},{"loc":301,"videos":304,"images":305,"priority":306},[],[],0,"thinking/cutting-marketing-during-uncertain-times-it-could-cost-you","5c3jJpi9nJAHkazjFr8USZ-Ecqa7_LBmYrL_0sa7E3M",{"id":310,"title":311,"articleTitle":311,"author":312,"authorTitle":107,"body":313,"brandCommercePage":116,"category":112,"date":296,"description":390,"extension":114,"hide":111,"meta":391,"navigation":116,"ogImage":392,"path":394,"pullQuote":117,"seo":395,"sitemap":396,"stem":399,"weighting":306,"__hash__":400},"thinking/thinking/marketing-is-a-revenue-engine-but-only-if-you-can-prove-it.md","Marketing Is a Revenue Engine—But Only If You Can Prove It","Blue Chip",{"type":9,"value":314,"toc":388},[315,318,321,324,329,340,347,357,360,365,379],[12,316,317],{},"As margin pressure intensifies for mid-sized CPG companies, CMOs are facing their toughest challenge yet: justifying marketing spend to a finance-driven C-suite.",[12,319,320],{},"Trade promotions are losing effectiveness. Costs are up. Retailer power is growing. The result? A “margin squeeze” that’s shrinking your ability to invest in growth.",[12,322,323],{},"At the center of this pressure cooker is one critical question:",[12,325,326],{},[30,327,328],{},"Can you prove that marketing works?",[12,330,331,332,335,336,339],{},"Most CFOs don't speak “brand.” They speak ",[30,333,334],{},"ROI",". And if marketing can’t show direct impact on ",[30,337,338],{},"revenue, margin or risk",", it becomes the first budget on the chopping block.",[12,341,342,343,346],{},"The good news? There ",[239,344,345],{},"is"," a way to close this gap. It starts with a blended approach that Blue Chip leverages for clients every day, which focuses on building brand equity while driving measurable conversions and short-term revenue. In other words, we aim to build brands over time while driving sales overnight. ",[348,349,351],"thinking-quote",{":noBorder":350},"true",[352,353,354],"template",{"v-slot:quote":107},[12,355,356],{},"We have coined this approach Brand Commerce.",[12,358,359],{},"Together, this mix protects margins, fuels long-term growth and—most important—makes the case using language your CFO understands.",[12,361,362],{},[30,363,364],{},"A few proof points:",[82,366,367,370,373,376],{},[85,368,369],{},"Strong brands reduce price sensitivity, keeping margins intact",[85,371,372],{},"Brand building increases mental availability, lowering future CAC",[85,374,375],{},"Over-indexing on short-term promotions, digital discounts and lower-funnel conversion tactics may boost ROI today but could damage it tomorrow.",[85,377,378],{},"Marketing strategies tied to Ccustomer lifetime value and churn reduction outperform vanity metrics every time",[12,380,381,382,387],{},"We'd love to hear your thoughts. Even better, ",[383,384,386],"a",{"href":385},"/contact","let’s chat"," if you want to make your marketing budget not just defensible—but essential.",{"title":107,"searchDepth":108,"depth":108,"links":389},[],"Discover how Blue Chip’s Brand Commerce approach helps mid-sized CPG brands prove marketing ROI, protect margins and drive long-term growth.",{},{"src":393},"/Thinking/marketing-revenue-engine-image.jpg","/thinking/marketing-is-a-revenue-engine-but-only-if-you-can-prove-it",{"description":390,"title":311},{"loc":394,"videos":397,"images":398},[],[],"thinking/marketing-is-a-revenue-engine-but-only-if-you-can-prove-it","2uyi41Ht9RK_jt5OUZZQ4LuzLwzyqnCqyfxtrUdiCgU",{"id":4,"title":5,"articleTitle":5,"author":6,"authorTitle":7,"body":402,"brandCommercePage":111,"category":112,"date":113,"description":14,"extension":114,"hide":111,"meta":467,"navigation":116,"ogImage":117,"path":118,"pullQuote":119,"seo":468,"sitemap":469,"stem":124,"weighting":117,"__hash__":125},{"type":9,"value":403,"toc":464},[404,406,408,410,412,414,418,422,426,430,434,436,438,440,442,444,446,448,460,462],[12,405,14],{},[12,407,17],{},[12,409,20],{},[12,411,23],{},[12,413,26],{},[12,415,416,33],{},[30,417,32],{},[12,419,420,39],{},[30,421,38],{},[12,423,424,45],{},[30,425,44],{},[12,427,428,51],{},[30,429,50],{},[12,431,432,57],{},[30,433,56],{},[12,435,60],{},[12,437,63],{},[12,439,66],{},[68,441,71],{"id":70},[12,443,74],{},[12,445,77],{},[12,447,80],{},[82,449,450,452,454,456,458],{},[85,451,87],{},[85,453,90],{},[85,455,93],{},[85,457,96],{},[85,459,99],{},[12,461,102],{},[12,463,105],{},{"title":107,"searchDepth":108,"depth":108,"links":465},[466],{"id":70,"depth":108,"text":71},{},{"title":5,"description":14},{"loc":118,"videos":470,"images":471},[],[],{"id":473,"title":474,"articleTitle":474,"author":475,"authorTitle":214,"body":476,"brandCommercePage":116,"category":112,"date":562,"description":563,"extension":114,"hide":111,"meta":564,"navigation":566,"ogImage":117,"path":567,"pullQuote":568,"seo":569,"sitemap":570,"stem":573,"weighting":117,"__hash__":574},"thinking/thinking/the-trade-trap.md","The Trade Trap: Why CPG Brands Need to Shift 10% Upstream—Now","Sarah Vanheirseele",{"type":9,"value":477,"toc":560},[478,481,496,499,508,517,528,531,537,540,543,546,551,554,557],[12,479,480],{},"CPG brands don’t think they have a marketing problem. They think they have a selling problem. That’s why trade spending has long been the most trusted lever. Temporary price reductions, display programs, and retailer funding feel tangible, controllable, and directly tied to revenue.  ",[12,482,483,484,487,488,491,492,495],{},"And trade ",[239,485,486],{},"does"," work.",[489,490],"br",{},"\nBut ",[239,493,494],{},"how"," it works is the problem.",[12,497,498],{},"Trade typically shows up at the final moment of truth, whether that moment happens in the aisle, on a retailer.com PDP, or inside a retail media placement. In that moment, price and placement often outweigh meaning, differentiation, or brand value and become the reason why they buy. The result: many brands become only as strong as their weekly deal. Over time, that dynamic fuels category price wars, erodes margins, and trains shoppers to buy based on discounts rather than brand.",[12,500,501,504,505,504],{},[30,502,503],{},"That reality is pushing more marketers to ask a smarter question:"," ",[239,506,507],{},"What if we redirected just 10% of the trade budget earlier in the journey, so trade could reinforce brand choice rather than replace it?",[12,509,510,511,513,514,516],{},"Not more money.",[489,512],{},"\nNot less support for retailers.",[489,515],{},"\nJust a better-timed use of the same dollars.",[12,518,519,520,523,524,527],{},"Recent reports from Bain & Company and NIQ indicate that consumers are still spending, but they are more deliberate about ",[239,521,522],{},"where"," they spend. Price matters, but relevance, clarity, and brand meaning matter more. Brands that help shoppers understand their value ",[239,525,526],{},"before"," they reach the shelf become far less dependent on deep discounting. More importantly, they build brand equity that compounds over time instead of resetting every promotional cycle.",[12,529,530],{},"Retailers do not win long-term from endless price compression. They win when brands drive differentiated demand that improves mix, loyalty, and category growth.",[12,532,533,536],{},[30,534,535],{},"This is the essence of Brand Commerce:"," when brand building and selling operate as one system, demand starts earlier, choices become less price-driven, and trade works harder. When brand meaning is established earlier through upper- and mid-funnel influence, retail activation becomes reinforcement instead of persuasion. Brand investment builds memory and preference. Trade reinforces that preference at the moment of choice. Retailers benefit. Brands benefit. Shoppers do too.",[12,538,539],{},"The 10% trade shift is a practical way to test this approach. Brands identify the portion of trade spend with the lowest confidence in incrementality and redirect those dollars upstream. That investment fuels retail media, commerce-driven creative, and stronger digital shelf experiences that clarify why the brand deserves to be chosen—before price comes into play.",[12,541,542],{},"Done right, these dollars don’t replace trade. They make trade more effective. Promotions, displays, and placements convert existing demand rather than trying to manufacture it through deep discounts. The entire system becomes more efficient.",[12,544,545],{},"This approach reduces risk rather than introducing it. Success is measured in revenue, velocity, and turns – not impressions or brand lift alone. Spend is optimized in real time. Trade becomes an accelerator of brand-driven demand instead of a stand-in for it.",[12,547,548],{},[30,549,550],{},"So, here is the challenge.",[12,552,553],{},"If your trade dollars are truly creating incremental demand and strengthening brand preference, keep going.",[12,555,556],{},"But if they are simply funding the same promotions your competitors are running, ask yourself whether that is growth or just participation.\nRedirect 10% and test it.",[12,558,559],{},"That small move may be the most meaningful—and margin-positive—growth decision you make this year.",{"title":107,"searchDepth":108,"depth":108,"links":561},[],"2026-03-31T00:00:00.000Z","Brands spend billions influencing the final moment of choice, but the real opportunity lies earlier in the journey",{"A small reallocation of trade dollars can make promotions more effective without increasing spend":565},{"\"":117},{"icon":107},"/thinking/the-trade-trap","Brands spend billions influencing the final moment of choice, but the real opportunity lies earlier in the journey. A small reallocation of trade dollars can make promotions more effective without increasing spend.",{"title":474,"description":563},{"loc":567,"videos":571,"images":572},[],[],"thinking/the-trade-trap","O9fugfGd9I8mBjSxY5JW19fGfJbpKe9UGaPGOfiWowo",{"id":576,"title":577,"articleTitle":577,"author":578,"authorTitle":579,"body":580,"brandCommercePage":111,"category":195,"date":728,"description":729,"extension":114,"hide":111,"meta":730,"navigation":731,"ogImage":117,"path":732,"pullQuote":733,"seo":734,"sitemap":736,"stem":739,"weighting":117,"__hash__":740},"thinking/thinking/innovation-as-an-operating-system.md","Innovation as an Operating System - The New Baseline for Modern Brands","Dan Cornell","VP, Communication & Activation Planning",{"type":9,"value":581,"toc":726},[582,597,600,607,614,617,624,627,633,639,646,649,669,672,678,711,717,720],[12,583,584,585,588,589,592,593,596],{},"That reality ",[30,586,587],{},"became undeniable"," as I moderated the ",[30,590,591],{},"Brand Innovators Denver Dinner & Discussion Series"," hosted by ",[30,594,595],{},"The North Face."," In a room of senior marketers across categories, the pattern was clear: Culture moves faster, technology compresses timelines and innovation can’t live in occasional bursts. It has to be something an organization is built to produce—repeatably.   ",[12,598,599],{},"What’s changed isn’t the importance of innovation—it’s the environment around it. Culture moves at real-time speed. Consumer expectations reset constantly. And technology—especially AI—is shrinking the distance between insight, concept and launch. In that context, innovation can’t be treated as a side project or a periodic push. It has to be embedded into how teams work.",[12,601,602,603,606],{},"What’s changed isn’t the importance of innovation—it’s the environment around it. Culture moves at real-time speed. Consumer expectations reset constantly. And technology—especially AI—is shrinking the distance between insight, concept and launch. In that context, innovation can’t be treated as a side project or a periodic push. It has to be embedded into how teams work.\nThat’s what I mean by an ",[30,604,605],{},"innovation operating system:"," a repeatable way to detect change, turn it into decisions, test quickly, learn fast and scale what works. It spans both product and marketing. The scale will vary by organization, but the requirement doesn’t—innovation can no longer be a one-off effort.   ",[608,609,611,504],"h1",{"id":610},"why-innovation-as-an-operating-system-is-the-new-baseline",[30,612,613],{},"Why “innovation as an operating system” is the new baseline",[12,615,616],{},"Many organizations—even high-performing ones—still run innovation like an event: an offsite, a quarterly workshop, a special task force, a “big idea” moment. That approach can generate sparks, but it’s hard to sustain speed and consistency when the market is moving every day.",[12,618,619,620,623],{},"What stood out in Denver was that advanced teams aren’t abandoning the moments—they’re ",[30,621,622],{},"building the machinery behind them."," They’re formalizing a system to spot signals earlier, decide faster, test with discipline and scale without chaos. Without that system, the failure mode is predictable:",[12,625,626],{},"Signals show up late, decisions drag, teams scramble and execution bottlenecks (with legal, ops, data, retail or fulfillment) stall momentum. Even when something ships, learning often isn’t captured—so the next push starts from scratch.",[12,628,629,630],{},"An operating system doesn’t guarantee every bet will work. But it does make innovation ",[30,631,632],{},"normal rather than heroic.",[608,634,636,504],{"id":635},"what-collaboration-has-to-look-like-now",[30,637,638],{},"What collaboration has to look like now",[12,640,641,642,645],{},"Innovation is rarely a creativity problem. More often, it’s an ",[30,643,644],{},"alignment and execution problem."," Collaboration accelerates innovation only when it’s structured. Otherwise, it turns into consensus culture: more stakeholders, more meetings, slower decisions.",[12,647,648],{},"The teams operationalizing innovation do a few things differently:",[82,650,651,657,663],{},[85,652,653,656],{},[30,654,655],{},"Clarify decision rights early."," Not everyone needs to weigh in at the same time.",[85,658,659,662],{},[30,660,661],{},"Define what “testable” means."," The goal isn’t perfection; it’s disciplined learning.",[85,664,665,668],{},[30,666,667],{},"Build repeatable pathways through constraints."," Legal, compliance, ops and data aren’t last-step blockers—they’re part of system design.",[12,670,671],{},"Innovation thrives when clarity replaces committee.",[608,673,675,504],{"id":674},"five-ways-to-build-your-innovation-operating-system",[30,676,677],{},"Five ways to build your innovation operating system",[679,680,681,687,693,699,705],"ol",{},[85,682,683,686],{},[30,684,685],{},"Identify natural innovators—and give them a mandate.","\nEvery organization has people who lean forward: curious, pattern-seeking, fast to prototype. Find them and formalize the role. You don’t need everyone innovating—you need clear owners who can turn signals into testable options tied to business outcomes.",[85,688,689,692],{},[30,690,691],{},"Protect time and mental space.","\nIf innovation only happens “when things slow down,” it won’t happen. Use recurring calendar holds outside active project work. Give that time a simple structure: signals → hypotheses → smallest test → decision path.",[85,694,695,698],{},[30,696,697],{},"Turn social listening into momentum.","\nSignals emerge fast on social and disappear just as quickly. Treat listening as an early warning network, then convert what you see into hypotheses you can validate: “If this is real, we should see X behavior,” “If this message resonates, it should move Y metric.” Track learnings so that insight compounds.",[85,700,701,704],{},[30,702,703],{},"Leverage partners across offices and regions.","\nGathering multiple perspectives early strengthens ideas and reduces rework later. Speed improves when you design collaboration, especially “follow-the-sun” development that hands work across time zones. Involve external partners early enough that feasibility shapes the idea before it hardens.",[85,706,707,710],{},[30,708,709],{},"Ensure operational readiness.","\nOperational readiness is the difference between innovation as theater and innovation as growth. Build for fast ramp-ups, short-run tests, modular creative and measurement built for learning. Ensure clear decision rights so momentum doesn’t die in meetings.",[608,712,714,504],{"id":713},"the-mindset-shift-progress-over-perfection",[30,715,716],{},"The mindset shift: progress over perfection",[12,718,719],{},"Innovation doesn’t require perfection—but it does require intention, consistency, and readiness to act. The best teams stop asking, Is this flawless? and start asking, Is it on-brand? Is it clear? Is it testable? Is it measurable? Is it safe to ship? If it works, can we scale it?",[12,721,722,723],{},"The clearest takeaway from Denver wasn’t a shiny new tactic. It was a leadership reminder: ",[30,724,725],{},"Innovation can’t be an occasional initiative anymore. It has to be an operating system.",{"title":107,"searchDepth":108,"depth":108,"links":727},[],"2026-02-26T00:00:00.000Z","As culture accelerates and AI compresses timelines, innovation can’t live in bursts. At the Brand Innovators Denver Dinner hosted by The North Face, senior marketers shared how they’re operationalizing innovation—building systems to spot signals, move faster and scale growth without chaos.",{},{"title":107},"/thinking/innovation-as-an-operating-system","Innovation isn’t an initiative—it’s an operating system. ",{"title":735,"description":729},"Innovation as an Operating System-The New Baseline for Modern Brands",{"loc":732,"videos":737,"images":738},[],[],"thinking/innovation-as-an-operating-system","5vt1Sq47jj3aA95tT9K6fqYCQgw1FksGCkqdgl-W6x4",{"id":742,"title":743,"articleTitle":743,"author":744,"authorTitle":745,"body":746,"brandCommercePage":111,"category":195,"date":842,"description":843,"extension":114,"hide":111,"meta":844,"navigation":116,"ogImage":117,"path":845,"pullQuote":117,"seo":846,"sitemap":847,"stem":850,"weighting":117,"__hash__":851},"thinking/thinking/how-blue-chip-helps-brands-win-with-walmart-connect.md","No Managed Service? No Problem. How Blue Chip Helps Brands Win with Walmart Connect Offsite","Mary Kate Huffman","Sr. Dir. Commerce Strategy",{"type":9,"value":747,"toc":835},[748,752,755,758,762,765,768,771,774,778,781,807,810,814,817,820,824,827,830],[221,749,751],{"id":750},"walmart-connects-next-chapter-more-control-more-opportunity","Walmart Connect’s Next Chapter: More Control, More Opportunity",[12,753,754],{},"Walmart Connect continues to evolve, giving brands greater flexibility and control across its expanding retail media ecosystem. As onsite and offsite capabilities advance, many advertisers are taking a more hands-on approach to how media is planned, activated, and optimized within the Walmart DSP.",[12,756,757],{},"Offsite channels—including display, video, CTV, and audio—play an important role in extending Walmart audiences beyond the digital shelf, influencing shoppers earlier in the journey, and supporting incremental growth. As these capabilities expand, brands often look for partners that can help them navigate increased complexity and align offsite media with broader commerce objectives.",[221,759,761],{"id":760},"turning-complexity-into-connected-strategy","Turning Complexity Into Connected Strategy",[12,763,764],{},"At Blue Chip, we view the continued evolution of Walmart Connect as an opportunity to build more connected, data-driven retail media strategies.",[12,766,767],{},"As a Walmart Connect Premium Partner, Blue Chip supports advertisers across planning, activation, optimization, and reporting within the Walmart DSP. Our work focuses on helping brands apply data, platform expertise, and operational rigor to their Walmart Connect programs in a way that aligns with business goals.",[12,769,770],{},"In addition to our work within Walmart Connect, Blue Chip brings extensive experience activating retail media through The Trade Desk, the technology platform that powers Walmart offsite execution. With many years of experience operating within The Trade Desk ecosystem, our teams apply established best practices around campaign setup, optimization, and measurement to support Walmart offsite media efforts.",[12,772,773],{},"This combination allows us to help brands approach Walmart offsite media with confidence and clarity, whether they are expanding beyond onsite placements or refining existing programs.",[221,775,777],{"id":776},"how-blue-chip-supports-walmart-offsite-activation","How Blue Chip Supports Walmart Offsite Activation",[12,779,780],{},"Blue Chip works with advertisers to support a range of Walmart Connect offsite objectives, including:",[82,782,783,789,795,801],{},[85,784,785,788],{},[30,786,787],{},"Strategic planning:"," Applying first- and third-party data to identify relevant Walmart audiences and inform offsite channel selection and media strategy.",[85,790,791,794],{},[30,792,793],{},"Campaign activation:"," Managing media buying, bidding, and pacing within the Walmart DSP to support efficient execution across offsite formats.",[85,796,797,800],{},[30,798,799],{},"Ongoing optimization:"," Interpreting DSP signals and performance data to inform ongoing adjustments and improve efficiency over time.",[85,802,803,806],{},[30,804,805],{},"Commerce alignment:"," Connecting media strategy and creative execution with commerce goals to support both near-term sales and longer-term brand outcomes.",[12,808,809],{},"Across CPG brands and Marketplace sellers, Blue Chip focuses on bridging strategy and execution to help advertisers get more value from their Walmart offsite investments.",[221,811,813],{"id":812},"the-bigger-picture-retail-media-is-maturing","The Bigger Picture: Retail Media Is Maturing",[12,815,816],{},"Walmart Connect’s continued expansion reflects the broader evolution of retail media. As platforms grow more sophisticated, success increasingly depends on the ability to combine data, technology, and creative strategy in a cohesive way.",[12,818,819],{},"Blue Chip’s Brand Commerce™ approach brings these elements together, helping brands align storytelling, media, and conversion across the shopper journey. Our focus is on building connected experiences that influence shoppers across touchpoints and support conversion when and where it matters.",[221,821,823],{"id":822},"a-practical-path-forward-for-walmart-connect-advertisers","A Practical Path Forward for Walmart Connect Advertisers",[12,825,826],{},"As Walmart Connect offsite capabilities continue to expand, Blue Chip offers flexible engagement models and hands-on platform support designed to meet advertisers at different stages of maturity.",[12,828,829],{},"Our objective is straightforward: to help brands approach Walmart Connect offsite media thoughtfully, transparently, and in alignment with their broader commerce and growth goals.",[12,831,832],{},[239,833,834],{},"This content reflects Blue Chip’s perspective and experience working with retail media platforms. Views expressed are those of Blue Chip and do not represent Walmart Connect.",{"title":107,"searchDepth":108,"depth":108,"links":836},[837,838,839,840,841],{"id":750,"depth":294,"text":751},{"id":760,"depth":294,"text":761},{"id":776,"depth":294,"text":777},{"id":812,"depth":294,"text":813},{"id":822,"depth":294,"text":823},"2026-01-30T00:00:00.000Z","\"As Walmart Connect offsite capabilities continue to expand, Blue Chip offers flexible engagement models and hands-on platform support designed to meet advertisers at different stages of maturity. \"",{},"/thinking/how-blue-chip-helps-brands-win-with-walmart-connect",{"title":743,"description":843},{"loc":845,"videos":848,"images":849},[],[],"thinking/how-blue-chip-helps-brands-win-with-walmart-connect","J5PId0-dSCPEEn0XmLGHrGtaeU0a8aimmVz3lyhW5a4",{"id":853,"title":854,"articleTitle":854,"author":6,"authorTitle":855,"body":856,"brandCommercePage":111,"category":195,"date":1362,"description":1363,"extension":114,"hide":111,"meta":1364,"navigation":116,"ogImage":117,"path":1365,"pullQuote":117,"seo":1366,"sitemap":1367,"stem":1370,"weighting":117,"__hash__":1371},"thinking/thinking/the-marketers-playbook-for-winning-black-friday-and-cyber-monday-2026.md","The Marketer’s Playbook For Winning Black Friday + Cyber Monday 2026","VP Digital Experience",{"type":9,"value":857,"toc":1356},[858,869,872,878,881,889,897,906,919,924,929,934,939,945,952,959,967,971,976,981,986,992,1002,1009,1017,1021,1026,1031,1036,1042,1049,1056,1065,1069,1074,1079,1084,1090,1093,1099,1107,1115,1120,1127,1133,1138,1143,1150,1158,1162,1167,1172,1177,1183,1186,1193,1201,1205,1210,1215,1220,1226,1229,1234,1239,1244,1249,1257,1261,1266,1271,1276,1281,1286,1292,1295,1302,1309,1316,1324,1331,1338,1345],[12,859,860,861,864,865,868],{},"Black Friday and Cyber Monday no longer represent a weekend—they anchor a multi-week, AI-driven, mobile-first commerce season. And while 2025 will showcase this shift in full force, the ",[239,862,863],{},"real"," opportunity for marketers is to prepare now to dominate ",[30,866,867],{},"Black Friday Week 2026",". ",[12,870,871],{},"Below, find your 2026 playbook built on real, verifiable industry data combined with Blue Chip’s agency perspective.  ",[608,873,875,504],{"id":874},"_1-ai-is-becoming-a-primary-gateway-to-holiday-shopping",[30,876,877],{},"1. AI is becoming a primary gateway to holiday shopping",[12,879,880],{},"Traffic from generative-AI tools to retail sites surged: ",[82,882,883],{},[85,884,885,888],{},[30,886,887],{},"1,300% YoY"," during Holiday 2024 ",[82,890,891],{},[85,892,893,896],{},[30,894,895],{},"1,950% YoY"," on Cyber Monday alone ",[12,898,899,900,504],{},"Source: ",[383,901,905],{"href":902,"rel":903},"https://business.adobe.com/blog/generative-ai-powered-shopping-rises-with-traffic-to-retail-sites",[904],"nofollow","Adobe Digital Insights",[12,907,908,911,912,915,916,504],{},[30,909,910],{},"Why it matters for 2026:","  Shoppers aren’t just browsing less—they’re ",[239,913,914],{},"delegating decisions to AI",". That means the first moment of truth is increasingly happening inside ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity or retailer AI assistants. And because AI models optimize for clarity, structure and relevance, ",[30,917,918],{},"your product data will now determine your discoverability.",[12,920,921,504],{},[30,922,923],{},"Your 2026 playbook:",[82,925,926],{},[85,927,928],{},"Build AI-readable product pages with clear attributes ",[82,930,931],{},[85,932,933],{},"Add structured FAQs and value messages AI can surface ",[82,935,936],{},[85,937,938],{},"Audit your brand’s presence in top AI assistants ",[608,940,942,504],{"id":941},"_2-mobile-is-the-default-shopping-channel",[30,943,944],{},"2. Mobile is the default shopping channel",[12,946,947,948,951],{},"Smartphones drove ",[30,949,950],{},"~54.5% of all U.S. online holiday purchases"," in 2024. ",[12,953,899,954,504],{},[383,955,958],{"href":956,"rel":957},"https://www.retailcustomerexperience.com/news/2024-holiday-shopping-was-a-big-mobile-experience/",[904],"Adobe / RetailCustomerExperience",[12,960,961,963,964,504],{},[30,962,910],{},"  Mobile isn’t just another channel—it’s the primary storefront for today’s shopper. And because shoppers expect speed and simplicity, ",[30,965,966],{},"your mobile performance now directly determines your revenue.",[12,968,969,504],{},[30,970,923],{},[82,972,973],{},[85,974,975],{},"Deliver \u003C2-second mobile load times ",[82,977,978],{},[85,979,980],{},"Prioritize reels, stories, shorts and thumb-friendly formats  ",[82,982,983],{},[85,984,985],{},"Offer mobile-only bundles or QR-triggered offers ",[608,987,989,504],{"id":988},"_3-bnpl-is-reshaping-holiday-shopping-behavior",[30,990,991],{},"3. BNPL is reshaping holiday shopping behavior",[12,993,994,995,998,999,868],{},"Buy Now, Pay Later spending during the 2024 holiday season grew ",[30,996,997],{},"14% YoY",", reaching ",[30,1000,1001],{},"$16.6B",[12,1003,899,1004,504],{},[383,1005,1008],{"href":1006,"rel":1007},"https://www.emarketer.com/content/holiday-bnpl-spending-shows-bnpl-growth-drivers-work",[904],"Insider Intelligence",[12,1010,1011,1013,1014,504],{},[30,1012,910],{},"  BNPL encourages bigger baskets, stock-up behavior and premium purchasing—even in CPG. As BNPL adoption expands, ",[30,1015,1016],{},"brands that integrate it seamlessly into the shopper journey will capture demand.",[12,1018,1019,504],{},[30,1020,923],{},[82,1022,1023],{},[85,1024,1025],{},"Use BNPL messaging for larger bundles & premium SKUs ",[82,1027,1028],{},[85,1029,1030],{},"Integrate BNPL into PDPs and seasonal landing pages ",[82,1032,1033],{},[85,1034,1035],{},"Segment BNPL users for retargeting and subscription offers ",[608,1037,1039,504],{"id":1038},"_4-ai-agents-are-quietly-influencing-nearly-1-in-5-purchases",[30,1040,1041],{},"4. AI agents are quietly influencing nearly 1 in 5 purchases",[12,1043,1044,1045,1048],{},"Salesforce reports that ",[30,1046,1047],{},"~19% of online holiday orders"," in 2024 were influenced by AI-driven recommendations and personalization. ",[12,1050,899,1051],{},[383,1052,1055],{"href":1053,"rel":1054},"https://www.salesforce.com/news/press-releases/2025/01/06/2024-holiday-shopping-data/",[904],"Salesforce Holiday Dataset ",[12,1057,1058,1060,1061,1064],{},[30,1059,910],{},"  AI doesn’t just drive discovery—it actively shapes consideration and conversion. And ",[30,1062,1063],{},"shoppers are expecting AI-driven guidance throughout their journey","—not just at the point of purchase. ",[12,1066,1067,504],{},[30,1068,923],{},[82,1070,1071],{},[85,1072,1073],{},"Enable AI chat for guidance, pairing and product education ",[82,1075,1076],{},[85,1077,1078],{},"Use predictive analytics to trigger targeted offers ",[82,1080,1081],{},[85,1082,1083],{},"Create AI-powered “gift finder” or guided holiday experiences ",[608,1085,1087,504],{"id":1086},"_5-sustainability-is-a-growing-purchase-driver-for-gen-z",[30,1088,1089],{},"5. Sustainability is a growing purchase driver for Gen Z",[12,1091,1092],{},"Sustainability isn’t a differentiator anymore—it’s a baseline expectation for Gen Z. Two authoritative sources confirm this shift: ",[221,1094,1096,504],{"id":1095},"kadence-research-20202024",[30,1097,1098],{},"Kadence Research (2020–2024)",[82,1100,1101],{},[85,1102,1103,1106],{},[30,1104,1105],{},"Gen Z"," believes brands should lead on sustainability ",[82,1108,1109],{},[85,1110,1111,1114],{},[30,1112,1113],{},"73%"," are willing to pay more for sustainable products ",[82,1116,1117],{},[85,1118,1119],{},"Eco-friendly packaging is a major decision factor ",[12,1121,899,1122,504],{},[383,1123,1126],{"href":1124,"rel":1125},"https://kadence.com/knowledge/why-gen-z-values-sustainability-tips-for-marketing-to-the-eco-conscious-generation/#:~:text=According%20to%20a%202020%20study,a%20leadership%20role%20in%20sustainability.",[904],"Kadence – Why Gen Z Values Sustainability",[221,1128,1130,504],{"id":1129},"mckinseys-true-gen-report",[30,1131,1132],{},"McKinsey’s “True Gen” Report",[82,1134,1135],{},[85,1136,1137],{},"Gen Z places heightened importance on brand values, ethics and sustainability ",[82,1139,1140],{},[85,1141,1142],{},"Sustainability is a meaningful driver of brand choice ",[12,1144,899,1145],{},[383,1146,1149],{"href":1147,"rel":1148},"https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/true-gen-generation-z-and-its-implications-for-companies",[904],"McKinsey – True Gen ",[12,1151,1152,1154,1155,504],{},[30,1153,910],{},"  Gen Z will represent a larger share of Cyber Week shoppers—especially in categories like beauty, personal care, beverages and household goods. Clear sustainability signals from brands will increasingly ",[30,1156,1157],{},"determine who gets considered and who gets filtered out.",[12,1159,1160,504],{},[30,1161,923],{},[82,1163,1164],{},[85,1165,1166],{},"Make sustainability a visible value prop—not a side note ",[82,1168,1169],{},[85,1170,1171],{},"Use recognizable eco labels & packaging callouts on PDPs ",[82,1173,1174],{},[85,1175,1176],{},"Launch limited-edition eco-friendly holiday packaging or refillables ",[608,1178,1180,504],{"id":1179},"_6-creator-content-outperforms-traditional-paid-social",[30,1181,1182],{},"6. Creator content outperforms traditional paid social",[12,1184,1185],{},"Influencer Marketing Hub reports that creator-led content consistently drives higher engagement, trust and conversion efficiency than standard paid ads. ",[12,1187,899,1188,504],{},[383,1189,1192],{"href":1190,"rel":1191},"https://influencermarketinghub.com/influencer-marketing-roi/",[904],"Influencer Marketing Hub ROI Report",[12,1194,1195,1197,1198,868],{},[30,1196,910],{},"  Creators now shape taste, trust, product discovery and trial—especially during high-intent holiday windows. ",[30,1199,1200],{},"Brands that integrate creators into content will outperform those relying solely on standard paid ads",[12,1202,1203,504],{},[30,1204,923],{},[82,1206,1207],{},[85,1208,1209],{},"Activate creators early to build momentum before Cyber Week ",[82,1211,1212],{},[85,1213,1214],{},"Repurpose UGC into retail media, PDP videos and paid social ",[82,1216,1217],{},[85,1218,1219],{},"Use performance-based creator programs (affiliates, revenue share) ",[608,1221,1223,504],{"id":1222},"_7-real-time-social-media-optimization-is-now-essential",[30,1224,1225],{},"7. Real-time social media optimization is now essential",[12,1227,1228],{},"During Black Friday and Cyber Monday weeks, social platforms behave like living markets where: ",[82,1230,1231],{},[85,1232,1233],{},"TikTok trends shift hourly ",[82,1235,1236],{},[85,1237,1238],{},"Retail media prices fluctuate dynamically ",[82,1240,1241],{},[85,1242,1243],{},"Creators surge into virality overnight ",[82,1245,1246],{},[85,1247,1248],{},"Platform algorithms prioritize fresh content over legacy campaigns ",[12,1250,1251,1253,1254,504],{},[30,1252,910],{},"  On social, trends shift hourly and algorithms reward the newest, highest-performing content. Static plans fall behind quickly. ",[30,1255,1256],{},"Optimizing in real time will capitalize on momentum as it happens.",[12,1258,1259,504],{},[30,1260,923],{},[82,1262,1263],{},[85,1264,1265],{},"Build a “social command center” (lightweight or virtual) ",[82,1267,1268],{},[85,1269,1270],{},"Pre-produce rapid-response creative variations  ",[82,1272,1273],{},[85,1274,1275],{},"Monitor trending audio, formats and creators hourly ",[82,1277,1278],{},[85,1279,1280],{},"Shift budget instantly toward high-performing assets ",[82,1282,1283],{},[85,1284,1285],{},"Refresh creative daily to keep pace with platform velocity ",[608,1287,1289,504],{"id":1288},"winning-black-friday-cyber-monday-2026-starts-now",[30,1290,1291],{},"Winning Black Friday + Cyber Monday 2026 starts now",[12,1293,1294],{},"To win in 2026, marketers must build strategies centered on: ",[82,1296,1297],{},[85,1298,1299,504],{},[30,1300,1301],{},"AI-first discovery & recommendation",[82,1303,1304],{},[85,1305,1306,504],{},[30,1307,1308],{},"Mobile-native experiences",[82,1310,1311],{},[85,1312,1313,504],{},[30,1314,1315],{},"Buy Now, Pay Later-driven basket expansion",[82,1317,1318],{},[85,1319,1320,1323],{},[30,1321,1322],{},"AI-powered shopping guidance","  ",[82,1325,1326],{},[85,1327,1328,504],{},[30,1329,1330],{},"Sustainability-forward brand positioning",[82,1332,1333],{},[85,1334,1335,504],{},[30,1336,1337],{},"Creator-driven influence & conversion",[82,1339,1340],{},[85,1341,1342,504],{},[30,1343,1344],{},"Real-time social media optimization",[12,1346,1347,1348,1351,1352,1355],{},"Black Friday + Cyber Monday are no longer just a moment—",[30,1349,1350],{},"they’re a system.","    And the brands that prepare ",[239,1353,1354],{},"today"," will dominate 2026.",{"title":107,"searchDepth":108,"depth":108,"links":1357},[1358,1360],{"id":1095,"depth":294,"text":1359},"Kadence Research (2020–2024) ",{"id":1129,"depth":294,"text":1361},"McKinsey’s “True Gen” Report ","2025-11-24T00:00:00.000Z","Black Friday and Cyber Monday no longer represent a weekend—they anchor a multi-week, AI-driven, mobile-first commerce season. And while 2025 will showcase this shift in full force, the real opportunity for marketers is to prepare now to dominate Black Friday Week 2026.   Below, find your 2026 playbook built on real, verifiable industry data combined with Blue Chip’s agency perspective.  ",{},"/thinking/the-marketers-playbook-for-winning-black-friday-and-cyber-monday-2026",{"description":1363,"title":854},{"loc":1365,"videos":1368,"images":1369},[],[],"thinking/the-marketers-playbook-for-winning-black-friday-and-cyber-monday-2026","jUqcGm_QEMjH4Urj-ivaRIURDeuB9NnhJiCDbz-bc-E",{"id":1373,"title":1374,"articleTitle":1374,"author":578,"authorTitle":579,"body":1375,"brandCommercePage":116,"category":112,"date":1486,"description":1487,"extension":114,"hide":111,"meta":1488,"navigation":1489,"ogImage":117,"path":1490,"pullQuote":107,"seo":1491,"sitemap":1492,"stem":1495,"weighting":117,"__hash__":1496},"thinking/thinking/the-mid-market-multiplier-why-integration-wins-over-investment.md","The Mid-Market Multiplier: Why Integration Wins Over Investment ",{"type":9,"value":1376,"toc":1484},[1377,1380,1385,1388,1393,1396,1402,1405,1410,1434,1443,1448,1453,1458,1463,1468,1473,1476,1481],[12,1378,1379],{},"Today’s mid-sized companies face a market split between old-school thinking and rapid, tech-driven shifts in consumer behavior. Too often, they still follow big-brand playbooks built for another era, when linear media and siloed teams were par for the course. The current media landscape—one filled with scattered touchpoints, shifting business models and chaotic buyer journeys—demands that brands integrate brand and sales initiatives so that neither takes a backseat.  ",[12,1381,1382,504],{},[30,1383,1384],{},"The funnel didn’t just collapse—it got messy",[12,1386,1387],{},"The traditional separation between brand building and commerce performance has collapsed; no longer is there a neat handoff between brand and sales. With that either/or framework now obsolete, the real opportunity now lies in always-on advertising—or what Google coined the “messy middle.” That fragmented space is where consumers loop through exploration and evaluation, and where relevance, recognition and results must be earned in concert, not in sequence.  ",[12,1389,1390,504],{},[30,1391,1392],{},"To grow in today’s market, integration is imperative",[12,1394,1395],{},"When brand and commerce operate separately, teams splinter, budgets scatter and success is harder to measure. The next phase of growth depends on uniting them so that every strategic decision, channel and creative execution delivers both immediate returns and long-term brand value. This unified approach turns quick wins into lasting momentum, empowering mid-sized brands to outmaneuver larger competitors with greater speed, consistency and relevance. ",[12,1397,1398,1401],{},[30,1399,1400],{},"Enter Brand Commerce™","   ",[12,1403,1404],{},"Brand Commerce is a proprietary approach that unifies brand-building and commerce activation at every decision point. It reframes planning and execution so each tactic strengthens both equity and sales rather than forcing a trade-off. It's a way of making choices that asks every placement, message and optimization to work double duty across the journey, from memory creation to conversion and back again. This approach is particularly suited to mid-market realities where agility, orchestration and clarity routinely outperform big-brand spend patterns.  ",[12,1406,1407,504],{},[30,1408,1409],{},"Why integration wins: the evidence",[12,1411,1412,1413,1418,1421,1422,1427,1428,1433],{},"Independent studies agree: Integrated strategies outperform siloed ones—especially when brand and commerce activation work together. According to WARC’s ",[383,1414,1417],{"href":1415,"rel":1416},"https://page.warc.com/the-multiplier-effect-report",[904],"Multiplier Effect",[239,1419,1420],{},","," integrated brands can drive up to 90% higher revenue, while lack of integration can cut ROI nearly in half. ",[383,1423,1426],{"href":1424,"rel":1425},"https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/growth-marketing-and-sales/our-insights/insights-to-impact-creating-and-sustaining-data-driven-commercial-growth",[904],"McKinsey echoes this, reporting"," that unified planning and measurement unlock better alignment and stronger sales impact. And ",[383,1429,1432],{"href":1430,"rel":1431},"https://business.google.com/us/think/consumer-insights/navigating-purchase-behavior-and-decision-making/",[904],"Google’s “messy middle” research"," further proves the point that connecting brand and commerce influences real-world decisions far more effectively than traditional models.  ",[12,1435,1436,1437,1442],{},"As we explored in ",[383,1438,1441],{"href":1439,"rel":1440},"https://bluechipww.com/thinking/why-the-next-big-marketing-move-isnt-a-trade-off-its-a-multiplier/",[904],"Why the Next Big Marketing Move Isn’t a Trade-Off—It’s a Multiplier,"," separating brand and sales breaks the momentum that should be compounding over time. Integration is the next evolution of that idea, turning every touchpoint into a dual-purpose lever that drives response today and reinforces brand memory tomorrow. ",[12,1444,1445,504],{},[30,1446,1447],{},"How Brand Commerce looks in practice",[82,1449,1450],{},[85,1451,1452],{},"Strategy: Set a single business objective, then orchestrate brand and commerce levers against it so that messaging, media, shopper and retail activations work together across the consumer journey, from discovery to decision. ",[82,1454,1455],{},[85,1456,1457],{},"Creative: Every ad should feature unmistakable brand signals and connect to the moments that make consumers think about your product. Even when you’re chasing immediate sales, make the brand stick—so campaigns don’t just drive action but also build lasting recall. ",[82,1459,1460],{},[85,1461,1462],{},"Media: Think of media as the connective tissue of a campaign that unifies channels and platforms into a seamless experience. By linking brand storytelling and commerce activation across touchpoints, coordinated media doesn’t just deliver messages; it accelerates decision-making, expands brand influence and creates value at every touchpoint. ",[82,1464,1465],{},[85,1466,1467],{},"Retail and shopper: Retail ads, promotions and content should follow the same brand narrative for seamless storytelling. Leveraging retailer data can help with crafting relevant messaging without losing the core brand story.   ",[82,1469,1470],{},[85,1471,1472],{},"Measurement: Measure the full consumer journey using metrics that capture both immediate results and long-term brand impact. Instead of debating over attribution models, establish a single source of truth so teams can quickly adjust campaigns, optimize spend and maintain efficiency while building the brand—making integration truly measurable and effective. ",[12,1474,1475],{},"Each of these choices operationalizes integration so no dollar works in isolation, driving both near-term returns and lasting brand impact.  ",[12,1477,1478,504],{},[30,1479,1480],{},"Connection: the mid-market advantage",[12,1482,1483],{},"Mid-sized brands don’t need massive budgets or the scale of legacy giants to compete—they need stronger connection. By adopting a Brand Commerce mindset, they can bring strategy, creative, media, retail and measurement into sync, turning each move into a force that builds on the last. This integrated mindset replaces the bloat of traditional models with agility, sharper decision-making and momentum that multiplies. For brands ready to grow on their own terms, Brand Commerce isn’t just a framework; it’s proof that integration, when done with intent, can outperform investment every time.",{"title":107,"searchDepth":108,"depth":108,"links":1485},[],"2025-11-13T00:00:00.000Z","Today’s mid-sized companies face a market split between old-school thinking and rapid, tech-driven shifts in consumer behavior. ",{},{"icon":107},"/thinking/the-mid-market-multiplier-why-integration-wins-over-investment",{"title":1374,"description":1487},{"loc":1490,"videos":1493,"images":1494},[],[],"thinking/the-mid-market-multiplier-why-integration-wins-over-investment","Q7gAi99IA5EepULrAHWOSez4HIzSgV7rETTpqpWV7vQ",{"id":1498,"title":1499,"articleTitle":1499,"author":6,"authorTitle":855,"body":1500,"brandCommercePage":111,"category":112,"date":1585,"description":1504,"extension":114,"hide":111,"meta":1586,"navigation":116,"ogImage":117,"path":1587,"pullQuote":117,"seo":1588,"sitemap":1589,"stem":1592,"weighting":117,"__hash__":1593},"thinking/thinking/stop-renting-loyalty-start-owning-it-with-incentivaze.md","Stop Renting Loyalty. Start Owning It with Incentivaze.",{"type":9,"value":1501,"toc":1583},[1502,1505,1508,1533,1542,1545,1577,1580],[12,1503,1504],{},"Rewards apps like Shopkick, Ibotta, Fetch, and Aisle can get your product off the shelf fast. They’re great for sparking trial and tapping into deal-seeking audiences. But they don’t build loyalty to your brand. Shoppers are loyal to the app—and the second a competitor offers a better deal, they switch.",[12,1506,1507],{},"That’s a problem when you look at the numbers:",[82,1509,1510,1521,1527],{},[85,1511,1512,1513,1516,1517,1520],{},"A ",[30,1514,1515],{},"5% lift in loyalty"," can grow profits up to ",[30,1518,1519],{},"95%",".",[85,1522,1523,1526],{},[30,1524,1525],{},"84% of shoppers"," say they’re more likely to choose brands with loyalty programs.",[85,1528,1529,1530,1520],{},"Free loyalty programs make members ",[30,1531,1532],{},"81% more likely to buy more often and 76% more likely to spend more",[12,1534,1535,1536,1541],{},"If you’re only chasing redemptions, you’re leaving long-term growth on the table. ",[383,1537,1540],{"href":1538,"rel":1539},"https://bluechipww.com/incentivaze/",[904],"That’s why we built Incentivaze",", Blue Chip’s proprietary, brand-owned rewards platform. It pairs the immediacy of incentives with the compounding impact of loyalty. In other words, it’s Brand Commerce™ at work—driving sales overnight and building brands over time.",[12,1543,1544],{},"What makes Incentivaze different:",[82,1546,1547,1553,1559,1565,1571],{},[85,1548,1549,1552],{},[30,1550,1551],{},"Your brand, front and center."," No competing logos, no clutter, no mixed messages.",[85,1554,1555,1558],{},[30,1556,1557],{},"Frictionless participation",". No app download. Mobile-first, receipt-based validation across any retailer.",[85,1560,1561,1564],{},[30,1562,1563],{},"Direct shopper relationships."," SMS engagement that keeps the loyalty between you and them.",[85,1566,1567,1570],{},[30,1568,1569],{},"Actionable first-party data",". See what they bought, where, when, and what else was in the basket.",[85,1572,1573,1576],{},[30,1574,1575],{},"CRM growth that compounds."," Capture opt-in mobile and email to drive loyalty programs and lifecycle marketing.",[12,1578,1579],{},"The payoff isn’t just moving units. It’s building a branded relationship with the shoppers who matter most. Sales today, brand preference tomorrow.",[12,1581,1582],{},"And here’s where it gets powerful: rewards apps are still useful for reach and trial. But Incentivaze turns those sparks into momentum—a brand-exclusive space, direct communication, and data you can act on. Together, they create a multiplier effect: driving units and exciting retailers now, while deepening loyalty over time. That’s how you grow sales and build lasting brand equity.",{"title":107,"searchDepth":108,"depth":108,"links":1584},[],"2025-08-19T00:00:00.000Z",{},"/thinking/stop-renting-loyalty-start-owning-it-with-incentivaze",{"title":1499,"description":1504},{"loc":1587,"videos":1590,"images":1591},[],[],"thinking/stop-renting-loyalty-start-owning-it-with-incentivaze","9TyFtGsoAZEPmcRYGYt-W1mjqTIYz3aMP3gyTVV0UKA",{"id":1595,"title":1596,"articleTitle":1596,"author":578,"authorTitle":1597,"body":1598,"brandCommercePage":111,"category":112,"date":1660,"description":1661,"extension":114,"hide":111,"meta":1662,"navigation":116,"ogImage":117,"path":1663,"pullQuote":117,"seo":1664,"sitemap":1665,"stem":1668,"weighting":117,"__hash__":1669},"thinking/thinking/why-the-next-big-marketing-move-isnt-a-trade-off-its-a-multiplier.md","Why the Next Big Marketing Move Isn’t a Trade-Off—It’s a Multiplier ","VP, Communications & Activation Planning ",{"type":9,"value":1599,"toc":1652},[1600,1606,1609,1615,1618,1621,1627,1634,1637,1643,1646,1649],[12,1601,1602,1603,1605],{},"Mid-market companies face a high-stakes marketing paradox. To grow, they need the emotional pull of brand building ",[239,1604,273],{}," the accountable sales performance of commerce activation. But traditional marketing models, built for bigger budgets or siloed teams, have long forced a false choice between the two. The result? Fragmented strategies, inefficient spend and missed momentum.  ",[12,1607,1608],{},"But the marketplace has changed. So should the approach.  ",[221,1610,1612,504],{"id":1611},"the-zigzagging-shopper-journey",[30,1613,1614],{},"The Zigzagging Shopper Journey",[12,1616,1617],{},"Today’s consumers don’t move through a linear funnel. They zigzag between discovery and decision—scrolling, searching, buying and engaging in one continuous, often chaotic, journey. The clean handoff from brand to sales performance has collapsed into a messy middle. And in that mess, disconnected strategies underdeliver and disconnected metrics hide the real opportunity.  ",[12,1619,1620],{},"The opportunity isn’t about choosing between brand and performance. It’s about making decisions that serve both.  ",[221,1622,1624,504],{"id":1623},"the-power-of-brand-commerce",[30,1625,1626],{},"The Power of Brand Commerce™",[12,1628,1629,1630,1633],{},"That’s the real power of ",[30,1631,1632],{},"The Brand Commerce Advantage","™. It gives marketers a new lens for decision-making. Every choice—every strategy, every placement, every tactic—is evaluated not in isolation but for its potential to drive both brand value and business impact.  ",[12,1635,1636],{},"Sometimes that means selecting a slightly lower-performing media option because it builds brand memory. Other times, it means optimizing a creative unit to carry branding cues without sacrificing conversion. When both brand and commerce guide the decision, the result is compounded impact: short-term gains that also move the long-term needle.  ",[221,1638,1640,504],{"id":1639},"the-efficacy-of-integrated-strategies",[30,1641,1642],{},"The Efficacy of Integrated Strategies",[12,1644,1645],{},"WARC’s Multiplier Effect 2025 research proves it: Integrated strategies can drive 25% to 100% more revenue, with a median lift of 90%. And abandoning integration? It leads to an average 40% drop in ROI.  ",[12,1647,1648],{},"For mid-market brands especially, The Brand Commerce Advantage creates a smarter path to compete—not by spending more but by choosing better.  ",[12,1650,1651],{},"Because in a fragmented world, the strongest returns come not from choosing sides, but from connecting them, one decision at a time.",{"title":107,"searchDepth":108,"depth":108,"links":1653},[1654,1656,1658],{"id":1611,"depth":294,"text":1655},"The Zigzagging Shopper Journey ",{"id":1623,"depth":294,"text":1657},"The Power of Brand Commerce™ ",{"id":1639,"depth":294,"text":1659},"The Efficacy of Integrated Strategies ","2025-07-25T00:00:00.000Z","Marketers face a paradox: Build brand value and drive sales without sacrificing one for the other. Read about how integrated strategies can drive up to 100% more revenue.   ",{},"/thinking/why-the-next-big-marketing-move-isnt-a-trade-off-its-a-multiplier",{"title":1596,"description":1661},{"loc":1663,"videos":1666,"images":1667},[],[],"thinking/why-the-next-big-marketing-move-isnt-a-trade-off-its-a-multiplier","FoglHzTESTnGVfOpUlP0nbIIJkZB0n37GfahIq4ssD0",{"id":1671,"title":1672,"articleTitle":1672,"author":1673,"authorTitle":214,"body":1674,"brandCommercePage":111,"category":195,"date":1764,"description":1765,"extension":114,"hide":111,"meta":1766,"navigation":116,"ogImage":1767,"path":1769,"pullQuote":117,"seo":1770,"sitemap":1771,"stem":1774,"weighting":117,"__hash__":1775},"thinking/thinking/cheetos-with-protein-yes. And It’s the Future of Snacking..md","Cheetos with Protein? Yes. And It’s the Future of Snacking. ","Sarah VanHeirseele ",{"type":9,"value":1675,"toc":1758},[1676,1684,1691,1697,1707,1720,1730,1736,1739,1746,1752,1755],[12,1677,1678,1683],{},[383,1679,1682],{"href":1680,"rel":1681},"https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/17/business/pepsico-frito-lay-protein-fiber.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Xk8.nkSC.r6NQwat8M_1R&smid=url-share",[904],"PepsiCo’s latest announcement"," marks a major shift in how legacy brands are approaching the snack aisle. The addition of protein and fiber to iconic products like Cheetos and Doritos, along with the removal of artificial colors and flavors from Lay’s and Tostitos, is more than just news. It’s a meaningful evolution. And it’s validation. ",[12,1685,1686,1687,1690],{},"Consumers aren’t just looking for salty and satisfying anymore. They want snacks with substance. Fuel that fits their values and their goals. Functional benefits like protein, fiber and clean labels are no longer fringe demands—they’re front and center. The brands that thrive in this next era of snacking will be the ones who deliver ",[239,1688,1689],{},"more"," than flavor. They’ll deliver purpose. ",[221,1692,1694,504],{"id":1693},"at-blue-chip-weve-seen-this-shift-coming-for-years-and-more-importantly-so-have-our-clients",[30,1695,1696],{},"At Blue Chip, we’ve seen this shift coming for years. And more importantly, so have our clients:",[12,1698,1699,1706],{},[30,1700,1701,257],{},[383,1702,1705],{"href":1703,"rel":1704},"https://bluechipww.com/work/emerald-nuts",[904],"Emerald","has led the charge by stripping artificial ingredients and preservatives from its products, leaning into real, recognizable food that consumers can feel good about.  ",[12,1708,1709,1716,1717,868],{},[383,1710,1713],{"href":1711,"rel":1712},"https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17970601541379510/?hl=en",[904],[30,1714,1715],{},"Simple Mills"," was built on that very promise: simple, purposeful ingredients that don’t just avoid the “bad” but also celebrate the ",[239,1718,1719],{},"best",[12,1721,1722,1729],{},[383,1723,1726],{"href":1724,"rel":1725},"https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4GkdzRvtk_/",[904],[30,1727,1728],{},"Daisy Cottage Cheese"," is the original high protein snack that quickly gained ground as cottage cheese trends overtook social platforms in recent years.  ",[221,1731,1733,1323],{"id":1732},"this-isnt-a-pivot-its-a-playbook-weve-been-helping-write-for-years",[30,1734,1735],{},"This isn’t a pivot. It’s a playbook we’ve been helping write for years.",[12,1737,1738],{},"While some brands are just starting to clean up their labels and add functionality, Blue Chip clients are already living it. And growing because of it. We’ve partnered with them to turn smart formulations into sharp, emotional storytelling that connects all the way to the shelf. ",[12,1740,1741,1742,1745],{},"Because reformulating a snack is just step one. The real win is translating that change into clear, compelling reasons to buy. That’s where our ",[30,1743,1744],{},"Brand Commerce™ Advantage"," comes in. We believe that brand building and selling aren’t separate pursuits. They're two sides of the same strategy. ",[12,1747,1748,1751],{},[30,1749,1750],{},"Functional snacks only work if shoppers know why they matter."," So don’t say “added fiber.” Say “feel full, feel good.” Don’t whisper “clean ingredients.” Own the story of real food, for real life. ",[12,1753,1754],{},"As PepsiCo signals a new wave of better-for-you snacks, we’re proud to say: Our clients were already there. ",[12,1756,1757],{},"And if you’re trying to catch up? Let’s chat. We have many thoughts.",{"title":107,"searchDepth":108,"depth":108,"links":1759},[1760,1762],{"id":1693,"depth":294,"text":1761},"At Blue Chip, we’ve seen this shift coming for years. And more importantly, so have our clients: ",{"id":1732,"depth":294,"text":1763},"This isn’t a pivot. It’s a playbook we’ve been helping write for years.  ","2025-07-23T00:00:00.000Z","PepsiCo recently announced it will add protein & fiber and remove artificial colors & flavors from its products. Read about the implications of this shift for the snack aisle here. ",{},{"src":1768},"/Thinking/proteinsnacks-thinkingarticle.jpg","/thinking/cheetos-with-protein-yes.