Hall of Fame Profile: Ed Trygstad

Ed Trygstad started working for Miller Brewing Co. as a distributor while in college at South Dakota State University, leading to various positions within the company after graduation and throughout his career. Now, more than 27 years later, he is manager of merchandising development at the beer giant, overseeing all P-O-P materials for 13 brand franchises in every channel where Miller products are sold.For Trygstad, creating effective displays always comes back to the consumer. Understanding where the product is sold and where it is consumed are keys for success, in addition to knowing how to work around obstacles like clean-store policies and higher production costs. This year, Miller's biggest in-store innovation is a new modular merchandising system, which can be adapted to fit the needs of almost any retailer. But at the end of the day, the toughest part of the job may be deciding which beer to drink when celebrating a job well done.Trygstad is the second of three P-O-P Hall of Fame inductees to be profiled. Renee Richardson of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment was profiled last month, and Bevan Bloemendaal of The Timberland Co. will be featured in the May issue. All three will be honored in a ceremony held during the In-Store Marketing Summit, April 16-18, at McDonald's Hamburger University, Oak Brook, ILYou have been at Miller for 27 years. Briefly describe your path and your role now.I began working for a local Miller beer distributor in South Dakota while attending college at South Dakota State University. It was upon graduation that Miller offered me a position in its field-marketing area, focusing on marketing activity around major college campuses in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan; a great job just out of college. From there, it was onto many other sales and marketing positions in Milwaukee, as well as other locations, such as Madison, Wis., Honolulu and San Francisco.Nevertheless, Milwaukee is home now, and I really enjoy the action and activity being generated out of our corporate offices. The company and I realized my experiences and background in both marketing and sales was ideal for leading and managing the in-store merchandising activity for our great portfolio of brands -- thus, my current position as the manager of merchandising development since 2003.Have you and your team recently created a display or a merchandising system that you are particularly proud of, or that performed beyond expectations? We have many new and innovative retail merchandising tools across our brands, but one that I will focus on is the company's new modular merchandising system. Miller, along with a few other companies, has utilized a limited, 20-plus-year-old system, called the "flex system," at c-stores and liquor stores during that time. While this "above-the-cooler" merchandising tool was cutting edge in the '80s, I felt there was a need to move into the 21st century and develop an innovative merchandising system that utilized new technology and acted in a similar fashion, but is much more versatile and flexible to address the many options and opportunities in a variety of classes of trade.This system allows the options of horizontal or vertical application, illuminated or non-illuminated custom panels, easy to install and replace panels, multiple configurations, and dual-sided merchandising capabilities, just to name a few of the benefits. This was just introduced late last year, and we expect the acceptance and investment in this item to grow as our supply chain better understands the capabilities of the modular merchandising system and puts it to use at retail to support our branded messaging.What are the greatest challenges involved in creating outstanding P-O-P, especially in the crowded beer category with so many special promotions every year (Super Bowl, March Madness, holidays, summer, etc.)? I believe the greatest challenge is to seek, understand and apply the most exhaustive research and consumer insights available with respect to the shopping occasion and consumption plans, which will allow the design and creative to communicate with the target audience at retail, where the purchase decision is made. Whether it's at the cooler, warm shelf, beer cave, or within a promotional display, if you are speaking to the consumer with the right branded messaging, your chances of success grow exponentially. This applies to permanent P-O-P, litho P-O-S, corrugated display materials, tap handles and practically any other P-O-P. In addition, with the proliferation of clean-store policies at many of our retail customers, the need to address how to merchandise in this environment offers another opportunity to secure valuable in-store merchandising space for your brands.Another challenge and opportunity is the use of innovation and new technology to allow your brands to rise above the clutter, while continuing to use consumer insights to speak directly to the shopper with superior branded messaging. And I would be remiss if I didn't mention the challenge of higher costs, including materials, freight and labor, to produce functionally sound merchandising materials of the highest quality. The in-store merchandising materials you produce for retail display directly reflects how you feel about your brands, and the care that goes into producing -- or brewing in our case -- your products.Do you expect to see more or less emphasis on P-O-P in the beer category in the future? More, but in a changing manner. Many companies are feeling the pinch of consumers straying from normal media, such as TV, radio and print. In turn, other than Web access and limited other opportunities, how else will you reach your target consumer prior to deciding what brand to purchase? The growth of both clean-store policies and cost of goods will press in-store marketers to become wiser, understand more, apply and test unique methods and tools to reach the consumer. ROI's demand you get it right prior to investing and placing in-store materials at retail.That said, I believe there will be more emphasis within companies that understand this and are willing to invest in new technology, testing and trusting the results. One