Retail Leverage – An Agency Executive’s Perspective

By Vincent Young

The battle for power at retail often provides very black and white perspective to those on the brand side, or the retailer side.  Let’s face it – we both think the other needs us more than we need them – unless of course you are a challenger brand, in which case you better be good at showing why they need you.  We’ve tried to illustrate both perspectives, with articles highlighting successful strategies by both brands and retailers.  Now we’re bringing a new perspective – from an angle that is uniquely positioned to see it from both sides – the agency.

The team at Retail Leverage recently caught up with Jon Genese, Senior Vice President of Account Services at AMP Agency (Boston, MA) to get an agency’s perspective on some of the greatest challenges facing their national brand clients at retail.

We asked these questions, which helped cover a wide range of retail / shopper marketing issues:

1. Where does the agency fit in the retail marketing equation?
2. How has your agency had to evolve its capabilities given changes in the retail environment, in particular the changes in relationship between brands and retailers?
3. How do you help brands gain advantage vs. private label?
4. What skills do retail brand managers need to be successful in the future?

In case the video doesn’t play in your browser, here is a link directly to it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXCBs3q_5oo