You’ve nailed the sell-in. Secured premium space. The creative looks sharp. Stock’s in production. It’s all systems go. But then… something wobbles. Literally, in the case of that FSDU now bowing under the weight of six-packs it was never quite engineered to hold. Or figuratively, when the promo kit turns up late, is missing a key element, or worse – it sits untouched in the warehouse because no one in-store knows what it’s for.
Sound familiar?
For National Account Managers (NAMs), promotions can be a golden opportunity to accelerate brand visibility, drive volume and stand out in crowded categories – especially during the all-important seasonal periods like Back to School, Halloween and Christmas. But when execution falls short, it doesn’t just mean missed targets. It can dent relationships with retailers, damage brand equity, and leave you trying to explain to senior leadership why an expensive activation didn’t land. Gulp.
The execution gap
While promotional strategy might be meticulously thought through at head office, the ‘last mile’ (from depot to shop floor) remains one of the most volatile stages in the process. A 2023 report from Lumina Intelligence suggests that promotional compliance in UK grocery varies wildly, with some formats seeing as low as 40% execution compliance.
Here’s where things start to go wrong:
- Stock misalignment: Product arrives late or isn’t allocated properly – often because forecast data hasn’t been matched to promotional timelines.
- POS left behind: Campaign materials might make it to store but don’t make it to the floor – either because they weren’t briefed in properly, weren’t expected, or arrived so late they missed the activation window altogether.
- FSDU failures: Units that look great in the design deck, but fall short in real-life conditions – too tall for the aisle, too flimsy for the load, or no plastic base, meaning they get shunned for being un-moppable (Yes, that’s a thing).
Design, delivery and dust
Consider the horror of watching a beautifully designed Halloween FSDU land in-store… on 1st November. Or a Back to School stand filled with lunchbox SKUs turning up without shelf inserts, meaning it can’t be merchandised. Or worse – a unit rejected outright because it didn’t comply with retailer guidelines.
These aren’t isolated incidents. They’re cautionary tales from the front lines of retail, where small missteps in planning have knock-on effects for brand performance. According to IGD, as much as £1 in every £10 spent on in-store marketing is wasted due to poor execution. That’s a lot of wasted opportunity and budget.
It’s not (just) about the unit
Even when the POS is perfect, execution can still stumble if the team on the ground isn’t looped in. Store staff often have multiple competing priorities, especially during peak seasons. If a promotion arrives with no context or clear instructions, it’s likely to be left until someone has time – which may never come.
The real pros build in guardrails:
- Clear retailer guidelines
- Pre-store briefing packs
- Compliance monitoring (field teams, photo uploads, digital check-ins)
And don’t forget timing. Retail calendars are brutal. Promotions are packed back-to-back. Miss your slot and you might not just be late – you might be irrelevant.
Planning for real life
The answer isn’t more planning – it’s better, more grounded planning. Involve the right people early. Understand retailer constraints. Stress-test your POS in the real world. Design for durability, practicality and compliance – not just shelf appeal.
And most importantly, accept that execution isn’t a nice-to-have – it’s a business-critical part of any promotional plan. Get it right, and you can unlock meaningful uplift. Get it wrong, and you’ll be writing a lot of post-mortems, experiencing a bit of a nightmare.
Promotions can – and should – be powerful. But only when they make it all the way from the drawing board to the shop floor intact, on time and ready to sell.
