Top insights for CPGs from 2024’s most-read blogs

In 2024, CPG brand marketers concentrated on creating engaging moments that inspire shoppers to fill their carts. This focus is evident in our most-read blogs for the year (as of December 9) which covered essential topics such as shopper trends, omnichannel insights, innovative media strategies and more. Let's explore the top five blogs that most resonated with our readers. 

We explored how today's shoppers are increasingly aware of the role food plays in their overall health. For example, our research found that when it comes to the functional benefits of food, managing heart health, weight and cholesterol are the most universal concerns by all age segments (see chart below).     Shoppers are also using food choices to prevent and/or actively manage a health issue (e.g. blood sugar levels). Expect shoppers to continue looking to brands and retailers for support in achieving their health and wellness goals. 

Source: 84.51° Real Time Insights, January 2024 

Our research revealed that omnichannel (or “hybrid”) customers who shop both online and in brick-and-mortar stores, have some shared traits:  

• Search is a key part of the path to purchase, from starting their cart to last-minute additions. 

• Streamlining the path from search to sale is crucial. 

• Shoppers want to see the same products, pricing and offers online as they do in-store. 

• There are certain categories—health, beauty, pet products—where shoppers are much less willing to accept substitutes for their desired brands, especially if the store decides the substitute.

From Q1 2022 to Q4 2023, we asked Kroger shoppers how do they make their way through a grocery store—do they take the time to browse, walk through every aisle or take the quickest route to find what they need? Survey results showed:  

• Baby boomers tend to browse most aisles, especially the ones relevant to their shopping list; Gen Z shoppers tend to be less thorough in their trips. 

• Gen Z shoppers tend to prefer the quickest route through the store, but are open to exploration/new product discovery, whereas baby boomers view shopping as a leisure activity, but some trips do fall into the “get in, get what I need, get out” category. 

• As much as they like browsing, baby boomers don’t want to go down every aisle – it’s their least favorite option. For Gen Z, the “darting” approach (i.e. moving through the store quickly to find specific items) has the least appeal. 

• Engaging in-store displays and product showcases that enhance the shopping experience, combined with strategic product placements and clear signage that caters to efficient shoppers, can help bridge the generational gap. 

In a joint presentation at the Path to Purchase Institute (P2PI) Live conference, 84.51° and Barilla emphasized the importance of cross-functional collaboration between business and technical teams for project success. Key takeaways:  

• Start with shared objectives – This step upfront ensures that both teams are charging toward the same goal and outcome.     

• Build teams around initiatives – This is a two-part recommendation. One, prioritize initiatives that are worthy of focused time from cross-functional teams. Two, create a formalized group that brings all necessary parties together.

• Context and connection – It is critical for business teams to take the time to give the technical teams context around the what and the why. Further, project teams should design their workflow to allow for frequent touchpoints, which enables the tech teams to iterate and business teams to provide feedback, avoiding misalignment or the need for rework at the end of the process. 

1. Brand Innovators recap: The powerful proposition of data, creative and media

Topping the list of our most-read blogs is a panel discussion from the Brand Innovators Marketing Leadership Summit, where Kroger Precision Marketing and other panelists shared insights for navigating media, data and creative planning in 2024. Takeaways include:  

• Partnerships help make media accountable. 

• Having a longitudinal view of the customer is essential for finding patterns that help brands optimize their media strategies for maximum impact. 

• Insights that integrate online and in-store shopping experiences minimize friction across modalities, enabling brands to deliver value to customers wherever (and however) they prefer to shop.  

• Data-driven creative helps brands tailor messages to their audiences and mediums that’s not only relevant, it also reduces wasted impressions. 

There’s even more to learn in the 84.51° Knowledge Hub –a comprehensive library offering insights into retail data science, shopping habits, brand loyalty and other key topics.