Fmcg brands and products today compete struggle to display at eye level
Customers step foot inside the store and they are bombarded with hundreds of options. 10 types of hair products, 20 brands that sell the same product with a different label, 7 different flavors, and scents for the same shampoo…
How can they choose? How can you make your product be the one they select and buy? Brand activation is the answer to all of your questions.
While it might sound just like a common buzzword, brand activation is crucial for brands all over the globe. In a competitive market, it’s hard to get noticed, unless you are a huge worldwide known brand.
Brand activation means offering customers an experience to increase brand awareness and engagement. You might be wondering what is the difference between brand activation and brand marketing.
Well, while brand marketing also focuses on increasing awareness and engagement, it is an overall strategy that promotes and monitors the image of the brand. Brand activation tries to take the brand from a stage to another. For example, if you just rebranded your products, brand activation is the right move to show your customers the change. However, brand marketing is used for both rebranding, implementation, and customer feedback.
Customers step foot inside the store and they are bombarded with hundreds of options. 10 types of hair products, 20 brands that sell the same product with a different label, 7 different flavors, and scents for the same shampoo…
How can they choose? How can you make your product be the one they select and buy? Brand activation is the answer to all of your questions.
While it might sound just like a common buzzword, brand activation is crucial for brands all over the globe. In a competitive market, it’s hard to get noticed, unless you are a huge worldwide known brand.
Brand activation means offering customers an experience to increase brand awareness and engagement. You might be wondering what is the difference between brand activation and brand marketing.
Well, while brand marketing also focuses on increasing awareness and engagement, it is an overall strategy that promotes and monitors the image of the brand. Brand activation tries to take the brand from a stage to another. For example, if you just rebranded your products, brand activation is the right move to show your customers the change. However, brand marketing is used for both rebranding, implementation, and customer feedback.
Types of brand activation
Fmcg Merchandising Retail Product visibility
There are different ways in which you can “activate” your brand. Since we’ve mentioned that brand activation revolves around offering an experience, let’s start with our favorite type of brand activation:
1. Experiential marketing, aka Retailtainment
Customers are looking for much more than products when they go shopping. That’s why brands need to make sure that they offer an experience. It’s not the easiest way to capture the attention of potential customers, but it’s the most impressive for sure.
Experiential marketing is just like that grand, big gesture the lead male character does right at the end of the movie to get the girl. It’s surprising, it’s bold, and it makes you feel something.
Just like in a love story, in this case with different characters, one character (the brand) needs to make a bold move to surprise the other character (the customer). A great example of retailtainment as brand activation is the one from TOMS.
The brand actually managed to combine its brand marketing with experience marketing for an amazing brand activation in-store. In 2015, the brand equipped 100 stores with VR headsets. When the customers used the headsets, they were virtually transported to Peru to see the impact of the One for One giving campaign had on local people. With this brand activation, TOMS managed to offer an amazing experience and to show that they also give back to communities.
2. Sampling campaigns
New products? What’s the best way to gather feedback from customers and also show them what you have to offer? Sampling campaigns.
When they are done right, sampling campaigns have a big impact on sales. People are able to taste the products and decide if they want to purchase them. However, a sampling campaign needs to be implemented at the right time, place, and with the right audience. Nobody likes to receive samples on the street while they are in a hurry.
For example, Lay’s had an amazing sampling campaign back in 2014. Every person who walked inside the store received a potato with directions. It might seem weird but stick with us. After they followed the instructions, they reached the snack aisle. There it was a potato machine waiting for them. With the help of a digital POP display, Lay’s showed customers exactly how their chips are made while also offering a small bag of chips at the end of the presentation.
In-store brand activations are all about promotions, demos, and events. Since events are canceled – thanks again, COVID! – you will need to stick to promotions and demos for now. However, they don’t have to be boring. 61% of shoppers think surprise gifts and offers are the best way a brand can interact with them. While customers want gifts and better offers, they are also looking for a better experience.
Fmcg Merchandising Retail Product visibility
The store shelf is an important touchpoint on the customer journey of any shopper. From the decision to go to the store up to going home with the products, there are a few touchpoints where brands need to pay attention to how they are perceived by customers. Even the smallest detail can make it or break it for the shopper.
