How does Staples manage marketing to small businesses in the digital age? Advice and insights for CMO's on how to position themselves and their companies as marketing continues to evolve.

1. CMO of the Future
Connecting the dots…
Alison Corcoran
SVP Marketing, US Stores & Online •Staples

2. Even the meaning of “Easy” has changed.

10. Retailers have more dots to connect.

11. How to build relationships with valuable business customers

12. Small Business customers believe Staples is the best at:
•
Taking care of small businesses
•
Having the most knowledgeable associates
•
Delivering the best customer service
•
Having the best product selection
•
Being the easiest place to buy office supplies

13. Every week, over 2M Small Businesses make a purchase at a Staples store or on Staples.com
9.2Msmall business customers shopped last year
51%shop both channels
10%make 11+ transactions annually

14. I ran out or need something fixed.
We make it easy:
I need help reaching my goals.
We make it easy:
•
To buy supplies
•
To make copies
•
To print documents
•
To maintain equipment
•
To furnish your office
•
To run your business
•
To grow your business
•
To learn new things
•
To build relationships
•
To do what you love
Our challenge, moving from transactions to engagement
Today
Repeat transactions
Tomorrow
Continuous engagement

15. Staples.comand Email drive the most store visits
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
What marketinginfluenced your visit to a Staples store?

16. Customer Purchase Path: What Sources Are They Using Pre- purchase?
Services
Consumables
Durables
Didn’t use any
16%
19
29
21
16
21
24
9
11
12
13
12
11
12
11
11
17
22
Usual purchase
26%
46
37
42
49
44
44
18
12
12
15
16
14
19
14
11
39
18
Print ad
3%
1
1
2
2
3
2
4
3
5
2
4
3
5
3
5
1
1
Referral
10%
3
5
2
3
3
2
14
18
14
17
5
8
14
8
8
13
34
Sales associate
8%
3
4
1
1
1
1
18
14
11
12
5
10
18
9
9
11
12
Online coupon
7%
9
8
11
12
9
7
5
6
9
3
5
8
2
8
7
10
2
Online ad
6%
3
2
3
5
6
3
7
9
7
3
7
9
7
7
10
6
2
Printed coupon
6%
10
6
14
9
9
6
3
3
5
3
8
6
3
7
5
9
2
Manu. Website
10%
4
3
2
4
1
3
21
26
18
19
8
15
17
9
11
6
8
Store circular
8%
5
4
13
7
9
7
11
7
9
5
10
13
6
12
10
4
3
In store display
11%
3
5
9
4
8
7
11
13
13
7
15
16
18
20
19
5
6
Online reviews
15%
1
2
2
1
1
2
28
33
27
28
19
31
25
17
21
6
11
Retailer website
19%
12
12
12
13
12
16
26
27
23
22
21
27
24
22
30
16
11
Searched online
23%
10
12
9
8
8
12
36
39
41
37
27
35
29
28
36
14
17

17. Media Effectiveness
•
Email, Circular, Paid Search & Display are most important sales drivers to stores and online
•
Fastest growth coming from digital media
•
Targeted Direct Mail to business customers an effective tool
How our Customer researches and shops impacts media effectiveness
Sales Impact by Vehicle

18. Our Vehicles
Almost everything we do drives transactions not engagement
Broad-based
Personalized
Targeted
New
GeoTargeted Online Circular, Customer Targeted Site and Deals, and Paid Display Targeting
Targeted Paid Search, Social Campaigns w/Targeted Media, Mobile
CRM, Personalized Email, DM, PRO, SAMs targeting (site, account managers, Email), Premier Rewards
Paid Search, Social Posts, PR, Affiliates
DM, Email, Mass Rewards
TV, Radio, Circular, Site, Display, Daily Deals
Traditional

19. How do we move from transaction to engagment?
Target
Small Business Consumer
Consumer
Small Business
Message
Deals
Offers
Products
Programs
Deals
Offers
Products
Engagement
Customer Service
Conversation
Content
Community
Storytelling
Solutions
Vehicles
Circular
Radio
TV
DM
EM
Display
Search, etc.
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
LinkedInCommunity
Social platforms with SMB focus
SmallBusiness month
Traditional/Digital
Social
Contextual*
*Aligning content, conversation and community to the visitor’s mission, interests and social currency.

20. What does contextual marketing look like?
Seed, farm and harvest
small business content
Join
Consume
Engage
Share
Community of small businesses with shared mission
Authentic conversations with small businesses
Extend reach to other small businesses through member sharing and content dissemination
20

21. Being part of the conversation give us unprecedented insight into small businesses
Customer-First Innovation
Services
Products
Messaging
Listen
Respond
Contribute
Share
Solve
Insight
Unmet Needs
Content
21

23. Search
Push Your Business Forward Facebook contest launched
Direct Mail
In-store Small Business Showcase
Email Marketing
Constant Contact Webinar: Email & Social Media
Social Media
Twitter Party withexpert Steve Strauss

24. Social
Email
Online
YOU COULD WIN!
In-Store
Receipts
Staples Business Hub

25. 921%
Growth
25%
Growth Over
Last Year
80%
Growth Over
Last Year
Small Businesses Engaged
Facebook Fans
Twitter Followers

29. When we connect the dots,
we connect with customers.
Alison Corcoran
SVP Marketing, US Stores & Online •Staples, Inc.