Click below for Beth Ann's latest article Fair Game: It's time to level loyalty's playing field in The Hub magazine.

"The year 2013 needs to be the year that the equation looks something like this: Loyal User Data + Consumer Experience Experts = Unique Consumer Value"

http://hubmagazine.com/html/2012/hub_51/nov_dec/237231151/tracylocke_loyalty/index.html

Congrats to TracyLocke Dubai for some big new business wins this year that included Kraft Cheese! Their team will also be presenting at this year's Shopper Marketing & Consumer Insights Summit in Dubai. They are well on their way to becoming one of the top Shopper Marketing agencies in the Mid East.

Congratulations TL Dubai!

A lot's been going on in our India office. Samir Mehta and Pradeep Ramakrishnan have both been promoted into leadership positions at TracyLocke India. Some of you may have met them last year when they were in Dallas attending our Global Shopper Marketing Summit. Congrats!

http://www.campaignindia.in/Article/304846,samir-mehta-and-pradeep-ramakrishnan-to-head-tracylocke-india.aspx

Also, a couple of interesting articles on the emergence of Shopper Marketing in India were just published in The Economic Times. They are an interesting look at the growth and power of the discipline in an emerging market.

http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-06-15/news/32254469_1_shopper-marketing-marketing-domain-retailing

http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-06-06/news/32079087_1_retail-sector-formats-retail-store

Namaste

Watch Beth Ann's "6 Questions" interview with ADWEEK. From "What to grab if the building is on fire" to "What's the best place to drink in NYC", our CEO has some pretty insightful answers!

http://www.adweek.com/video/advertising-branding/six-questions-beth-ann-kaminkow-140562

PROMO Magazine just published an article featuring Jim Sexton, our CMO, and Pradeep Ramakrishnan, our VP of Shopper Marketing Insights in India.

Together they tell the story of how Shopper Marketing is developing as a new discipline in a country that has had a thriving trade economy for 3,000 years.

http://chiefmarketer.com/promotional-marketing/retail-developments-india-hold-promise-shopper-marketing-qa

Check out BAK's recent article in the latest issue of The Hub Magazine.

She talks about how a human touch is the future of retail. How human engagement can lure people away from uninspired purchases on their phones and give them a reason to walk into a store.

"What we learn from these brands with their in-house gurus, geeks and geniuses is the secret to the future of brick-and-mortar retail success. We walk away from making purchases on our computers and mobile devices when the level of human engagement, service, and experience is lacking. Retailers must study the limitations of their online experience and that of their competition. This holds the clue of what needs to be exploited and leveraged to give people a reason to shop and revisit Main Street retail."

Read the full article here:

http://www.hubmagazine.com/2012/03/geek-or-genius/

AdAge just published an article on PepsiCo reducing the number of agencies on their roster. About 100 shops, or 65% of the division's partner agencies, were removed. 

But TracyLocke was at the top of a short list of core agencies that PepsiCo will continue to work with.

"The spokeswoman identified those "core" agencies as Omnicom Group networks TBWA/Chiat/Day, BBDO and DDB, as well as Omnicom shop TracyLocke and Genesco, a sports-marketing agency with ties to TracyLocke."

Congrats to everyone who touches the Pepsi business and delivers the creativity with consequence that makes TracyLocke an indispensable partner.

Read the full article here:

http://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/pepsico-completes-agency-reductions/234120/

Check out The Hub magazine for an interesting roundtable discussion on How Innovators Should Think About Consumers.

Beth Ann adds her insights to the disucssion along with senior leaders from Intel, Vibram and the Kellogg School of Management.

Bolder & Brighter

http://hubmagazine.com/html/2012/hub_46/jan_feb/237230146/roundtable_innovation/index.html

"Innovation is easier now than in the past, but because it's easier the risks are greater. It's cheaper, faster and quicker to test and learn. But because the traditional hurdles aren't there, there's also greater risk." - Beth Ann Kamnikow

Forbes CMO Network just released a survey of the 127 Effie Awards judges. TracyLocke is called out as one of the competition's panel of judges.

The survey found that most client-side marketers believe that their CMOs should own their metrics strategy, but agency execs believe an analytics teams should oversee the information.

More on the debate in the article linked below (and a nice call out for Gatorade).

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jenniferrooney/2012/03/19/latest-effies-survey-spotlights-data-ownership-debate-pinterest-interest/?ss=cmo-network

We just released the news about TL opening in India to the US press this morning and it's already been picked up by about 300 digital/online media outlets. Stay tuned for even more great coverage.

March 19, 2011 TracyLocke today announced it has established a presence in India, representing the nearly 100-year-old agency's first venture into the Asian market.  The agency will integrate its shopper marketing expertise into a portfolio of disciplines united under the DDB Mudra Group banner in offices across the country, with headquarters in Mumbai.

"The retail industry is developing rapidly in India, making the time right for an agency like TracyLocke to bring its expertise in shopper marketing to retailers and brands that are tapping into this diverse market," said Beth Ann Kaminkow, CEO of TracyLocke. 

Read the full article here:

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/tracylocke-expands-asian-market-initial-142000333.html

Advertising major Mudra has restructured post its acquisition by the Omnicom Group late last year. As part of Omnicom's DDB Group Worldwide, it will be present in India through eight branded agencies including the parent creative agency, Mudra.

DDB Mudra Group has announced the entry of TrackyLocke, DDB's shopper marketing agency, into the Indian market in partnership with Mudra Max.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/marketing/article2942978.ece

http://www.afaqs.com/news/story.html?sid=33241_More+changes+lined+up+at+DDB+Mudra+Group

Five Things You Should Know About Your Latest Class of Employees

With New Group of 'Recession Babies,' We're Seeing a Progression in the Quality of Young Professionals

By Beth Ann Kaminkow

http://adage.com/article/guest-columnists/newest-generation-employees/232799/

The advertising trade magazine, Campaign Middle East, put the opening of the TracyLocke Dubai office on their list of top ten stories for 2011.

"The Arab Spring and TracyLocke on the same Top 10 List — now that's what I call going global!" -Jim Sexton

Top ten marketing books you should have read this year - from AdAge

http://adage.com/print/231470

Inspired by Sterling's Harry Potter cats in Morning ALE, here is an article about the new field of research on Internet memes (pronounced meems). The term refers to "goofy iconography" in mainstream culture - e.g. gambolling kittens with annotations in lolspeak.

Silly cat pictures or fundamental shift in human communication?

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/features/memes-take-a-look-at-miaow-2356797.html

Success in our business is often a result of asking the right questions - both to our consumers and to our clients. Harvard Business Review has some tips on how to frame your questions to inspire thoughtful answers.

http://blogs.hbr.org/ashkenas/2011/08/the-art-of-asking-questions.html

Trendwatching is calling out a new trend where companies use social media like Twitter and FourSquare to engage individually with consumers.

Image being sent flowers by FTD when you've posted that you had a bad day! Instant shout outs and loyalty.

http://www.trendwatching.com/trends/11trends2011/#rak

Starbucks Via team - There is a new nitche market waiting for you. Americans traveling abroad. Those little espressos they serve in the cafes just don't cut it and the instant stuff here is terrible. (How can something be watered down and over powering at the same time?)

We need retail displays in Airports pronto!

A new study suggests that higher gas prices haven't taken their toll on restaurant sales yet. That's a much different story than the last time we were at $4 a gallon in 2008. http://www.nrn.com/article/survey-gas-prices-have-yet-hurt-sales

While in Dubai at the local Carrefour I saw a salmon and olive pizza in the freezer case. Eric H. - I think that needs to go into our next Pizza Hut innovation deck!