In this article, we are going to focus on the importance of having a strong shelf presence, especially as an FMCG brand. Also, we’re going to give you a few insights on how you can improve your shelf presence.
Shelf presence: An overview of your brand
Shelf placement is known as where the products of a certain brand are placed in a brick and mortar store.
Not just the aisle or the shelf they are placed on, but how they are displayed.
Shelf presence is crucial for FMCG brands, especially since most consumer goods are sold exclusively in-store. That’s why brands need to focus on where and how their products are displayed in grocery stores.
A strong shelf presence can increase brand awareness and brand loyalty. Remember that your brand is not how you see it, it’s how your customers perceive it. The shelf presence has an important role to play in how customers perceive your brand and your products. Anything from packaging to merchandising can impact sales and the image of the brand.
Customers tend to buy products from brands whose values align with their own. This is why shoppers will spend 46% more on products from brands they see as valuable or from those who support the community or individuals. What does this have to do with shelf presence? A lot! If you are a brand that protects the environment, this should be shown in your shelf placement and packaging. And this is just one example.
You can look at shelf presence as an overview of your brand. It shows people an image of your brand and your products. Knowing how important shelf presence is for your brand, we’ve prepared a few best practices you should follow to increase brand awareness and sales.
The store shelf is an important touchpoint on the customer journey of any shopper. From the decision to go to the store up to going home with the products, there are a few touchpoints where brands need to pay attention to how they are perceived by customers. Even the smallest detail can make it or break it for the shopper.
In this article, we are going to focus on the importance of having a strong shelf presence, especially as an FMCG brand. Also, we’re going to give you a few insights on how you can improve your shelf presence.
3 shelf presence best practices
1. Find the right packaging for your products
The shelf presence is much more than shelf placement. It starts with the way your product is packaged. The colors used, along with material and text play an important role in the image of your brand. Also, packaging can encourage impulse purchases.
Keep in mind that while it is important to follow trends, when it comes to the packaging you might need to think twice before changing the aspect of your products.
2. The right placement goes a long way
Placing your product on the shelves of big retailers is challenging. However, it gives you the brand and product awareness you need. As you know, products are not placed randomly in-store. There are a few things you need to consider when it comes to placement:
- Facings: How many shelf positions (horizontal) can your brand or SKU occupy in-store?
- SOVI (Share of visual inventory): How much share of a category do you have? To calculate it, you need to divide the number of facings of your brand, by the number of overall facings in that category.
- SOA ( Share of assortment): How much ownership of the customer’s purchasing do you have? Count the number of SKUs or products (not the facings) in one category and then divide it to the number of different products or SKUs you have available in that category.
- Shelf level: Is your product standing right in front of the eyes of your customers? Make sure that your product is positioned in the right spot on the shelf. This will help you maximize sales opportunities.
- Special displays: End caps, self-standing displays, and dump bins are also great options for brands that want to stand out.
The store shelf is an important touchpoint on the customer journey of any shopper. From the decision to go to the store up to going home with the products, there are a few touchpoints where brands need to pay attention to how they are perceived by customers. Even the smallest detail can make it or break it for the shopper.
In this article, we are going to focus on the importance of having a strong shelf presence, especially as an FMCG brand. Also, we’re going to give you a few insights on how you can improve your shelf presence.
3. A bit of innovation to engage shoppers
Apart from having the best shelf placement for your products, you might also want to consider engaging with your customers right at the point of sale. Tokinomo, the robotic POP display, can help you attract customers and increase sales.
Since the market is saturated, it’s a challenge for brands to stand out. A brand activation with the help of Tokinomo can help you differentiate your products.
Having a strong shelf presence is extremely important in this saturated market. With the help of innovative solutions like Tokinomo, you can make your products stand out. Also, with this kind of brand activation, you engage your customers and increase sales right at the point of purchase.
If you want to stay on top of the competition, promote your products, and increase your sales, try out these 3 best practices in-store. With a strong shelf presence and the right message, customers will fall head over heels for your products.
The sound inside a store influences how shoppers feel, act, and shop
Innovation seems to be the main focus of retail businesses in the last few years. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to change old marketing strategies have impacted the channels and strategies used by retailers to promote their stores and products. However, innovation doesn’t mean completely forgetting about old channels or strategies, it means constantly improving and upgrading.