only has to take a look at the vast growth of in-store digital monitors across so many unique industries. While it may be relatively simple to place a video monitor near the cooler in a c-store, you will have wasted your time, money and opportunity if the content is not correct, focused, and does not speak to the consumer in a manner consistent with the shopping and consumption occasions.This takes investment, which I interpret as more emphasis. We will continue to develop, produce and supply neons, illuminated signs, acrylic table tents, LED fixtures and other expected permanent P-O-S; I do not believe that will ever go away, as far as the beer category is concerned. However, the challenge will be to invest wisely, know your brands and provide the vehicle to ensure the purchase decision is the right decision for the consumer, retailer and you.What have you found to be the most important elements of a successful product display? Appropriate communication and messaging to the consumer. What is their intent, prior to and during the purchase occasion, as well as after the purchase, when he or she departs the store? What are the plans for consumption of the brand? If your display content and creative (as well as the right package and price, of course) can convince the shopper that you understand them, your chances of a purchase and increased sales just improved.Additionally, you have to build your display materials to fit the retail channel. The footprint for a supermarket is obviously larger than a c-store or liquor store, in most cases. Thus, you may need to offer a menu of display materials, if you plan to communicate and display your product in multiple channels. Interesting this always returns to the consumer, isn't it?What have been the most significant changes affecting the use of displays or other merchandising in the past five years? Higher investment levels required to compete effectively at retail. Increases in material costs, raising freight charges, and escalating labor costs have all contributed. In addition, the use of research, testing of retail tools prior to introduction to the mass market, and effective communication of branded messaging have all improved and provided the impetus for change. We have all needed to stay abreast of changes in the industry and smartly incorporate the right methods and materials into every piece of P-O-P designed, engineered, produced and placed at retail.Moreover, I want to emphasize again the spread of clean-store policies, and how this change challenges each competing marketer to understand and figure out how to address the situation.You are in a wide variety of channels, from supermarkets to c-stores to restaurants and bars. How do you balance all of these distinct retailer requirements and unique locations? Magic ... seriously. The opportunity to market and work the variety of retail channels makes this job so much fun, interesting and challenging. Each brand in Miller's portfolio plays a vital role in our success, and determining the best use of our investments across these channels provides the rationale and direction on where to focus our attention. Each channel provides unique opportunities to communicate to the consumer via multiple vehicles and communication platforms. Our challenge is to figure out the best way that works for all of us -- the consumer, retailer and Miller.What market forces and cultural changes are affecting your company's use of P-O-P materials and how will this affect your displays in the future? Cost of goods and services continue to rise, so we will need to effectively address how this will affect what we develop and become more precise; there will be less wiggle room for error. The competitive landscape continues to get steeper, with the challenge of bringing the proper retail-merchandising tool to the right store at the best time and with the appropriate consumer communication, which will require increased use and confidence in market research and consumer insights to allow us to rise above the so called "clutter" at retail.We will continue to design and build wonderful display materials, to speak to a wide range of shoppers at retail, and grow with the knowledge gained from evaluation and assessment as to what worked and what could be improved upon for the next program.Miller has a lot of exciting changes in-store, including the new Miller Lite craft brews, MGD 64 and the upcoming creation of MillerCoors. What are your biggest goals and objectives for 2008? Win at retail, allowing in-store merchandising materials to tell the brand's respective story, while reaching out to the consumer in a meaningful and insightful manner. With the new product introductions, we obviously have used consumer insights and evolving trends to identify and develop the beer brands we are confident will fulfill the beer consumer's wildest dreams and satisfy their increasing need for satisfaction on their terms.Making these new brands come to life at retail is a marketer's "castle in the sky," with both the challenge and opportunity combining to raise the awareness and consideration for the brands.What do you like best about your job? Representing -- and being able to enjoy -- the best beer brands in the world. I also enjoy the challenge to strive to do better and understand the consumer's desires and needs, and translating this to in-store marketing materials. What better business to be in than the beer business, especially at Miller, where we work diligently in a collaborative manner and celebrate success appropriately: Sharing our brands with family, friends, and new friends in bars and restaurants.What advice would you give to anyone just breaking into the P-O-P business? Keep your eyes and ears open, and delve into your work, but make sure it is truly a passion, because it is demanding and challenging work, but full of rewards and satisfaction. Engage yourself to understand the myriad production processes, materials, and what works best in a variety of retail locations. Learn from those around you, and most importantly, observe what is happening where your brand is being sold and consumed ... this will tell you practically all you need to know.

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