Four years into his role as chief membership officer, Matt Atkinson is departing the Co-op following a 12-month period which has seen the grocer attract millions of new shoppers, revamp its loyalty scheme and kick off a value pricing push.
With a diverse group stretching from food to funeral care, the Co-op is constantly being challenged to find new ways to prioritise the different aspects of the business on a tighter budget than its rivals, explains marketing boss Matt Atkinson.
Team restructures, hiring freezes and evolving agency relationships may have characterised the past 12 months, but can progress emerge from all this disruption?
It started with a tweet and went on to raise over £20m to tackle food poverty.
Passionate about the rise of “cooperative competition”, Co-op’s marketing boss Matt Atkinson believes the brand has a blueprint for success in 2021 built on collaboration and strong values, backed by a movement of 4 million members.
The Co-op joins the likes of Waitrose, Greggs and Subway with plant-based product launches designed to capitalise on the growing meat-free market.
Does the plethora of new titles for senior marketing roles reflect a change in the nature of marketing, or is it a case of window dressing gone wild?
The Co-op has once again delayed launching its Christmas marketing campaign until December as it focuses on its community work amid signs consumers are tiring of festive hyperbole.
Having swung back to profit in 2017, the Co-operative Group now wants to better communicate its work championing causes that makes a co-operative different to other businesses.
The new campaign is part of a wider strategy that includes product placement in Coronation Street and aims to show how food can bring people together.
Having delayed its Christmas ad until the start of December, the Co-op insists it can get more cut-through by avoiding the November rush.
Being more than 30 years older than their global counterparts on average, British brands must leverage their rich heritage to stay relevant for today’s consumers in the UK and abroad.
Film director Shane Meadows has directed 13 short films for the convenience retailer as part of its new ‘Great things happen when we work together’ campaign.
As consumers feel the squeeze post-Brexit retailers are tapping into demand for own label alternatives, focusing not just on value, but on driving brand desirability.
As it launches a new marketing campaign for its food business, the Co-op’s customer director says it is using the trust in its brand to build on strong sales and attract new members.