Retail PR How to connect with the ever-changing needs of consumers

2 A career in public relations should not be perceived as glamorous

How big is the U.S. retail industry and why should we care? 3 According to the 2015 Global Powers of Retailing report, 76 of the largest retailing companies in the world are based in the U.S. How retailers perform is a strong indication of the state of our nation’s economy. It also helps us understand consumer behavior especially with traffic patterns at brick-and-mortar locations versus online shopping. Paying attention to retail performance is a great way to determine new strategies for meeting consumers’ ever-changing needs.

4 The difference between BJ’s Wholesale Club and other mass merchants As a membership warehouse club, consumers pay an annual fee to shop us. As a low-cost operator, we have a no-frills atmosphere meaning no fancy displays and a very small advertising budget. Coupled with larger pack sizes and our buying power, we deliver uncompromising value to our Members. We are known for our fresh foods and stock-up assortment, but our unexpected general merchandise selection results in frequent impulse buys from shoppers, too. We possess strong consumer insight from our committed base of Members.

warranted more robust quarterly outreach, improved measurement and stronger blogger relations In 2015, we placed great emphasis on: 1.Creating more timely quarterly plans instead of a year-long snapshot 2.Growing our visual communications 3.Improving blogger relations to increase conversations about our brand 4.Balancing our news coverage across our top media markets as well as across important media outlets (broadcast, print, blogs, online) Developed Media Scorecard to better measure the worth of media coverage in replace of reporting solely on impressions 5.Becoming more informed on the impact of responsible sourcing to influence Members’ purchasing decisions

2016 focus: embrace the PESO Model to deliver stronger results 6

Focus: more visual storytelling Incorporate quality visuals in press outreach to peek the interest of media contacts/outlets To garner holiday coverage around our food offering, we decided to promote cranberries, since consumers are unaware of its versatility. Results: 1.Attracted TV stations for in-studio segments (JAX, Fort Myers, Baltimore (2x), Richmond) 2.Print and online placements in outlets like The Daily Meal & Orlando Sentinel 3.Blog posts from Savvy Saving Couple (Boston) and Living Sweet Moments (Miami)

focus: continue to build relationships with influencers Influencers and brand advocates are responsible for generated content and conversations about brands. Pay attention to these influencers and develop relationships with them to increase the frequency and quality of messaging and to enhance loyalty. 1.Blogger Ambassador Program 2.Leveraging consumer experts to gain national coverage

focus: develop thought leaders as key sources for Members and the media Identify corporate spokespeople that deliver credibility to your brand and are positioned as experts to journalists. This is not necessarily a new PR tactic, but positioning them on a company’s social channels will grow consumer loyalty and brand awareness, which, in turn will increase purchase behavior. Since we’ve learned that our Members are becoming more and more interested in responsible sourcing, we are building a proposal to feature our lead in quality assurance and environmental stewardship on Twitter.

Key Presentation Takeaways Pay attention to news coverage by top retailers to gauge consumer behavior Embrace the PESO model to ensure integrated marketing that yields stronger results Incorporate infographics, videos and other visuals to help media and consumers understand company news and share it more easily Develop relations with brand influencers to enhance user-generated content Position thought leaders more frequently on social media to build customer loyalty and credibility 10