Gothenburg, Sweden – May 22, 2025

Somewhere along the way, brands lost the mic—and the middlemen ran off with the spotlight. Retailers now decide how, where, and even if your brand shows up. But it doesn’t have to be that way. With bold, creative activations, brands can cut through the noise, bypass the gatekeepers, and reclaim the power to tell their story—on their own terms, and on every stage.

In today’s highly competitive retail landscape, brands—especially Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs)—are facing a significant challenge: the growing dominance of resellers and store chains. These middlemen have not only taken control of product distribution but have also gained substantial influence over how brands are presented, perceived, and even priced.

With their grip on listings, planograms, shelf space, and consumer access, resellers are shaping the narrative around a brand’s value and market positioning. The result? Brands are increasingly at the mercy of these powerful players, often forced to pay premiums just to exist in a store environment—let alone educate staff or consumers about their offerings.

But there is a way forward. A way to fight back, regain control, and create meaningful, direct connections with consumers: brand activations.

The Growing influence of resellers and store chains

Resellers—whether large retail chains, e-commerce giants, or local distributors—have become the gatekeepers of the brand-consumer relationship. Their influence is felt in several critical areas:

• Consumer control: Perhaps most critically, retailers control who gets to speak to the consumer. They shape the in-store experience, the messaging, and even the training of staff—leaving brands voiceless in their own story.
• Control of listings: Retailers decide which products make it to their shelves or online storefronts, often pushing brands to pay premiums for visibility. This creates a pay-to-play environment that disadvantages smaller or emerging brands.
• Planogram control: Retailers dictate how and where products appear in-store. A product placed on a low shelf or in a back aisle may never be seen—regardless of its quality or reputation.
• Pricing pressure: Retailers often impose pricing strategies that benefit their margins, not the brand’s positioning. Brands are expected to fund promotions and discounts, further eroding their control.
• Education costs: Brands are frequently required to pay not only for shelf space but also for educating store staff and consumers. These costs—often hidden—drive up the cost of goods and dilute the brand’s ability to scale efficiently.
• Campaign and Placement Control: Retailers also control the timing of promotional campaigns and the availability of second placements (such as end-of-aisle or gondola displays). This forces brands to work around the store’s agenda, making it nearly impossible to plan a cohesive annual marketing calendar. As a result, trade marketing teams can only manage a limited number of retail partners—leaving smaller resellers and independent stores excluded from brand promotions and activations due to lack of time, resources, and funding.

The Fragmented story problem

This power imbalance leads to a fragmented brand story. What a consumer sees online may not match what they experience in-store. Local store owners may use outdated messaging or prioritize other products. The result is a disjointed customer journey that weakens trust, loyalty, and long-term value.

Brand Activations: A Strategic reclamation

Brand activations are no longer just a marketing tactic—they are a strategic necessity. In a world where retailers and resellers control the shelf, the story, and even the staff training, activations give brands the power to break free.

But the true power of brand activations lies in their versatility and independence:

• They transcend borders: A well-designed activation should work in any market—whether you’re launching in Stockholm, São Paulo, or Singapore.
• They unify the experience: Whether online or in-store, it is important that the brand story remains consistent, immersive, and impactful.
• They bypass gatekeepers: Activations must allow brands to connect directly with consumers, regardless of which reseller or platform is involved.
• They convert at every stage: From awareness to purchase, activations can engage, educate, and convert—without relying on the retailer to do the heavy lifting.
• They work across all environments: Whether in a flagship store, a third-party reseller, or a digital marketplace, activations ensure the brand message is consistent and compelling. The offer to the consumer must be the same to offer a similar experience to all consumers in all places.

The role of Brand Activations in regaining control

So how can a brand and OEM create a solution where the brand can get direct connection to the consumer and loosen the resellers grip on their products and services? Here’s how brand activations empower brands to reclaim control:

• Direct Consumer Engagement: Through all types of activations be it; sales driving campaigns, loyalty solutions, advocacy trainings, engaging gamifications, UGC offerings or activations for the circular economy brands can build emotional connections that retailers can’t replicate.
• Unique Brand Storytelling: Activations allow brands to tell their story their way—without compromise.
• Freedom from Retail Limitations: Brands can explore new, creative ways to present their products outside the confines of retail guidelines. Open up new ways to sell the products direct to the consumer without disturbing the retailer channels.
• Control of Messaging and Positioning: Activations give brands full control over how they’re perceived, from tone to visuals to values.
• Creating Loyalty and Advocacy: Memorable experiences foster long-term loyalty and turn consumers into brand advocates.
• Boosting Presence Beyond Retail: Activations extend the brand’s reach into festivals, events, and communities—far beyond the store shelf.
• Generate Sales: Activations are not just about awareness—they drive action. By creating immersive, hands-on experiences, brands can convert interest into immediate purchases, often outperforming traditional retail promotions in both engagement and ROI.
• Drive Inventory Movement: Activations can be strategically designed to move stagnant inventory. By spotlighting underperforming SKUs through creative campaigns, blitz sales to exclusive audiences, limited-time offers, or experiential demos, brands can turn shelf-sitters into sell-outs—without relying on retailer markdowns or clearance tactics

Building a powerful brand in the modern retailer landscape

The relationship between brands and retailers is complex, and resellers wield considerable power. But brand activations offer a way to break free from these constraints and take back control. The best part with this for the retailers is that it actually generates more sales for them as well, a win-win situation for all parties.

By investing in strategic, scalable activations, brands can reconnect with their audience, unify their message across all environments, and regain control over their narrative, pricing, and presence. In a world where shelf space is rented and attention is bought, brand activations are how you earn loyalty—and power—back.

The future belongs to brands that lead—not follow. And the path to leadership starts with activation.

About Enginio: Enginio is an advanced platform for activations, serving as a comprehensive tool and activation engine for brands to build, customize, manage, and analyze their activations. Our platform provides creative and robust solutions designed to enhance engagement, loyalty, awareness, and advocacy, ultimately driving increased conversion rates. Additionally, Enginio offers world-first functionalities, including automated cashback (Reversed Payment Solutions), incentivizing User Generated Content (UGC), re-commerce capabilities, and automated promotions and campaign functionality that operates seamlessly across any global market, with any reseller, and in any channel. Enginio empowers brands to foster meaningful interactions with consumers, enhancing their overall experience. For further information, please contact:

Martin Sohtell at Sohtell@enginio.io.