In this article, we are going to focus on audio marketing. While it might seem like an old-school marketing medium, audio marketing is making a strong comeback. That’s why retailers should include it in their strategy and find out how to “speak the language of their shoppers”.
What is audio marketing?
Audio marketing (or voice marketing) refers to the practice of producing and sharing audio content to attract and engage shoppers. From the 1920s radio to Siri and Alexa speakers, audio marketing has suffered some changes. However, with the rise in popularity of smart speakers, audio marketing is a strategy that shouldn’t be left out.
Audio in-store is not just for shoppers
Podcasts along with audiobooks seem to gain more popularity as we speak. Businesses that promote their product online have a lot of opportunities to use audio marketing in their strategies. Let’s see how physical retailers can include in-store audio tactics in their strategy.
In-store audio marketing tactics
Retail merchandising is a very important topic for brick and mortar stores, especially for grocery stores. While some might think that in-store merchandising doesn’t have an impact, they couldn’t be more wrong. Why? Because visual merchandising plays an important role and it can make customers want to shop more or leave the store empty-handed.
Speak the language of your shoppers
As you might expect, in this article, we are going to focus on visual merchandising. We’ll talk about the best visual merchandising tactics, as long as tools and solutions that can help you sparkle up your grocery store.
What is visual merchandising?
Visual merchandising is a marketing strategy in which retailers take advantage of their space to arrange merchandise in such a way that attracts the attention of shoppers. Visual merchandising means arranging, promoting, and displaying products in a way that makes customers want to purchase them.
There are a lot of things retailers need to take into account when it comes to retail merchandising, from space to the products they are selling. The one that is in charge of arranging and displaying products is known as a visual merchandiser. They rely on retail merchandising knowledge, combine it with creativity, and manage to showcase the inventory of the store in an innovative and positive way.
Visual merchandising has an important impact when it comes to sales. 90% of the information sent to the brain is visual. As you can expect, what we see impacts our purchasing decisions. For example, finding a complementary product in the store, near a product you were planning to buy will increase the chances of you purchasing it.
Visual merchandising can also help increase foot traffic, especially if you focus on window displays. If you have great visual elements, you will attract more customers which will eventually lead to better sales. How can you ace visual merchandising? We’ll tell you!
8 visual merchandising insights
While we are not reinventing the wheel, we came up with great visual merchandising insights and solutions to help you engage shoppers and make them purchase more.
1. Change display often
Products come and go, especially in a grocery store. That’s why it is a must to change displays at least once a month. Place new arrivals right at the entrance, to capture the attention of shoppers from the start.
If you have new arrivals that you planned on selling along with other products that haven’t arrived, wait. Don’t dilute the first appearance of products and don’t ruin your chances of add-on sales.
2. Focus on what people want, not what they need
While it is important to give customers what they need, when it comes to visual merchandising, you might want to focus on the wants, not the needs. People are more likely to impulse purchase products they like, not products they need.
For example, go for the upselling technique. A customer might need a hand mixer, but you don’t advertise that one. Instead, you advertise a KitchenAid. Everybody wants a KitchenAid, right? Why not try to sell them a better, more expensive product?
3. Add something intriguing to the mix
If you want to attract shoppers in-store, try adding something unusual or intriguing right at the window. It can be
something that doesn’t connect with your store or something that is just odd. People will be curious to step into your store.
4. Make technology your visual merchandising ally
Retail tech can play an important role in merchandising. For example, Tokinomo, the robotic POSM can help you make products stand out from the crowd. Because of its sound, light, and motion technology, Tokinomo creates amazing experiences in-store.
5. Focus on the windows and the front of the store
The first impression counts, especially in retail. Shoppers passing by your store might not want to purchase something, but when they see your window displays, they might enter just to look and maybe buy something.
Also, the front of the store, the entrance, and the first shelves are the most important parts of your store. Try to capture the attention of customers right at the beginning. If they don’t like what they see in the beginning, they might leave the store without purchasing anything.
6. Don’t forget about prices
Make sure that each product has a price. Even if you have a unique fixture and products are not placed in their regular way, don’t forget to put a price on them. People hate asking for prices.
