For each campaign,
focus on the desired outcome and tailor a mix of promotional activities
to achieve this. Below is a list of promotional activities suitable for
consumer goods, in particular fine food products:
1. New Products
Launching new
products or flavours complement existing product lines and help to
build a brand. Pencil product launches into the promotional calendar.
This gives your team a deadline to work towards ensuring that
everything's in place for the big day.
2. Packaging
New packaging is key
to increasing sales during special occasions. A ribbon gift-like
packaging increases sales with the lead up to Mother's Day. This
packaging signals to potential buyers that your product is ideal for
the occasion. To achieve maximum sales get your product to retailers at
least a month ahead.
3. Gift Pack
Gift packs encourages
customers to try another product from your range, usually a new product
or one which they wouldn't purchase. Packaging products together as a
gift is great for occasions such as Christmas. It works to add in
promotional products. Cheeses can be gift-packed with a cheese knife or
a cheese board, cookies gift-packed with a cookie jar. Ensure that your
logo is printed on the promotional item.
4. Cross Promotion
Cross promotion
increases sales of complementary products. Try packaging a sample sized
mint chocolate with a full sized milk chocolate bar. This encourages
customers to trial new products. Potential customers are encouraged to
buy your product instead of competitors because of the additional value
in a giveaway sample.
5. Shelf Positioning
Top, middle,
at eye level, counter top, front cabinet or in the door? Find the best
position for your product. Select areas which increase awareness,
increasing the likelihood of people seeing and buying your product. Use
the promotion to get better shelf positioning for your product with
retailers.
6. Point of Sale
Use point of sale
to help sell the product. Shelf wobblers, price sticker or price
ticket, counter card, big display bin, chalk board or specials board.
Make your promotion work for you and make it work hard.
7. Display
Displays are an advanced
form of point of sale. Displays can be for a competition. Decorating a
Christmas tree is a display. Displays make the promotion a really big
deal, increasing retailer's support of your product and enhancing the
focus of the floor staff.
8. Food Photography
Nothing grabs
attention faster or makes a more powerful first impression than a
stunning photo. Don't skimp on the process. Just because your cousin
Amanda did a great job at your daughter's birthday party, doesn't mean
he can handle all of your photo needs. Use these images everywhere you
can. Like a company logo, food images become identifiable with a
particular company.
9. Website
So many times I've
jumped online to find out more about a new product I've seen, only to
find nothing about it on the company's website! Do yourself a favour
and plaster your latest promotion all over the homepage of your
website. Arm your customers with the information they need to make the
purchase and don't forget to let them know where they can buy it.
10. Press
Lastly, don't forget to
write a press release around your latest promotion. Always include a
styled food photo with a press release. If you attach a mouth-watering
image with your news, you significantly increase the likelihood of the
newspaper publishing it.
Read about creating a Promotional Schedule
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