1. What does it take to be a great shopper marketer?

2. Communicator and peace envoy Sandwiched between brand marketers and sales teams Pragmatically but forcibly deliver things that will drive brand growth, and support customers Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/aheram/283162678 3. Analytical, insightful and flexible Shopper Marketing is rapidly becoming flooded with data. Sit at the confluence of three rivers of information: what we know about consumers, what we know about shoppers, and what we know about retailers. Adapt and create new models, because next week there will be a whole new data stream to handle! The ability to crunch data will get you nowhere unless it can be turned into brilliant insight. Feature Image: Flickr 4. A great marketer Shopper marketing. Note the second word. Marketing. Shopper marketers must be able to master the core marketing skills. If you cant do marketing, then you cant do shopper marketing. 5. Comfortable with ambiguity Things are not certain. Retailers change their minds. Promises get broken. Brand plans change. Your research data will not tell you everything. You wont know everything you need to know to make a decision. 6. Happy to follow your gut Some shopper marketers are drowning in data. Many are not. Marketing requires inspiration as much as perspiration. The data will not give you the answer all of the time. Great marketers thrive on gut. Great shopper marketers do the same. Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nickmadams/3181379246 7. Make strategic decisions Which shoppers? Which channels Which activities Which retailers 8. Execute flawlessly 9. Ownership and accountability You might not be the brand manager, but its your brand too. Own it, love it, and be its champion. Force your way into the discussion, whether you are invited or not If shoppers see it, you should take note and have an input. Take accountability for your brands, and the interface they have with shoppers, whether it is directly in your remit or not. It is the biggest asset you have!