CPM introduces ShopperSweetSpotting

Sales development agency CPM has launched new sales activation product: Shopper SweetSpotting. Combining the best elements of sampling and active selling, the new product places specially-recruited and trained sales people in ideal locations and times to actively sell and amplify shopper engagement.

The agency has recruited shopper promoters and trained them on how to engage and sell to shoppers both in and out of stores – using shopper selling modules created by the company’s in-house training division, Sales Academy. They are then hand-picked for each client campaign on the basis of their affinity with the product and their match with the specific client’s shopper profile.

Karen McGinn, business unit director of CPM’s retail activation division, a.i.r., said: “We start by recruiting people who are passionate about the products they’ll be selling; for example we select dog-lovers to sell dog food and coffee-lovers for coffee machines.

“We’re using ShopperSight, our unique shopper insight tool, to place these passionate sales people exactly where the shopper will be most receptive to sales conversations, whether that’s at home, at leisure, at work, or in-store. Those locations are based on insight derived from shoppers who have told us where and when they want to be engaged with for a specific product – and depending on the nature of that product we could be talking literally anywhere from a mother-and-toddler group to an office, to a fitness centre.

“This means that our people are conducting meaningful interactions at a time and in a place where customers are in a buying mindset. And most importantly, well have already ensured that stock is available for them to sell there and then.

“But we’re also using the experience to enlist our shoppers as brand ambassadors -promoting our clients’ brands to their families and friends via word of mouth.”

In partnership with brand and communications research agency Hall & Partners, CPM has created a unique measurement model – Buck, Brand and Buzz – which enables the agency to credibly demonstrate ROI.

Karen added: “Every year CPM delivers 65,000 in-store sampling campaigns and demonstrations. We talk to over 19m shoppers and we drive sales for over 300 brands. Not only that, our Sales Academy has earned such accolades that many of our clients send their staff on our courses.

“We know that Shopper SweetSpotting combines all of our skills and shopper insights to produce a win-win offering that hasn’t been tried anywhere before, and we’re already seeing exciting results from early client campaigns.”

CPM recently undertook a highly successful tactical campaign taking Tassimo hot beverage brewing machines to offices that had large staff headcounts and selling directly to shoppers at work.