Joint Business Planning With Lauren Livak and Nate Pinkston - Episode 359

Welcome to another episode of The Ecommerce Braintrust podcast hosted by Acadia’s Head of Retail Marketplaces Services Julie Spear and Director of Retail Operations, Jordan Ripley.

We’re joined by two great guests today: Lauren Livak Gilbert, Executive Director of the Digital Shelf Institute, and Nate Pinkston, Head of Growth at Microsoft’s Retail Media division. 

In this episode, we’re focusing on the key takeaways from the report they released earlier this year, which represents a guide to the evolving landscape of Joint Business Planning.

Tune in to get an insider’s take on who, when, and how the most successful brands approach the JBP process across various retailers.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

In this episode, Julie, Lauren, Nate, and Jordan discuss:

• Explanation of JBP and its critical role in brand-retailer relationships.

• Comparison of JBP processes among different retailers (Amazon, Walmart).

• JBP Lite: Less detailed, often used by smaller brands or those with weaker retailer relations.

• Omnichannel JBP: Integrates all sales channels and stakeholder inputs for holistic collaboration.

• Issues stemming from having separate JBPs for retail media and marketing.

• Importance of integrating retail media into the JBP process.

• Nate Pinkston's emphasis on retail media budgeting and its role in sales.

• Cross-Departmental Collaboration: Need for the involvement of finance and other departments from the start.

• Recommendations for effective stakeholder engagement and process improvements.

• Lauren Livak's advice to start JBP preparations six months in advance.

• Continuous monitoring and revisiting of JBPs throughout the year.

• Recommendations for Brands: Integration of finance for comprehensive planning.

• Clear communication and defined roles among stakeholders.

• Transparency and data sharing between brands and retailers.

• Involvement of sales, marketing, e-commerce, procurement, finance, and supply chain in JBP.

• Importance of sharing growth goals, feedback, and maintaining open communication channels.

• Recap of the importance of coordinated, omnichannel approaches to JBP.

• Final thoughts on avoiding organizational silos and ensuring transparency for mutual success.