Consumers are going to expect a more open, two-way dialogue with brands in 2013.  The challenge for Consumer Products companies will be to better evaluate the effectiveness of their current marketing spend and increase their investment in new and experiential marketing tactics to support that dialogue.

The greatest growth opportunity is for companies to further invest in mobile marketing, enabling a more personal and unique way to interact with consumers.  According to a recent study, traditional marketing activities, such as conventional circulars and flyers, now reach only 21% of grocery shoppers before their trip to the store.  And while mobile devices account for 23% of daily media consumption, CP companies are still spending less than 2% of their media budges on mobile.

Consumer Products companies will need to take advantage of this paradigm shift and consider the following:

• Transparency:   In building out your mobile marketing strategy, it is critical to remember that the focus should not be on your brand.  To be effective, the messaging needs to be transparent and centered around the consumer, the value and the experience.

• Measurement:   As with any new strategy, a test and learn mentality needs to be adopted.  Establish clear metrics that measure success of individual programs, however allow for the right flexibility to adopt based upon what is working and what is not.

• Alignment:   To be successful, there needs to be an understanding as to how your mobile marketing efforts fit within your overall marketing strategy.  Companies need to ensure alignment across mobile, digital, TV, print and in-store efforts to allow for success.

By leveraging these new strategies to emphasize the unique experiences associated with their brands, companies will allow for a greater level of consumer engagement, discovery and advocacy and create further differentiation within the marketplace.