-and-it's-the-future-of-snacking.",{"title":1672,"description":1765},{"loc":1769,"videos":1772,"images":1773,"lastmod":1764},[],[],"thinking/cheetos-with-protein-yes. And It’s the Future of Snacking.","xclzVsEMhCiTYmf40NaD9_8ZJVwydRpaCU7DWrla4sY",{"id":1777,"title":1778,"articleTitle":1778,"author":1779,"authorTitle":1780,"body":1781,"brandCommercePage":111,"category":195,"date":1886,"description":1887,"extension":114,"hide":111,"meta":1888,"navigation":1889,"ogImage":117,"path":1890,"pullQuote":1891,"seo":1892,"sitemap":1894,"stem":1897,"weighting":117,"__hash__":1898},"thinking/thinking/its-time-to-make-advertising-a-top-career-choice-again.md","It’s Time To Make Advertising a Top Career Choice Again","Stanton Kawer","Chairman & CEO",{"type":9,"value":1782,"toc":1877},[1783,1786,1789,1792,1795,1799,1802,1805,1809,1812,1815,1818,1821,1825,1828,1831,1835,1838,1841,1845,1848,1851,1854,1858,1861,1864,1868,1871,1874],[12,1784,1785],{},"This spring, the job market was a recurring headline in stories about stressed-out college graduates navigating a tough economy. But instead of wringing our hands, our industry should be seizing the opportunity. The advertising world shouldn’t just be a fallback — it should be a first choice. The question isn’t how young people can get jobs, but why are they not choosing ours?",[12,1787,1788],{},"Not too long ago, advertising wasn’t just a career—it was a calling. Agencies were creative epicenters where culture was shaped, consumer behavior was decoded and business met artistry. For decades, advertising ranked among the top five career destinations for college and MBA graduates. Today, we don’t crack the top 15.",[12,1790,1791],{},"Only 7% of today’s graduates say advertising ranks in their top three preferred industries. Meanwhile, over 60% list tech and consulting as offering more perceived stability and advancement, according to recent LinkedIn surveys. The pay gap is part of that: Entry-level consultants and tech hires often earn 20% to 40% more than their peers in marketing. But money alone doesn’t explain the shift.",[12,1793,1794],{},"The agency world once promised something different: a creative life, cultural relevance and the thrill of making ideas happen. We can’t just compete on salaries. But we can reassert the meaning, the energy and the long-term value proposition that makes advertising a truly special place to build a career.",[221,1796,1798],{"id":1797},"treat-advertising-like-a-client-brand","Treat advertising like a client brand",[12,1800,1801],{},"If we were advising ourselves as marketers, we’d start by clarifying the brand positioning. We need to reframe what a career in advertising is. We need to reclaim the energy, creativity and purpose that once made agencies irresistible to smart and curious people.",[12,1803,1804],{},"Let’s remind this next generation—the 42% of college grads who say they prioritize purpose and values over salary—that advertising is the connective tissue between brands and belief. We turn ideas into culture, and culture into action. We make things mean more in the world, in the marketplace and in people’s lives.",[221,1806,1808],{"id":1807},"connect-creativity-to-commerce-and-real-business-impact","Connect creativity to commerce and real business impact",[12,1810,1811],{},"Advertising isn’t just about clever ideas and cultural relevance, but about growth, sales and real contributions to the economy.",[12,1813,1814],{},"Agencies are among the most potent growth partners a business can have. According to research by the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising, campaigns focused on long-term brand building generate three times more profit than those relying solely on short-term performance. Combine that with creative excellence, and the results are even more dramatic: Highly creative campaigns are 12 times more efficient at delivering business success, according to Nielsen and Cannes Lions data.",[12,1816,1817],{},"The global advertising industry contributes over $600 billion annually to GDP across developed markets and supports more than 30 million jobs directly or indirectly, per a recent Deloitte report.",[12,1819,1820],{},"So, to those considering a career in consulting, know that what agencies offer isn’t just storytelling but strategy that sells. We don’t just analyze problems, we solve them in the real world. We don’t just recommend, we execute. And we do so in ways that are public, fast-paced and fundamentally creative.",[221,1822,1824],{"id":1823},"sell-the-real-story-where-art-meets-innovation","Sell the real story: where art meets innovation",[12,1826,1827],{},"Advertising has always offered something tech and consulting can’t quite replicate: a space where technology is used as a tool for imagination, not bureaucracy. While consultancies optimize processes and tech companies build platforms, we build meaning.",[12,1829,1830],{},"This is a place for the intellectually restless, the curious, the ones who want to make something happen, not run spreadsheets or write code in the corner of a corporation.",[221,1832,1834],{"id":1833},"make-the-culture-visible-again","Make the culture visible again",[12,1836,1837],{},"Agencies need to redramatize what it's like to work in this industry. We should spotlight our creative chaos, entrepreneurial teams and cultural impact the way start-ups and film studios do. Today’s young professionals don’t want career ladders; they want lattices of growth, community and opportunity. That’s advertising at its best.",[12,1839,1840],{},"We should showcase the real lives of young talent in our industry and the established rock stars that deserve icon status — in documentary shorts, social-first campaigns, and even alumni newsletters. Feature agency staff building campaigns that change perception, win awards, or shift norms. Let future recruits see people like themselves doing work that matters — and having a blast doing it.",[221,1842,1844],{"id":1843},"build-a-two-way-bridge-to-talent","Build a two-way bridge to talent",[12,1846,1847],{},"Instead of waiting for top talent to come to us, we need to meet them where they are. That starts in schools. But instead of just lecturing students about advertising, let’s listen.",[12,1849,1850],{},"Agencies should forge immersive partnerships with their leaders’ alma maters and beyond — not just with advertising or marketing departments, but across design, sociology, computer science, and entrepreneurship programs. Sponsor creativity labs. Host real-world briefs. Turn internships into immersive, project-based apprenticeships.",[12,1852,1853],{},"Idea: Launch a national “Campaigns for Change” competition in which students from across disciplines develop purpose-driven brand campaigns for real-world nonprofit or startup clients — judged by top agencies, with internships as prizes.",[221,1855,1857],{"id":1856},"promote-heroesold-and-new","Promote heroes—old and new",[12,1859,1860],{},"For too long, advertising’s icons have remained industry-side legends. We need to produce the next generation of public-facing creative stars and invest in getting them on stages, screens and in the feeds of young talent.",[12,1862,1863],{},"But just as important as established voices are fresh ones. Highlight new grads who launched something bold or contributed to a breakout campaign. Make them the poster children of possibility. Let peers see peers thriving.",[221,1865,1867],{"id":1866},"start-small-start-now","Start small. Start now.",[12,1869,1870],{},"This doesn’t have to begin as a sweeping industry-wide transformation. It can start with one agency deciding to change its approach to hiring— from résumé review to immersive mentorship. One agency visiting classrooms not to recruit but to ask: What are you looking for? What would make you want to work with us?",[12,1872,1873],{},"The world needs more meaning. Brands need more resonance. And culture needs new authors. Advertising sits at the intersection of all three — if we’re bold enough to say so.",[12,1875,1876],{},"It’s time to make advertising matter again—not just in the marketplace, but in the minds of the next generation. Let’s give them a reason to choose us.",{"title":107,"searchDepth":108,"depth":108,"links":1878},[1879,1880,1881,1882,1883,1884,1885],{"id":1797,"depth":294,"text":1798},{"id":1807,"depth":294,"text":1808},{"id":1823,"depth":294,"text":1824},{"id":1833,"depth":294,"text":1834},{"id":1843,"depth":294,"text":1844},{"id":1856,"depth":294,"text":1857},{"id":1866,"depth":294,"text":1867},"2025-07-10T00:00:00.000Z","Blue Chip CEO Stanton Kawer makes a compelling case for rebranding advertising as a meaningful, creative, and high-impact career path. Discover why the industry must reclaim its place as a top destination for emerging talent ",{},{"title":107},"/thinking/its-time-to-make-advertising-a-top-career-choice-again","To attract a new generation of talent, agencies must rebrand advertising as a meaningful, creative and high-impact career path.",{"title":1893,"description":1887},"It’s Time To Make Advertising a Top Career Choice Again | Stanton Kawer for Ad Age",{"loc":1890,"videos":1895,"images":1896},[],[],"thinking/its-time-to-make-advertising-a-top-career-choice-again","NP-TzGPQMCKJxAHV9EVf0MHAOgPZu7N9zywuMY5Z8Cs",{"id":1900,"title":1901,"articleTitle":1901,"author":1902,"authorTitle":1903,"body":1904,"brandCommercePage":111,"category":195,"date":2003,"description":2004,"extension":114,"hide":111,"meta":2005,"navigation":116,"ogImage":117,"path":2006,"pullQuote":117,"seo":2007,"sitemap":2008,"stem":2011,"weighting":117,"__hash__":2012},"thinking/thinking/the-truth-about-how-gen-z-works.md","The Truth About How Gen Z Works","Paige Miller","Assoc. Strategic Planner",{"type":9,"value":1905,"toc":1995},[1906,1909,1912,1918,1932,1935,1938,1941,1944,1950,1953,1956,1959,1965,1971,1974,1980,1983],[12,1907,1908],{},"I’ve been in the marketing world for just under two years, and I’m constantly struck by how much my generation gets talked about. Because our workstyle challenges traditional beliefs, many employers and colleagues hold misperceptions that undermine the difference we can make.",[12,1910,1911],{},"Let me address three generalizations that are holding us all back.",[221,1913,1915],{"id":1914},"were-not-lazy-were-working-with-purpose",[30,1916,1917],{},"We’re not lazy; we’re working with purpose.",[12,1919,1920,1921,1924,1925,1927,1928,1931],{},"The pertinent conversation isn’t ",[239,1922,1923],{},"if"," we work hard—but ",[239,1926,494],{}," and ",[239,1929,1930],{},"why"," we do.",[12,1933,1934],{},"The pandemic derailed our natural integration into the workforce. The workplace we expected was upended by hybrid schedules, remote work, and a renewed focus on mental health, personally and professionally. ",[12,1936,1937],{},"We adapted quickly—but somehow still earned the label “lazy.” Our use of technology is seen as “shortcutting.” Our focus on work-life balance is mistaken for a “lack of drive.” And our preference for hybrid work is framed as “not committed.” ",[12,1939,1940],{},"Those perceptions overlook the values driving our workstyle preferences: efficiency, autonomy, and intention. Many of us are eager to work and make a difference. We’re committed to quality in our work. We respect the legacy of being “first in, last out” and dressing the part, but our approach doesn’t always look the same.",[12,1942,1943],{},"We want to do meaningful work—and do it well. We use tech to boost performance. We recharge personally so we can show up sharp to our professional roles. We leverage work from home spaces so we can cut out the wasted time associated with going into the office. We’re not skipping the hard work; we’re just approaching it differently. ",[221,1945,1947,504],{"id":1946},"were-not-distracted-were-just-tuned-to-a-different-frequency",[30,1948,1949],{},"We’re not distracted; we’re just tuned to a different frequency.",[12,1951,1952],{},"As you’d expect from being on our phones “all the time,” we can look like we’re checked out—and sure, when we’re scrolling for fun, maybe we are. When it comes to learning, working, or responding, though, we’re far from disengaged. ",[12,1954,1955],{},"Gen Z consumes content quickly. TikTok, Instagram Reels, and all short-form media content has shaped how we absorb, filter, and process information. It’s not distraction—it’s efficiency. We grew up balancing screens, notifications, and conversations, so multitasking becomes second nature. ",[12,1957,1958],{},"Even now, some of us work best with music on, a podcast playing, or from a busy café. These aren’t distractions—they’re tools that help us stay engaged, stimulated, and in rhythm with the pace of the digital world we’re at home in. ",[221,1960,1962],{"id":1961},"job-hopping-isnt-disloyalty-its-our-way-of-building-roots",[30,1963,1964],{},"Job hopping isn’t disloyalty; it’s our way of building roots.",[12,1966,1967,1968,1970],{},"Virtually all Gen Z workers say work is part of their identity, yet 83% consider themselves job hoppers. The key is to unpack ",[239,1969,1930],{}," we move and what we’re really searching for. We aren’t switching to “chase titles” or “boost compensation quickly.” It’s about challenge, growth, and alignment. We want to learn, feel valued, do meaningful work, and land somewhere that reflects our values. And if something feels off, we’re not likely to “wait it out.” ",[12,1972,1973],{},"We’re figuring out what fits. Call it the Gold(Z)locks phase. It’s not about disloyalty, instability or greed. It’s about finding a home that feels authentic and exciting. We want to give our loyalty to a place that gives it back.",[221,1975,1977,504],{"id":1976},"implications",[30,1978,1979],{},"Implications",[12,1981,1982],{},"There is a force within Gen Z that is driven, curious, and committed to doing meaningful work—even if it doesn’t look like what you’re used to. With the right guidance, we’ll make invaluable contributions to business and employee well-being. I’d encourage employers to embrace our optimism and be curious. There’s a world of opportunity in and through the different ways we see and do things.  ",[12,1984,1985,504,1990],{},[239,1986,1987],{},[30,1988,1989],{},"Paige Miller is an associate strategic planner at",[383,1991,1994],{"href":1992,"rel":1993},"https://bluechipww.com/",[904],"Blue Chip.",{"title":107,"searchDepth":108,"depth":108,"links":1996},[1997,1998,2000,2001],{"id":1914,"depth":294,"text":1917},{"id":1946,"depth":294,"text":1999},"We’re not distracted; we’re just tuned to a different frequency. ",{"id":1961,"depth":294,"text":1964},{"id":1976,"depth":294,"text":2002},"Implications ","2025-06-30T00:00:00.000Z","\"Gen Z is redefining the workplace with purpose, efficiency, and authenticity—challenging outdated perceptions and offering a fresh perspective on productivity, engagement, and loyalty.\"",{},"/thinking/the-truth-about-how-gen-z-works",{"title":1901,"description":2004},{"loc":2006,"videos":2009,"images":2010},[],[],"thinking/the-truth-about-how-gen-z-works","jkQs58njoHptpEUsu-bo6PKv_-NBZHF11gt4qRea4pI",{"id":2014,"title":2015,"articleTitle":2015,"author":312,"authorTitle":107,"body":2016,"brandCommercePage":116,"category":112,"date":296,"description":2093,"extension":114,"hide":111,"meta":2094,"navigation":116,"ogImage":2095,"path":2097,"pullQuote":117,"seo":2098,"sitemap":2099,"stem":2102,"weighting":117,"__hash__":2103},"thinking/thinking/brand-and-commerce-the-growth-formula-cpg-brands-cant-afford-to-ignore.md","Brand AND Commerce: The Growth Formula CPG Brands Can’t Afford to Ignore",{"type":9,"value":2017,"toc":2090},[2018,2021,2030,2033,2041,2044,2058,2062,2065,2068,2079,2082],[12,2019,2020],{},"Too often in CPG marketing, we hear a familiar either/or refrain: \"Should we invest in brand building or in performance marketing?\"",[348,2022,2023],{":noBorder":350},[352,2024,2025],{"v-slot:quote":107},[12,2026,2027,2028,1520],{},"The truth? That's a false choice. The best brands don’t pick a side—they balance both. We call that ",[30,2029,112],{},[12,2031,2032],{},"The marketing landscape has shifted. Upper-funnel tactics like brand storytelling and awareness building still matter—but if they don’t connect to action, you’re leaving sales on the table. At the same time, lower-funnel performance tactics—search, retargeting, promotions, shopper marketing—can’t succeed without a strong brand to back them.",[12,2034,2035,2036,2040],{},"According to the ",[383,2037,2039],{"href":1415,"rel":2038},[904],"Multiplier Effect report from WARC",", brands that shift toward a balanced mix of brand and performance marketing can see an ROI lift of 25–100%, with an average increase of 90%.",[12,2042,2043],{},"Over-index on either, and you’ll feel the strain:",[82,2045,2046,2052],{},[85,2047,2048,2051],{},[30,2049,2050],{},"Too much performance marketing?"," CPA spikes. Your ROAS declines. You burn through audiences without replenishing them.",[85,2053,2054,2057],{},[30,2055,2056],{},"Too much brand building?"," You win hearts, but not checkouts. Your efforts don’t drive the velocity you need on shelf or in cart.",[221,2059,2061],{"id":2060},"brand-commerce-the-perfect-balance","Brand Commerce. The perfect balance.",[12,2063,2064],{},"At Blue Chip, we specialize in helping CPG brands strike the right balance. We build plans that don’t sacrifice the soul of the brand for short-term wins but also don’t ignore the urgency of real revenue results.",[12,2066,2067],{},"Brand Commerce means:",[82,2069,2070,2073,2076],{},[85,2071,2072],{},"Crafting emotionally resonant stories that connect to a path to purchase.",[85,2074,2075],{},"Aligning media strategy so that brand campaigns ladder into conversions.",[85,2077,2078],{},"Recognizing signals when you’re out of balance (like aging audiences or rising CPAs) and course correcting quickly.",[12,2080,2081],{},"If your brand is stuck at one end of the spectrum, it might be time to rethink your marketing model.",[12,2083,2084,257,2087],{},[383,2085,2086],{"href":385},"Let’s talk",[239,2088,2089],{},"about how to unlock both short- and long-term growth with Brand Commerce.",{"title":107,"searchDepth":108,"depth":108,"links":2091},[2092],{"id":2060,"depth":294,"text":2061},"Brand or performance? Smart CPG brands choose both. Learn how Blue Chip’s Brand Commerce approach drives short-term results and long-term growth by uniting brand and commerce.",{},{"src":2096},"/Thinking/brand-and-commerce-image.jpg","/thinking/brand-and-commerce-the-growth-formula-cpg-brands-cant-afford-to-ignore",{"description":2093,"title":2015},{"loc":2097,"videos":2100,"images":2101},[],[],"thinking/brand-and-commerce-the-growth-formula-cpg-brands-cant-afford-to-ignore","u5Qhuh8SeWHyWHHxEmXk9YeYFT1mAP204Z71bX8eAUI",{"id":2105,"title":2106,"articleTitle":2107,"author":744,"authorTitle":745,"body":2108,"brandCommercePage":116,"category":112,"date":2185,"description":2186,"extension":114,"hide":111,"meta":2187,"navigation":116,"ogImage":117,"path":2188,"pullQuote":117,"seo":2189,"sitemap":2190,"stem":2193,"weighting":117,"__hash__":2194},"thinking/thinking/from-fragmented-channels-to-seamless-campaigns-how-brand-commerce-unlocks-the-full-power-of-retail-media.md","From Fragmented Channels to Seamless Campaigns: How Brand Commerce Unlocks the Full Power of Retail Media"," From Fragmented Channels to Seamless Campaigns: How Brand Commerce Unlocks the Full Power of Retail Media",{"type":9,"value":2109,"toc":2181},[2110,2113,2120,2123,2129,2132,2135,2141,2146,2149,2154,2157,2162,2165,2168,2173,2176],[12,2111,2112],{},"At this year’s Retail Media Summit, it became clear that retail media is at a critical inflection point: growing fast but facing rising pressure to standardize, scale and deliver brand impact.",[348,2114,2115],{":noBorder":350},[352,2116,2117],{"v-slot:quote":107},[12,2118,2119],{},"Once focused on lower-funnel performance, retail media networks (RMNs) now influence the entire consumer journey, from digital ad exposure to in-aisle engagement.",[12,2121,2122],{},"But with that evolution comes complexity. Not all RMNs are created equal, and they shouldn’t be treated as such. Capabilities vary widely, from data transparency and measurement access to in-store innovation. Brands must now navigate a landscape rich with opportunity yet riddled with fragmentation.",[221,2124,2126],{"id":2125},"thats-where-brand-commerce-comes-in",[30,2127,2128],{},"That’s where Brand Commerce comes in.",[12,2130,2131],{},"At Blue Chip, Brand Commerce is more than a media strategy—it’s how we approach marketing. We believe brand building and sales driving aren’t competing objectives; they work better when planned together. With this mindset, retail media becomes a more powerful tool, capable of building brands over time while driving sales overnight.",[12,2133,2134],{},"When guided by a Brand Commerce mindset, today’s most pressing retail media challenges become opportunities—in how RMNs expand beyond silos, how in-store activation is reimagined and how brands demand more control through hybrid investment models.",[221,2136,2138],{"id":2137},"lets-explore-each-of-these-opportunities",[30,2139,2140],{},"Let’s explore each of these opportunities:",[12,2142,2143],{},[30,2144,2145],{},"RMNs can now do more than drive sales.",[12,2147,2148],{},"Top RMNs are beginning to offer media and shopper data beyond their ecosystems, enabling truly omnichannel campaigns. But presence alone isn’t a strategy. Brands must be intentional when choosing RMN partners, aligning with campaign goals and leveraging media not just for performance but also for storytelling and long-term brand value.",[12,2150,2151],{},[30,2152,2153],{},"In-store retail media is gaining ground.",[12,2155,2156],{},"With over 80% of grocery purchases still happening in physical stores, in-store digital activation is quickly becoming the next major frontier. From smart displays to shelf-level targeting, retailers are reinventing the shopper experience. But the best in-store media enhances (not disrupts) the path to purchase. A Brand Commerce approach ensures these activations not only drive transactions but also deepen engagement.",[12,2158,2159],{},[30,2160,2161],{},"Hybrid models bridge the accountability gap.",[12,2163,2164],{},"As RMNs grow in scale, demanding more, many marketers are grappling with opaque “black box” models. A hybrid model, one combining RMN first-party data with third-party measurement, self-serve DSPs and external attribution, is emerging as the smarter path forward. This approach keeps marketers agile, transparent and aligned with both performance metrics and brand objectives.",[12,2166,2167],{},"Retail media isn’t just evolving—it’s converging with broader marketing imperatives. And while RMNs offer powerful tools, it’s a Brand Commerce approach that unlocks their full potential. Because in today’s fast-moving marketplace, the brands that lead won’t just adapt—they’ll use retail media to bridge brand and commerce like never before.",[12,2169,2170],{},[30,2171,2172],{},"The convergence of brand and commerce is no longer optional.",[12,2174,2175],{},"Retail media’s momentum shows no signs of slowing, but brands now have the opportunity to lead, not just follow. By approaching this evolving landscape through the lens of Brand Commerce, marketers can unlock smarter strategies, deeper engagement and more meaningful results. It’s not about choosing between brand and performance—it’s about bringing them together. And as this transformation accelerates, having the right partner by your side can make all the difference.",[12,2177,2178],{},[239,2179,2180],{},"Mary Kate Huffman is Senior Director of Commerce & Investment Strategy at Blue Chip and a 2025 P2PI Retail Media Award winner. Blue Chip is an independent, full-service Brand Commerce agency whose clients include Bausch & Lomb, Bob's Red Mill, Bosch Power Tools, Daisy Brand and White Castle.",{"title":107,"searchDepth":108,"depth":108,"links":2182},[2183,2184],{"id":2125,"depth":294,"text":2128},{"id":2137,"depth":294,"text":2140},"2025-05-15T00:00:00.000Z","Retail media is evolving fast. Discover how Blue Chip’s Brand Commerce approach helps brands navigate fragmentation, drive omnichannel impact, and unlock the full potential of RMNs.",{},"/thinking/from-fragmented-channels-to-seamless-campaigns-how-brand-commerce-unlocks-the-full-power-of-retail-media",{"description":2186,"title":2106},{"loc":2188,"videos":2191,"images":2192},[],[],"thinking/from-fragmented-channels-to-seamless-campaigns-how-brand-commerce-unlocks-the-full-power-of-retail-media","y_u0C-_35jlrn9gFoUrSXTN_YUAnCYJyfYZaPDlzhCs",{"id":2196,"title":2197,"articleTitle":2198,"author":2199,"authorTitle":2200,"body":2201,"brandCommercePage":111,"category":195,"date":2343,"description":2344,"extension":114,"hide":111,"meta":2345,"navigation":116,"ogImage":117,"path":2347,"pullQuote":2348,"seo":2349,"sitemap":2350,"stem":2354,"weighting":117,"__hash__":2355},"thinking/thinking/decoding-disparities-engaging-diverse-health-wellness-consumers.md","Decoding Disparities: Engaging Diverse Health & Wellness Consumers | Blue Chip","Decoding Disparities: Engaging Diverse Health & Wellness Consumers","Sonja Evans","VP Business Intelligence",{"type":9,"value":2202,"toc":2340},[2203,2206,2209,2216,2219,2225,2228,2248,2251,2257,2260,2263,2269,2272,2275,2281,2284,2287,2290,2296,2299,2310,2313,2319,2322,2325,2331,2334,2337],[12,2204,2205],{},"With multicultural consumers collectively wielding $5.6 trillion in spending power (Forbes), their economic influence is undeniable. For multicultural marketing to be effective, we must go beyond communications and creative approaches to integrate insights across the four P’s: product, price, place and promotion. By embedding a multicultural mindset into every aspect of your business operations and reflecting the values and needs of diverse communities with authenticity, your brand can foster long-lasting connections that extend beyond sales.",[12,2207,2208],{},"Here are seven considerations for successful multicultural marketing strategies and some actionable takeaways for getting your organization started.",[2210,2211,2213],"h4",{"id":2212},"_1-research-the-right-way",[30,2214,2215],{},"1. Research the Right Way",[12,2217,2218],{},"Effective multicultural marketing begins with deep, culturally informed research. Surface-level surveys and AI models, while helpful, often miss critical nuances and carry biases. Instead, invest in qualitative and ethnographic research models to uncover real-life experience and behaviors that shape decisions. For example, observing consumers in their environments can reveal insights that surveys overlook, helping to address the “say-do-gap.” Diverse research teams also matter. Teams with lived cultural experience are better equipped to interpret findings accurately, identifying subtle, yet specific behaviors that others might miss. True understanding starts by seeing the world through the lens of the communities you’re trying to reach.",[2210,2220,2222],{"id":2221},"_2-culture-matters",[30,2223,2224],{},"2. Culture Matters",[12,2226,2227],{},"Multicultural consumers want brands that reflect their values and cultural identities—not just on the surface, but in meaningful way. Cultural nuances shape health behaviors differently across communities. For example:",[82,2229,2230,2236,2242],{},[85,2231,2232,2235],{},[30,2233,2234],{},"Hispanic families"," often prioritize collective health decisions, with women focusing on the wellbeing of their immediate and extended families, often before their own.",[85,2237,2238,2241],{},[30,2239,2240],{},"Asian Americans"," emphasize preventative care through diet, exercise and balance versus using OTC medications or supplements.",[85,2243,2244,2247],{},[30,2245,2246],{},"Young Black men"," see wellness as only second to finances as a top measure of success, outpacing entrepreneurship and even homeownership.",[12,2249,2250],{},"Even within broad cultural groups, identities are complex. For instance, 90% of Asian adults in the U.S. report seeing more differences than commonalities within their community (Pew Research). Additionally, one in 10 Black Americans today are immigrants who arrived in the U.S. since 2000, bringing perspectives distinct from African Americans whose families have lived in the U.S. for generations. Brands must honor these complexities and avoid a one-size-fits-all approach.",[2210,2252,2254],{"id":2253},"_3-offer-personalized-family-centric-solutions",[30,2255,2256],{},"3. Offer Personalized, Family-Centric Solutions",[12,2258,2259],{},"Family plays a central role in multicultural households, where health decisions are often made collectively. Multigenerational households, more common in Hispanic, Black and AANHPI communities, present opportunities for family-focused solutions—like product bundles that address the needs of all generations.",[12,2261,2262],{},"Brands must also consider who the shopper is. Sometimes, a child is making the purchase decision for their parents, or a grandparent makes the purchase decisions for their grandchildren. Understanding these dynamics allows for more tailored messaging and products.",[2210,2264,2266],{"id":2265},"_4-address-health-disparities-head-on",[30,2267,2268],{},"4. Address Health Disparities Head-On",[12,2270,2271],{},"Trust is a cornerstone of effective multicultural marketing, particularly in communities with historical and ongoing healthcare inequities. Health disparities remain a significant challenge in multicultural communities. African Americans are 30% more likely to have high blood pressure, and Hispanic adults are 60% more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). Considering such health disparities and how you can address them is critical to building trust in your brand.",[12,2273,2274],{},"Mental health is another pressing issue, particularly in Black communities, where conversations around mental wellness have increased, yet fewer than 40% of Black Americans feel confident in maintaining their mental health (ThinkNow). This presents an opportunity for brands to step in with education, resources and tools that empower consumers to prioritize their mental well-being, while addressing the racial trauma and internalized stress that impact mental health in their community. When you address the unique cultural factors affecting your audience, you’re not just selling products—you’re fostering trust in your brand.",[2210,2276,2278],{"id":2277},"_5-dont-just-speak-to-themspeak-their-language",[30,2279,2280],{},"5. Don’t Just Speak to Them—Speak Their Language",[12,2282,2283],{},"Once you understand the values and identities of multicultural consumers, you need to effectively communicate with them. Multilingual campaigns are no longer a “nice to have” when reaching multicultural consumers. Over half of Spanish-speaking consumers expressed greater loyalty to brands that speak their language (Forbes). But it’s not just about translation; it’s about capturing the nuances of language—how it evolves, the slang and the regional variations that make it personal.",[12,2285,2286],{},"Language is deeply personal because it signals respect for cultural identity. Major League Baseball’s #PonleAcento campaign illustrated this by highlighting how many Hispanics in the U.S. lose part of their identity—the accent mark on their names. Whether on passports, drivers’ licenses, or even workplace nametags, these marks often go missing. Nearly 27% of MLB players are Hispanic, yet their jerseys lacked these marks. Restoring the accents and launching #PonleAcento sparked a movement that extended beyond baseball, inspiring other sports and even Hollywood’s Walk of Fame to embrace this change. By addressing a cultural truth, MLB didn’t just create a campaign—it drove meaningful change.",[12,2288,2289],{},"In healthcare, language matters just as much. In Hispanic and AANHPI households, children often act as translators for their parents, creating a heavy emotional burden. Providing materials in parents’ native languages eases the cognitive load on children and fosters trust.",[2210,2291,2293],{"id":2292},"_6-build-trust-with-community-centric-approaches",[30,2294,2295],{},"6. Build Trust with Community-Centric Approaches",[12,2297,2298],{},"Trust is essential for multicultural audiences, and it’s often built through community relationships. Local influencers, such as faith leaders, health advocates or family caregivers, hold significant sway in communities:",[82,2300,2301,2304,2307],{},[85,2302,2303],{},"Black consumers trust leaders connected to cultural and spiritual values.",[85,2305,2306],{},"Hispanic communities rely heavily on word of mouth and personal networks for health advice (McKinsey).",[85,2308,2309],{},"AANHPI audiences often prioritize guidance from family and local caregivers due to limited language support in healthcare settings (Urban Institute).",[12,2311,2312],{},"Partnering with respected community influencers and showing up consistently in meaningful ways can help brands foster lasting trust.",[2210,2314,2316],{"id":2315},"_7-embrace-a-digital-first-approach",[30,2317,2318],{},"7. Embrace a Digital-First Approach",[12,2320,2321],{},"Multicultural consumers are power-users of digital platforms, blending online and offline experiences in unique ways. From social media to streaming, gaming and e-commerce, these audiences engage deeply with brands in digital spaces. For example, many research products on their phones while shopping in-store.",[12,2323,2324],{},"A digital-first approach allows brands to customize messaging, represent cultural identities authentically and meet multicultural consumers where they are most active.",[221,2326,2328],{"id":2327},"it-all-comes-down-to-trust",[30,2329,2330],{},"It All Comes Down to Trust",[12,2332,2333],{},"The future of the wellness industry lies in embracing multicultural consumers, but success requires more than surface-level representation. Brands must embed cultural understanding across all operations, reflect diverse values authentically and consistently show up with solutions that empower these communities.",[12,2335,2336],{},"Are your efforts merely checking the diversity box, or are they driving real impact? At Blue Chip, our CART evaluation system helps brands assess where they are on this journey and can create an actionable roadmap for success.",[12,2338,2339],{},"When done right, multicultural marketing doesn’t just build sales—it builds trust, fosters connections and creates positive change for both brands and the communities they serve.",{"title":107,"searchDepth":108,"depth":108,"links":2341},[2342],{"id":2327,"depth":294,"text":2330},"2025-03-27T00:00:00.000Z","Sonja Leskinen, shares the importance of engaging diverse health and wellness consumers and how to do so. ",{"blockquote":2346},"Blockquote Blockquote Blockquote ","/thinking/decoding-disparities-engaging-diverse-health-wellness-consumers","At the Council for Responsible Nutrition's annual conference in October 2024, Blue Chip presented on how the evolving demographics of the United States underscore the critical need for businesses to adopt multicultural marketing, particularly in the health and wellness space, where multicultural consumers typically lack trust with brands. ",{"description":2344,"title":2197},{"loc":2347,"lastmod":2351,"videos":2352,"images":2353},"2025-04-24",[],[],"thinking/decoding-disparities-engaging-diverse-health-wellness-consumers","BWj4OIDPwuoni-wtURpzmnW97xHfV_3USI3g0HquJx4",{"id":2357,"title":2358,"articleTitle":2359,"author":312,"authorTitle":117,"body":2360,"brandCommercePage":111,"category":159,"date":2433,"description":2434,"extension":114,"hide":111,"meta":2435,"navigation":116,"ogImage":117,"path":2437,"pullQuote":2438,"seo":2439,"sitemap":2440,"stem":2441,"weighting":117,"__hash__":2442},"thinking/thinking/google-pivots-on-cookie-deprecation.md","Google Pivots on Cookie Deprecation | Blue Chip","Google Pivots on Cookie Deprecation",{"type":9,"value":2361,"toc":2431},[2362,2365,2371,2374,2377,2380,2386,2389,2394,2397,2402,2405,2410,2413,2419,2422,2428],[12,2363,2364],{},"What we know now and have known for years: Consumers want privacy, and the third-party cookie marketplace, which has powered advertising ecosystems and enabled open and free web, is no longer sustainable in the way it once was. This is nothing new. Apple, Safari and others have already placed measures to block third-party cookies, and we have seen greater adoption of cookie consent, which gives consumers control over what information is collected about their browsing habits. Legislature at the state level has been enacted, and this will continue with a possibility of federal regulation for consumer privacy control. While Google has announced it will not pursue the complete block of third-party cookies, there are some important considerations for the future.",[2210,2366,2368],{"id":2367},"overcoming-signal-loss-and-collecting-consumer-data",[30,2369,2370],{},"Overcoming Signal Loss and Collecting Consumer Data",[12,2372,2373],{},"While the cookie will remain, consumer control over what information is collected and shared has become much more important as consumers opt out of tracking more frequently. This limits a marketer’s ability to collect rich information around consumer behaviors and actions and the opportunity to target consumers using third-party methods. To help overcome signal loss, there are a few important steps. ",[12,2375,2376],{},"As of now, there is less immediate urgency for the adoption of identifiers like UID 2.0 (Unified ID) from The Trade Desk, or even fully utilizing Privacy Sandbox. While these solutions may come to play a bigger part in the advertising ecosystem later on, this move at least delays the need for marketers to make drastic shifts—although the web will continue to evolve and consumers will take more action around what data is shared and with whom. With this in mind, first-party data should remain a top strategy for brands.",[12,2378,2379],{},"Developing methods to collect first-party data on active consumers remains incredibly valuable. The advantage in having this information, including the ability to segment, analyze, target and build loyalty through your current customer base, is invaluable for a brand. A clear value exchange between the brand and the consumer regarding sharing information will give consumers a reason to share. This can come in the form of personalization, offers, incentives or other communication options with the brand, and the ability to clearly opt out at any time.",[2210,2381,2383,504],{"id":2382},"cookieless-approaches-to-targeting",[30,2384,2385],{},"Cookieless Approaches to Targeting",[12,2387,2388],{},"While the cookie will remain, cookie-based third-party targeting has been diminished, and we will see this trend continue. For programmatic media bought on the open web, there are some readily available alternatives to ensuring you can reach precise consumers without relying on third-party cookies.",[12,2390,2391],{},[30,2392,2393],{},"Verified Purchase-Based Targeting",[12,2395,2396],{},"Using verified purchasers, effectively another company’s first-party data, either through a retail media network activation or a partner (e.g., NCS, Circana, Numerator), provides the opportunity to reach consumers within a specific category or brand segment. These consumers are highly targeted within the purchase cycle of a particular product or category. This targeting can be competitive in nature to conquest and gain share against key competitors, or to keep your brand front and center with current customers to ensure it’s top of mind as they browse a shelf or category.",[12,2398,2399],{},[30,2400,2401],{},"Contextual",[12,2403,2404],{},"Another approach to targeting includes finding contextually relevant places and spaces to reach targeted consumers. For example, a flour brand may want to advertise bread-baking recipes since that consumer is very relevant to the brand. Contextual targeting scrubs web pages, articles or videos in seconds and ensures that ads appear in environments where the audience already has interest. This relevance to the user makes it more likely to resonate and drive engagement. Targeting contextually helps mitigate any risks associated with brand safety concerns. A great programmatic team can help find extremely relevant content, which would be suitable to advertise based on the brand’s consumer base, brand safety standards and other signals.",[12,2406,2407],{},[30,2408,2409],{},"First-Party Data",[12,2411,2412],{},"Using your own first-party data is not only a fantastic way to reengage current customers but also build rich lookalike/actalike segments to reach new consumers. These models will help reach new potential customers who are similar to those in your data pool based on characteristics and patterns of your current customer base. The advantage of utilizing your own first-party data for targeting is a lower-cost alternative compared to paying a third-party fee for targeting segments, and you control how these segments are built based upon cohort behavior. Some attributes may be based on purchase behavior of your product, like RFM (Recency, Frequency, Monetary Value) or the retailer where a consumer purchased a product.",[2210,2414,2416,504],{"id":2415},"measurement-strategies",[30,2417,2418],{},"Measurement Strategies",[12,2420,2421],{},"Understanding the impact of your campaigns will help you make the most of precious budgets, optimize campaigns and build better strategies to achieve incremental growth. Due to the signal loss and opt-out consumer behavior, this will remain important even as the third-party cookie will remain. A few strategies that can be employed include leveraging clean rooms (if you have strong first-party data and can leverage retailer or publisher clean rooms), comprehensive media mix modeling studies or other approaches like control/exposed testing across consumers in a structured way. These approaches do not rely on a third-party cookie but rather on statistical methods to understand success, with varying levels of granularity and timing.",[2210,2423,2425],{"id":2424},"moving-forward",[30,2426,2427],{},"Moving Forward",[12,2429,2430],{},"Though Google will retain third-party cookies, it is clear they have heard and will heed the consumer call for heightened privacy. While we will continue encountering third-party cookies moving forward, their value to marketers will continue to diminish as more consumers opt out of being tracked. Instead, the emphasis on first-party data and innovative targeting has become paramount. This pivot sets the stage for a more transparent and resilient advertising ecosystem. By embracing these changes, marketers can continue to drive meaningful engagement and growth in an evolving digital world.",{"title":107,"searchDepth":108,"depth":108,"links":2432},[],"2025-03-26T00:00:00.000Z","Google has decided not to go through with third-party cookie deprecation. What does that mean for marketers and consumers? Blue Chip has answers.",{"blockquote":2436},"Block quote content","/thinking/google-pivots-on-cookie-deprecation","This week, Google announced it no longer plans to eliminate third-party cookies on Chrome browsers. This reversal comes after four years of Google planning, testing and delaying—and substantial industry pressure to pursue a different direction. While Google’s testing showed a strong recovery of advertiser spend via Google display ads, there is undoubtedly a risk of revenue loss for their own business. Considering the possible loss of revenue and substantial industry pushback, Google's change in direction makes sense. ",{"title":2358,"description":2434},{"loc":2437,"lastmod":2351},"thinking/google-pivots-on-cookie-deprecation","HLO76I3mFaYRZeB27Q2Xcq9xTaD9SqSX7RXL4U_XHbA",{"id":2444,"title":2445,"articleTitle":2446,"author":2447,"authorTitle":2448,"body":2449,"brandCommercePage":111,"category":177,"date":2637,"description":2638,"extension":114,"hide":111,"meta":2639,"navigation":116,"ogImage":117,"path":2640,"pullQuote":2641,"seo":2642,"sitemap":2643,"stem":2646,"weighting":117,"__hash__":2647},"thinking/thinking/solutions-to-common-challenges-with-retail-media-networks.md","Planning Challenge","Solutions to Common Challenges With Retail Media Networks","Erich Parker","SVP Integrated Media",{"type":9,"value":2450,"toc":2631},[2451,2456,2459,2465,2468,2473,2476,2481,2484,2489,2492,2498,2501,2506,2509,2514,2519,2522,2527,2530,2535,2538,2543,2546,2551,2554,2560,2563,2568,2573,2590,2595,2612,2617,2620,2622,2628],[608,2452,2454],{"id":2453},"planning-challenge",[30,2455,2445],{},[12,2457,2458],{},"All retail media networks are vying for budgets, and it can be difficult for brands to prioritize amongst them.  ",[221,2460,2462,1323],{"id":2461},"our-solution",[30,2463,2464],{},"Our Solution",[12,2466,2467],{},"Our proprietary Impact OS planning tools, MarketMatch and Register, enable brands to make the right decisions with their RMN investments.",[12,2469,2470],{},[30,2471,2472],{},"IMPACTOS",[12,2474,2475],{},"Impact OS is our proprietary suite of data-driven tools that deliver stunning results and bring meaningful change to your business.",[12,2477,2478],{},[30,2479,2480],{},"REGISTER",[12,2482,2483],{},"Register uses the latest retailer intelligence to drive the success of your investments. This tool covers 30 top retailers across mass, grocery, c-store, dollar and drug and includes their strategies, promotional calendars, performance benchmarks and RMN overviews. ",[12,2485,2486],{},[30,2487,2488],{},"MARKETMATCH",[12,2490,2491],{},"MarketMatch leverages the power of data to identify retailers and media markets with the highest potential. We use it to evaluate BDI/CDI, velocity, contribution to sales, distribution and other factors to identify Grow, Defend and Emerging retailers and markets. ",[608,2493,2495],{"id":2494},"activation-challenge",[30,2496,2497],{},"Activation Challenge",[12,2499,2500],{},"RMNs can make a positive impact on business, but for some brands, many RMN opportunities are out of reach based on size and minimums. ",[221,2502,2504,1323],{"id":2503},"our-solution-1",[30,2505,2464],{},[12,2507,2508],{},"Our 40+ years of experience inform our decision to use either an RMN or an alternative retailer-specific solution—or some combination of the two. ",[12,2510,2511,504],{},[30,2512,2513],{},"To achieve specific objectives, consider the following alternative approaches.",[12,2515,2516],{},[30,2517,2518],{},"Growing HHP",[12,2520,2521],{},"If RMN first-party data isn’t an option, use data from Nielsen, IRi, Catalina, etc. to identify known buyers/non-buyers and build targeting pools. ",[12,2523,2524,504],{},[30,2525,2526],{},"Understanding incrementally",[12,2528,2529],{},"Set up test vs. control, match market or pre-post analyses to identify campaign impact.  ",[12,2531,2532,504],{},[30,2533,2534],{},"Drive sales on-site/drive traffic to retailer.com",[12,2536,2537],{},"Leverage RMN data in self-serve DSPs to target ideal shoppers or use social media with shoppable links.  ",[12,2539,2540,504],{},[30,2541,2542],{},"Activate across many retailers or cross-category portfolios",[12,2544,2545],{},"Buy into third-party partners that help deliver scale with geo/zip targeting and dynamic creative and messaging.  ",[12,2547,2548],{},[30,2549,2550],{},"Drive impulse",[12,2552,2553],{},"Use on-site or Google search to conquest or appear in adjacent or complementary categories, or use shopping/incentive apps for messaging at the moment of truth. ",[608,2555,2557],{"id":2556},"measurement-challenge",[30,2558,2559],{},"Measurement Challenge",[12,2561,2562],{},"RMN measurement has been inconsistent and without standardization. Often marketers feel that RMNs lack transparency and are not focused on the right metrics to drive incremental dollars. ",[221,2564,2566,1323],{"id":2565},"our-solution-2",[30,2567,2464],{},[12,2569,2570,504],{},[30,2571,2572],{},"Ensuring the right measurement approach starts with asking the right questions of the RMN.",[82,2574,2575,2578,2581,2584,2587],{},[85,2576,2577],{},"Does the RMN follow IAB standards and are they MRC accredited?  ",[85,2579,2580],{},"What type of KPI should a brand expect by tactic?  ",[85,2582,2583],{},"What differentiation does each RMN offer regarding measurement?  ",[85,2585,2586],{},"What budget sizes unlock additional measurement?  ",[85,2588,2589],{},"What is the RMN’s approach to studies of incrementally?",[12,2591,2592,504],{},[30,2593,2594],{},"In addition to the above considerations, the following points will help build a measurement framework.",[82,2596,2597,2600,2603,2606,2609],{},[85,2598,2599],{},"Tie goals and measurement framework to RMN objectives.",[85,2601,2602],{},"Consider measurement in upfront planning.  ",[85,2604,2605],{},"Collect and unify all RMNs in a singular view or platform.   ",[85,2607,2608],{},"Ensure measurement consistency and IAB/MRC standards are followed.  ",[85,2610,2611],{},"Benchmark and evaluate results over time. ",[12,2613,2614],{},[30,2615,2616],{},"THREAD",[12,2618,2619],{},"We utilize Thread®, our insights platform, to bring visibility across RMNs for a holistic view of what is driving growth for your brand. ",[2210,2621],{"id":107},[608,2623,2625,504],{"id":2624},"agency-expertise-plays-a-key-role-in-rmn-success",[30,2626,2627],{},"Agency expertise plays a key role in RMN success.",[12,2629,2630],{},"The power and potential of retail media networks is clear. But given the growing complexity of the retail media landscape and the sizable brand investments required to win at retail, marketing agencies like Blue Chip play an important role in providing strategic and experienced guidance for their brand clients.",{"title":107,"searchDepth":108,"depth":108,"links":2632},[2633,2635,2636],{"id":2461,"depth":294,"text":2634},"Our Solution  ",{"id":2503,"depth":294,"text":2634},{"id":2565,"depth":294,"text":2634},"2025-03-25T00:00:00.000Z","solutions to common challenges with retail media networks description",{"blockquote":107},"/thinking/solutions-to-common-challenges-with-retail-media-networks","Retail media networks provide wonderful marketing opportunities to engage the right shoppers and drive commerce. That said, the RMN landscape is very complex. Many brands are on a continuous learning curve, and they need the right agency partner across planning, activation and measurement.",{"title":2445,"description":2638},{"loc":2640,"lastmod":2351,"videos":2644,"images":2645},[],[],"thinking/solutions-to-common-challenges-with-retail-media-networks","FS856hNIXx1UZ5q-227o0E0JjBzuKR1OHo8Q_mOsm50",{"id":2649,"title":2650,"articleTitle":2651,"author":578,"authorTitle":2652,"body":2653,"brandCommercePage":116,"category":112,"date":2729,"description":2730,"extension":114,"hide":111,"meta":2731,"navigation":116,"ogImage":117,"path":2732,"pullQuote":2733,"seo":2734,"sitemap":2735,"stem":2738,"weighting":117,"__hash__":2739},"thinking/thinking/how-brand-commerce-drives-brand-growth-from-big-ideas-to-the-bottom-line.md","How Brand Commerce Drives Brand Growth | Blue Chip","How Brand Commerce Drives Brand Growth, From Big Ideas to the Bottom Line","VP Comms & Activation",{"type":9,"value":2654,"toc":2727},[2655,2662,2665,2668,2671,2674,2694,2701,2704,2707,2713,2716,2724],[12,2656,2657],{},[239,2658,2659],{},[30,2660,2661],{},"As featured in Ad Age",[12,2663,2664],{},"Marketers often face tension when choosing whether a campaign should be creatively buzzworthy or fiercely sales driven. And now, chief marketing officers and all stakeholders are under more pressure than ever to serve campaigns that push sales while securing brand trust and long-term loyalty. The changing marketplace offers the chance to combine a dedicated sales push with a thrilling creative idea.",[12,2666,2667],{},"On top of that, consumers now need to be reached in an ever-growing ocean of ways: in-store displays and online retail media, TikTok and an array of social media, good old-fashioned commercials, you name it. And this is the opportunity with creative commerce. ",[12,2669,2670],{},"The essence of creative commerce lies in removing friction points between the brand experience and consumer shopping experience, creating seamless interactions that stick. The philosophy is based on merging fresh ideas with actionable, measurable, commerce-driving strategies. Marketers can build brand health and grow profits by offering engaging experiences that encourage purchasing. This way, consumers start talking and they start buying. ",[12,2672,2673],{},"Here are some key steps to get started with creative commerce: ",[82,2675,2676,2682,2688],{},[85,2677,2678,2681],{},[30,2679,2680],{},"Build education and alignment internally."," Get everybody on board. Take the time to show your key stakeholders across marketing, sales, finance and leadership why your ideas are the right ones for their campaign. Show them how your creative angle is smoothly tied in with a sales push so purchasing comes easily for the consumer.  We ensure that our teams share a clear understanding and alignment on what success should look like from a marketing and business viewpoint. Our creative, media and measurement teams are all locked at the hip to make sure our concepts and presentation are cohesive and feel organic to the product. While the team members are wired differently, they work together to achieve clarity around business and marketing objectives for a true integration of ideas and measurement. ",[85,2683,2684,2687],{},[30,2685,2686],{},"Find the right marketing agency partner."," Connect with a full-service agency that brings capabilities spanning creative, media and shopper marketing, and offers cohesive, integrated thinking. Make sure they display a true commitment and skill to deliver creative commerce campaigns. And look at their history with creative commerce: Do they have a track record of highly creative campaigns across all platforms that also effectively drive sales? Everyone involved must bring a deep understanding of the brand, its consumer and the targeted business goals. ",[85,2689,2690,2693],{},[30,2691,2692],{},"Ensure that creative ideas connect clearly to commerce."," This needs to start in the briefing and ideation stages. Our campaign with Heinz Ketchup a few years ago is a perfect example. Ketchup is traditionally a summer product around grilling, with sales being slower in other seasons. But Heinz wanted a seat at the Super Bowl table, which is normally about pizza, wings and dips (not ketchup), and it’s also about betting on the game. So, we launched a low-tech campaign that combined creativity with consumer incentive via our bottle matchup. We put digits on the iconic Heinz labels, and if the number on your bottle matched a number in the Super Bowl’s final score, you could win a prize. Retailers loved it, because it directly encouraged people to buy and it was great for store displays. And for consumers, we turned the ketchup bottle into a game piece for the Super Bowl itself, adding another fun event to the trend of experiential viewing. Our campaign brought sales up 11% over the previous year, surpassing original goals. It was a seamless example of what creative commerce can do.",[12,2695,2696],{},[2697,2698],"img",{"alt":2699,"src":2700},"Heinz Bottle Matchup","/heinz-match.jpeg",[12,2702,2703],{},"Heinz Bottle Match-Up game piece",[12,2705,2706],{},"When we did our Apothic 12 Nights campaign for E. & J. Gallo, we knew that the wine you bring to a party tells people who you are. Today’s consumers are digitally savvy, so we created a digital consumer experience that was promoted at retail. Consumers could unlock 12 windows—in the style of an Advent calendar—which included moody music, creative cocktail ideas and origami ornaments. We combined the opportunity to build sales while strengthening that consumer awareness and relationship. From a commerce standpoint, this allowed Apothic to grab a larger share of category sales during the valuable December holiday drive period, and we stayed true to the Apothic brand with the consumer experience.",[12,2708,2709],{},[2697,2710],{"alt":2711,"src":2712},"Apothic 12 Nights","/apothic.png",[12,2714,2715],{},"Apothic 12 Nights digital calendar",[82,2717,2718],{},[85,2719,2720,2723],{},[30,2721,2722],{},"Develop clear KPIs and measurement frameworks."," Make sure that business gains can be clearly measured, evaluated and benchmarked over time. This will typically include assessing creative impact through engagement and attention, tactics and activation effectiveness, brand health, plus cultural and social connections that drive positive sentiment and earned media value. Along with that, you’ll want to look at how these factors drive business or commerce in the short and long term, including sales lift, customer acquisition costs and customer lifetime value.",[12,2725,2726],{},"Creative commerce lures consumers to engaging experiences while making it easy and desirable for them to shop. By measuring every facet of your campaign—not just its immediate impact, but also its long-term value and the depth of consumer connections—you can fine-tune your strategy and investments to amplify results. This holistic approach ensures that creative commerce efforts not only drive purchase but also foster lasting consumer loyalty.",{"title":107,"searchDepth":108,"depth":108,"links":2728},[],"2025-03-24T00:00:00.000Z","With brand commerce, marketers don’t have to choose between creativity and sales.",{},"/thinking/how-brand-commerce-drives-brand-growth-from-big-ideas-to-the-bottom-line","How brand commerce can build brand equity and sales together",{"title":2650,"description":2730},{"loc":2732,"videos":2736,"images":2737},[],[],"thinking/how-brand-commerce-drives-brand-growth-from-big-ideas-to-the-bottom-line","EpIx7kG-jnHcDctotliXZThxk_BoDQ2ywXC6G-l_Wdg",{"id":2741,"title":2742,"articleTitle":2743,"author":2744,"authorTitle":2745,"body":2746,"brandCommercePage":111,"category":168,"date":2786,"description":2787,"extension":114,"hide":111,"meta":2788,"navigation":116,"ogImage":117,"path":2789,"pullQuote":2790,"seo":2791,"sitemap":2792,"stem":2795,"weighting":117,"__hash__":2796},"thinking/thinking/importance-of-media-operations.md","Importance of Media Operations | Blue Chip","The Importance of Media Operations","Colleen Waltman","Sr. Campaign Analyst",{"type":9,"value":2747,"toc":2784},[2748,2752,2755,2758,2761,2764,2768,2771,2774,2778,2781],[608,2749,2751],{"id":2750},"ad-trafficking","Ad Trafficking",[12,2753,2754],{},"Ad trafficking serves as the focal point within the ad operations process as it involves planning, managing and optimizing ad campaigns with the goal of reaching the correct audience for the most successful performance possible.    ",[12,2756,2757],{},"There are two ways to serve creative assets: either through an ad server platform, such as Campaign Manager 360, in which the creative is uploaded within the tags and then shared with the publisher, or via publisher, in which the creative is served directly through the platform that the campaign runs on and basic click-tracker tags are implemented.   ",[12,2759,2760],{},"Each method has pros and cons, but leveraging an ad server allows for flexibility when it comes to testing and learning and provides centralized management for greater control. Ad servers also allow for ease of optimizations, such as making ad rotations, which can be necessary for boosting the effectiveness of the campaign. Rotating ads can either be made through a weighting method, in which some ads are weighted heavier than others if they are stronger and want to be displayed more often, or an objective-based method, in which ads are prioritized based on how well they are predicted to align with driving the campaign objective.",[12,2762,2763],{},"Both methods are reliable for improving campaign performance, so the choice depends on the focus of the campaign. A combination of options can also be implemented.    ",[608,2765,2767],{"id":2766},"validation-verification","Validation & Verification",[12,2769,2770],{},"We use validation to refer to validating delivery and verification to refer to the substance of the delivery. Both validation and verification are crucial components of ad trafficking that ensure accurate data is being delivered. Data validation is especially important when it comes to billing because costs are based on ad delivery, so it is necessary that the delivery being reported is completely accurate, or else it could potentially lead to over or under delivering, which has cost implications. To ensure validation, reported data must be up to date and include delivery metrics (impressions, video views), engagement metrics (clicks, video completion rate) and conversion metrics (purchases, ROAS) if applicable. Working closely across internal teams and having transparent communication with clients about performance helps establish trust, strengthen partnerships and avoid costly mistakes.",[12,2772,2773],{},"In today’s world, data verification is also very important due to the increase of fraud and bots. We perform verification via tracking that ensures the ads are reaching real, relevant consumers alongside trustworthy content. We leverage verification partners, such as MOAT, to track invalid traffic and ensure ads are being shown as intended. Nielsen enables us to verify that the ads are reaching the correct age and gender target. Additionally, IAS can be used to ensure that ads are showing up on reputable websites alongside appropriate content by avoiding made-for-advertising sites. ",[608,2775,2777],{"id":2776},"ensuring-quality","Ensuring Quality   ",[12,2779,2780],{},"All advertisers should implement some form of validation and verification within the data reporting process to ensure accuracy and reliability, which leads to higher campaign quality. Quality can include anything from delivering engaging creative to targeting the right audience. Focusing on ensuring quality in every step of the advertising process leads to maximizing client goals and delivering the message to the consumer in the most efficient way. Having a strong focus on quality, combined with attention and impact, improves the longevity of a brand as it helps to continually build trust with consumers, leading to a high return on investments, and therefore achieving long-term success.",[12,2782,2783],{},"We believe that the key to delivering excellence for clients is through establishing a strong ad-trafficking team to efficiently manage campaigns, focusing on validation and verification to ensure accuracy and ensuring quality in every step of the advertising operations process.",{"title":107,"searchDepth":108,"depth":108,"links":2785},[],"2025-03-23T00:00:00.000Z","Learn about how a strong media and ad operations team is crucial to supporting successful media campaigns and how Blue Chip’s media and ad ops team works.",{},"/thinking/importance-of-media-operations","Media and ad operations form the backbone of a successful media group, and we at Blue Chip believe that a robust operations team is crucial to supporting client programs. The media and ad operations function plays a pivotal role in fostering collaboration across teams, adhering to industry guidelines and partnering with external vendors to deliver impactful media for our clients. The media and ad ops team focuses primarily on how media is delivered to audience targets and on leveraging data to drive effective programs that generate strong results. Our team concentrates on three main areas: trafficking (the process of managing ad placements), verification and validation, and ensuring the quality of media delivery.  ",{"title":2742,"description":2787},{"loc":2789,"lastmod":2351,"videos":2793,"images":2794},[],[],"thinking/importance-of-media-operations","WsPW-PTytngdv_dkwvwyD2RD36A-ajywGmC05Z5pEsI",{"id":2798,"title":2799,"articleTitle":2800,"author":312,"authorTitle":117,"body":2801,"brandCommercePage":111,"category":204,"date":2838,"description":2839,"extension":114,"hide":111,"meta":2840,"navigation":116,"ogImage":117,"path":2841,"pullQuote":2842,"seo":2843,"sitemap":2844,"stem":2845,"weighting":117,"__hash__":2846},"thinking/thinking/blue-chip-introduces-impact-os-suite.md","Blue Chip Introduces Impact OS Suite | Blue Chip","Blue Chip Introduces Impact OS Suite",{"type":9,"value":2802,"toc":2836},[2803,2818,2821,2824,2827,2830,2833],[348,2804,2805,2810],{":no-border":350},[352,2806,2807],{"v-slot:quote":107},[12,2808,2809],{},"“Marketers need reliable, data-driven tools to identify and maximize their greatest business potential. We’re not satisfied with just creating powerful ideas; we’re committed to giving them the best chance to deliver extraordinary business results. So, we’ve developed a planning, activation and measurement system that can change the fortunes of brands which have to outsmart rather than outspend their competition.”",[352,2811,2812],{"v-slot:name":107},[12,2813,2814,2815],{},"Stanton Kawer, ",[239,2816,2817],{},"CEO of Blue Chip",[12,2819,2820],{},"At the heart of Impact OS are Market Match, Register, and Thread, which help clients plan, activate, and measure creative commerce campaigns from a data-rich perspective. ",[12,2822,2823],{},"Market Match identifies and prioritizes the highest-potential retailers and media markets where marketers can lead rather than just keep pace. Whereas marketers typically base investment decisions on brand and category development indices (BDI and CDI), Market Match considers the full commerce picture by also including current sales velocity, number of distribution points, year over year trends and competitive activity. The tool’s algorithm defines markets as Grow, Defend, or Emerging, so clients can prioritize investing in their greatest opportunities. ",[12,2825,2826],{},"Register provides intimate intelligence on the country’s top retailers in every major channel. More than a library of chain data, Register incorporates four decades of shopper marketing and retail media network activity with retailer strategies, shopper profiles, promotional calendars, retail media network opportunities and campaign benchmarking.  ",[12,2828,2829],{},"Harmonic enables the curation, management, and activation of first-party customer data for brands. ROI Forecaster projects impact, and Insight identifies the best media options. Thread identifies which marketing activities are performing best, and Scorecard presents tailored insights into business results. ",[12,2831,2832],{},"For example, a large frozen foods brand recently used Market Match to focus its efforts from 65 potential markets to eight where it can create meaningful change. And an ingredient brand is using Thread to monitor and optimize media and retail initiatives in real time.   ",[12,2834,2835],{},"Since its founding 40 years ago with a focus on shopper marketing, Blue Chip has become a full-service creative agency with stalwart creative, data, and media capabilities. Impact OS is the latest evolution in pursuit of conscious, systematic, and repeatable ways for clients to outperform their categories.",{"title":107,"searchDepth":108,"depth":108,"links":2837},[],"2025-03-22T00:00:00.000Z","Blue Chip has launched Impact OS, a suite of seven planning, activation, and measurement tools.",{},"/thinking/blue-chip-introduces-impact-os-suite","Seven planning, activation and measurement tools help marketers maximize campaign performance. Blue Chip has introduced Impact OS, a suite of seven planning, activation and measurement tools that blend the science of “why” and the art of “how” to boost a marketer’s results. The tools draw on the agency’s 40+-year history growing client brands to help marketers prioritize markets and retailers, forecast ROI, harness consumer data, activate media and measure business impact.  ",{"description":2839,"title":2799},{"loc":2841,"lastmod":2351},"thinking/blue-chip-introduces-impact-os-suite","nlpyCaZ-e5mG1DlbNtv9c8KXWqUyjarTc7o1mmvWeII",{"id":2848,"title":2849,"articleTitle":2850,"author":1779,"authorTitle":2851,"body":2852,"brandCommercePage":111,"category":150,"date":2917,"description":2918,"extension":114,"hide":111,"meta":2919,"navigation":116,"ogImage":117,"path":2920,"pullQuote":2921,"seo":2922,"sitemap":2923,"stem":2926,"weighting":117,"__hash__":2927},"thinking/thinking/ad-agency-leadership.md","Ad Agency Leadership | Blue Chip","Ad Agency Leadership—How Promoting From Within Fosters Teamwork, Productivity and Client Retention","CEO & Chairman",{"type":9,"value":2853,"toc":2915},[2854,2857,2860,2863,2866,2870,2873,2876,2880,2883,2886,2889,2892,2896,2899,2903,2906,2909,2912],[12,2855,2856],{},"With management talent available as holding companies consolidate, it is tempting for agencies to import stars to take over key specialties—hoping to give the business an instant boost.",[12,2858,2859],{},"That may prove a mistake, as it has for some pro sports teams that have attempted to buy a championship roster—several of which reversed course to build from within. Agencies will do better to promote specialty chiefs from across the agency to develop broader, deeper leadership.",[12,2861,2862],{},"The pressure on agencies to drive business results has never been higher. Industries grow more complex as media infrastructure expands, audiences multiply and lower barriers to entry online invite more kinds of competitors. Add the requirement to achieve more with less and winning requires more systemic marketing coordination than ever. We need to do more and more complicated things and need to do them faster. Such coordination takes a more integrated approach and tighter teamwork. Key people with broader vision and trust put you on the fast track because getting there is equally about talent and culture.",[12,2864,2865],{},"What’s more, cross-promoting leaders fortifies institutional intelligence that clients need desperately. As client ranks shrink and their people change out, they lose the experience that can safeguard strategy. Continuity at an agency bridges discontinuity at a client. Agency teams are often on the business longer than any of their clients. Here are four key ways to develop broad, deep agency leadership:",[608,2867,2869],{"id":2868},"cohesion-counts","Cohesion counts",[12,2871,2872],{},"The faster marketing moves, the more agencies need to treat culture as a core capability. Things move too fast, and we no longer have the advantage of everyone on top of each other in an office every day. Our defense is colleagues’ shared values and trust from working together over time, which fuels the everyday innovation clients depend on. The ultimate client compliment—“You’re an extension of our team”—comes in large part from continuity. It’s the glue that sustains an agency.",[12,2874,2875],{},"Look around your agency, and you’ll see people are busier than ever answering intensifying client needs and pitches. More is riding on their time. Starting over with new leaders dilutes it for a period that’s getting harder to afford, whereas established team members have the advantage of knowing how everyone works. More than any formal process, relationships generate efficiency.",[608,2877,2879],{"id":2878},"promote-multidisciplinary-perspectives","Promote multidisciplinary perspectives",[12,2881,2882],{},"When leaders can view client opportunities and problems through a multidisciplinary lens, they see more, know more and move faster. They’re intimate with the nuances of client businesses and agency culture. It’s easier and stronger to change up a discipline with someone who’s a fixture with clients and a pillar of the culture. Especially in a full-service environment, that person has the relationships and trust to inspire other departments to collaborate.",[12,2884,2885],{},"By contrast, new people who know a lot more about a discipline than existing teams can disrupt the flow. You get hiccups in production, tension over process and style and staff defections.",[12,2887,2888],{},"Of course, we’re going to tap the talent marketplace when we need high-level expertise we don’t have (or suddenly missing because someone moved on). But don’t mistake high-profile hires as a substitute for foundation.",[12,2890,2891],{},"When billionaire Steve Cohen bought the New York Mets after the 2020 season, he shelled out for many of baseball’s biggest stars to assemble a championship team. Two disappointing seasons later, he’s parted with most of them and reset his sights on developing homegrown talent.",[608,2893,2895],{"id":2894},"think-agency-not-just-individual","Think agency, not just individual",[12,2897,2898],{},"We tend to think of career development as being one-sided, simply giving employees the upward track to fulfill their ambitions. We need to consider agency development more carefully in the equation to balance subject matter expertise with leadership experience. That means looking for where an individual’s strengths can have a greater impact—for them, the agency and the clients. By identifying the sweet spots where personal and collective needs intersect, we can bring new resonance to subject matter capabilities and fresh energy to the agency.",[608,2900,2902],{"id":2901},"put-people-in-unexpected-roles","Put people in unexpected roles",[12,2904,2905],{},"You’ll rejuvenate careers in the process. A promotion with broader responsibility in the same assignment is still more of the same. It’s one of the things that prompts top performers to jump to new agencies—they want something new to get excited about. Giving them that next step internally helps everyone. It also creates a culture of cross-promotion—so people at all levels can keep finding what’s new without having to find a new agency—and spreads a feeling of opportunity and recognition. It cements key people to the agency and clients and increases productivity—9.7% on average, according to Gallup.",[12,2907,2908],{},"Unexpected leaders have a way of broadening and sharpening their disciplines to give clients more powerful performance. If you put a veteran account leader in charge of media, for example, you're apt to find their breadth and depth of experience will spark new ways to deliver market performance. Similarly, if you let a digital media leader develop your new technology venture, their firsthand experience in the needs and obstacles of client delivery will likely boost sales and retention.",[12,2910,2911],{},"Prioritizing homegrown talent now will keep agencies productive, buttress client organizations and sustain client relationships. Keeping key people is paramount, but it’s not enough to get them to stay. We need to keep them engaged and ultimately inspired. To do it we must keep them growing, especially when there aren’t endless rungs to climb on the management ladder within a specialty.",[12,2913,2914],{},"Clients face the same challenge with leaner marketing organizations. There are fewer jobs to move into, so the refresh must come from mixing up challenges and opportunities. When you promote across from within to fill new roles for the agency or department, you neutralize the two-headed monster of burnout and churn.",{"title":107,"searchDepth":108,"depth":108,"links":2916},[],"2025-03-21T00:00:00.000Z","How Promoting From Within Fosters Teamwork, Productivity, and Client Retention",{},"/thinking/ad-agency-leadership","4 strategies to grow institutional intelligence that clients need desperately",{"title":2849,"description":2918},{"loc":2920,"lastmod":2351,"videos":2924,"images":2925},[],[],"thinking/ad-agency-leadership","t6r953inG5S89nNreG9-Ngenk0Tha6mx3AIwJqWpYfk",{"id":2929,"title":2930,"articleTitle":2931,"author":2447,"authorTitle":2448,"body":2932,"brandCommercePage":111,"category":168,"date":2988,"description":2989,"extension":114,"hide":111,"meta":2990,"navigation":116,"ogImage":117,"path":2991,"pullQuote":2992,"seo":2993,"sitemap":2994,"stem":2997,"weighting":117,"__hash__":2998},"thinking/thinking/how-to-recover-from-conversion-fixation.md","How to Recover From Conversion Fixation | Blue Chip","How to Recover From Conversion Fixation",{"type":9,"value":2933,"toc":2982},[2934,2937,2940,2943,2949,2952,2958,2961,2967,2970,2976,2979],[12,2935,2936],{},"It’s becoming all too commonplace: A brand that’s been prioritizing performance media reaches a peak and begins to decline in leads and sales. Usually, it’s not because the company is making the wrong pitches or buying the wrong media. It’s simply burning out a shrinking universe of known buyers.",[12,2938,2939],{},"This is how conversion fixation undermines the growth marketing mandates are supposed to serve. It’s easy to fall into the trap because we can measure immediate media tactics, and business leaders are impatient for proof that marketing investment is paying off. The approaches that promote long-term brand success don’t yield such instant gratification.",[12,2941,2942],{},"The answer is a full-funnel approach. We can get back to it by making some straightforward adjustments.",[221,2944,2946],{"id":2945},"broaden-your-base",[30,2947,2948],{},"Broaden your base.",[12,2950,2951],{},"To expand your sales, you need to expand your market by targeting potential customers at every stage of the buying journey, from awareness to consideration to purchase. If someone’s first exposure is a click-to-buy or impulse purchase, treat them like a fresh prospect so you give them the consideration-oriented communications that can make them a brand buyer. Rather than ads for more products, for example, you can send them users’ stories and ideas that invite a brand consciousness.",[221,2953,2955],{"id":2954},"balance-the-budget",[30,2956,2957],{},"Balance the budget.",[12,2959,2960],{},"Start by allocating 60% to top-, 30% to middle-, and 10% to lower-funnel activities. You need the most resources for a critical mass of memorability with a new, less familiar audience. Only a portion of that universe will form a base for consideration, while a portion of those consumers are open to purchase. That’s a healthy pipeline.",[221,2962,2964],{"id":2963},"reset-expectations",[30,2965,2966],{},"Reset expectations.",[12,2968,2969],{},"Anchor the program in an overall goal, such as increasing awareness among an intended target group by 10% or increasing category share by 5% on a major retailer site. Establish benchmarks for each funnel stage, and coach senior leadership on realistic timetables for progress in each. They’ll stop asking for conversion metrics on brand ads and emails.",[221,2971,2973],{"id":2972},"track-brand-health",[30,2974,2975],{},"Track brand health.",[12,2977,2978],{},"Set aside a budget for regularly scheduled brand health studies to track progress over time. Turn the results into conversations with senior leaders on specific adjustments that can speed the path to results. In providing proof, you’ll unlock resources for expansion while cementing trust with your agency partners.",[12,2980,2981],{},"Successful marketing isn’t a one-legged stool. By reestablishing a full-funnel approach, you can restore a brand trajectory to the business. Then you can build a stronger brand, generate more leads and sales, and improve customer lifetime value: the three legs of growth.",{"title":107,"searchDepth":108,"depth":108,"links":2983},[2984,2985,2986,2987],{"id":2945,"depth":294,"text":2948},{"id":2954,"depth":294,"text":2957},{"id":2963,"depth":294,"text":2966},{"id":2972,"depth":294,"text":2975},"2025-03-20T00:00:00.000Z","Forget instant gratification — adjust to a full funnel-approach for long-term brand success.",{"blockquote":2346},"/thinking/how-to-recover-from-conversion-fixation","Forget instant gratification—adjust to a full funnel-approach for long-term brand success.",{"title":2930,"description":2989},{"loc":2991,"lastmod":2351,"videos":2995,"images":2996},[],[],"thinking/how-to-recover-from-conversion-fixation","jtzb-3ruEx0TVfqFHPLexe17ypnGxxwTMgBBIDMtA7w",{"id":3000,"title":3001,"articleTitle":3002,"author":2199,"authorTitle":2200,"body":3003,"brandCommercePage":111,"category":195,"date":3056,"description":3057,"extension":114,"hide":111,"meta":3058,"navigation":116,"ogImage":117,"path":3059,"pullQuote":3057,"seo":3060,"sitemap":3061,"stem":3064,"weighting":117,"__hash__":3065},"thinking/thinking/straightforward-is-best-lets-simplify-our-ideas.md","Straightforward Is Best: Let's Simplify Our Ideas | Blue Chip","Straightforward Is Best: Let’s Simplify Our Ideas",{"type":9,"value":3004,"toc":3050},[3005,3008,3011,3017,3020,3026,3029,3035,3038,3044,3047],[12,3006,3007],{},"Omnichannel marketing feeds us so much data that we’ve come to over rely on it within the marketing organization. In the relentless pursuit of frameworks, charts, graphs, and predictive models, we’re losing sight of the simple idea—the solution we’re providing to get people to buy our products. It’s to the point where if an idea seems too simple, we distrust it.",[12,3009,3010],{},"Marketing can’t be reduced to an engineering problem. We need to honor and hone simple ideas because the biggest ideas are the simple ones. That’s the unchanging essence of great strategy—a bold, simple premise the entire marketing campaign can be based on.",[221,3012,3014],{"id":3013},"get-single-minded",[30,3015,3016],{},"Get single-minded.",[12,3018,3019],{},"People can only digest so much information these days. What’s the one thing you need them to remember after life has hit them with thousands of communications? Single-minded takeaways combat data overload, so lead with the impact.",[221,3021,3023],{"id":3022},"honor-your-instinct",[30,3024,3025],{},"Honor your instinct.",[12,3027,3028],{},"Sorting through data doesn’t get to the root of human truth. What do you know to be true, deep down? How does the idea make you feel? Does it ring true in everyday life? The more data intelligence we collect, the more we need to balance with emotional intelligence.",[221,3030,3032],{"id":3031},"follow-the-three-second-rule",[30,3033,3034],{},"Follow the three-second rule.",[12,3036,3037],{},"In scripting dozens of national sales presentations, I’ve learned if I don’t grab the audience in the first three seconds, they won’t register the idea. That’s equally true in the board room, on Teams calls, in meetings with the CEO, and in content consumers see. Give yourself three seconds to feel an idea. Keep honing until you can. Steve Jobs captivated the Apple organization by introducing the iPod as “10,000 songs in your pocket.” He didn’t have to show his homework first.",[221,3039,3041],{"id":3040},"take-a-hike",[30,3042,3043],{},"Take a hike.",[12,3045,3046],{},"The biggest, simplest ideas don’t shout through the data noise. They whisper into a clear mind. So, get up, get out, and refresh your mind’s palette. It sounds trite, but it’s truer than ever because we’ve become glued to our monitors. We think we can’t afford to take the time, that we’ll miss that thing which will reveal the answer. The simple ideas come when we take a break for real life.",[12,3048,3049],{},"The more complex life gets, the more clarity marketing needs to create. That clarity takes bigger, simpler ideas rooted in human triggers that often defy data. We need to spend more time being human to feel human.",{"title":107,"searchDepth":108,"depth":108,"links":3051},[3052,3053,3054,3055],{"id":3013,"depth":294,"text":3016},{"id":3022,"depth":294,"text":3025},{"id":3031,"depth":294,"text":3034},{"id":3040,"depth":294,"text":3043},"2025-03-19T00:00:00.000Z","Honor the simple marketing ideas for a great strategy.",{"blockquote":107},"/thinking/straightforward-is-best-lets-simplify-our-ideas",{"title":3001,"description":3057},{"loc":3059,"lastmod":2351,"videos":3062,"images":3063},[],[],"thinking/straightforward-is-best-lets-simplify-our-ideas","lnZ71ol2EXOoFKE50L_eLEyCP47s_L5yt_N-l9vP02A",{"id":3067,"title":3068,"articleTitle":3069,"author":3070,"authorTitle":3071,"body":3072,"brandCommercePage":111,"category":150,"date":3133,"description":3134,"extension":114,"hide":111,"meta":3135,"navigation":116,"ogImage":117,"path":3136,"pullQuote":3134,"seo":3137,"sitemap":3138,"stem":3141,"weighting":117,"__hash__":3142},"thinking/thinking/marketers-need-more-30-day-rfps.md","Marketers Need More 30-day RFPs | Blue Chip","Marketers Need More 30-Day RFPs","Dan Eisenberg","Chief Marketing Officer",{"type":9,"value":3073,"toc":3131},[3074,3077,3080,3086,3089,3095,3098,3104,3107,3113,3116,3122,3125,3128],[12,3075,3076],{},"The cost of agency reviews is a hot topic these days, with the Association of National Advertisers and the American Association of Advertising Agencies putting the average for brands and agencies at $1 million to $1.2 million per pitch. What’s not quantified as deeply is the opportunity cost, though marketers did cite slowdowns in new and everyday campaign and product activity due to the internal demands of an RFP. The added weight of offboarding an incumbent and onboarding a new agency can mean that a brand won’t benefit from new ideas and optimal agency support for six to nine months.",[12,3078,3079],{},"That’s one thing for full-blown RFPs focused on long-term, complex agency-of-record relationships that are often managed by a seasoned search consultant. Yet a large percentage of other RFPs are run internally to fuel immediate, targeted brand needs. Speed is vital in these RFPs, which function both as immediate hires and partner tryouts. They can be done in 30 days. Here’s how.",[2210,3081,3083],{"id":3082},"_1-investigate-upfront",[30,3084,3085],{},"1. Investigate upfront.",[12,3087,3088],{},"Before the RFP, pick a short list from agency websites, media, and social channels. Qualify them on key services, relevant work, thought leadership, and culture. This way you can trim the capabilities stage, and issue NDAs immediately.",[2210,3090,3092],{"id":3091},"_2-chemistry-first",[30,3093,3094],{},"2. Chemistry first.",[12,3096,3097],{},"Put the last thing first. Week one, have a straightforward conversation either in-person or via video call. Focus on who you are as teams – why you’re successful, how you work – and listen for like-mindedness. If you hear and feel your teams syncing, you have a finalist because you’ve identified the most powerful component.",[2210,3099,3101],{"id":3100},"_3-keep-briefs-brief",[30,3102,3103],{},"3. Keep briefs brief.",[12,3105,3106],{},"Week two, brief agencies on your business challenges, marketing priorities, precise scope and fee of the project, and your work style. Ditch the 50-page deck for a five-page brief that’s short to both prepare and present. Focus on the big issues and opportunities.",[2210,3108,3110],{"id":3109},"_4-reduce-spec-work",[30,3111,3112],{},"4. Reduce spec work.",[12,3114,3115],{},"Week three, have agencies share initial strategy, not full presentations. Get specific on how they understand your problem, see a solution, and plan to implement it. If this is done properly, you’ll get a great sense of the agency’s talent, thinking and working style. There’s no time or need for extensive spec work.",[2210,3117,3119],{"id":3118},"_5-get-granular-on-scope",[30,3120,3121],{},"5. Get granular on scope.",[12,3123,3124],{},"Week four, clarify scope and answer final questions with the winner so you’re underway with a signed statement of work and partnering together officially the next week.",[12,3126,3127],{},"There is a role for both robust, consultant-led RFPs and 30-day agency evaluations that serve speed to market. The latter can lessen the drag on the brand business and bring agencies’ actual teams to the process because the work is immediate (read: no more bait and switch).",[12,3129,3130],{},"The first oath in medicine is “do no harm.” We can apply that statement to a new way of selecting partners where we can move important projects forward rapidly without compromising your brand’s other priorities.",{"title":107,"searchDepth":108,"depth":108,"links":3132},[],"2025-03-18T00:00:00.000Z","How to utilize speed in RFPs when targeting immediate brand needs.",{"blockquote":107},"/thinking/marketers-need-more-30-day-rfps",{"title":3068,"description":3134},{"loc":3136,"lastmod":2351,"videos":3139,"images":3140},[],[],"thinking/marketers-need-more-30-day-rfps","CR5pzEh0EQEtUt-rRGGjSvfCRhjiG2KdU-Xk0J07tvg",{"id":3144,"title":3145,"articleTitle":3146,"author":312,"authorTitle":117,"body":3147,"brandCommercePage":111,"category":177,"date":3199,"description":3200,"extension":114,"hide":111,"meta":3201,"navigation":116,"ogImage":117,"path":3202,"pullQuote":3203,"seo":3204,"sitemap":3205,"stem":3206,"weighting":117,"__hash__":3207},"thinking/thinking/Retail Media Networks A Call for Measurement Transparency and Consistency .md","Retail Media Networks: A Call for Measurement, Transparency and Consistency | Blue Chip","Retail Media Networks: A Call For Measurement, Transparency and Consistency ",{"type":9,"value":3148,"toc":3197},[3149,3155,3158,3164,3167,3170,3176,3179,3185,3188,3194],[2210,3150,3152,504],{"id":3151},"return-on-ad-spend-roas-vs-incremental-return-on-ad-spend-iroas",[30,3153,3154],{},"Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) vs. Incremental Return on Ad Spend (iROAS)",[12,3156,3157],{},"\"Half my advertising spend is wasted; the trouble is, I don't know which half.\" The old Wanamaker quote still holds true when it comes to RMNs. Because their primary measure of success is ROAS, networks aren’t providing brands and agencies with a full picture of how their ad dollars are working for them. Insights into incrementality and new consumer growth are critical to effectively driving new sales, but most networks stop short of providing those advanced measurements. And the platforms that have started offering incrementality testing, like Instacart and Walmart, have yet to be finetuned enough to discern between key facets such as brand affinities, propensity to purchase, recency and demographics. For the health and wellness of their brands, advertisers should keep pushing for incremental return to become standard in RMN measurement. ",[2210,3159,3161],{"id":3160},"attribution-and-revenue-recording",[30,3162,3163],{},"Attribution and Revenue Recording",[12,3165,3166],{},"Retailers attribute purchases to ads inconsistently, with most RMNs defaulting to last-click attribution, which credits a sale to the last ad a shopper engaged with before their purchase. This narrow approach to attribution doesn’t consider the impact of multiple exposures or interactions along the consumer journey. Instead, RMNs could be leveraging a data-driven attribution method, which would give credit to the touchpoints based upon their contribution to the sale. Additionally, rather than a preset length of time for a consumer to convert (e.g., 7, 14, 30 days), they can use a data-driven attribution window based on the actual product purchase cycles—meaning the longer a product takes to be purchased, the longer its attribution window. This data-driven approach to attribution methods and windows, informed by the retailer’s own data, would allow brands to manage and scale large product portfolios effectively. ",[12,3168,3169],{},"RMNs also record and apply revenue inconsistently. They either record revenue at the time of sale or retroactively apply it to the date of the ad click or view, making it more difficult for analysts to properly extract and store data that is dependent on attribution windows. This inconsistency could be resolved through industry-wide adoption of a single method. ",[2210,3171,3173],{"id":3172},"new-to-brand-metrics",[30,3174,3175],{},"New-to-Brand Metrics",[12,3177,3178],{},"Increasing household penetration is key for many CPG brands, and RMNs have the unique opportunity to provide historical purchase data at the consumer level. Some platforms, like Instacart, have adopted new-to-brand sales metrics, providing brands with visibility into purchases made by existing customers and new shoppers. To make the most of this metric, RMNs should adopt measuring the number of new households, as opposed to total purchases, to refine targeting and reduce waste. Providing advanced measurement for new households and enabling brands to suppress ads for consumers who have recently made a purchase would allow for further extended reach and reduction in wasted dollars on a consumer who is less likely to purchase.",[2210,3180,3182],{"id":3181},"transparency-and-verification",[30,3183,3184],{},"Transparency and Verification",[12,3186,3187],{},"Historically, RMNs have operated as walled gardens, lush menageries of data kept guarded from brands, limiting their ability to track performance. This includes restrictions on tagging with third-party verification partners like DCM, MOAT or IAS. Although media onsite faces fewer brand-safety risks than on the open web, other verification measures like viewability are critical to advertisers. By adopting industry standards for verification and collaborating with brands to establish appropriate terms and conditions for payment, RMNs would clearly define billable events, such as clicks for sponsored search campaigns or impressions for display campaigns. Verification standards will ensure accountability, transparency in performance, and the ability to optimize effectively.",[2210,3189,3191],{"id":3190},"looking-ahead",[30,3192,3193],{},"Looking Ahead",[12,3195,3196],{},"Industry standardization is within reach, but it’s up to brands, agencies and solution providers to band together and demand more from retailers and their media networks. For a truly beneficial relationship between RMNs and brands, RMNs should enhance transparency of results and implement more effective measurement. Allowing brands access to more data will only increase the value of RMNs, leading brands to invest even further in them—a true win-win situation.",{"title":107,"searchDepth":108,"depth":108,"links":3198},[],"2025-03-17T00:00:00.000Z","Explore why consistent measurement standards are crucial for retail media networks. Learn how transparency can drive better ROI and stronger brand-retailer partnerships.