NEW FROM NPD
Global Reach
| Australia | Netherlands |
| Austria | New Zealand |
| Belgium | Poland |
| Canada | Portugal |
| China | Russia |
| France | Spain |
| Germany | Sweden |
| Italy | Taiwan |
| Japan | United Kingdom |
| Korea | United States |
| Mexico |
Insights Mission
HomeClient Close-Up
Suzanne Clerkin
Brand Manager
Shell Lubricants Americas
Shell is a leading oil and gas producer in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico and a recognized pioneer in oil and gas exploration and production technology. As one of America’s leading oil and natural gas producers, gasoline and natural gas marketers, and petrochemical manufacturers, the company operates in 50 states and employs more than 22,000 people to deliver energy in technically innovative ways.
Shell Lubricants Americas uses NPD data to gauge its performance compared to expectations and anticipate and respond to areas that require attention.Suzanne Clerkin, brand manager for Shell Lubricants Americas, recently shared her thoughts about using NPD information and insights in her role.
NPD Insights: From your perspective, what have been the greatest benefits of using NPD market information?
Suzanne Clerkin: NPD maintains updated information on industry trends and important economic changes that affect our customers. We are able to use this information to plan and focus our business in growth segments. And equally important, we’re able to track our performance on current initiatives. This data provides an early indication on our relative performance compared to expectations and allows us to react quickly in areas that need more focus. I consider NPD an essential component of our industry knowledge and brand performance metrics.
NPD Insights: What kinds of business challenges has NPD market information helped your company resolve?
Suzanne Clerkin: The automotive category is constantly changing, with emerging segments and shifts in consumer preferences. NPD remains ahead of these changes and proactively walks us through these changes. As an example, NPD provided a comprehensive study on SKU proliferation within an automotive segment and helped us focus attention on the most critical items that deliver the most dollar and unit share. They have a constant eye on trends within categories and identify early trends that will affect our business into the future.
NPD Insights: How widely is NPD information used across your organization, and how is it valuable at different levels?
Suzanne Clerkin: NPD data is helpful across our business and is applicable on so many levels and to many functional areas. Our planning and sales functions use the data to forecast and plan upcoming programs. Marketing uses the tools to track performance of our current products and project opportunities in growing segments. My colleagues and I always look forward to the days when the NPD data is refreshed so we can begin to interpret the information.
NPD Insights: Is there anything else you’d like to share about your experiences with The NPD Group?
Suzanne Clerkin: NPD’s true strength lies in the competence and dedication of its people. Our account managers are committed to the business, proactive with emerging trends, resourceful, and consistently willing to support us with any interpretation or presentation. They remain available to help provide training programs to onboard new team members. I genuinely enjoy working with the NPD team and think that their professionalism is consistently impressive. NPD is much more than a data resource tool. The team has helped empower us to make effective business decisions!
To find out how NPD information and insights can help your company make better business decisions, contact Charlie Camaroto at 866-444-1411 or email contactnpd@npd.com.
