As Director of Strategy at Smashbrand, Siena Dexter helps both online and offline brands refine their point-of-sale positioning and packaging. Believe it or not, in 400+ episodes, we haven’t spent that much time talking about these incredibly important topics and touchpoints. Sienna and I discussed point of sale, packaging, and testing this week on the On Brand podcast.

About Siena Dexter

Siena Dexter is Director of Strategy and Associate Partner at Smashbrand, where she works with FMCG brands to create branding and packaging that’s proven to perform at point of sale through quantifiable data. Working internationally at agencies in London, Dusseldorf, and now Idaho, Siena has positioned brands from startup challengers to multi-brand enterprises for proven commercial success.

Episode Highlights

We don’t talk about packaging and point of sale enough … Not to be confused with Encanto’s Bruno, we don’t talk about these important topics nearly enough as we’re distracted by the abundance of shiny new—often digital—things in marketing today. “Direct to consumer is seeing opportunities from shelf,” Siena notes.

“Testing feeds into strategy which feeds into testing,” Siena said. However, brands and agencies alike tend to keep testing at arm’s length when it should be better integrated—as it is at Smashbrand—to be a more holistic aspect of your ongoing strategy.

What’s one thing listeners can do to help with their point of sale today? “Knowledge should be shared more,” Siena began, noting that there are two important things brands can do …

“First, understand your audience and make sure they’re the heroes of your story. Not your brand,” Siena cautions. “How does your purpose fit into the lives of consumers?” She also suggested that marketers should start looking at the shelves as they shop and consider the various messages and hierarchies and how they relate to one another.

What brand has made Siena smile recently? Siena came prepared for this question! While she was originally going to talk about Dirtea mushroom powders and teas, she settled on a new story featuring a pair of salt and pepper shakers “pinched from Virgin Atlantic.” Listen to the episode for the full story—along with a surprising connection to our point-of-sale conversation.

To learn more, check out the Smashbrand website and connect with Siena on LinkedIn.

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Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet!

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