​",{},"/thinking/retail-media-networks-a-call-for-measurement-transparency-and-consistency","Retail media networks, or RMNs, have become an important tool for reaching consumers close to the point of purchase. With today’s options for bid optimization and targeting, plus a variety of networks on which to advertise, brands are working more than ever with RMNs to meet consumers when and where they shop. Though self-serve capabilities have given marketers greater control over their retail media strategies, challenges remain with measurement, transparency and consistency—areas where retailers have the potential to provide solutions. ",{"title":3145,"description":3200},{"loc":3202,"lastmod":2351},"thinking/Retail Media Networks A Call for Measurement Transparency and Consistency ","s3GTB7j-ZsxlquDjYqD3cgtIkS964NDUsOx8vr-lTHk",{"id":3209,"title":3210,"articleTitle":3211,"author":2447,"authorTitle":2448,"body":3212,"brandCommercePage":111,"category":186,"date":3340,"description":3341,"extension":114,"hide":111,"meta":3342,"navigation":116,"ogImage":117,"path":3343,"pullQuote":3344,"seo":3345,"sitemap":3346,"stem":3349,"weighting":117,"__hash__":3350},"thinking/thinking/Five Considerations for Shopper Marketing Budget Prioritization.md","Five Considerations For Shopper Marketing Budget Prioritization | Blue Chip","Five Considerations for Shopper Marketing Budget Prioritization",{"type":9,"value":3213,"toc":3333},[3214,3217,3221,3224,3247,3250,3254,3257,3274,3277,3281,3284,3287,3291,3294,3297,3301,3304,3327,3330],[12,3215,3216],{},"One of the most difficult parts of planning shopper marketing is prioritizing your budget. There are a seemingly infinite number of goals with never enough resources. How can we be certain we’re spending our budgets appropriately—along the path to purchase, against the right customers and targets, at the right time and in the right channels? Since we can’t predict the future, the best we can do is make sure we’re employing the right criteria to guide us. To help, we’ve outlined five key areas of consideration when it comes to prioritizing your budget. ",[221,3218,3220],{"id":3219},"clearly-define-your-objective","Clearly Define Your Objective ",[12,3222,3223],{},"The more specific your objective, the easier it will be to prioritize your budget. You might say your objective is to increase sales, but that simple statement provokes more complex questions: ",[82,3225,3226,3229,3232,3235,3238,3241,3244],{},[85,3227,3228],{},"By how much are you looking to increase and versus what benchmark?",[85,3230,3231],{},"What time frame are you looking to impact?",[85,3233,3234],{},"Which time periods are you comparing? ",[85,3236,3237],{},"Do you need to drive distribution growth?",[85,3239,3240],{},"Is your brand or product established, or is it a new product? ",[85,3242,3243],{},"Are you looking to drive sales with current consumers, or have you saturated your current target and need to find a new source of volume? ",[85,3245,3246],{},"Do you know what is preventing this increase or what behavior we need to affect to achieve success? ",[12,3248,3249],{},"How you answer these questions will help you define your objective with as much specificity as possible and allow you to focus your budget where it will be most impactful. ",[221,3251,3253],{"id":3252},"understand-your-sales","Understand Your Sales ",[12,3255,3256],{},"Let’s say you don’t have enough budget to impact every customer, region and channel of trade, so you’ve decided to focus your efforts—but where? Start with understanding where your sales are coming from and where your greatest opportunities lie. Here are a few pertinent questions for understanding your sales:",[82,3258,3259,3262,3265,3268,3271],{},[85,3260,3261],{},"Are there specific customers that are outperforming others on dollar and/or unit sales for your brand?",[85,3263,3264],{},"Are you outperforming the category with one retailer, but have opportunity to grow in another?",[85,3266,3267],{},"Is there a category buyer relationship that needs support, or do you have a strong relationship somewhere that can be leveraged for incrementality?",[85,3269,3270],{},"Are you seeing better performance in brick & mortar or e-commerce?",[85,3272,3273],{},"Is there a region of the country that presents a unique opportunity for brand growth? Or is there a region that you’re going to win no matter what and therefore you can focus elsewhere? ",[12,3275,3276],{},"Once you’ve conducted this analysis, you can make choices about defending territory or spending where you have the most opportunity for growth, which would depend upon your objective as well. ",[221,3278,3280],{"id":3279},"analyze-the-competition","Analyze the Competition ",[12,3282,3283],{},"Are you the biggest spender in the category, or does your competitor have that luxury? If you’re the challenger, you’ll have to be sure that whatever you do, it will be noticed. It could require you to spend where they are not so that your share of voice is larger. For example, maybe your competitors have chosen to go all-in with retailer A, making it difficult to get any attention there. Identify other retailers or areas of opportunity. Not only might your voice be louder with those audiences, but also your chosen retailers might look more fondly upon your brand versus your competitor because of your support. This could have a multiplying affect on your business at these retailers. ",[12,3285,3286],{},"Outside of retailers, when you’re up against competitors that can outspend you in other areas like TV, consider exploring niche opportunities to reach your shared target. That could look like choosing programming that resonates more deeply with your target, or like only spending in the most impactful dayparts. Understanding what your competitor is doing will allow you to make focused decisions to either go head-to-head with them or forge a different path. ",[221,3288,3290],{"id":3289},"do-more-with-less","Do More With Less ",[12,3292,3293],{},"Depending on your available budget, doing less might allow you to accomplish more. You don’t want to dilute your budget by spreading it thinly across too many priorities. Spending just a little at each retailer just to say we did it usually translates to very little impact. The old adage, “If it’s worth doing, it's worth doing well,” comes to mind. Prioritize a few key retailers (or just one) rather than trying to spread the budget nationally.",[12,3295,3296],{},"Beyond retailers, do you have enough budget to impact the shopper throughout their journey? If you have a budget of just $50K, you can’t expect to both build brand and convert. Instead, identify ways for your shopper spend to complement your existing brand activity. Think holistically and pick points along the funnel in which you can be most impactful. If there is no brand budget, which can happen when a brand or product is early in its lifecycle, identify the lowest hanging fruit you can impact. Identify those early wins that can be measurable and then parlay those into bigger bets and opportunities later.",[221,3298,3300],{"id":3299},"leverage-retailer-media-networks","Leverage Retailer Media Networks ",[12,3302,3303],{},"It seems like every day a new retailer media network launches. Some of them are just margin builders and a way to increase slotting fees, but others provide meaningful access to first-party shopper data and an opportunity to grow your brand. It’s important to know one from the other and how they can each play a part in your overall marketing mix. Start by asking the right questions: ",[82,3305,3306,3309,3312,3315,3318,3321,3324],{},[85,3307,3308],{}," What will you get for the spend? ",[85,3310,3311],{}," Do the channels resonate with your shopper? ",[85,3313,3314],{}," Can you activate this channel yourself to save? ",[85,3316,3317],{}," Will you get extra support from the retailer based on certain spend levels? ",[85,3319,3320],{}," Will you miss out on incrementality if you opt not to use their network? ",[85,3322,3323],{}," Will you be part of a larger corporate program and just be a logo on a display, or will you get customized media?",[85,3325,3326],{},"Does the retailer’s programming allow you to exhaust reach to your target, or do you need to complement with additional programming? ",[12,3328,3329],{},"Being aware of the varying retailer spend tiers and thresholds will allow you to make the most of the spend. Sometimes incremental shelf space or display in addition to your retailer media network efforts will help deliver the ROI and pay for the media channel. ",[12,3331,3332],{},"Understanding which questions to ask, and more important, how you answer them can help ensure that your shopper marketing spend matters, no matter how big or small.",{"title":107,"searchDepth":108,"depth":108,"links":3334},[3335,3336,3337,3338,3339],{"id":3219,"depth":294,"text":3220},{"id":3252,"depth":294,"text":3253},{"id":3279,"depth":294,"text":3280},{"id":3289,"depth":294,"text":3290},{"id":3299,"depth":294,"text":3300},"2025-03-16T00:00:00.000Z","Prioritize your shopper marketing budget with these five considerations from Blue Chip, an integrated shopper marketing agency.",{},"/thinking/five-considerations-for-shopper-marketing-budget-prioritization","How to maximize your shopper marketing budget.",{"description":3341,"title":3210},{"loc":3343,"lastmod":2351,"videos":3347,"images":3348},[],[],"thinking/Five Considerations for Shopper Marketing Budget Prioritization","pQ3fWPPtyaxZLDpbkyTUuHmNw4u6Udv4JCBSMh7OMQk",{"id":3352,"title":3353,"articleTitle":3354,"author":3070,"authorTitle":3071,"body":3355,"brandCommercePage":111,"category":150,"date":3411,"description":3412,"extension":114,"hide":111,"meta":3413,"navigation":116,"ogImage":117,"path":3414,"pullQuote":3415,"seo":3416,"sitemap":3418,"stem":3421,"weighting":117,"__hash__":3422},"thinking/thinking/How to Make Integrated Agency Teams (IATs) Work.md","How to Make Integrated Agency Teams (IATs) Work | Blue Chip","How to Make Integrated Agency Teams Work",{"type":9,"value":3356,"toc":3404},[3357,3360,3363,3366,3370,3373,3377,3380,3384,3387,3391,3394,3398,3401],[12,3358,3359],{},"The movement toward hiring specialty agencies for tightly defined projects poses a challenge for bringing marketing together. How so? It shifts the pressure on integrated marketing to teams comprised of people from multiple agencies.",[12,3361,3362],{},"Just as they’re getting more essential, IATs are getting trickier to manage. Marketers need to balance specialists, whose roles increasingly overlap. They need to broaden information sharing to boost performance across disciplines, which can put proprietary information at greater risk. And they need to achieve collaboration without blowing up the timeline and budget.",[12,3364,3365],{},"So, how can you master IAT management? As a member of eight IATs, I can see new best practices emerging — here are the five I recommend for success.",[221,3367,3369],{"id":3368},"assign-a-strong-iat-client-leader","Assign a Strong IAT Client Leader",[12,3371,3372],{},"It takes a strong, experienced client to manage large, diverse IATs. Department-specific client leaders (e.g., brand, PR, shopper) can’t do double duty; they need to focus on their individual priorities. IAT success depends on a client leader who enforces overall business needs and client expectations and makes final decisions. They can’t play Switzerland.",[221,3374,3376],{"id":3375},"define-agency-roles-tightly","Define Agency Roles Tightly",[12,3378,3379],{},"Make the Agency of Record serve as the strategy chief and project manager for the IAT. Let them lead the working discussion to agree on agency roles, behavioral rules, and agency hours. That establishes the parameters and trust you need for honest, efficient collaboration, such as the retail agency providing shopper data to refine media targeting. Importantly, this also eliminates the impulse for agencies to compete over scope and cross-sell.",[221,3381,3383],{"id":3382},"establish-sequential-timelines","Establish Sequential Timelines",[12,3385,3386],{},"Some IAT members need assets earlier than others to meet critical deadlines—sometimes before the IAT strategy is finalized. If the strategy can’t be greenlit beforehand, it’s important to assign and release the long-lead assets and adjust the overall campaign around them.",[221,3388,3390],{"id":3389},"get-to-the-work-fast","Get to the Work Fast",[12,3392,3393],{},"It can take two months to assemble an IAT, build the timeline and share a central brief with the agencies. The magic happens in agency work sessions, so plan them from the start. Encourage the agencies to begin collaborating right away to build trust and momentum.",[221,3395,3397],{"id":3396},"make-the-most-of-process-time","Make the Most of Process Time",[12,3399,3400],{},"Kick off IATs in person. You’ll clarify agency contributions and roles, and forge deeper bonds between agencies and clients, at levels a video call with 30-plus team members can’t establish. And you’ll go a long way toward keeping agency hours within budget.",[12,3402,3403],{},"Increasingly, business success takes more than the sum of marketing parts. Get IATs right, and marketing will get its magic back.",{"title":107,"searchDepth":108,"depth":108,"links":3405},[3406,3407,3408,3409,3410],{"id":3368,"depth":294,"text":3369},{"id":3375,"depth":294,"text":3376},{"id":3382,"depth":294,"text":3383},{"id":3389,"depth":294,"text":3390},{"id":3396,"depth":294,"text":3397},"2025-03-15T00:00:00.000Z","Managing integrated agency teams (IATs) can be a challenge, but these best practices can help define roles, boost collaboration, and establish productive timelines.",{},"/thinking/how-to-make-integrated-agency-teams-(iats)-work","Managing integrated agency teams (IATs) can be a challenge, but these best practices can help define roles, boost collaboration and establish productive timelines.",{"title":3417,"description":3415},"How to Make Integrated Agency Teams Work | Blue Chip",{"loc":3414,"lastmod":2351,"videos":3419,"images":3420},[],[],"thinking/How to Make Integrated Agency Teams (IATs) Work","4b1ez6n3evUBCU-wY3w8pcX6zAOfeD3u_c_raMKtK2g",{"id":3424,"title":3425,"articleTitle":3426,"author":6,"authorTitle":855,"body":3427,"brandCommercePage":111,"category":204,"date":3552,"description":3553,"extension":114,"hide":111,"meta":3554,"navigation":116,"ogImage":117,"path":3555,"pullQuote":3556,"seo":3557,"sitemap":3558,"stem":3561,"weighting":117,"__hash__":3562},"thinking/thinking/drive sales and engagement with incentivaze blue chips custom reward program.md","Drive Sales and Engagement with Incentivaze, Blue Chip’s Custom Reward Program | Blue Chip","Drive Sales and Engagement with Incentivaze, Blue Chip’s Custom Reward Program",{"type":9,"value":3428,"toc":3550},[3429,3432,3435,3440,3443,3450,3453,3459,3462,3465,3468,3471,3474,3477,3483,3488,3491,3496,3499,3504,3507,3512,3515,3520,3523,3528,3531,3536,3539],[12,3430,3431],{},"Getting to the digital or physical cash register as a brand is hard these days. With so many channels, decisions, competing brands and roadblocks along the path to purchase, engaging and converting consumers keeps many brand marketers up at night. Especially in the age of COVID and subsequent optimization of online shopping and digital media, standing out in the crowd matters more than ever. And, launching that award-winning campaign or activation takes time and deeper investment, something many marketers can’t wait around for (see everything about 2020).",[12,3433,3434],{},"A reward program is the perfect solution for supporting product marketing and sales goals in real time while bringing true value to your customers and retail partners.",[12,3436,3437],{},[30,3438,3439],{},"But first, about reward programs...",[12,3441,3442],{},"Reward programs can take the form of BOGO (buy one, get one) or larger customer loyalty programs based on repetitive brand engagement, like Chipotle’s rewards program (free guac!). A shopper simply engages in an activity and then gets rewarded",[348,3444,3445],{},[352,3446,3447],{"v-slot:quote":107},[12,3448,3449],{},"59% of consumers indicated that the most important way a brand can interact with them is through surprise offers and gifts (Merkle 2020).",[12,3451,3452],{},"Loyalty programs have become popular these days, but they involve tons of investment and management (read: big timelines and bigger budgets). Here at blue chip, we’ve found a sweet spot in the reward program landscape with Incentivaze, our one-off proprietary shopper marketing solution for quickly activating shoppers in-store or online.",[2210,3454,3456],{"id":3455},"take-action-get-stuff",[30,3457,3458],{},"Take Action, Get Stuff",[12,3460,3461],{},"With Incentivaze, shoppers see an in-store display or digital ad, redeem a purchase receipt on a custom branded website and get a reward for their purchase behavior. Rewards can come in the form of a gift card or digital code or even a physical reward. Programs are one-off and can be designed to launch around certain business goals or seasonal milestones. They can even be retailer specific. Need to make a bigger splash at a retailer for a product rollout? Want to help move inventory? Getting pressured to get your amazing product in the hands of people who otherwise wouldn’t recognize it on the shelf next to the sea of other products?",[12,3463,3464],{},"Incentivaze reward programs easily help connect brand to consumer by driving awareness and interest in-store and online and delivering an easy-to-use redemption experience, converting to brand loyalty. In turn, brands can easily support new product launches or marketing campaigns, activate new audiences and drive retail traffic both in-store and online.",[12,3466,3467],{},"Even better, a lot of technical stuff goes on in the background of reward programs, such as receipt processing and validation, error messaging and customer support. Oh, and the reward, of course! It’s stuff that we know clients frankly don’t have time for, especially if it means coordinating multiple vendors, so we’ve integrated it all into our software platform built on UX/UI best practices to create a seamless, user-friendly reward and brand experience.",[12,3469,3470],{},"We can handle everything a program may need, including in-store creative, digital media and legal requirements.",[12,3472,3473],{},"Did we say easy?",[12,3475,3476],{},"Over the years, we’ve seen Incentivaze reward programs return sales lifts of 5% to 40% for brands. And we continue to improve on them with real data. Since we’re a fully integrated shopper marketing agency, we’re also positioned to support a program with a full digital and in-store activation shopper experience. Translation: better support = better results.",[2210,3478,3480],{"id":3479},"inspired-about-an-incentivaze-reward-program-for-your-brand-here-are-seven-more-reasons",[30,3481,3482],{},"Inspired about an Incentivaze reward program for your brand? Here are seven more reasons.",[12,3484,3485],{},[30,3486,3487],{},"1. People like rewards",[12,3489,3490],{},"Consumers not only enjoy getting rewarded, but they also expect to get rewarded for brand engagement. According to Forbes, 80% of millennials and nearly two-thirds of baby boomers have interest in getting rewards for engagement with brands (2019 data). And 59% of consumers indicated that the most important way a brand can interact with them is through surprise offers and gifts (Merkle 2020).",[12,3492,3493],{},[30,3494,3495],{},"2. Reward programs generate sales without devaluing or discounting the product",[12,3497,3498],{},"Traditional product promotions and reward programs usually involve discounting a product or giving two for one, which works, until a consumer is conditioned to the price cut. A reward program gets to avoid that price dance while still adding value for the consumer.",[12,3500,3501],{},[30,3502,3503],{},"3. Incentivaze can help elevate a campaign and brand messaging",[12,3505,3506],{},"There’s only so much you can do on in-store displays and circular ads when it comes to creative and brand messaging. A dedicated landing page or microsite allows for more brand messaging and content opportunities, such as video content, games, recipes and more. You can even combine an Incentivaze reward program with the additional excitement of a sweepstakes that users can enter during their visit. Plus, a digital platform provides an opportunity for more functionality, such as e-commerce, social sharing and other technology integrations.",[12,3508,3509],{},[30,3510,3511],{},"4. Reward programs drive traffic to retailers and increase percentage of basket",[12,3513,3514],{},"As the saying in shopper marketing goes, “Happy retailer, happy life.” (J/K we made that up... sort of.) With a reward goal in mind, shoppers are more likely to visit a retailer’s brick-and-mortar stores or online sites. In cases where a digital reward or gift card is provided, like a retailer gift card, shoppers may even be incentivized to return to a retailer for more shopping. Our Incentivaze platform also offers a map feature so that a user can find a participating store near them, providing a direct link for retailer traffic. Once at the point of purchase, consumers have also been shown to purchase more brand products than required by the offer, as high as 60%+ more.",[12,3516,3517],{},[30,3518,3519],{},"5. They increase store feature and display",[12,3521,3522],{},"More traffic to a retailer results in more retailer interest in featuring and displaying brand promotions. Programs can even be activated for specific retailers or scaled out across multiple chains to support retailer marketing efforts and relationships.",[12,3524,3525],{},[30,3526,3527],{},"6. They can provide secure data collection",[12,3529,3530],{},"Our Incentivaze platform not only creates a seamless digital reward experience; it also offers secure reporting and drives engagement and consideration. The digital platform can seek consumer feedback through tools like online surveys. Getting information from consumers is gold to brand marketers and inserting data collection at the right point of the funnel in the right way can satisfy larger business and marketing goals and solidify brand loyalty.",[12,3532,3533],{},[30,3534,3535],{},"7. Incentivaze provides a cohesive and easy redemption program",[12,3537,3538],{},"Nothing can be more frustrating to a shopper than wanting to participate in a sales promotion only to be met with challenges along the way. Utilizing a digital experience such as Incentivaze allows a brand more control over the reward experience by using principles of UX/UI and gives us a way to cohesively brand the promotion along the way.",[2210,3540,3542,257,3545,3548],{"id":3541},"want-to-learn-more-or-get-a-customized-proposal-for-your-brand-lets-chat",[30,3543,3544],{},"Want to learn more or get a customized proposal for your brand?",[383,3546,3547],{"href":385},"Let’s chat",[30,3549,1520],{},{"title":107,"searchDepth":108,"depth":108,"links":3551},[],"2025-03-14T00:00:00.000Z","Engaging shoppers can be as easy as buy, upload and receive with a Blue Chip custom Incentivaze rewards program.",{},"/thinking/drive-sales-and-engagement-with-incentivaze-blue-chips-custom-reward-program","Engaging shoppers can be as easy as buy, upload and receive with an Incentivaze reward program.",{"title":3425,"description":3553},{"loc":3555,"lastmod":2351,"videos":3559,"images":3560},[],[],"thinking/drive sales and engagement with incentivaze blue chips custom reward program","VKffB3RFArHJlZ81Q5m2u-pcE9-AIDCRgHWfoVySaqQ",{"id":3564,"title":3565,"articleTitle":3566,"author":3567,"authorTitle":3568,"body":3569,"brandCommercePage":111,"category":150,"date":3646,"description":3647,"extension":114,"hide":111,"meta":3648,"navigation":116,"ogImage":117,"path":3649,"pullQuote":3650,"seo":3651,"sitemap":3652,"stem":3655,"weighting":117,"__hash__":3656},"thinking/thinking/brands-dont-need-the-worlds-largest-media-agency.md","Brands Don't Need the World's Largest Agency | Blue Chip","Brands Don’t Need the World’s Largest Media Agency ","Sherri Rosenberg","VP Integrated Planning & Buying",{"type":9,"value":3570,"toc":3644},[3571,3574,3589,3592,3599,3602,3605,3610,3613,3618,3621,3626,3629,3636,3639],[12,3572,3573],{},"But they also have hundreds of channel options to get their message out there and exponentially more options to reach the right person with the right message in the right place.",[12,3575,3576,3577,3582,3583,3588],{},"In the end, they can spend all of their money on one ",[383,3578,3581],{"href":3579,"rel":3580},"https://www.brandchannel.com/2015/02/01/the-super-bowl-sophomore-5-questions-with-weathertech-ceo-david-macneil/",[904],"moonshot Super Bowl ad",", or they can get someone to create an intelligently planned, sustained mix of media channels that target specific consumers based on demographics and psychographics. This is why brands need media agencies—to act as the guide/navigator through a media landscape that becomes more complex with ",[383,3584,3587],{"href":3585,"rel":3586},"https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-advertising-explained-2019-4",[904],"every move Amazon makes",".  ",[12,3590,3591],{},"In the end, they can spend all of their money on one moonshot Super Bowl ad, or they can get someone to create an intelligently planned, sustained mix of media channels that target specific consumers based on demographics and psychographics. This is why brands need media agencies—to act as the guide/navigator through a media landscape that becomes more complex with every move Amazon makes.  ",[348,3593,3594],{},[352,3595,3596],{"v-slot:quote":107},[12,3597,3598],{},"A good media agency will act as a steward of the brand’s budget, which can be huge. But a great media agency will provide high-touch, creative and customized expertise throughout every step and then prove results once the campaign is complete.",[12,3600,3601],{},"So in many cases a mid-sized, more agile media team beats a large media agency when it comes to helping brands to get their messages seen by the right audience in the right place at the right time. ",[12,3603,3604],{},"Here are more benefits to a mid-sized media team:",[12,3606,3607,504],{},[30,3608,3609],{},"Creative",[12,3611,3612],{},"A mid-sized media team tends to be more creative in their approach to media recommendations and partnerships. Every client/brand represents a new challenge, and a mid-sized media team values the opportunity to try new approaches and explore new media that works best for the brand. This creativity applies to budget allocation as well, ensuring that dollars work smarter and harder for clients. ",[12,3614,3615],{},[30,3616,3617],{},"Collaborative",[12,3619,3620],{},"It’s a point of pride for mid-sized media teams to know as much about the brands they work with as they do about media. This approach assures a more collaborative process with the client, rather than simply a transactional one. And these mid-sized teams tend to be more integrated with the client’s overall account team, including creative, which leads to better, more customized media recommendations. This integrated approach also applies to vendors and publishers looking for lean-in agency partners to provide fresh thinking and solutions. ",[12,3622,3623,504],{},[30,3624,3625],{},"Customized",[12,3627,3628],{},"When the approach to a client is more personalized, the recommendations for media placement are, too. Unlike the “spots and dots” approach typical of large media agencies, a mid-sized team offers brands the respect of researching the best possible places for their message to be seen. Yes, always with an eye on the budget. Also, since these agencies tend to be independent, there is a deeper level of trust and transparency in recommendations, as they’re truly channel agnostic and based primarily upon relevance and reach.",[348,3630,3631],{},[352,3632,3633],{"v-slot:quote":107},[12,3634,3635],{},"Choosing a mid-sized media agency does not mean brands have to sacrifice experience.",[12,3637,3638],{},"It's common throughout the ad industry to see media vets from the biggest agencies in the world choosing to work at mid-sized agencies for more a hands-on career experience. Experienced media people gravitate towards mid-sized agencies so that they can exercise their creative side. ",[12,3640,3641],{},[30,3642,3643],{},"That is why your brand doesn’t need the world’s largest media agency. It only needs the best one.",{"title":107,"searchDepth":108,"depth":108,"links":3645},[],"2025-03-13T00:00:00.000Z","Why brands don't need the world's largest media agency—they just need the best one.",{},"/thinking/brands-dont-need-the-worlds-largest-media-agency","A brand may have an amazing product. A strong message. Powerful creative.",{"title":3565,"description":3647},{"loc":3649,"lastmod":2351,"videos":3653,"images":3654},[],[],"thinking/brands-dont-need-the-worlds-largest-media-agency","KQa9MXrrAtRmV9qgiXFDgARaF44LfdJu4XsgsblxrqE",{"id":3658,"title":3659,"articleTitle":3660,"author":312,"authorTitle":117,"body":3661,"brandCommercePage":111,"category":159,"date":3768,"description":3769,"extension":114,"hide":111,"meta":3770,"navigation":116,"ogImage":117,"path":3771,"pullQuote":3772,"seo":3773,"sitemap":3774,"stem":3775,"weighting":117,"__hash__":3776},"thinking/thinking/the-importance-of-first-party-data.md","The Importance of First-Party Data | Blue Chip","The Importance of First-Party Data",{"type":9,"value":3662,"toc":3766},[3663,3666,3670,3673,3681,3685,3688,3699,3703,3706,3723,3727,3730,3734,3737,3742,3759],[12,3664,3665],{},"With so many tools and platforms available to help marketers and businesses reach their customers, third-party data has been an effective way to target consumers—but that’s all going to change. Due to an increased focus on consumer privacy legislation, the scale and efficacy of third-party data will begin to diminish over the coming years as more marketers rely on effective first-party data to reach current and prospective customers. First-party data is more than just the contact information you have on file; it also includes information about what your customers buy from you and how often they return for more products or services. By leveraging first-party data effectively through a customer data platform (CDP), companies can streamline marketing campaigns, reduce costs associated with third-party data providers and develop deep insights into their customers' preferences that help drive sales results from every marketing dollar spent.",[2210,3667,3669],{"id":3668},"why-is-first-party-data-so-valuable","Why is first-party data so valuable? ",[12,3671,3672],{},"First-party data is one of the most valuable types of information you can obtain. Customers will often opt in to loyalty programs or communications with your brand if there are two components: trust and value exchange. This exchange gives consumers incentive to provide their personal information such as email, name or phone number. These components help foster a healthy relationship with your customer base, which builds loyalty and advocacy for your brand. ",[82,3674,3675,3678],{},[85,3676,3677],{},"Consumers need to trust how you use their data; reassure them that there is a valid reason for the data being collected and explain how it will be used. ",[85,3679,3680],{},"Give consumers a reason to opt in to some form of data collection, whether that’s an email subscription list, a website login or form submission. This can come in the form of tailored, personalized experiences to incentive-based coupons.",[2210,3682,3684],{"id":3683},"why-do-you-need-a-customer-data-platform","Why do you need a customer data platform? ",[12,3686,3687],{},"The mechanism to collect consumer data is the CDP or Customer Data Platform. The CDP helps you track and understand consumer behavior and preferences in a secure environment and pass back valuable audience data to platforms like Facebook or an email provider in real-time to leverage for marketing purposes like Lookalike or Suppression. Advantages of leveraging a CDP can include: ",[82,3689,3690,3693,3696],{},[85,3691,3692],{},"Consumer journey tracking – From