Katy Bachman of Adweek wrote a detailed article proclaiming the power of shopper marketing versus traditional media. Agencies are finding themselves in a particular predicament. Television and print are losing their power and internet banner advertising never really gained the strength that marketers hoped for. There are few places for advertisers to find a captive audience that cannot easily bypass messaging. They are quickly discovering that the store presents the single best opportunity to communicate with shoppers.
“While 21 million people waltzed over to their sets to watch an average episode of Dancing last year, and Idol cast its spell on still more (35 million for the season finale), those audiences pale when compared to the crowds that pack the aisles of the big-box retailers. Costco, Walgreens, Safeway and Kroger boast weekly shopper counts of 20 million, 30 million, 44 million and 68 million, respectively. Passing through the revolving doors of Wal-Mart locations across America each week are 150 million people.”
