Once again ECRM will host its Store Brands Leadership Summit this coming April in Lombard, Ill., during its Store Brand Foods: Center Store and Store Brand Foods: Perimeter of the Store Programs.

As with last year, there will be two concurrent educational tracks, each running from 1:30 PM to 5PM on Monday, April 20. The Retailer Presentations Track is for suppliers only, and will feature several top retailers discussing how each envisions a successful private label relationship with its supplier-partners. The Marketing Services Presentation Track is open to both buyer and seller attendees, and will feature insights and actonable information about building a successful brand, ingredient trends, and sustainable initiatives around store brands.

Click the links below for more information or to register:

Store Brand Foods: Perimeter of the Store
Store Brand Foods: Center of the Store

Retailer Presentations Track: 1:30 PM - 5:00 PM (Suppliers Only)

Suppliers will be able to attend sessions to hear from leaders across the retail landscape to better understand their vision, strategy and go-to market approach. Ultimately, these sessions will help suppliers better understand how to best do business with each of the presenting retailers.

Presenters:

• Odette Welling, Product Development Manager, 7-Eleven, Inc.
• Mike Savage, Senior Vice President of Merchandising, Earth Fare
• Bonny Akers, Director of Own Brand, H.E.B.
• Erin Shulman, Senior Product Innovator, Thrive Market
• Bill Smith, Director of Private Label, Tops Markets (speaker TBD)
• Will Magistrelli, Director of Own Brands Innovation, Wakefern

Marketing Services Presentation Track: 1:30 PM - 5:00 PM (Retailers and Suppliers)

Shelf Esteem: Crafting a Brand That's Stickier & Smarter That Customers Crave
1:35 PM - 2:15 PM

In today’s marketplace, consumer values and loyalties have shifted in a dramatic way.

• How do you attract eyeballs and drive action with your packaging?
• How do you retain customer loyalty?
• How to drive sales driven by value and not driven by price?

Award-winning brand expert and #1 Amazon bestselling author David Brier will answer these questions as he reveals how to craft a smarter and stickier brand that consumers won’t ignore.

About David Brier
As the #1 rebranding expert on Google who’s been featured in ADWEEK, Fast Company, Forbes, Inc., Huffington Post, Entrepreneur, Thrive Global, and The New York Times, David is also the author of the #1 Amazon bestseller, BRAND INTERVENTION, 33 Steps to Transform the Brand You Have Into the Brand You Need.

David’s been called “a mad genius” by Chief Heart Officer, Claude Silver of VaynerMedia, “brilliant with branding” by Shark Tank’s Daymond John and “a branding genius” by Mr. 10X, Grant Cardone. A dynamic speaker, David’s the recipient of over 320 international awards on design and branding, and has the rare distinction of being presented the Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship medallion.

The Whole Package: The Imperative of Multi-Benefit Products in 2020 & Beyond
2:15 PM - 3:00 PM

Experience, wellness, convenience and transparency. These are not new consumer demands. We’ve been talking about them for years. Strong societal forces like consumerism, globalization, automation and climate concerns are taking shopper expectations and brand benefits to the next level.

Indeed, buyers would want “the whole package,” products that check a bundle of boxes across enjoyment, health, ease and environmentalism.

This perspective from Datassential will provide insight and product examples related to seemingly opposing ideas. Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

• Taste & Health (hidden veggies, BFY comfort food) • Upscale & Everyday (premiumization) • Consumerism & Environmentalism (no waste) • High Touch & High Tech (“less is more” service) • Urban & Rural (“farms everywhere”) • Converging Categories • Authentic Mashups • Boldness with “Hints of Flavor”

About Erin Murray
Erin Murray has worked in market research and consulting for more than 20 years, serving dozens of clients in food & beverage with insight for innovation and marketing success.

Erin earned degrees in Psychology and Education from The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. Additionally, she has a Master’s Degree from Northwestern University in Integrated Marketing Communications. Passionate about the opportunities represented by trends, Erin is a marketing instructor at Robert Morris University where she also sits on the Board of Advisors.

Leveraging Sustainable Initiatives within Private Brands
3:30 PM - 4:15 PM

Everyone is thinking about sustainability for the next decade and according to a recent Acosta report, 75 percent of U.S. consumers are really willing to vote with their dollar for brands that are protecting the environment for generations to come. This year marks a new decade in sustainability. Millennials and Gen Z outnumber their predecessors and will influence consumer demand. They want their purchases to embody their beliefs and do the right thing.

Come to this session to learn how you can leverage sustainable initiatives in your private brands to be on the cutting edge in the decade ahead.