first-time visitors to returning shoppers and even those who are considering an account with your company. ",[85,3694,3695],{},"Personalized experiences – Since you have a complete view of each customer's history, it’s easier for marketers and sales teams to target relevant messages at the right time in order to drive sales or increase spend per customer. ",[85,3697,3698],{},"Optimized marketing spend across all channels – The CDP helps with segmentation based on past purchases and preferences so that each campaign can be made relevant throughout the customer lifecycle, from acquisition through retention, repeat purchase and loyalty programs.",[2210,3700,3702],{"id":3701},"first-party-data-is-crucial-to-success","First-party data is crucial to success. ",[12,3704,3705],{},"Whether from a manufacturer that sells product through a retailer or a brand selling direct to consumer, first-party data is an asset to your business. As privacy-related changes will impact the advertising industry and more restrictions are placed on utilizing external data partners, first-party data will be the conduit to deliver tailored experiences at scale. ",[82,3707,3708,3711,3714,3717,3720],{},[85,3709,3710],{},"First-party data is generally more accurate, which means that you're more likely to deliver a better customer experience and reach the right prospective consumers. ",[85,3712,3713],{},"First-party data can help generate strong advertising results while reducing third-party data provider fees. ",[85,3715,3716],{},"Real-time activation will help drive ad frequency and message sequencing control. ",[85,3718,3719],{},"Since first-party data is more specific to your company, it's easier for your team to share relevant insights across departments (such as sales or marketing). This leads to better business intelligence and stronger decisions overall.",[85,3721,3722],{},"Rich insights and customer analysis allow you to truly understand marketing effectiveness across platforms.",[2210,3724,3726],{"id":3725},"so-what-does-this-all-mean","So, what does this all mean? ",[12,3728,3729],{},"There’s no denying it: your company should invest in first-party data. From building your customer base to leveraging advanced measurement capabilities, your business should examine how its developing customer relationships to collect first party data in privacy compliant ways. ",[2210,3731,3733],{"id":3732},"connect-your-customer-data-to-the-moments-that-matter","Connect your customer data to the moments that matter. ",[12,3735,3736],{}," At Blue Chip, we set out to counter the rising tide of changes related to increased consumer privacy by developing a robust tool to help our clients manage, understand and leverage their customer data. harmonic™ is an audience management solution that enables the collection, curation and activation of customer data, harmonizing disparate touchpoints throughout an organization and advertising ecosystem.",[12,3738,3739,504],{},[30,3740,3741],{},"Harmonic™ includes:",[82,3743,3744,3747,3750,3753,3756],{},[85,3745,3746],{},"Collection, stewardship and management of customer data into a secure customer data platform ",[85,3748,3749],{},"A unified customer database, which provides a 360-degree view of the customer",[85,3751,3752],{},"Audience activation in real time across media platforms and lookalike modeling",[85,3754,3755],{},"Personalized digital experience services that deliver real-time personalization based on customers' preferences, behaviors and interactions with marketing campaigns and brand or product assets ",[85,3757,3758],{},"Robust customer analysis, media overlap and incrementality for reach, consumer profiling and segmentation, and household purchase analysis across key retailers",[12,3760,3761,3762,3765],{},"Are you ready to chat about developing your first-party data strategy? ",[383,3763,3764],{"href":385},"Reach out to us at Blue Chip"," to connect with experts who can help you manage your customer data and create the experiences that build relationships with your customers.",{"title":107,"searchDepth":108,"depth":108,"links":3767},[],"2025-03-11T00:00:00.000Z","Learn about why first-party data is so valuable to brands and marketers and why you should leverage first-party data effectively through a customer data platform.",{},"/thinking/the-importance-of-first-party-data","How brands and marketers can start leveraging first-party data as the efficacy of third-party data begins to diminish.",{"title":3659,"description":3769},{"loc":3771,"lastmod":2351},"thinking/the-importance-of-first-party-data","oNY-MLPrLxfkow_15j-2tIApNQyXUveAmSVeplC8Er8",{"id":3778,"title":3779,"articleTitle":3780,"author":3070,"authorTitle":3071,"body":3781,"brandCommercePage":111,"category":150,"date":3842,"description":3843,"extension":114,"hide":111,"meta":3844,"navigation":116,"ogImage":117,"path":3845,"pullQuote":3843,"seo":3846,"sitemap":3847,"stem":3850,"weighting":117,"__hash__":3851},"thinking/thinking/tap-agencies-to-onboard-new-client-personnel.md","Tap Agencies to Onboard New Client Personnel | Blue Chip","Tap Agencies to Onboard New Client Personnel",{"type":9,"value":3782,"toc":3840},[3783,3786,3789,3792,3796,3799,3803,3806,3810,3813,3817,3820,3823,3826],[12,3784,3785],{},"While talent turnover in agencies gets a lot of industry attention, churn in client management represents an even greater challenge to marketing effectiveness. From CMOs and marketing directors to brand managers, all the people changing jobs leaves holes in the institutional knowledge of marketing organizations.",[12,3787,3788],{},"That’s magnified by project and specialist hiring that leads marketers to manage multiple agencies at any one time. Getting new marketing leaders up to speed with the complex relationships can slow down market reaction and strategic planning significantly, while also draining agency teams.",[12,3790,3791],{},"What can be done to address this problem? Speeding the onboarding process is critical for marketing effectiveness—and clients can condense the learning curve by taking these four simple steps.",[2210,3793,3795],{"id":3794},"get-face-to-face","Get face to face",[12,3797,3798],{},"There is no substitute for in-person time. A well-planned, two-day meeting with social outings after hours enables clients to know, appreciate, and trust their agency teams and leadership on personal levels screens simply can’t match. ",[2210,3800,3802],{"id":3801},"ask-whats-missing","Ask what’s missing",[12,3804,3805],{},"What’s been done isn’t all you can do. Open the conversation to recommendations the agency has withheld and ideas from the cutting room floor.",[2210,3807,3809],{"id":3808},"solicit-category-knowledge","Solicit category knowledge",[12,3811,3812],{},"Increasingly, new marketing leaders come from other industries. Being overt about areas of the business you need exposure to will tap the combined intelligence of experienced agency teams. They know the players, history, opportunities, and threats in the category. This speeds the shared context for existing work, and most importantly, strategic planning.",[2210,3814,3816],{"id":3815},"ask-about-your-organization","Ask about your organization",[12,3818,3819],{},"Strengths and gaps within the marketing organization, from departments to individuals, aren’t immediately evident to a new brand director but are clear to agency teams working on the business. They know the personalities and preferences of company colleagues and and leaders—from how work gets done, measured, and presented to the tone of creative and approach to media and retail. For example, they know firsthand whether a senior executive focuses on data or storytelling.",[12,3821,3822],{},"With new client personnel, agencies’ first job needs to be to help educate, not rush to defend what they’ve already built. For their part, clients need to be open to the category and company intelligence that agencies can provide.",[12,3824,3825],{},"Get it right and new ideas, directions, and opportunities will emerge fast. The increased speed to synergy will make the brand more competitive than ever.",[12,3827,3828,257,3833],{},[239,3829,3830],{},[30,3831,3832],{},"Dan Eisenberg is CMO of",[383,3834,3836],{"href":3835},"/",[239,3837,3838],{},[30,3839,1994],{},{"title":107,"searchDepth":108,"depth":108,"links":3841},[],"2025-03-10T00:00:00.000Z","Use these four smart practices to speed up the onboarding process for new client personnel.",{},"/thinking/tap-agencies-to-onboard-new-client-personnel",{"title":3779,"description":3843},{"loc":3845,"lastmod":2351,"videos":3848,"images":3849},[],[],"thinking/tap-agencies-to-onboard-new-client-personnel","1rXZpKaknz-uPlYJsAGdrF-S1g8Cs4vxlVRy8WJn-wQ",{"id":3853,"title":3854,"articleTitle":3855,"author":3856,"authorTitle":3857,"body":3858,"brandCommercePage":111,"category":133,"date":3923,"description":3924,"extension":114,"hide":111,"meta":3925,"navigation":116,"ogImage":117,"path":3926,"pullQuote":3924,"seo":3927,"sitemap":3928,"stem":3931,"weighting":117,"__hash__":3932},"thinking/thinking/the-creative-agency-process-sh*tstorm.md","The Creative Agency Process: Step 1. Sh*tstorm | Blue Chip","The Creative Agency Process Sh*tstorm","Joel Walker","Executive Creative Director",{"type":9,"value":3859,"toc":3921},[3860,3863,3866,3869,3875,3882,3885,3888,3891,3897,3900,3906,3909,3915,3918],[12,3861,3862],{},"At an ad agency, everyone has their own creative process, but for most, it starts with the purge—that cyclical relinquishing of ideas that pour out of you effortlessly but clearly aren’t any good, let alone smart or strategic. Some reveal themselves quite quickly (see: puns), while others are so endearing (see: schmaltz) that discarding them feels funereal. But at the end of the day, you know it’s just a bad idea.",[12,3864,3865],{},"Revealing these garbage ideas and doing so quickly is crucial to the creative agency process. We need to expose the worst of the worst because somewhere deep within the darkness of a terrible idea can exist the shimmering light of a good one. I can’t tell you how many times the joke of a dumb idea inspired the surprising potential of an excellent one.",[12,3867,3868],{},"Too often, we start the creative process in a vacuum, usually in private. Other times, we get through it with our creative partners and teams. But even that process is limited—too much pressure on those one or two individuals. So, we recently tried a new method of purge. Something more inclusive and united in its quest for mediocrity.",[2210,3870,3872],{"id":3871},"i-call-it-a-shitstorm",[30,3873,3874],{},"I call it a shitstorm.",[348,3876,3877],{},[352,3878,3879],{"v-slot:quote":107},[12,3880,3881],{},"Even the worst ideas can have a silver lining. Just because it stinks now doesn’t mean you can’t freshen it up later.",[12,3883,3884],{},"A shitstorm essentially uses the same methodologies of a traditional brainstorm, but without the objective of generating anything remotely resembling a good, tangible, coherent thought. No, no, no. This hour should be a blitz of capital B-A-D BAD ideas.",[12,3886,3887],{},"You know those rules of “no bad ideas” or “no judgement” that typically exist in a creative brainstorm? A shitstorm is the opposite. All judgement. All ridicule. All bad. But we’re doing it together. It’s a mutual understanding, which turns out is so liberating from the usual creative agency process. Bring on the garbage puns. Bring on the trite, the cliché. If an idea has even the slightest bit of merit, it’s dismissed immediately. Save that for your smaller team efforts and Gold Lion pitches. This meeting is for trash and trash only.",[12,3889,3890],{},"So how does a shitstorm come together? What are the patterns and processes? Let me offer up a few suggestions.",[2210,3892,3894,504],{"id":3893},"start-the-creative-agency-process-the-same-way-you-usually-dowith-a-creative-brief",[30,3895,3896],{},"Start the creative agency process the same way you usually do—with a creative brief.",[12,3898,3899],{},"Ground everyone in the assignment, objectives, insights, barriers and reasons to believe. The point of this creative exercise is NOT to ignore the task at hand. We must eventually deliver a sound solution. This is merely the first stage of the creative process, which gives everyone the opportunity to expose and extinguish bad ideas. But as I pointed out earlier, even the worst ideas can have a silver lining. Just because it stinks now doesn’t mean you can’t freshen it up later.",[2210,3901,3903,504],{"id":3902},"invite-anyone-to-attendaccount-planning-media-finance",[30,3904,3905],{},"Invite anyone to attend—account, planning, media, finance...",[12,3907,3908],{},"Make it a united effort. Shitstorms are defeatist, not elitist. And don’t they always say that good ideas can come from anywhere? Well, bad ideas can come from anywhere too. Everywhere, really.",[2210,3910,3912,504],{"id":3911},"bring-a-little-structure-to-the-chaos",[30,3913,3914],{},"Bring a little structure to the chaos.",[12,3916,3917],{},"Have a pun parade for the first 15 minutes so everyone can unleash their most shameful wordplay. Maybe spend another 15 minutes developing jingle lyrics and marketing ideas that never in a million years would make any sense. Have a Blanket Statement Corner, where everyone shouts out their own personal anecdotes that have no bearing on a more targeted scale. And while absurd and altogether inappropriate ideas are welcome, try not to make them the norm. This is a safe space for any and all forms of badness, even the ideas that actually sound pretty good in your head but flat-out suck once they make it out into the open.",[12,3919,3920],{},"Embrace the purge. But embrace it together. Bad will never feel so good. In fact, it’s a blast. And when the dust settles, you’re that much closer to the right answer. Because even in a shitstorm, lightning can strike.",{"title":107,"searchDepth":108,"depth":108,"links":3922},[],"2025-03-08T00:00:00.000Z","An agency’s creative process usually starts with a brainstorm, but Joel Walker has his own interesting take on the first stage.",{},"/thinking/the-creative-agency-process-sh*tstorm",{"title":3854,"description":3924},{"loc":3926,"lastmod":2351,"videos":3929,"images":3930},[],[],"thinking/the-creative-agency-process-sh*tstorm","1sFuuDDRpkZ8y0MhEbgEbMlvzVTku9TUAiE3Gxux_fI",{"id":3934,"title":3935,"articleTitle":3936,"author":312,"authorTitle":117,"body":3937,"brandCommercePage":111,"category":159,"date":4036,"description":4037,"extension":114,"hide":111,"meta":4038,"navigation":116,"ogImage":117,"path":4039,"pullQuote":4040,"seo":4041,"sitemap":4042,"stem":4043,"weighting":117,"__hash__":4044},"thinking/thinking/charting-the-consumer-path-to-wellness.md","Charting the consumer path to wellness | Blue Chip","Charting the Consumer Path to Wellness",{"type":9,"value":3938,"toc":4034},[3939,3942,3948,3951,3957,3960,3966,3972,3975,3981,3987,3993,4000,4006,4009,4012,4023,4028,4031],[12,3940,3941],{},"Blue Chip performed a proprietary quantitative study (1052 respondents, 18 years or older) surrounding wellness. While many of us relate wellness with the millennial-centric trend of “self-care,\" this extensive survey shows wellness is playing a greater role in people’s lives across generations. And as wellness affects more and more aspects of our lives, consumers are feeling more positive and empowered in seeking wellness solutions. They take different paths to get there but still mostly rely on traditional, trusted sources for wellness information. ",[2210,3943,3945],{"id":3944},"what-wellness-means",[30,3946,3947],{},"What wellness means",[12,3949,3950],{},"Over 85% of respondents associate wellness with being physically healthy, but their definition of wellness goes beyond the physical. According to the survey, wellness is viewed multidimensionally, with considerations for continued learning, spiritual health, financial stability and mental health. A whopping 93% agree that mental health is an important part of overall health and wellbeing. ",[2210,3952,3954,504],{"id":3953},"wellness-is-important-across-generations",[30,3955,3956],{},"Wellness is important across generations",[12,3958,3959],{},"Over two thirds of survey participants think wellness is very important or absolutely essential, with Gen Z respondents (71%) and baby boomers (69%) leading the pack. Further analysis reveals that boomers are more single-minded in their focus on physical health, while younger generations consider wellness on broader terms, infusing physical health with other cultural factors. ",[12,3961,3962],{},[2697,3963],{"alt":3964,"src":3965},"charting-the-consumer-path-to-wellness.jpg","/thinking/charting-the-consumer-path-to-wellness/charting-the-consumer-path-to-wellness.jpg",[2210,3967,3969,504],{"id":3968},"consumers-are-feeling-more-positive-about-wellness-in-their-lives",[30,3970,3971],{},"Consumers are feeling more positive about wellness in their lives",[12,3973,3974],{},"Compared to five years ago, those who consider wellness “absolutely essential” are feeling more positive about wellness overall, stating overwhelmingly that they feel more knowledgeable, that wellness has become more accessible and that they feel more focused on wellness. ",[12,3976,3977,3980],{},[30,3978,3979],{},"More knowledgeable","   Nearly three quarters of respondents believe they have clear, specific information to make smart decisions about wellness. ",[12,3982,3983,3986],{},[30,3984,3985],{},"More accessible","   Only 29% claim wellness is afforded to the lucky few who have the time and dollars to devote to it.  ",[12,3988,3989,3992],{},[30,3990,3991],{},"More focused","   Seven in ten claim they do something to contribute to or maintain wellness a few times a week or more ",[348,3994,3995],{},[352,3996,3997],{"v-slot:quote":107},[12,3998,3999],{},"Consumers agree (90%) that everyone’s path to health and wellbeing is different—understandably so, considering how many aspects of daily life wellness can apply to.",[2210,4001,4003,504],{"id":4002},"getting-to-wellness",[30,4004,4005],{},"Getting to wellness",[12,4007,4008],{},"Some product categories have a stronger association with wellness than others. Forty three percent say that they can best apply wellness to the category of personal care, while 33% relate wellness to the household cleaning category. ",[12,4010,4011],{},"As far as where people are getting their information on wellness, it turns out their sources are traditional and expected:  ",[82,4013,4014,4017,4020],{},[85,4015,4016],{},"58% personal physician ",[85,4018,4019],{},"60% family, friends, coworkers ",[85,4021,4022],{},"34% health & wellness magazine ",[2210,4024,4025,504],{"id":3190},[30,4026,4027],{},"Looking ahead",[12,4029,4030],{},"Understanding the consumer path to wellness can help you tap into the $174 billion U.S. wellness market,* so we’re not stopping here. In the coming months, we’ll perform more deep dives on the survey results and outline implications for marketers. Check back for ongoing topical analysis of our wellness surveys.",[12,4032,4033],{},"*Source: Statista",{"title":107,"searchDepth":108,"depth":108,"links":4035},[],"2025-03-06T00:00:00.000Z","Exploring a Blue Chip survey on attitudes and behaviors surrounding wellness.",{},"/thinking/charting-the-consumer-path-to-wellness","Exploring a Blue Chip survey on attitudes and behaviors surrounding wellness",{"title":3935,"description":4037},{"loc":4039,"lastmod":2351},"thinking/charting-the-consumer-path-to-wellness","4yrljhPPuAfpzJa8GHqbVpU_5rR85DznYYYqnSrgU94",{"id":4046,"title":4047,"articleTitle":4048,"author":312,"authorTitle":117,"body":4049,"brandCommercePage":111,"category":186,"date":4143,"description":4144,"extension":114,"hide":111,"meta":4145,"navigation":116,"ogImage":117,"path":4146,"pullQuote":4147,"seo":4148,"sitemap":4149,"stem":4150,"weighting":117,"__hash__":4151},"thinking/thinking/evolving-the-fine-art-of-shopper-marketing-measurement.md","Evolving The Fine Art of Shopper Marketing Measurement | Blue Chip","Evolving the Fine Art of Shopper Marketing Measurement",{"type":9,"value":4050,"toc":4141},[4051,4054,4060,4063,4071,4074,4081,4087,4090,4093,4098,4103,4108,4113,4118,4123,4129,4132,4135,4138],[12,4052,4053],{},"Measuring the success of shopper marketing is a challenge almost as old as the practice itself. Inconsistencies in the definition of shopper marketing, the “owner” of the practice and the objectives associated with activation are common. While no formal industry method currently exists, marketers are still navigating these uncharted waters daily. We’ll break down some steps and considerations to help make those waters a little more manageable.",[2210,4055,4057],{"id":4056},"establish-the-what",[30,4058,4059],{},"Establish the what",[12,4061,4062],{},"Measuring success starts with identifying clear program objectives upfront. With our clients, this is most often a collaboration. What does success look like? Is there past learning that we can apply to this program? Are the objectives realistic, given timing, budget and business performance to date? These are just a few questions to guide our discussion. It’s important to keep in mind that we may end up with a mix of hard and soft objectives. ",[82,4064,4065,4068],{},[85,4066,4067],{},"Hard objectives: grow HHP, grow the category, drive $X in sales ",[85,4069,4070],{},"Soft objectives: excite the category buyer to take on new SKUs, secure x% of retail adoption, win an Effie award",[12,4072,4073],{},"Shopper marketing often contributes benefits that are not easily measured. Shopper programs provide focus for the sales force and can lead to long-term retailer support. Shopper marketing can also reinforce the brand strategy to elevate a brand above competitors and contribute to brand equity. We must include these more qualitative outcomes in the upfront discussion of program objectives.",[348,4075,4076],{},[352,4077,4078],{"v-slot:quote":107},[12,4079,4080],{},"As a national leader in evolving and establishing best practices in shopper marketing, we constantly look at ways to improve measurement and efficiencies for our clients.",[2210,4082,4084],{"id":4083},"establish-the-how",[30,4085,4086],{},"Establish the how",[12,4088,4089],{},"Once objectives are identified and clarified, we determine what data is available to measure these objectives. Measurement plans typically include measures for delivery, brand performance and sales impact.",[12,4091,4092],{},"We break the types of measurement into a few different buckets: ",[12,4094,4095],{},[30,4096,4097],{},"Delivery performance",[82,4099,4100],{},[85,4101,4102],{},"Includes quantity of ads served, cost to deliver the ads, engagement and pacing. Each media vehicle performs differently. It is important to plan and set standards based upon the individual tactics and how they ladder up to a larger overall plan.",[12,4104,4105],{},[30,4106,4107],{},"Brand performance",[82,4109,4110],{},[85,4111,4112],{},"Measures success in supporting brand awareness or generating trial/repeat purchases. We use a control/exposed methodology to assess whether the media is making an impact on the target consumer. Measuring brand performance ensures products and branding are memorable to consumers and can help convince a consumer to purchase their product versus a competitor’s",[12,4114,4115],{},[30,4116,4117],{},"Sales performance",[82,4119,4120],{},[85,4121,4122],{},"For any marketing effort the true impact needs to be realized through sales. ROI is the most popular measure of shopper marketing success. However, the challenge is isolating the variables that contribute to incremental sales. One such variable is trade support, as shopper programs often run in conjunction with trade. Reading store-level data is the best approach, but it is not always available. We therefore need a variety of data.",[2210,4124,4126],{"id":4125},"introducing-thread",[30,4127,4128],{},"Introducing Thread",[12,4130,4131],{},"It’s easy to see how these performance metrics inputs and outputs can quickly become overwhelming. In order to provide a holistic, singular view of all shopper marketing metrics, we’ve developed Thread, our proprietary data platform to aggregate, store and analyze marketing performance. ",[12,4133,4134],{},"Built upon leading technology, the platform supports all of our data needs, from automating the extraction of data from media partners to helping deliver actionable insights from its robust AI engine. Thread is not just a platform to build dashboards. It helps our internal team take the right action at the right time to support our clients’ goals and deliver success. ",[12,4136,4137],{},"The simple fact is, there is no industry-adopted standard of measurement when it comes to assessing the full impact of shopper marketing programs. To address this, the Path to Purchase Institute has formed a commission of shopper marketing leaders across a range of companies and agencies. They’ve tasked the commission with establishing best practices and adoptable standards of measurement across shopper marketing. We are proud to be part of this commission and look forward to contributing to this important and much needed work.",[12,4139,4140],{},"Through our internal development of powerful tools like Thread, as well as our collaborative efforts across the industry, we are excited to continue leading shopper marketing to be more measurable, effective and efficient through inspired thinking and innovative execution.",{"title":107,"searchDepth":108,"depth":108,"links":4142},[],"2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z","Blue Chip Marketing has been a leading voice in Shopper Marketing for over three decades, and continues to enhance the measurability of results we achieve for our clients.",{},"/thinking/evolving-the-fine-art-of-shopper-marketing-measurement","Measuring the results of shopper marketing campaigns has long been a mystery. But thanks to recent innovations, change is coming.",{"title":4047,"description":4144},{"loc":4146,"lastmod":2351},"thinking/evolving-the-fine-art-of-shopper-marketing-measurement","jciQuyu0jczKK5_vQIok8Z2nNYqA5-zeznGq2gtIWas",{"id":4153,"title":4154,"articleTitle":4155,"author":312,"authorTitle":117,"body":4156,"brandCommercePage":111,"category":168,"date":4257,"description":4258,"extension":114,"hide":111,"meta":4259,"navigation":116,"ogImage":117,"path":4260,"pullQuote":4261,"seo":4262,"sitemap":4263,"stem":4264,"weighting":117,"__hash__":4265},"thinking/thinking/what-the-tiktok-deal-means-for-marketers.md","What the TikTok Deal Means For Marketers | Blue Chip","What the TikTok Deal Means for Marketers",{"type":9,"value":4157,"toc":4255},[4158,4161,4167,4176,4179,4184,4192,4198,4201,4204,4209,4217,4224,4230,4233,4242,4247],[12,4159,4160],{},"The past couple of weeks have been a rollercoaster of news regarding TikTok and its status within the US market. The saga can be relatively confusing, so let's break it down.",[2210,4162,4164],{"id":4163},"what-happened",[30,4165,4166],{},"What happened?",[12,4168,4169,4170,4175],{},"Back in August, President Trump ",[383,4171,4174],{"href":4172,"rel":4173},"https://www.npr.org/2020/08/06/900019185/trump-signs-executive-order-that-will-effectively-ban-use-of-tiktok-in-the-u-s",[904],"issued executive orders"," banning the China-based social networking app TikTok from operating in the U.S. due to national security concerns over potential breach and misuse of personal data. The popular app with an estimated 100 million users was given a 45-day runway tied to terms of selling U.S. operations to a U.S.-based operator.",[12,4177,4178],{},"After a bidding war between tech giants Oracle and Microsoft, ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, selected Oracle to handle web operations and will use Walmart as their official merchandising partner. So far, President Trump verbally accepted the deal but never officially approved it. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo confirmed that the administration is still looking into banning TikTok.",[12,4180,4181,504],{},[30,4182,4183],{},"More on the deal",[82,4185,4186,4189],{},[85,4187,4188],{},"The proposed deal would form TikTok Global, a United States based company, and American investors would own a majority of the company. ",[85,4190,4191],{},"The deal faces more speculation and debate from the U.S.