After you've made it into a store and gotten a spot on the shelf you're happy with, it's time to prove your brand's worth.
Your time with a retailer can be incredibly short-lived if you don't give retailers results in the form of strong sales. To make sure that doesn't happen, you need to have a plan of attack before your product is even on the shelf. For companies that are still trying to establish brand awareness, it's going to be critical to take risks, craft an outstanding marketing campaign and find ways to elevate their brand from the get go to grab consumers' attention right away.
Try these strategies to maximize your sales potential and impress the retailers you're working with:
Dare to Be Different
It's OK to take risks. Brands that are just starting out might get intimidated by the pressure to bring in revenue, and they play it safe as a result. This can actually be detrimental for businesses trying to make a good first impression. To stand out, a brand needs to have an X factor. As a food or beverage merchandiser, this means you need to establish your product as something new and different than anything else offered.
Before your product is on the shelf, think about what makes it different. If you can craft a story around a unique aspect of your product, you increase the likelihood of piquing consumer interest in your brand even if shoppers haven't heard of it before. The success of this approach can be seen across several industries.
Brands in Action: Kodiak Cakes
For example, Kodiak Cakes is entering the breakfast and dessert mix industry by innovating new products that are filling a void for consumers. The brand has introduced products high in essential nutrients such as fiber, whole grains, and protein to offer consumers something not currently available in the market. In addition, the brand has developed a line of minute microwave muffins, which caters to their customers' desire for healthy, convenient food.
If you craft a strong angle for your product - such as being environmentally conscious, using natural ingredients, or targeting a specific audience - you improve your chances of eliciting an enthusiastic response from consumers.
Devise an Innovative Marketing Campaign
Once you have an angle, it's time to think creatively to construct an engaging marketing strategy. In 2017, that is going to require much more than a simple email newsletter or print ads. You need to analyze your consumer data to know exactly who your customers are, when they buy, how they buy and what advertisements they respond to the most.
For many consumers, the answer is going to be digital. Increasingly, shoppers are looking to their smartphones for a whole host of shopping needs, including grocery shopping. To ensure you're engaging these customers, you need to utilize location-based marketing, which will give you real-time information on where your customers go, how they shop and what interests them, according to Adweek.
With this information, you can build out your consumer profile and innovate new products that interest consumers and start earning customer loyalty. Targeting consumers with mobile ads and alerts should be a top priority for any food or beverage brand that is looking to make its mark in 2017.
Consider a Partnership
Emerging brands will have a hard time stealing the spotlight from mainstream competitors right away. To combat this, you should think about forging a strategic partnership with another company or getting a recognizable influencer to help promote your product.
Brands in Action: WTRMLN WTR
This might mean striking an agreement with a well-known spokesperson to promote your brand like WTRMLN WTR - a company that sells watermelon-flavored water. This company got a huge boost from Beyonce after the singer decided to partner with the business and sell their water at her concert tour stops. Although other brands might not land an endorsement from Beyonce, it's worth considering a spokesperson as a marketing strategy to help garner product recognition.
But this company also offers an example of a different kind of partnership you should consider. WTRMLN WTR has partnered with the nonprofit organization (RED) so that every time someone purchases a case of their water, a donation is also made to help find a cure for HIV-AIDS, according to the brand's website.
If you can combine forces with a popular organization like this, you'll have another way to increase your brand's profile and also put out a charitable image of your company. By leveraging these tactics effectively, you can set yourself up for a long-lasting relationship with a retailer and steady sales for the foreseeable future.
