Thursday 28 July 2011

Stand out from the crowd

MARKETING ISN’T ROCKET SCIENCE, ITS COMMON SENSE!  The `magic’ key is to apply your behaviour to your marketing strategy.  Why do you buy certain brands over others? Why you shop where you do? Is it price, habit or clever marketers? Look at your purchasing trends and apply this to your business and product. Many businesses have attempted to reinvent products, from cupcakes to pizza to coffee, which are considered commodities. Some have met with astonishing success -- Starbucks being a notable example -- while others have fallen flat. So what are the important ingredients in a successful reinvention?
1.         Tell the story behind your product – There is always a need to endear the consumer to your brand, to ensure that at the point of purchase their decision is already made.  A classic example of this is washing up liquid, the market leaders Fairy have always used a mother and daughter as part of their advertising.  The message being conveyed was hwands that do dishes will feel soft as your face.  The subliminal, intended message was that Fairy is the best for the family, mum trusts it enough with her daughters delicate hands and research has shown that our decision making process when buying washing up liquid is based primarily on `what mum uses’! So, tell the story. How and why you started brewing.  Are you organic.  Is it a family business.  How have you gown or why you intend to stay at the size you are.  Bring them in, let them take you to their hearts and then let the product sell itself.
2.         Introduce the product to industry influencers – Pubs! Get out there and get landlords introduced to your beers.  Yes this can include the use of promotional merchandise such as branded glassware, beer mats, poloshirts etc but it can also be a sales promotion by way of an introductory barrel price.  If it’s coming off your bottom line rather than theirs they’re interest will be greater.  Look upon it as an investment and your confidence in your beer that will ensure repeat orders and at your standard price
3.         Create a shared experience around the product – You’re in the pub, you’ve endeared them to your brand so now its time for the final push.  Sponsor the pub football team, a quiz night or most successfully a loyalty reward scheme, ie receive a token for every pint purchased, the tokens are redeemed for either more beer or branded gifts.  To maximise on the success of such a promotion run the scheme alongside a national event which drives traffic to pubs such as the forthcoming Rugby World Cup.