Hall of Fame Profile: Patrick Hare

In-store marketing is a changing industry, and Patrick Hare has been there to see it and influence it from the vantage point of an iconic American family brand, a leader in consumer packaged goods -- Kraft. There, he holds the position of director of the In-Store Merchandising Center of Excellence, responsible for the strategic development and sourcing of the company's $300 million investment of merchandising materials. Before that, he drove in-store efforts for the $7 billion snacks and cereal segment. During his 14-year tenure at Kraft Foods, Hare has seen shopper marketing evolve from the fight to get displays in-store -- perhaps a shipper for a new version of the Oreo, which is still important -- to getting a collaborative shopper solution in-store -- for example, his reinvention of the cookie aisle. He's working more with shopper insights and stresses that brands, going forward, need to collaborate with retailers for success.Hare is the first of three P-O-P Hall of Fame inductees to be profiled. Elizabeth Bishop of Universal Studios Home Entertainment and Tracy VanBibber of The Henkel/Dial Corp. will be profiled in upcoming issues. All three will be honored in a ceremony at the In-Store Marketing Summit, April 1-3, at McDonald's Hamburger University in Oak Brook, ILSince college, your entire career has been retail. How did you get started in P-O-P, and when did you know you wanted to be in retail marketing?I graduated from Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia in 1985 with a B.S. in Food Marketing. Among the many great things about my experience and education at Saint Joseph's were the opportunities available to graduates in the Food Marketing program. My first job after school got me into the world of consumer packaged goods, and I have been extremely fortunate to have a number of varied experiences from field sales, trade marketing, consumer promotions, planning and now the world of in-store marketing.My experience at Kraft, especially "growing up" and working on the Nabisco business, has really helped me understand the power of retail. My experiences working in consumer promotions at Kraft have identified for me the importance of bringing our promotions to life in-store. It's been exciting to witness the world of in-store continue to grow beyond displays and merchandising.How have things changed over your years in merchandising?I believe the role of in-store has become a more critical part of the go-to-market strategy. The scope of merchandising has certainly expanded to include much more than just displays. Understanding our shoppers better through shopper insights has also allowed us to provide better solutions to our customers. We have a need to really connect with our consumers, providing them solutions at retail.Factors we must take into account include in-store shopping patterns such as shoppers being more pressed for time. Another significant change is the role that our retail partners are playing in the development of our solutions. Collaboration with our retail partners is critical for success. We need to be keenly aware of our customers' merchandising strategies to be successful.How did you find your way to Kraft and how long have you been there?I joined Kraft in 1995 via the Nabisco organization. Prior to Nabisco, I began my career at Bristol Myers in a field sales role and had the opportunity to do a headquarters assignment in New York City. This is where I got my first exposure to developing programming and planning on a large scale. My decision to leave Bristol Myers was based on a desire to gain a work experience with a true consumer packaged goods company vs. a smaller consumer products division of a large pharmaceutical company. It was a tough decision; my experiences there were tremendous and the people with whom I worked were incredible.It has now been 14 years at Kraft and it, too, has been a tremendous ride.Describe your role now at Kraft.In general, I am responsible for the strategic direction and operation of Kraft's in-store activities. In a nutshell, our team develops in-store solutions, collaborates to source the solutions and leverages the supply chain to get them to market efficiently across the Kraft portfolio of businesses. It sounds daunting -- and some days it is -- but I am supported by a tremendous team.Without giving away secrets, how has Kraft's strategic direction changed? What new focuses are empowering Kraft's in-store business?I think the importance of winning in-store has always been a hallmark of our organization, and we have had an outstanding retail selling organization to successfully implement programming. I think our continued focus will be to ensure our retail organization has the right tools to be successful in-store, while always recognizing the importance of partnering with our customers to jointly develop shopper-centric solutions.From your temporary displays to major aisle reinventions, how have shopper insights affected how you do P-O-P?The power of better understanding the shopper has had significant impact on the work we do today. It helps us to better understand where shoppers are in-store, what they see and what they pass by. We have developed some powerful tools by leveraging these insights.Elaborate on the important work you did on aisle reinvention for the Snacks Business Unit. How did you gather shopper insights, what did you learn and how did it influence the project? In very general terms, we learned there was an opportunity to simplify the shopping experience in the cookie and cracker category. It's important to remember that a great deal of this insight goes back a few years. Consumers were spending less and less time in the center store, and we needed to get them into our aisle. Our challenge was to make the shopping trip easier while making the category relevant to them with better messaging.Importantly, this project uncovered the need for a continuum of solutions to address the opportunity. Some (like aisle reinvention) are more complex, but others are simpler, like signage solutions. In all cases, there's a degree of customization involved.In your opinion, what are the greatest challenges involved in creating outstanding shopper marketing?I don't know if it's a challenge, but I think the most important ingredient for successful shopper marketing is collaboration. Understanding your objectives and resources and those of your customers, and subsequently finding the common ground, allows for the most fertile discussions and shopper marketing plans.What have been the most significant changes affecting the use of displays or other merchandising in the past five years?There are several changes that come to mind: The prowess and strength of our retail partners; retailer consolidation; the power of the perimeter; and the economy.How has the down economy affected Kraft's in-store business?Costs are always a concern, and we continue to scrutinize our spending as we always have. Right now, our messaging to consumers and the types of solutions we're bringing to life in-store may be a little more value-oriented. As consumers eat out less often and eat at home more, it provides a great opportunity for us to continue to connect with consumers at retail.Are there any market forces/cultural changes affecting your company's use of P-O-P materials, and how will this affect your displays in the future?As I mentioned earlier, our customers are asking for more collaboration. As a result, we're exploring more customization in the development of our merchandising solutions. We want to be sure the display meets both sets of objectives and fits well into the in-store environment. The days of displays being "one size fits all" are waning.We're also using technology more and more to effectively communicate merchandising ideas and solutions to our selling organization and gather feedback on the success of a particular program.What do you like best about your job?Maybe one of the things I find most energizing is that every day brings a new set of challenges and an opportunity to provide an innovative solution to a complex business problem. The pace is fast and furious; the days and weeks fly.Perhaps the greatest privilege is the opportunity to lead a team of extremely talented individuals at Kraft. Within our Center of Excellence, we have a group of business mangers unmatched in the industry. They can think big picture but execute flawlessly because they're passionate about what they do.It's also a privilege to work for an organization like Kraft. The power of brands like Oreo, Ritz, Crystal Light and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese makes it possible to bring real consumer solutions to life in-store. I love the opportunity to partner with our sales organization. The arms and legs that we have at retail with our wall-to-wall selling organization is a tremendous asset.I've also had the opportunity to work with and learn from some genuinely great people through the years. I've been lucky to forge some wonderful relationships, whether they developed among suppliers or through my attendance at industry events.What advice would you give to anyone just breaking into shopper marketing?I would strongly encourage a newcomer to begin in a field sales role or spend as much time as they can in-store. This is where it all happens. Ask questions of your selling organization; ask store managers whether and how their needs are being met. Know your customers; know who shops in their stores; know the customers' growth strategies; know their business challenges.It's also important to understand the operations and supply chain aspects of this industry. And, finally -- and perhaps most important -- always treat people fairly and with respect, especially your supplier partners. You may have disagreements and not always see eye to eye, but be honest with your vendors.

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