7. Convenience is a must
While visual merchandising is all about creativity, you don’t have to forget about convenience. It’s amazing to surprise your shoppers with unique fixtures and displays, but you don’t need to go overboard. Place products in a way that is convenient for shoppers.
8. Seasonality for the win
We all love holidays and that’s why we try to keep that holiday feeling for as long as possible, even when we go shopping. If it’s Christmas or Easter or Halloween, make you store a storyteller. Decorate windows, displays, and shelves. Stock up on holiday gifts and products to keep customers happy and in a holiday spirit. Plus, people tend to buy more during holidays so a bit of decorating can go a long way.
Attracting customers and engaging them in-store is a difficult task. However, with the right tricks up your sleeves and the best tech solutions, you will manage to surprise customers. Encourage shoppers to purchase the products they want with the help of visual merchandising.
Brick and mortar retailers have a lot of challenges to deal with after two years of pandemic and a rapid online shopping habit adoption. Apart from having to provide an amazing experience in-store to attract the attention of shoppers, they also need to make sure that they have the products shoppers are looking for.
On-shelf availability can impact customer satisfaction and sales. Inventory management can impact OSA and therefore can inconvenience your customers when it’s not done right. That’s why we are going to focus on shelf inventory management and its impact on any brick and mortar retail business.
Why is inventory management important?
Inventory management helps retailers make sure that they have enough stock available and that they don’t end up with empty shelves or products stuck in the warehouse. Plus, it gives retailers a complete overview of their
Brick and mortar retailers have a lot of challenges to deal with after two years of pandemic and a rapid online shopping habit adoption. Apart from having to provide an amazing experience in-store to attract the attention of shoppers, they also need to make sure that they have the products shoppers are looking for.
On-shelf availability can impact customer satisfaction and sales. Inventory management can impact OSA and therefore can inconvenience your customers when it’s not done right. That’s why we are going to focus on shelf inventory management and its impact on any brick and mortar retail business.
What is inventory management?
Inventory management means managing the level of stock necessary at a certain time in a location. The level of stock depends on different factors such as season, trends, and the shelf life of certain items.
Retails usually stock products by using forecasts which may or may not be accurate every time. This is why inventory management tends to be a tricky challenge for brick and mortar stores. For online stores, inventory management is an easier task because they have a clearer overview of the products that are in stock and those that aren’t.
Physical retailers have a hard time keeping track of inventory if they are not using an image recognition system for management. Sometimes, products that appear in-store on the POS system might be damaged or they might even be stolen.
Why is inventory management important?
Inventory management helps retailers make sure that they have enough stock available and that they don’t end up with empty shelves or products stuck in the warehouse. Plus, it gives retailers a complete overview of their inventory.
Benefits and challenges of inventory management
Every retail business has a way to manage inventory, even if we are talking about a small, independent retailer who still uses spreadsheets to do so. The main benefits of tracking and managing inventory are:
1. It helps you save money
By inventorying your stock, you will be able to see certain trends and patterns that will help you better understand your real stock needs in the future. This can help you save up money because you will know which location needs more stock and which products have a high turnover.
2. It can improve cash flow
When done right, inventory management can help you improve cash flow. If you invest in products that have an inventory turnover, you will be able to have more cash flowing in that you can invest in other products instead of keeping your money stuck in inventory that is not moving from your warehouse.
3. It gives you a clear picture of your inventory
Of course, keeping track of the stock will give you a complete overview of how many products you have available at a certain time in a certain location.
4. It keeps customers satisfied
Last but definitely not least, when your shelves are filled with the products they want, your shoppers will be pleased and they will be coming back for more.
Like any other activity, inventory management comes with certain challenges. Here are some of them:
1. Getting accurate stock details
If you don’t keep track of your stock and are unable to get accurate stock details, then your inventory will be affected as well as your forecasting. If an SKU appears in stock while it is not, you will not place an order for new products and you will end up with an empty shelf.
2. Everchanging customer demand
Some things can be predicted, while others can’t. Retail is an everchanging industry and so are the demands of shoppers. Due to various trends and certain factors, the demand for now-popular products might decrease. The same can happen for products that are not selling well at the moment but might be fast sellers in the future.