-based parties and international investors regarding who would have more control of the company.",[2210,4193,4195],{"id":4194},"what-does-this-mean-to-brands",[30,4196,4197],{},"What does this mean to brands?",[12,4199,4200],{},"With the recent turmoil surrounding the app, many brands are on the fence about investing money into the platform's ad units and for good reason. While TikTok may still be a social media powerhouse and the perfect vehicle to reach our target consumers, the official details of the partnership are still under wraps. One of the top questions on marketers’ minds is, what exactly is Walmart's involvement?",[12,4202,4203],{},"With Walmart on board, we’re likely to see better e-commerce and shoppable options on TikTok with direct paths to purchase within ad units. Whether or not those options are specific to Walmart only are yet to be seen. Access to Oracle’s Data Clouds means cheaper operating costs and more targeting options across all of TikTok’s ad units as well. While hypothetical at this point, we may see the cost of some ad units fall due to these efficiencies.",[12,4205,4206],{},[30,4207,4208],{},"In short…",[82,4210,4211,4214],{},[85,4212,4213],{},"The future of TikTok and the new roles and features of Oracle and Walmart are still unknown.",[85,4215,4216],{},"We may see efficiencies in TikTok’s ad spend and targeting due to the new partnership.",[348,4218,4219],{},[352,4220,4221],{"v-slot:quote":107},[12,4222,4223],{},"Content creators and influencers with a strong presence on TikTok are the safest option from a paid spend perspective due to their lack of official ties to the application.",[2210,4225,4227],{"id":4226},"what-should-brands-do-now",[30,4228,4229],{},"What should brands do now?",[12,4231,4232],{},"Maintaining an organic presence on TikTok shouldn’t be a problem for your brand. According to research firm Sensor Tower, downloads of TikTok rose 12% the Friday after the ban was announced, nearing a rough daily total of 247,000 downloads. Keeping up a steady cadence of posting and leveraging the algorithm to reach consumers is still a smart course of action, considering the rising viewer base as consumers rush to the app before it’s gone.",[12,4234,4235,4236,4241],{},"For now, letting the dust settle seems to be the best option in terms of purchasing ad units. Until the White House ",[383,4237,4240],{"href":4238,"rel":4239},"https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/25/tiktok-deal-timeline-the-latest-in-the-messy-saga-as-ban-looms.html",[904],"officially approves the deal",", nothing is finalized and details are still subject to change. However, since they are not officially partnered with the application, utilizing content creators and TikTok influencers seems to be the best way to have a presence, outside of any official brand handles, if you’re still looking for a paid approach.",[12,4243,4244],{},[30,4245,4246],{},"Our recommendations",[82,4248,4249,4252],{},[85,4250,4251],{},"Maintaining an organic presence on TikTok could benefit brands, especially considering the recent surge in download. ",[85,4253,4254],{},"Content creators and influencers with a strong presence on TikTok are the safest option for a paid approach due to their lack of official ties to the app.",{"title":107,"searchDepth":108,"depth":108,"links":4256},[],"2025-03-04T00:00:00.000Z","With the uncertainty surrounding TikTok, our digital influencer strategist weighs in what that means for brands and what they should do to still stay relevant.",{},"/thinking/what-the-tiktok-deal-means-for-marketers","Executive ban, a corporate tech war and 100 million users. What’s the future for Tiktok… and your brands?",{"title":4154,"description":4258},{"loc":4260,"lastmod":2351},"thinking/what-the-tiktok-deal-means-for-marketers","eA4zsx-gMK7UK78e5r7J442p7J8XB5Um6ZbsYk5jVJA",{"id":4267,"title":4268,"articleTitle":4269,"author":312,"authorTitle":117,"body":4270,"brandCommercePage":111,"category":150,"date":4335,"description":4336,"extension":114,"hide":111,"meta":4337,"navigation":116,"ogImage":117,"path":4338,"pullQuote":4336,"seo":4339,"sitemap":4340,"stem":4341,"weighting":117,"__hash__":4342},"thinking/thinking/how-to-maximize-sports-sponsorships-to-increase-sales.md","How to maximize sports sponsorships to increase sales | Blue Chip","How to Maximize Sports Sponsorships to Increase Sales",{"type":9,"value":4271,"toc":4330},[4272,4276,4279,4292,4298,4302,4305,4308,4311,4315,4318,4321,4324,4327],[68,4273,4275],{"id":4274},"activate-on-a-local-level","Activate on a local level",[12,4277,4278],{},"National campaigns with the NFL, MLB, and other major sports organizations at major retailers like Walmart can be super successful, but they're also super expensive. Leveraging individual teams and players can be more economical and a better way to target sports fans. ",[12,4280,4281,4282,4285,4286,4291],{},"If you're interested in sports partnerships to bolster campaigns, look to Procter & Gamble, a leader in using NFL affiliations to increase sales. They uncovered the insight that while most sports fans aren't fans of the NFL as a whole, they ",[239,4283,4284],{},"are"," fans of their local teams. Based on that, ",[383,4287,4290],{"href":4288,"rel":4289},"https://consumergoods.com/pg-leverages-nfl-local-level",[904],"P&G leveraged individual teams and players"," rather than relying on NFL partnerships, like when they built an entire campaign around an LA Rams Christmas ornament. As long as the shoppers met the spend threshold, they'd get that ornament for free. It ended up being a successful campaign while maintaining cost efficiency.",[12,4293,4294,4295,4297],{},"If you're promoting nationally, consider ways to tie in locally. Last season, Sleep Number, based in Minneapolis, played up their local connection by teaming up with the Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins, who led their national campaign. Sleep Number's first year as an NFL sponsor ended up making a splash in the news—nationally ",[239,4296,273],{}," locally—by riding the media wave Cousins generated after signing with Minnesota to become the highest paid player in the NFL.",[68,4299,4301],{"id":4300},"get-creative-with-player-endorsement-contracts","Get creative with player endorsement contracts",[12,4303,4304],{},"While you might not have $100K to pay Lebron James for one Tweet, you can again think locally for a big impact. To keep costs low, try working with athletes that have deep ties to specific markets, and work up contracts that avoid direct product endorsements. With those savings, you can execute this model at scale across multiple markets with multiple athletes. ",[12,4306,4307],{},"Here's a great example: P&G worked directly with Eric Decker (NY Jets) and Prince Amukamara (NY Giants) to activate at New York-based Key Foods while the Jets and Giants played each other. With two home teams coming head to head, local fandom was off the charts, so the lighthearted rivalry between Decker and Amukamara for the campaign was a great way to engage fans. It was an NFL marketing success—without specifically referencing the NFL or either team. The players didn't even appear in uniform. There were no specific product endorsements. And yet, the campaign increased sales.",[12,4309,4310],{},"If keeping costs low isn't an issue, then look to leaders like Under Armour and BodyArmor, who have been at the forefront of endorsement deals that pay in company equity rather than liquid cash—just look up their contracts with Tom Brady, Stephen Curry, Kobe Bryant, and Mike Trout for creative inspiration. ",[68,4312,4314],{"id":4313},"double-dip-your-dollars-in-sports-stadiums","Double dip your dollars in sports stadiums",[12,4316,4317],{},"Visit any stadium and you're bombarded with messages on video boards, but in-game messaging is just the start. If you really want to stand out, extend your marketing outside the stadium with an entertaining sampling program so that fans are once again reminded of your brand.",[12,4319,4320],{},"Last summer, Blue Bunny and Fisher Nuts executed great examples of this type of experiential marketing. At Wrigley Field with the Chicago Cubs, both brands created fun, family-friendly experiences that gave out new product samples and coupons to encourage a future purchase.",[12,4322,4323],{},"While both programs were great at generating customer sales and brand loyalty, there was an underlying B2B strategy: Help the companies' foodservices sales teams sell-in their products to Wrigley concessions. ",[12,4325,4326],{},"There is a dual effect when the activation is done right; you raise awareness for your brand and deepen sports partner relationships in return for enhancing their fan experience by running your activation at their venue. ",[12,4328,4329],{},"While these tips aren't exactly earth shattering, they can generate game-changing results when properly executed. So, next time your local paper reports on your underperforming sales in the business section, look no further than the sports section for your turnaround story.",{"title":107,"searchDepth":108,"depth":108,"links":4331},[4332,4333,4334],{"id":4274,"depth":108,"text":4275},{"id":4300,"depth":108,"text":4301},{"id":4313,"depth":108,"text":4314},"2025-03-03T00:00:00.000Z","It's well understood that athletic endorsements have a serious impact on purchase intent. Here are three ways to convert consumers into shoppers by tapping into their passion for sports.",{},"/thinking/how-to-maximize-sports-sponsorships-to-increase-sales",{"title":4268,"description":4336},{"loc":4338,"lastmod":2351},"thinking/how-to-maximize-sports-sponsorships-to-increase-sales","py3qnAjW8IxWABVnilEasENA_mleS4Z40xVrqka0OaM",{"id":4344,"title":4345,"articleTitle":4346,"author":2199,"authorTitle":2200,"body":4347,"brandCommercePage":111,"category":204,"date":4438,"description":4439,"extension":114,"hide":111,"meta":4440,"navigation":116,"ogImage":117,"path":4441,"pullQuote":4442,"seo":4443,"sitemap":4444,"stem":4447,"weighting":117,"__hash__":4448},"thinking/thinking/the-delivery-dilemma.md","The Delivery Dilemma | Blue Chip","The Delivery Dilemma",{"type":9,"value":4348,"toc":4436},[4349,4352,4355,4360,4363,4378,4387,4392,4395,4398,4407,4412,4415,4418,4421],[12,4350,4351],{},"Meal delivery represents three percent of all restaurant orders, and, on average, fast food and fast casual chains leverage up to three different third-party delivery services, such as GrubHub, Doordash or Postmates.",[12,4353,4354],{},"So how is the restaurant industry rethinking its business model to capture this growth and adapt to the new desire for food on demand?",[12,4356,4357],{},[30,4358,4359],{},"Investment in Integrated Technology",[12,4361,4362],{},"According to the National Restaurant Association, 70 percent of QSR operators plan to devote more resources to customer-facing, service-based technology this year—and for good reason. While food delivery apps are awesome for consumers, they are not typically connected to the restaurant’s POS or back-of-house systems.  ",[12,4364,4365,4366,4371,4372,4377],{},"So, restaurants getting serious about delivery are investing in technology that can connect delivery providers with front- and back-of-house systems. Several solutions, such as ",[383,4367,4370],{"href":4368,"rel":4369},"https://www.orderout.co/",[904],"OrderOut"," and ",[383,4373,4376],{"href":4374,"rel":4375},"https://www.chowly.com/",[904],"Chowly",", serve as single-point solutions to integrate multiple third-party service providers with restaurant POS systems.  ",[12,4379,4380,4381,4386],{},"Other operators are investing in their own mobile technology that not only allows them to integrate with POS and back-of-house software, but also allows them to offer additional benefits to consumers, such as order-ahead and loyalty programs. Starbucks and Dunkin’ are among the most popular. McDonald’s is also betting big on mobile, investing ",[383,4382,4385],{"href":4383,"rel":4384},"https://www.restaurantdive.com/news/59-of-restaurant-operators-fear-disruption-by-mobile-savvy-rivals/553205/",[904],"$3.7 million in mobile app developer Plexure"," to enhance its mobile app capabilities. They also purchased Dynamic Yield to personalize menu recommendations based on weather and time of day. ",[12,4388,4389],{},[30,4390,4391],{},"Rethinking ‘Physical’ to Accommodate ‘Digital’",[12,4393,4394],{},"Digital delivery can’t be ignored, so many operators are rethinking the in-store experience to facilitate both delivery and dine-in customers.",[12,4396,4397],{},"Chipotle and Roti have designated separate production lines to process pick-up and delivery orders. In June of 2018, Chipotle began testing a new pick-up model for order-ahead customers and couriers by installing a wooden shelving unit near the front door with orders bagged and ready to pick up.",[12,4399,4400,4401,4406],{},"Others are opting for more high-tech solutions, such as digital pick-up shelves through vendors like ",[383,4402,4405],{"href":4403,"rel":4404},"https://www.eatsa.com/",[904],"eatsa",". Beyond providing a designated area for pick-up and courier orders, the shelves light up with a customer’s name and smart shelves sense when food has been placed on or taken off the shelf. This system can even alert a manager when an order sits too long, giving the restaurant an added layer of quality control that is sometimes lacking with delivery orders.",[12,4408,4409],{},[30,4410,4411],{},"Ghost Kitchens",[12,4413,4414],{},"While some operators are grappling with incorporating on-demand orders into their existing footprint, others are establishing physical stand-alone kitchens to get in the on-demand game. Yet, these physical locations are quite different from the traditional restaurant storefront in that there is no storefront. (Hence “ghost.”) No seating or servers, no bar or bartenders … No customer-facing location at all. These virtual “ghost” or “headless” kitchens exist solely for the fulfillment of digital orders. The Halal Guys, Wetzel’s Pretzels and Famous Dave’s BBQ are just a few restaurants testing virtual kitchens as an extension of storefronts. A burgeoning market of solution providers, such as Kitchen United and Kaetz, have emerged to help restaurants meet the demand for ghost kitchens.",[12,4416,4417],{},"Ghost kitchens have their perks. They reduce high real-estate costs, alleviate the burden of delivery orders combined with dine-in orders, open the door for high-volume catering and allow chains to expand into new markets with limited risk. Further, delivery sales tend to be 75 percent higher than restaurant sales, so ghost kitchens may seem like a no-brainer.",[12,4419,4420],{},"However, this solution requires a new type of managerial talent—a combination of on-premise and off-premise expertise. In the case of a chain brand extension, restaurants need to ensure continuity of the brand experience between dine-in and delivery when they’re physically disconnected. Those chains that can get it right will have a viable solution to pave the way for growth.",[348,4422,4423,4428],{},[352,4424,4425],{"v-slot:quote":107},[12,4426,4427],{},"Delivery has become a need to have and no longer a nice to have in the restaurant industry. This demand is fundamentally changing the definition of what constitutes as a restaurant today. Successful operators need to not only have an eye on new technology but will be looking for ways to reinvent the experience to meet consumers where and when hunger strikes.",[352,4429,4430,4433],{"v-slot:name":107},[12,4431,4432],{},"Warren Solochek",[12,4434,4435],{},"Senior Vice President, industry relations from NPD",{"title":107,"searchDepth":108,"depth":108,"links":4437},[],"2025-03-02T00:00:00.000Z","How is the restaurant industry rethinking its business model to capture growth and adapt to the new desire for food on demand?",{},"/thinking/the-delivery-dilemma","The on-demand economy poses significant challenges to restaurants—an industry built upon maintaining relationships with guests to maintain profitability.",{"title":4345,"description":4439},{"loc":4441,"lastmod":2351,"videos":4445,"images":4446},[],[],"thinking/the-delivery-dilemma","ZRTm5efivLjSHaekooqn-Guaw21Pzv7C3vyI0ke9itY",{"id":4450,"title":4451,"articleTitle":4452,"author":3070,"authorTitle":3071,"body":4453,"brandCommercePage":111,"category":150,"date":4438,"description":4529,"extension":114,"hide":111,"meta":4530,"navigation":116,"ogImage":117,"path":4531,"pullQuote":117,"seo":4532,"sitemap":4534,"stem":4537,"weighting":117,"__hash__":4538},"thinking/thinking/We Need to Get Back in Person with Agency Reviews – for Advertising’s Sake .md","We Need to Get Back in Person with Agency Reviews—forAdvertising’s Sake","We Need to Get Back in Person with Agency Reviews – for Advertising’s Sake ",{"type":9,"value":4454,"toc":4520},[4455,4458,4461,4464,4467,4470,4476,4479,4485,4488,4494,4497,4503,4506,4512,4515,4517],[12,4456,4457],{},"Clients and agencies are short-changing themselves on screen.",[12,4459,4460],{},"The stakes for agency reviews are higher than ever. RFPs and reviews have been on the rise since last fall. They’re costing more to stage, averaging over $1 million in agency and client outlays. And they’re pulling key client executives away from the essential business challenges of the brand—the root causes of the challenges prompting the review—just when their attention is needed most. ",[12,4462,4463],{},"That’s an awful lot of investment and accountability on the line. Yet we’re risking most of it on virtual meetings, which hamper agencies' ability to communicate their offerings and clients' ability to experience agency chemistry and evaluate potential partnerships.",[12,4465,4466],{},"We tell ourselves virtual meetings are more efficient, that we’re saving time and money. But we’re losing the energy exchange of the client–agency dynamic—especially when a senior decision maker joins an agency presentation on their phone in the backseat of an Uber, a technical glitch cuts the cameras for every client participant or ceiling cameras obscure faces. Even when everyone is on camera head-on, a 20-person Teams call puts key people on different screens; you can’t address or see everyone at once. It’s like presenting to a black box—all information, no intimacy—so at best you’ll end up kicking off a relationship from scratch, having forfeited the chance to establish any personal momentum together.",[12,4468,4469],{},"Agency and client leaders need to rethink relationship building before selections are made and contracts are signed.",[221,4471,4473,1520],{"id":4472},"youre-hiring-people-not-fitting-together-puzzle-pieces",[30,4474,4475],{},"You’re hiring people, not fitting together puzzle pieces",[12,4477,4478],{},"On screen, we miss half the nuance that communicates our personalities and feelings. From pitch theater to the basics of being together, team cohesiveness is something you feel. In person, clients experience how connected the agency team truly is, how familiar they are with each other, how they support each other and how they build off each other's ideas.",[221,4480,4482],{"id":4481},"go-off-script",[30,4483,4484],{},"Go off script.",[12,4486,4487],{},"In person, the best connections and most revealing moments aren’t scripted. When you stop the slideware to acknowledge a great build, eat lunch together in the HQ cafeteria, or talk in the lobby about next steps while the agency team waits for their ride to the airport, you get a real trial run for what working together will be like. This lays the foundation for faster onboarding and more powerful work much sooner in the relationship.",[221,4489,4491],{"id":4490},"all-it-takes-is-commitment",[30,4492,4493],{},"All it takes is commitment.",[12,4495,4496],{},"If chemistry matters to the agency and client (I believe it’s the main qualification), an in-person day only takes calendar matching. Make sure key decision makers from both companies are available, and lock in the schedule. When you’re together in person, close the laptops and pocket the phones; there are breaks for that. Skip the presentations for conversations and put small groups together to workshop ideas. Then go have some laughs and make memories together.",[221,4498,4500],{"id":4499},"camaraderie-pays-big-dividends",[30,4501,4502],{},"Camaraderie pays big dividends.",[12,4504,4505],{},"Nothing brings an agency team together more than traveling together on a pitch. From the airport to the hotel and client interactions, a sense of adventure swells. The common purpose and big-game excitement make you feel what it’s all for. You care more, and you bring back a resonance to the entire agency. When the right connections spark during client interactions, client teams get the same lift.",[221,4507,4509,1520],{"id":4508},"dont-let-5-cost-you-100",[30,4510,4511],{},"Don’t let 5% cost you 100%",[12,4513,4514],{},"A day of in-person meetings is a small investment in a multi-year relationship. You’d better make sure the teams can hang together. Sure, it might take an extra 5% to put a team on a plane for a two-day trip. Chemistry happens or it doesn’t; the best thing you can do for your agency and prospective client is to get together and see. So, put it in the budget.",[489,4516],{},[12,4518,4519],{},"We depend on intimate relationships to build our brands and businesses. The foundation is energy exchange. When we default to timed, performative virtual meetings, we skimp on that foundation; and, predictably, the structure ultimately collapses. There’s increasingly more weight on advertising’s shoulders, and we can only bear it when we reinvest in the right start—together in person.",{"title":107,"searchDepth":108,"depth":108,"links":4521},[4522,4524,4525,4526,4527],{"id":4472,"depth":294,"text":4523},"You’re hiring people, not fitting together puzzle pieces.",{"id":4481,"depth":294,"text":4484},{"id":4490,"depth":294,"text":4493},{"id":4499,"depth":294,"text":4502},{"id":4508,"depth":294,"text":4528},"Don’t let 5% cost you 100%.","Learn why in-person agency reviews matter more than ever. Dan Eisenberg makes the case for chemistry, connection and better outcomes when clients and agencies meet face-to-face.",{},"/thinking/we-need-to-get-back-in-person-with-agency-reviews-for-advertising's-sake",{"description":4529,"title":4533},"We Need to Get Back in Person with Agency Reviews—for Advertising’s Sake",{"loc":4531,"videos":4535,"images":4536},[],[],"thinking/We Need to Get Back in Person with Agency Reviews – for Advertising’s Sake ","Vh3-PjCskyGFbiUBMDoZlVMySS4FJHnKehwDMWa7auU",{"id":4540,"title":4541,"articleTitle":4542,"author":2199,"authorTitle":2200,"body":4543,"brandCommercePage":111,"category":195,"date":4595,"description":4596,"extension":114,"hide":111,"meta":4597,"navigation":116,"ogImage":117,"path":4598,"pullQuote":4599,"seo":4600,"sitemap":4601,"stem":4604,"weighting":117,"__hash__":4605},"thinking/thinking/cheers-how-alcohol-brands-can-win-at-e-commerce.md","How Alcohol Brands Win at Ecommerce | Blue Chip","Cheers! How Alcohol Brands Can Win at Ecommerce",{"type":9,"value":4544,"toc":4593},[4545,4548,4551,4558,4561,4565,4568,4572,4575,4578,4581,4584],[12,4546,4547],{},"Through apps and online platforms like Drizly, Minibar and even Amazon Fresh, consumers have a stunning variety of alcohol on-demand options. For the adult beverage brands, however, it’s not as easy. Complex legal considerations vary by state and retailer, and with such a variety of ecommerce models, is it really worth it for adult beverage brands to push for a slice of the online/ecommerce market?",[12,4549,4550],{},"Definitely. While today’s online alcohol sales figures may be a bit dry (only 8% of total adult beverage sales come from ecommerce, according to Profitero), the oldest of Gen Z—consumers who have grown up hardwired to shop online—will soon be turning 21.",[348,4552,4553],{},[352,4554,4555],{"v-slot:quote":107},[12,4556,4557],{},"For alcohol brands to win in ecommerce, they must implement a personalized and hyper-local strategy that will reach the right shopper at the right time in the right place to drive the most frictionless conversion—all while keeping an eye on sales today and loyalty long-term.",[12,4559,4560],{},"This begins with shopper insights. Our agency has used receipt verification data to create a couple of profiles to illustrate what this may look like.",[2210,4562,4564],{"id":4563},"josh-the-drizly-shopper","“Josh,” the Drizly Shopper",[12,4566,4567],{},"Josh is a single, affluent, millennial urbanite. For Josh, adult beverages are a trip-driver, and his trip mission is heavily skewed for immediate consumption—often on the weekend. Perhaps he’s entertaining and is close to running out of beverages for his guests. A couple taps of the Drizly app and his whiskey and tequila are back in stock without having to leave guests unattended.",[2210,4569,4571],{"id":4570},"elizabeth-the-online-adult-beverage-shopper","“Elizabeth,” the Online Adult Beverage Shopper",[12,4573,4574],{},"In contrast to Josh is Elizabeth. She is a married Gen-X mother of two living in the suburbs. She shops for her groceries online early in the week and tosses chardonnay in the basket along with other staples such as cheeses, nut butters and salad greens. This purchase is not the mission of the trip, but it is on her list and is a routine purchase through this channel.",[12,4576,4577],{},"With this nuanced knowledge, brands can then create hyper-targeted campaigns that speak to the trip type and mindset, highlighting the most important element of aperture for this shopper and, as a result, maximize conversion. For example, Josh’s favorite whiskey brand might reach him in the early afternoon on a Saturday with a message like “Don’t let your Saturday night dry out,” while a wine brand may find Elizabeth early in the week with “Save yourself a trip, add to the basket now.”",[12,4579,4580],{},"Understanding shoppers and the nuances of the ecommerce landscape for adult beverage is imperative to being successful within this space.",[12,4582,4583],{},"The fragmentation within the space is almost greater than what exists in any other ecommerce category. Complex? Yes. Terrifying? Maybe. But for adult beverage brands, the risk of using an ecommerce strategy that might not fit every need is far less than the risk of not having a strategy at all.",[12,4585,4586,4587,4592],{},"This was originally published by ",[383,4588,4591],{"href":4589,"rel":4590},"https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/330343/cheers-how-alcohol-brands-can-win-at-ecommerce.html",[904],"MediaPost"," on January 10, 2019.",{"title":107,"searchDepth":108,"depth":108,"links":4594},[],"2025-03-01T00:00:00.000Z","Sonja Leskinen, Associate Director of Business Intelligence, shares why adult beverage brands need an ecommerce strategy.",{},"/thinking/cheers-how-alcohol-brands-can-win-at-e-commerce","Digital commerce isn't easy for adult beverage brands. Complex legal considerations vary by state and retailer, and there is a variety of ecommerce models to evaluate.",{"title":4541,"description":4596},{"loc":4598,"lastmod":2351,"videos":4602,"images":4603},[],[],"thinking/cheers-how-alcohol-brands-can-win-at-e-commerce","ZfDJLI8U2Z_JKTqfiA2ggHzEqLJ6wpTvje1dPcCI0DU",{"id":4607,"title":4608,"articleTitle":4609,"author":4610,"authorTitle":4611,"body":4612,"brandCommercePage":111,"category":177,"date":117,"description":4677,"extension":114,"hide":111,"meta":4678,"navigation":116,"ogImage":117,"path":4679,"pullQuote":4680,"seo":4681,"sitemap":4682,"stem":4685,"weighting":117,"__hash__":4686},"thinking/thinking/retail-media-networks-an-opportunity-for-growth.md","Retail Media Networks: An Opportunity For Growth | Blue Chip","Retail Media Networks: An Opportunity For Growth","Jennifer Moore","Sr. Retail Media Planner",{"type":9,"value":4613,"toc":4675},[4614,4621,4624,4627,4632,4643,4648,4659,4664,4672],[12,4615,4616,4617,4620],{},"Since the pandemic overhauled shopping behavior in 2020, retail media networks have been on the rise. Early adopters of retail media networks, such as Amazon, ",[383,4618,44],{"href":4619},"/thinking/walmarts-next-omnichannel-move"," and Kroger, were primed and ready to profit from the explosion in online shopping that occurred as a result of COVID-19 restrictions. ",[12,4622,4623],{},"More and more retailers are following suit, looking to reach their shoppers by utilizing their own veritable treasure trove of first-party data by building profitable media networks—a new opportunity for growth in a traditionally low-margin business. ",[12,4625,4626],{},"As our fellow marketers start to explore this emerging landscape, here are a few considerations to keep in mind. ",[12,4628,4629,504],{},[30,4630,4631],{},"1. A lot of retail media choices are emerging—and they will not be created equally.",[82,4633,4634,4637,4640],{},[85,4635,4636],{},"The speed of innovation and development of retail media networks among the providers is uneven. Determining which network to use and how depends on careful consideration of several factors, like where your product is in its lifecycle. ",[85,4638,4639],{},"Retailers will need to provide a different type of accountability—one that may be new to them. For that to happen, marketers must express what they need from their retail media network in terms of the level of partnership, management and insight. Your investment in them should be earned, not expected. ",[85,4641,4642],{},"Even with new first-party data solutions emerging, third-party media opportunities will still be an important tactic to integrate into media plans to balance budget effectiveness and efficiency. Try to understand which solutions can fit your needs and best complement retailer media solutions.",[12,4644,4645,504],{},[30,4646,4647],{},"2. Align and integrate teams around retail media network efforts.",[82,4649,4650,4653,4656],{},[85,4651,4652],{},"In this omnichannel world, sales can be digitally influenced whether they occur online or off. Getting your organization on board and aligned on retail media platform strategy, spend and measurement is imperative. ",[85,4654,4655],{},"While the retail media field has grown, the number of dollars to cover it likely will not increase. To fund these buys, dollars will need to come from both marketing and sales. ",[85,4657,4658],{},"Brand and shopper marketing teams need to align on which media in their joint plan will be shoppable and give the lead planning role of that media to the party that is accountable to the retailer. Shopper and brand marketing are related but separate tasks, and the accountability for building brands and overcoming shopper barriers should be as well. ",[12,4660,4661,504],{},[30,4662,4663],{},"3. Maximize the impact of retail media by avoiding traditional approaches.",[82,4665,4666,4669],{},[85,4667,4668],{},"Look beyond the tactical, surface-level benefits of retail media platforms and pay attention to brands that are challenging and disrupting in them. Many brands are using retail media solutions like Amazon to build their brand without any other traditional (and traditionally more expensive) media buys. Don’t get caught in the practice of seeing these media solutions as solely a shopper marketing/transactional channel. ",[85,4670,4671],{},"Think bigger. Pivot your creative to focus on the end shopper and their mindset with impact to disrupt them. Keep your eye on new media that will be shoppable and invest in it while the opportunity is new and the costs are low. ",[12,4673,4674],{},"Nearly two years out from the arrival of COVID-19, we can be certain that the pandemic has forever changed the way will live. And the emergence of these retailer media solutions will forever change the way we market. Organizations should embrace this new landscape and look to enhance their capabilities, institutional knowledge and creative talents regarding retail media networks. At Blue Chip, it has become a foundational strategy for our future growth.",{"title":107,"searchDepth":108,"depth":108,"links":4676},[],"Retail media networks are on the rise. Learn what to expect and how to approach retail media to maximize their impact on your brand.",{},"/thinking/retail-media-networks-an-opportunity-for-growth","A wave of retailer-led media platforms are on the horizon, but what does that mean for brands and marketers?",{"title":4608,"description":4677},{"loc":4679,"lastmod":2351,"videos":4683,"images":4684},[],[],"thinking/retail-media-networks-an-opportunity-for-growth","N0p_FmPJWk4VEaf_obznMARzC9fopd13jfR9J4DkPZU",1777041192467]