New Strategies and Cutting-Edge Practices in Category ManagementWhen category management first appeared, it turned marketing basics into an organized eight-step process that helped retailers and manufacturers sell products more efficiently and effectively. But over the years, many marketers--obsessed with the bottom line--have forgotten that the key to sales success lies in knowing the consumer. This book demonstrates how today's leading category management practitioners put the consumer first. The book also applies powerful new insights to category management basics.From initial planning to pricing, promotion, and supply chain management, every aspect of category management is covered, including guidance on how to implement category plans effectively and keep them on track. Plus, the classic eight-step process that forms the foundation of successful category management is reviewed in detail, showing marketers the latest methods of implementation for today's consumer marketplace.

Preface.Introduction: Why Category Management is More Important than Ever .PART ONE: IN THE BEGINNING: THE PURPOSE OF CATEGORY MANAGEMENT.Introduction.Chapter 1: The Evolution of Category Management and the new State of the Art.Chapter 2: Category Management Starts With the Retailer's Strategy.Chapter 3: Step One: Define the Category Based on the Needs of Your Target Market.Chapter 4: Step Two: Assign a Role to the Category that Best Supports the Retailer's Strategy.Chapter 5: Step Three: Assess the Category to Find Opportunities for Improvement.Chapter 6: Step Four: Set Performance Targets with a Category Scorecard.Chapter 7: Step Five: Create a Marketing Strategy for the Category.Chapter 8: Step Six: Choose Tactics for Category Assortment, Pricing, Promotion, etc.Chapter 9: Step Seven: Roll Out the Plan .Chapter 10: Step Eight: Review the Category's Performance Regularly and Make Adjustments as Needed.Chapter 11: Bringing the Consumer Into Category Management - The Ninth Step.PART THREE: CATEGORY MANAGEMENT SUCCESS STORIES.Introduction.Chapter 12: General Mills - Going Beyond the Categories.Chapter 13: Big Y - Focusing on Implementation.Chapter 14: SUPERVALU - The Last Three Feet of Category Management.Chapter 15: CROSSMARK - Just the Facts.Chapter 16: Acosta - Multiplying the Impact of Category Management.Chapter 17: Chiquita--Extending Category Management to Perishables.Chapter 18: The Hershey Company - Linking Consumer Insights and Customer Strategy.Chapter 19: Miller - Tapping Category Management for Competitive Advantage.Chapter 20: Hewlett-Packard - Taking Category Management Beyond Traditional CPG.PART FOUR: THE WAY FORWARD.Introduction.Chapter 21: Lessons Learned from the Real World.Chapter 22: Proactive Category Management (By Shan Kumar).Chapter 23: Linking Category Management and Loyalty Marketing (By Glenn Hausfater).Chapter 24: The New Category Management Emerges (By Dirk Seifert).Acknowledgements.