3. Finding the right inventory management solution
For any business, there are the right tools and solutions. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to inventory management. That’s why you need to take into account all of the factors such as your current inventory needs, your budget, and the size of your business.
How to ace shelf inventory management for your physical store
1. Adopt a shelf inventory management software
This will help you have a centralized system and a general overview of your current stock. Also, inventory management software comes with real-time tracking, data collection of in-demand products, and purchase reports.
2. Consider dropshipping
A great alternative for physical retailers, considering the competition they face from eCommerce platforms. Dropshipping means offering products that you don’t pack and store in your own warehouse by using resources from external vendors. You can mention that you don’t have the products available in-store, but they can be shipped in 2-3 days to the customers.
Brick and mortar retailers have a lot of challenges to deal with after two years of pandemic and a rapid online shopping habit adoption. Apart from having to provide an amazing experience in-store to attract the attention of shoppers, they also need to make sure that they have the products shoppers are looking for.
On-shelf availability can impact customer satisfaction and sales. Inventory management can impact OSA and therefore can inconvenience your customers when it’s not done right. That’s why we are going to focus on shelf inventory management and its impact on any brick and mortar retail business.
What is inventory management?
Inventory management means managing the level of stock necessary at a certain time in a location. The level of stock depends on different factors such as season, trends, and the shelf life of certain items.
Retails usually stock products by using forecasts which may or may not be accurate every time. This is why inventory management tends to be a tricky challenge for brick and mortar stores. For online stores, inventory management is an easier task because they have a clearer overview of the products that are in stock and those that aren’t.
Physical retailers have a hard time keeping track of inventory if they are not using an image recognition system for management. Sometimes, products that appear in-store on the POS system might be damaged or they might even be stolen.
Why is inventory management important?
Inventory management helps retailers make sure that they have enough stock available and that they don’t end up with empty shelves or products stuck in the warehouse. Plus, it gives retailers a complete overview of their inventory.
Benefits and challenges of inventory management
Every retail business has a way to manage inventory, even if we are talking about a small, independent retailer who still uses spreadsheets to do so. The main benefits of tracking and managing inventory are:
1. It helps you save money
By inventorying your stock, you will be able to see certain trends and patterns that will help you better understand your real stock needs in the future. This can help you save up money because you will know which location needs more stock and which products have a high turnover.
2. It can improve cash flow
When done right, inventory management can help you improve cash flow. If you invest in products that have an inventory turnover, you will be able to have more cash flowing in that you can invest in other products instead of keeping your money stuck in inventory that is not moving from your warehouse.
3. It gives you a clear picture of your inventory
Of course, keeping track of the stock will give you a complete overview of how many products you have available at a certain time in a certain location.
4. It keeps customers satisfied
Last but definitely not least, when your shelves are filled with the products they want, your shoppers will be pleased and they will be coming back for more.
Like any other activity, inventory management comes with certain challenges. Here are some of them:
1. Getting accurate stock details
If you don’t keep track of your stock and are unable to get accurate stock details, then your inventory will be affected as well as your forecasting. If an SKU appears in stock while it is not, you will not place an order for new products and you will end up with an empty shelf.
2. Everchanging customer demand
Some things can be predicted, while others can’t. Retail is an everchanging industry and so are the demands of shoppers. Due to various trends and certain factors, the demand for now-popular products might decrease. The same can happen for products that are not selling well at the moment but might be fast sellers in the future.
3. Finding the right inventory management solution
For any business, there are the right tools and solutions. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to inventory management. That’s why you need to take into account all of the factors such as your current inventory needs, your budget, and the size of your business.
How to ace shelf inventory management for your physical store
Shelf presence meaning
1. Adopt a shelf inventory management software
This will help you have a centralized system and a general overview of your current stock. Also, inventory management software comes with real-time tracking, data collection of in-demand products, and purchase reports.
2. Consider dropshipping
A great alternative for physical retailers, considering the competition they face from eCommerce platforms. Dropshipping means offering products that you don’t pack and store in your own warehouse by using resources from external vendors. You can mention that you don’t have the products available in-store, but they can be shipped in 2-3 days to the customers.
