Summary
A co-op funded marketing program is rarely a one-and-done operation. The real genius is in the ongoing, mutually beneficial nature of a program that builds on itself with each channel that you employ along the customer journey. Ideally, that means bringing your marketing full circle through online and offline engagement, and that requires careful planning.
But the question is, “How can you ensure that your campaigns collect the findings and insights needed for success?”
Co-Op Supported Campaigns Need Direction
Real success starts with the end in mind. And the retailers need to be part of the process of understanding what program success looks like, particularly as it relates to individual campaign objectives. This requires that retailers are educated upfront what your key performance indicators (KPIs) are so they can focus on those goals.
When goals are clear and mutually understood, the program that gets brought to the table can be shaped and developed with those measures in mind. And that makes assessing those pre-determined goals not only possible, but very clear.
Tap Into a Data-Driven Feedback Loop
Of course, campaign results should be collected and analyzed. But the key is ensuring that the insights are presented as feedback upon which retailers can really act. This can happen best if the data platform being used to gather, process, and present the feedback also allows for automatic input to the decision-making for future programs. Then, continuous improvement quickly goes from conceptual to practical.
The Illumis™ platform from Valassis does exactly this, fueled by predictive intelligence that enables you to optimize future programs to even more efficiently connect with your ideal audience and drive traffic and sales. Ultimately, the goal is to simplify the process of going from insight to action, amplifying the success of the program for all of the partners.
Communicate Cooperative Value
Just as with every aspect of your co-op marketing program, effective communication is essential — from getting up-front agreement to staying in touch about necessary in-flight adjustments and efficiently sharing campaign results. In the end, all parties will have increased confidence that co-op funds are being optimally spent and increased success in terms of more sales and store visits.
Getting to Success
A co-op marketing program can be a phenomenal resource for brands, retailers, and distributors to improve awareness, increase foot traffic, and drive sales — as long as each aspect of a campaign is clear and carefully coordinated from the very start. Valassis can provide the tools and resources at every stage, including turnkey execution and expert guidance to make your co-op programs a success.
Click here to learn more about what we provide and how you can incorporate it into your own campaign.
Need to improve the ROI of your co-op marketing program? This series provides a step-by-step guide to help you actualize your co-op marketing objectives. Click through for more details on taking a hyperlocal approach to co-op; how performance can help the partnership grow; where a full-funnel approach might fit in; and when to provide advice to a retail partner.
Jill Addy Wright is the director of sales for the Channel Co-op Solutions team at Valassis. In her role, she utilizes her 20+ years of experience in the unique niche of co-op advertising to work with a wide array of brands, retailers, and local dealer channels to reach and engage their target market.