Is your 2011 plan ready for shopper marketing?

“Brands desperately need better presence at the point of decision, it’s as simple as that,” said Ji Kim, CEO of DijiPOP, an online shopper marketing platform. “Despite the fact that up to 50% of all shoppers use retail websites to make buying decisions according to independent sources, brands and manufacturers often fall short in executing effective merchandising presence and product placement strategies.”

The DijiPOP platform matches retailers’ inventory with brands’ marketing initiatives to transform merchant sites into private marketplaces for consumers. Brands and merchants can offer paid placements to monetize ‘shelf space’ on relevant webpages. Kim insists many successful campaigns are simply brand advertising being in the right place at the right time to engage the right consumer.

“Brands need to be strategic about investing in places where consumers who have a need start researching – [they] need to put more stake and money in ensuring their brand is considered at the first point a consumer is ‘in market,'” said Kim. Coupons are one way to engage consumers, but integrated solutions placing ads in the places consumers are visiting on merchant sites may have a bigger impact.

And, Kim says, merchants shouldn’t forget the m-challenge.

“With more smartphones on the street, m-commerce will continue to grow and is a very important touch point for the multi-channel model,” said Kim. “It is vital for retailers and brands to align their in-store merchandising mix with their web and m-commerce sites. A recent study from the NRF stated that more than one-quarter of Americans who own a smartphone will be using their mobile device to shop, compare prices and research products this holiday season.”