Get to Know Debbie Zefting
To learn more about Debbie, from the coolest or most important trend she's seeing in CPG today to what she'd want her career to be in if she weren't in shopper marketing, check out her interview below!
I love shopper marketing because...
It feels like it’s a puzzle. I love everything about shopper marketing, but I think that’s what keeps me interested. We are trying to find that puzzle piece that fits with the shopper – what do they want to hear, how can it be delivered in a way that they do hear it, and how do we work through the retailer in a way that then meets their needs. Then, we’re also working within brand direction and positioning that the brand wants to do. We’re trying to please a lot of people, but finding a way that provides solutions.
The best advice I've received in my shopper marketing career is...
I had a manager and she was willing to go outside of the boundaries of the traditional “rules” to support her employees and me specifically. And while it was not technically advice, it was a lesson that I always took with me. In the shopper marketing space, networking is hugely helpful. Not only for an opportunity to talk through specifics like help understanding vendor capabilities or how to best measure a program but also just that emotional reinforcement. I could help them, and then two weeks later, they could help me. We're all dealing with the same issues, struggles, and organizational questions. It’s invigorating, in a way, to know that I'm not the only one facing some of these questions or struggles in this space.
The coolest or most important trend I see today in CPG is...
The idea around smart or connected appliances. This may be more of a futuristic trend, but it fascinates me because solving a dinner problem has always been a big issue. We’re in the shopper space, so it's about how we are bringing a product into the home, and the fact that there are now appliances that can help you, by telling you, “you’re low on this”, “this is how you cook something”, or “here’s a recipe”, to me, it is mind-boggling. It could really be impacting and helping a lot of people.
Something I've learned in the past week is...
Gardening. We recently moved to Georgia, and we have property, so I am trying to learn how to grow a vegetable garden. I’m constantly reading about when you’re supposed to harvest something or do you let it go, or at what point you’re supposed to plant something. We’ll see how I do! I'm from the northeast, where it would still be winter, and I wouldn't even be thinking about planting yet, but here I am planting things before it gets too hot, when they can't grow.
My favorite travel spots are...
Ireland and Italy. When I was in college, I spent a year in Ireland doing an exchange program. While I was there, I hitchhiked around the whole country, in both Northern and Southern Ireland, and I absolutely loved the people. They were the friendliest people you can even imagine. It was a fascinating trip, and I was welcomed everywhere. They really were absolutely wonderful. My other favorite is Italy because of the scenery and the food – I do love pasta, so I'm lucky that I work where I work. I’ve traveled to different parts of Italy, and whenever I go, regardless of which area I’m visiting, I eat pasta for lunch and for dinner almost every single day. Their food is deliciously prepared, portion sizes are reasonable, and everything is made with in-season ingredients. The food is absolutely phenomenal.
When I have 30 minutes of free time, my favorite ways to pass the time are...
Reading, gardening, being with family, or walking my dog. I also love walking on the beach, so I would say walking on the beach if there was one near me. It’s a restorative thing to do for me.
I love Breaktime Media because...
Breaktime keeps the experiences fresh, and the engagement that we get along with their service is far beyond anything that we get with other vendors. And all the people have been fabulous.
Of their customer service, willingness to try new things, and willingness to meet our needs. Breaktime keeps the experiences fresh, and the engagement that we get along with their service is far beyond anything that we get with other vendors. And all the people have been fabulous. I’ve worked with Breaktime for a lot of years, at least eight years, so it was relatively new in our space back then, and we liked that. I've run the team on a “test and learn” mentality – always wanting to do some tests and learn from them, so Breaktime Media was that for us. Overall, it's just been a great experience from the business side with great results, but mostly, I love the people and the customer service attitude that everybody has.
My hero is...
My mom. First of all, she raised four kids which I think is crazy just by itself, but my father also traveled a lot, so he wasn’t home, and she dealt with everything – from taking the kids to the hospital to having an airplane crash in our backyard to blizzards. She has what I would call quiet competence. She always makes people feel relaxed, and you feel like you're in good hands with her. She never shows stress and always gets things done well, even when chaos is all around. She's definitely my hero.
If I weren't in shopper marketing, I would want my career to be...
Shopper marketing. Honestly, I can't imagine doing anything else. My father was in CPG, I have two brothers who are in CPG/marketing, and I went to school for marketing. I love this work. I love the job, so I can't imagine being anything else. It's so ingrained in my blood.
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