FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 15, 2008
Plano, Texas – CROSSMARK’s Dannon Dedicated Team and Retail Project Team is driving the efforts of Dannon’s new Shelf Obsession Team to transform the sometimes dreary and confusing yogurt aisle into a more appealing and organized category for the shopper.
In the fall of 2007 The Dannon Company formed a dedicated Shelf Obsession Team made up of experienced sales and marketing executives whose main goal was to find a way to improve the overall shopping experience, create space to accommodate yogurt growth and capitalize on an increasingly popular category.
“The Shelf Obsession Team is having a strong positive impact on the yogurt and overall dairy section,” said Laura Santella-Saccone, senior director, Dannon Shelf Obsession Team. “By successfully demonstrating how the right product assortment, the appropriate space allocation, the correct category segmentation and impactful signage we [Dannon] can dramatically improve both the yogurt section and total Dairy aisle.”
The changes to the yogurt section are being designed to benefit the category’s growth, which in turn will benefit retailers and manufacturers. There are many features to the new design, and the graphics or face of the new design will help the category to continue to grow and improve the shopper’s experience.
“Our mission is to enhance the yogurt department through visual and structural elements that highlight contemporary style and excitement,” said Santella-Saccone. “We [Dannon] also wanted to show and communicate how easily yogurt fits into everyday life by illustrating how one can aspire to a healthier, sensible lifestyle while enjoying great taste.”
To assist in these efforts Dannon’s sales agency, CROSSMARK, will use its Dannon Dedicated Team and CROSSMARK Retail Project Team to conduct the resets and also maintain the set by making sure the shelves accurately represent the image of the Shelf Obsession Team, through continuity coverage.
“The collaboration between Dannon’s Shelf Obsession Team and CROSSMARK’s Dedicated Team will lead to over 700 resets,” said CROSSMARK’s Rich Schuttenhelm, vice president, directing manager for the Client Development Group. “Those resets on average will increase the yogurt category by 4 feet.”
CROSSMARK has been Dannon’s sales agency since 2004 and has helped with many of Dannon’s projects including the launch of two new probiotic products DanActive and Activia. CROSSMARK assisted Dannon by getting these new products into the hands of retailers.
“Our Dannon Dedicated Team is excited to help Dannon with another great project,” said CROSSMARK’s Debbie Buckner, retail division manager on the Dannon Dedicated Team. “We [CROSSMARK] are looking forward to a great deal of success and helping Dannon and its Shelf Obsession Team reach their goals.”
CROSSMARK®
CROSSMARK is a professional services company that has served the consumer goods industry for more than 100 years. We provide headquarter services, retail merchandising, shopper insights, and sales and marketing strategies to many of the largest manufacturers and retailers in the world. Headquartered in Plano, TX, CROSSMARK has more than 20,000 associates worldwide, with offices in the United States, Canada, New Zealand and Australia. To learn more about CROSSMARK, visit www.CROSSMARK.com.
Media contact:
Megan Sheehan
469-814-1584
megan.sheehan@crossmark.com
