In today’s digital world, it’s easy to focus on marketing your FMCG brand online. But don’t forget about trade marketing! Trade marketing is still essential for FMCG brands, even in the digital age.
Trade marketing is the process of building and maintaining relationships with retailers and other trade partners. The goal of trade marketing is to increase sales by promoting and distributing products through retail channels.
Trade marketing is especially important for FMCG brands because their products are typically sold through a variety of retail channels, such as supermarkets, drugstores, and convenience stores. Retailers have a lot of power to decide which products to stock and how to promote them. So it’s important for FMCG brands to have strong relationships with retailers in order to get their products on the shelves and in front of consumers.
Here are some of the key benefits of trade marketing for FMCG brands:
- Increased sales: Trade marketing can help to increase sales by promoting products to retailers and their customers.
- Improved brand awareness: Trade marketing can help to increase brand awareness by making products more visible in retail stores and on retail websites.
- Stronger relationships with trade partners: Trade marketing can help to build stronger relationships with retailers and other trade partners. This can lead to better pricing, promotions, and placement for products in retail stores.
Here are some examples of trade marketing activities that FMCG companies use:
- Promotions: FMCG companies often offer retailers promotions, such as discounts, coupons, and freebies, to encourage them to stock and promote their products.
- Point-of-sale displays: FMCG companies often provide retailers with point-of-sale displays, such as shelf talkers, end caps, and banners, to promote their products to shoppers.
- Contests and sweepstakes: FMCG companies often run contests and sweepstakes for retailers and their employees. This is a way to incentivize retailers to promote their products and to reward them for their partnership.
- Training and education: FMCG companies often provide training and education to retailers on their products. This helps retailers to better understand the products and to sell them more effectively.
Here are some specific examples of trade marketing campaigns that FMCG companies have used:
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a master of trade marketing. The company has a long history of working with retailers to promote its products. For example, Coca-Cola often offers retailers exclusive promotions, such as discounts on cases of soda or free point-of-sale displays
Even in the digital age, trade marketing is still an essential part of the marketing mix for FMCG brands. By investing in trade marketing, FMCG companies can build stronger relationships with trade partners, increase sales, and improve brand awareness.
How to do trade marketing in the digital age
While trade marketing is still important, the way that it’s done is changing in the digital age. Here are a few tips for doing trade marketing in the digital age:
- Use social media: Social media is a great way to connect with retailers and other trade partners. You can use social media to share product information, news, and promotions. You can also use social media to run contests and giveaways.
- Create a website: Your website is a great way to provide retailers and other trade partners with information about your company and your products. You can also use your website to host trade marketing materials, such as product catalogs and brochures.
- Use email marketing: Email marketing is a great way to stay in touch with retailers and other trade partners. You can use email marketing to send them product updates, promotions, and other news.
- Attend trade shows: Trade shows are a great way to meet with retailers and other trade partners in person. You can use trade shows to showcase your products and to learn more about the needs of your trade partners.