Putting the Downturn to Good Use

The CGT editorial team has spotted an exciting trend in the consumer goods industry when it comes to customer-facing activities: Leaders are taking the initiative to implement improvements based on an unprompted, internal will to create efficiencies rather than at the behest of their retail customers. This indicates that a return on investment for sales and marketing activities has become the Holy Grail during recessionary times.

Yet, determining exactly what to spend marketing dollars on is a near impossible task, especially given a lack of standard metrics and shifting shopper dynamics.

The stories and research featured in this issue may offer parts of the answer. In an exclusive cover story, Sony Electronics Inc. Vice President of Customer Experience Marketing Barbara Ross Miller details the company's journey to obtain better visibility of company-wide marketing activities through marketing resource management.

Plus, Heineken USA reveals how it improved data analysis to maximize sales opportunities, and Ocean Spray is on hand to share the secrets behind its insight-based marketing methodologies.

Are you using the downturn to maximize trade promotion effectiveness? Then check out our new Custom Research report that benchmarks how the industry measures success and how companies are ensuring execution at the shelf. Have a sales and marketing success story to share with your peers? E-mail me: [email protected]