Customers wind through aisle after aisle, swimming through seas of food and beverage products. Does your beverage stand out? Or, are you at a loss for new and innovative ways to merchandise and promote? Here are seven ways to keep shoppers dazzled and to reinvent your merchandising and promotional tactics:
1. Put It in the Packaging
Merchandising starts long before you get to the shelf: it begins with your product. Your branding and product is the face of your company and the core of your merchandising strategy. Regardless of how you choose to organize your shelf space or design your signage, your packaging still garners most of the attention. Merchandise from product out. Start with a narrow focus on the product and match your merchandising to your brand style. You could even feature a promotion on your bottle or can. This might mean focusing on a new partnership or highlighting a new campaign you’re implementing.
2. Make an Event Out of it
Get people involved with merchandising and promotions. Make an event out of a promotion to drive engagement. This will increase visibility of your beverage and brand. Turning a promotion into an event ups the excitement level. Maybe it is Super Bowl Sunday or just in time for the holidays. Use special events to inspire you. Try to connect your beverage to them. For example, use your product as a mixer in a Christmas cocktail or even as the perfect cleanse option after the holidays. Whatever category your beverage fits in, find a way to angle it alongside a bigger occasion.
3. Get Into the Community
Your home base is where your biggest supporters are. Building a solid foundation around your HQ can help improve brand reputation and recognition. Don’t just be another brand on the shelf – become a part of the community. You can start by doing beverage samplings and demos in your area. It also may be helpful to sponsor local events. Be featured at a local 5k, charity event, or sports game. Anything to show your support within the community and allow you to market your latest promotions and offers.
4. Show Your Social Savviness
Social media outlets quickly promote your brand while reaching a wide audience. You can promote events, product demos, blurb quick tidbits of info, and release new products. Gather a steady following on social by offering exclusive deals and VIP information. This will help you build an enclave around your beverage. Be dynamic; do this by testing out contests, hashtag campaigns, and photo sharing.
5. Know Your Market
When designing new promotions or freshening up your merchandising campaigns, it is important to revisit what demographic you are targeting. Appeal to a particular segment such as athletes, on-the-go students, working parents, etc. by developing promotions geared specifically to them. This is a good way to highlight your product in a very relatable way. To do this, run a campaign featuring your target market or offer unique deals for a specific audience. If you’re shooting for a young adult demographic, think about your beverage in the hands of college students. Get on campuses, show off your product, and offer a special promotion to them. This will expand reach and popularity within your desired market.
6. Be About the BOGO
Maybe it’s the catchy acronym or maybe it’s the promise of a sweet deal- either way, BOGO offers are a customer favorite. These are feature-friendly promos and can make your current merchandising really pop. You can always use the classic buy-one-get-one of your product, but you can also level-up on your BOGO game. Try partnering with another brand that compliments your beverage. Suddenly, it isn’t just getting two awesome beverages for the price of one, but getting two awesome products that share a similar brand image and target a similar market.
7. Embed Technology
When merchandising, you can always add an interactive element to displays or make promotions digital. But, what do you say about putting the tech into the product? Certain companies are making it possible to make your beverages tech savvy. QR codes have become a well-known way to connect customers virtually. Rerouting to digital platforms can give shoppers access to new promotions and expose them to e-merchandising. Nowadays, new augmented reality packaging is making its way into the merchandising and promotion arena. Companies are making it possible to embed AR codes into cans or onto bottles to provide an entirely new experience with the product.
Keep these seven tactics in mind when promoting and merchandising. These will keep you up to date and keep customers coming back. They not only help to market your product, but also help to build your brand.
