Shopper Marketing - September 2017 - 42

PEOPLE TO WATCH

rin Spiers knows how unpredictable
retail can be and that not all stores are
created equal. While that may seem
obvious to industry veterans, she says
she's taken leaps forward in understanding
this, working alongside Constellation Brands'
Jason Alving, trade marketing director, as together they support Albertsons Cos. with its
decentralized programming that significantly
varies by division.
"I'm required to think critically about what
type of programming will work best for each
market," she says. "It finally hit home, thanks to
the exposure I've had with individuals so close
to the store level." Being cognizant to not create
programming in a vacuum, she says she challenges herself to communicate with individuals
at the store level to understand what's realistic.
"There's no point in running a program unless
we have a chance at successful compliance."
Spiers says she learned to love the art of writing in college. She uses her communication
background to ensure the "call to action" is unquestionably clear within seconds of viewing.
"While my education didn't directly teach me
how to be a shopper marketer, it provided me

Erin Spiers
COMPANY: Constellation Brands
TITLE: Associate Promotions Manager
AGE: 28
EDUCATION: Santa Clara University
(bachelor's, communication)
42

y SHOPPER MARKETING SEPTEMBER 2017

with valuable principles that I apply to my everyday work."
Spiers began her career as a case assistant
to an immigration lawyer fresh out of college.
Craving something more creative, in 2012 she
joined News America Marketing as an account
coordinator, starting out on the shopper marketing side of the business. By 2015, she was
promoted to an account director on the core
brand side of the business.
Just over a year ago, she made the move
to Constellation Brands when she realized her
drive to support a single category - in this case,
the total beverage alcohol industry. As associate promotions manager, she manages the
development and execution of shopper programming for the company's wine and spirits portfolio. She supports priority strategic
accounts such as Kroger and Albertsons, and
has also worked on shopper programming for
Walmart and drug accounts. In her time there,
she's supported all strategic accounts, giving
her a well-rounded understanding of the varying types of stores and consumers.
"As the liaison between shopper and brand
teams - and managing that very fine line - my
role is to ensure that program deliverables are
aligned to satisfy both brand and retailer strategies while still engaging with the consumer
type that frequents each account," she says.
In an attempt to maximize Constellation's dollar and create efficient programming, Spiers developed a seasonally agnostic version of a retail
theater display that can live in-store year-round
and support two brands, using a dual-sided approach. The displays, which launch next month,
communicate each brand's essence and can be

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Shopper Marketing - September 2017