3. Always have alternative suppliers
Another important thing you should consider is having alternative vendors and suppliers. Sometimes, your regular suppliers might not be able to fulfill your purchase requests. Instead of having angry customers because your inventory is low, you can talk to an alternative supplier and they will be able to deliver the products.
Inventory management is a challenging part of retail, especially for physical stores. However, with the right solution and with good forecasting, you will be able to keep your customers happy and your shelves full.
Fmcg Merchandising
Retail Product visibility
Nowadays, customers are not looking for their next purchase, they are looking for their next experience. Statistics show that shoppers will pay good money for an experience and less for a simple product. But how can you make the best of both worlds? By offering shoppers both: amazing experiences while they shop for products.
In-store advertising is a great way in which you can combine the simple act of buying products and living an experience.
While people are getting tired of seeing ads all over the Internet, they miss them inside the brick and mortar shops. Old-school in-store advertising tactics are not longer enough to please the highly demanding customers.
In-store advertising trends need to be followed because it’s getting harder and harder to attract and engage customers. Retailers and brands are looking for new ways to entertain shoppers and make the most out of their shopping experience.
Nowadays, customers are not looking for their next purchase, they are looking for their next experience. Statistics show that shoppers will pay good money for an experience and less for a simple product. But how can you make the best of both worlds? By offering shoppers both: amazing experiences while they shop for products.
In-store advertising is a great way in which you can combine the simple act of buying products and living an experience.
Just like in fashion, technology or music, in-store advertising also has trends and you better look out for them because they go out of style quickly!
Why do you need to follow trends?
People love to try something that is trending, just look on social media. It seems like everybody has tried different trendy challenges.
Also, when it comes to technology, customers love to purchase the newest smartphone, try out the best smartwatch, and simply follow up on trends to see what others love.
Trends give us the feeling of community – When all of us use a certain device that is trending it makes us look and feel a certain way.
But what does it have to do with in-store advertising?
Customers are expecting more from brick and mortar shops because they are used to receiving personalized ads from eCommerce platforms.
2. Sustainability
Customers want to buy products from brands that care about the Planet. 60% of people would buy from a brand that focuses on saving the Planet. Sustainability is a pressing issue for most customers. This is why you need to show that your brand or your store cares about the Planet and tries to offer sustainable alternatives.
This needs to be included in your in-store advertising strategy as well. Show that you are an environmentally friendly brand or that your store tries to cut down its plastic usage.
In-store advertising trends need to be followed because it’s getting harder and harder to attract and engage customers. Retailers and brands are looking for new ways to entertain shoppers and make the most out of their shopping experience.
Nowadays, customers are not looking for their next purchase, they are looking for their next experience. Statistics show that shoppers will pay good money for an experience and less for a simple product. But how can you make the best of both worlds? By offering shoppers both: amazing experiences while they shop for products.
In-store advertising is a great way in which you can combine the simple act of buying products and living an experience.
While people are getting tired of seeing ads all over the Internet, they miss them inside the brick and mortar shops. Old-school in-store advertising tactics are not longer enough to please the highly demanding customers.
But what exactly do we mean when we say in-store advertising?
Well, in-store advertising is a form of marketing that focuses on promoting products inside brick and mortar shops or commercial property. Most businesses rely on digital marketing to promote products, even the biggest retails. However, there is a lack of innovation when it comes to in-store tools which leads to shoppers passing by products without making a purchase.
In-store marketing or advertising helps you increase brand awareness, attract more customers, showcase newly released products, and, of course, lift sales. When it is done right, in-store advertising can also lead to word-of-mouth marketing which means your customers will become your biggest promoters.
When they receive an unforgettable experience, people tend to share it with their family, friends, and if you are lucky, with their social media followers.
Just like in fashion, technology or music, in-store advertising also has trends and you better look out for them because they go out of style quickly!
Why do you need to follow trends?
Well, it’s simple: People are always looking for the next new and shiny thing. Here enter trends. People love to try something that is trending, just look on social media. It seems like everybody has tried different trendy challenges. Also, when it comes to technology, customers love to purchase the newest smartphone, try out the best smartwatch, and simply follow up on trends to see what others love.
Trends give us the feeling of community – When all of us use a certain device that is trending it makes us look and feel a certain way.
But what does it have to do with in-store advertising?
