Kum & Go names new marketing chief, inks engagement-focused partnerships
Kum & Go has been busy. The Des Moines, Iowa-based, family-owned retailer has named a new chief marketing officer and forged two new partnerships broadly focused on improving its engagement with shoppers. Kum & Go has named Tracy Ging to the role of chief marketing officer and added partnerships with shopper insights provider Catalina, as well as a tech firm CB4.
Ging joins Kum & Go from S&D Coffee and Tea, where she was chief business officer, working with major foodservice and convenience partners on their better-for-your beverage program, sustainable sourcing strategies and menu innovation. Kum & Go president Tanner Krause said Ging is just “the latest in a string of transformative hires” and highlighted Ging’s experience and successful track record. As chief marketing officer, Ging's purview will include oversight and leadership of store brands.
“I am thrilled to be part of a team and brand that is leveling up its leadership in this space, offering more of the foods people love and can feel good about while remaining deeply committed to the people and communities who we serve,” said Ging. “I look forward to bringing more innovation and creative partnerships to our food program, advancing digital tools for greater convenience, and continuing to live our values every step of the way.”
As part of Kum & Go’s partnership with Catalina, it will use Catalina’s Buyervision to deliver personalized digital media to shoppers. The partnership also will support Catalina’s digital products, including Audiences, Measurement and HUB360, which can be used to deliver personalized digital media that is influenced by real-time or near-real-time purchases. Catalina executives said that adding Catalina’s shopper intelligence database will benefit from data gathered from the one million identifiable shoppers that frequent Kum & Go stores, further illuminating cross-channel buying behavior.
“With all of today’s retail choices, it becomes increasingly critical for us to attract and create meaningful, personalized engagement with all our shoppers, today’s and those of tomorrow. We are excited about the ability to deliver precise, personal interaction among our &Rewards customers, and now beyond, helping them connect with the products, healthy choices and brands we know they will like based on their prior purchases,” said Stuart Taylor, Kum & Go vice president of business insights and analytics. “As an analytics-driven company, we are excited to partner with Catalina to deliver more precisely targeted and personalized customer experiences that we believe will drive incremental sales and build loyalty.”
As for its partnership with CB4, the company said that the relationship is meant to focus on making a trip to Kum & Go easier for customers, using CB4’s AI-powered tools to improve in-store execution. With CB4, store managers can use the company’s tools to find unique opportunities for in-store adjustments that can help boost sales of a particular product. Among the adjustments it can identify are product replenishment, resolving out-of-stocks and correcting ticketing and pricing errors.
The company noted that this partnership will be particularly valuable as Kum & Go looks to meet the needs of pandemic shoppers, who are more willing than ever to switch to a competitor if they can’t find what they’re looking for in the store.
"Kum & Go is excited to partner with CB4 to identify sales opportunities," said Marty Roush, Kum & Go vice president of operations. "We announced this tool to our district supervisors and they can't wait to put this in the hands of their teams to improve operational execution."