By Helen Myers, Advertising Week Correspondent
Christi Geary, EVP of AMP (Advantage Marketing Partners), led a discussion on the impact of AI on consumer purchase decisions.
Geary kicked off the discussion by asking Jessica Grasso, Senior Manager of Omnichannel Marketing at Bayer, about how she translates brand initiatives into omnichannel events. Grasso brought up the recent collaboration between AMP and Bayer and what led to its success. Their joint campaign delivered an integrated omni approach and included geo-targeting, merchandising, retail media, and social media influencers. Geary then chimed in to emphasize that this work demonstrated the importance of partnership and cross-functional collaboration.
The conversation then switched to how companies are unifying brand love with buyer behavior. Marie-Jeanne Matei, the VP GM of E-Commerce and Omnichannel Shopper Experience at Ferrero USA, shared her thoughts. Recently, Keeber put out a 360 campaign that incorporated virtual elements on the physical packaging. Keebler wanted to capture the nostalgia long-term customers have for the brand and create magic moments for new customers through an interactive experience. “Building that loyalty and consideration with the new consumers was imperative for us. The brand has that heritage, and we wanted to continue to drive that loyalty all the way down to purchase,” Matei said.
When it comes to younger audiences, YPulse is an expert on Gen Z’s shopping behaviors. Chanon Cook, CRO of YPulse said that Gen Z’s approach to commerce is heavily driven by authenticity. According to their data, Cook stated that“82% of Gen Z think that it’s important for a brand to be true to themselves.” As for what being true to yourself manifests as, “It means really exploring and understanding who you are as a brand,” Cook said.
Geary then asked how Bayer turns transactional marketing into more experiential marketing in a way that is authentic to their target demographics. Grasso mentioned Bayer’s new women’s health campaign that aims to fight against generalization and inauthenticity. “We really leaned into the opportunity to drive awareness and build trust across the breadth of our portfolio through tailored, bundled solutions that are meeting women during different life stages at that moment in time,” Grasso said. She stated that it’s important to meet people where they are and avoid a one-size-fits-all approach.
Geary asked the panel what advice they would give other marketers who are having to balance limited budgets with planning new approaches to commerce. Cook brought a key way to better understand your consumer base. “Listen to your audience, especially young people. They are telling you what they want. They are telling you what they need. It’s all over social media,” she said.
As for Bayer, Grasso stated that collaboration is the “secret sauce”. “Working together and identifying what our common goals are. “Finding the synergies nationally, then down to retail, and finally partnering on developing the plan together,” Grasso said. Matiei adds that collaboration should also happen externally to get closer to retail partners and see what insights they share.
Geary ended the conversation by highlighting the delicate balance between humanity and leveraging technology. “Remember that the predictably irrational, fabulous part about humanity is coming up with ideas and reacting in ways that we wouldn’t have always predicted,” she said.
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