Brands are having to work a lot harder these days, and this is why they are having to target customers in other ways, as well as their usual means. This involves engaging with them before they step into the supermarket.
It is especially important for FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) brands to target customers in more new and exciting ways given that there is so much competition in the market nowadays. Because of this, brands are now realising that it is imperative to target customers with certain promotions well before it comes to targeting them in the supermarkets.
Building brand value is probably the most essential element of marketing both old and new products, and it is clear that the in-store environment is far from the most adequate place to do this. This is why targeting consumers with promotions before they set foot in-store can appeal to the customer in many ways. In the long-run, this should build a much more effective offer and comes with a greater opportunity to build brand value.
Promotion pre-supermarket
In the UK, promotions are said to account for almost half of branded product sales, which paints a clear picture that the retail landscape is becoming heavily dominated by sales promotions. This means that the amount of offers in-store in all of the major high street supermarket chains has catapulted; not only this but they are also vying for consumers with discount battles with their competitors.
Now that competition is skyrocketing, the targeted approach to promotion is definitely going to continue, and even increase as the competition on fast moving consumer goods intensifies. However, using discounts and buy-one-get-one-free offers will only return short term gains in volume sales, which could in turn lead to brand loyalty falling by the wayside.
Brands need to begin to focus their efforts outside of the supermarkets while still appealing to price sensitivity, but without damaging profits in the long-term. This is not easy as the environment within store doesn’t tend to be the best place to build equity in your brand and when it comes to competition, on anything but pricing, supermarkets are not the right place for attempting to influence customers or increase value. This is primarily down to the fact that shoppers are going to be more influenced by the great discounts on offer rather than stopping to consider different aspects of a brand, including why they are purchasing it.
What brands need to do is get the consumer to look far beyond the amazing deal that may be on offer in front of them, so building awareness of their brands is imperative so that they already know who they are before stepping into the supermarket for their weekly shop.
As engagement via the digital world is becoming a lot more on trend, and with social media playing a huge part in building that well-needed loyalty of a customer, this is now where brands are starting to target their pre-in-store engagement. By moving these promotions beyond the supermarket and making that connection with consumers online, marketers are finding that they have greater control over how their brands are portrayed, which obviously assists them by adding value to their short-term promotional marketing campaign; leading to increased sales and more effective brand building. The online landscape provides a lot more opportunities for creative digital marketing campaigns and leeway for instant interaction and feedback with consumers.
With the FMCG sector currently being the biggest online advertising spender according the the IAB, this demonstrates the true value it brings in leading consumers to picking up a product when they walk through those supermarket doors, rather than knowing completely nothing about a brand and expecting individuals to invest in it while vying for popularity from other brands. The answer really is to connect more effectively with consumers via strategic marketing activities to reinforce that long term brand equity.
Ways to promote your brand pre-store
Taking advantage of your promotional campaign is key, so offering money off vouchers via email or online marketing campaigns can be highly effective. It is said that customers are more likely to engage with a brand and choose them over similar brands in the market if they are offered something in return, such as a money off discount or a free sample.
Vouchers can in fact play a huge role in people’s buying decisions, as downloading or printing out a discount voucher shows that there is intent to purchase the item that is on offer. And as the digital market grows, this is now the chosen method of entry into supermarkets and for building trust with consumers.
It has been proven that at present, around 60% of shoppers are actually visiting supermarkets without a particular brand in mind, giving brands the opportunity to seize customers before they make their weekly trip to the supermarket. With this in mind, do you think that you are making the most of your digital offering and engaging customers before they shop? Why not try an online discount campaign alongside your current in-store promotion and measure just how effective the results can be? You may find that there will be a significant increase in both sales and customer retention, bringing customers back time and time again to pick up your products from the shelves.
For more information on how we can help you with your in-store promotion and product sampling, contact us on 0208 614 8006 or email us on info@touchdownevents.co.uk
