08: Marketing
In-Person Marketing Channels
While online marketing is all rage right now, it doesn’t mean in-person marketing is completely obscure.
If anything, in-person marketing is not only alive but also thriving.
An overwhelming 95% of marketers believe that in-person events are instrumental in achieving business goals.
In-person marketing channels can be broken down into four main categories: events, festivals, road shows and sampling.
Events
Events are a great way to reach large groups of people at once. They can be anything from small product demonstrations at local grocery stores to major industry conferences with thousands of attendees.
Fairs and Festivals
Fairs are outdoor events where participants gather together for the purpose of entertainment or trade. Fairs are often held during particular seasons (for example, Christmas or spring) when they may be expected by the public as part of their annual calendar of social events.
A fair usually features entertainment and sideshows along with retail goods sold by vendors or concessionaires who rent space from the fairground operator for this purpose.
Pop-up Shops and Sampling
Setting up temporary pop-up shops or sampling stations in strategic locations can create buzz around your brand and allow consumers to experience your products firsthand.
This approach works particularly well for emerging brands looking to generate awareness and gain direct consumer feedback.
For example, Recess, a CBD-infused sparkling water brand, successfully utilized pop-ups to introduce their products to a wider audience and build brand awareness.
Road Shows
Road shows are a great way to meet new customers, build relationships with existing ones and generate leads. With the right promotion and planning, you can ensure that your road show is a success.
Here are some tips to help you get started:
- Choose the right venue.
- Promote it on social media, email marketing campaigns and other channels.
- Create an engaging presentation that will grab your audience’s attention and keep them interested during the entire presentation.
- Always have plenty of food on hand in case people get hungry while they wait for their turn to speak with you or ask questions about what you do.
Pro Tip: Use a platform like RECESS.is to plan and execute successful in-person experiences. The platforms helps you connect with a wider audience, network with industry professionals, and gather valuable data and insights to refine your marketing strategies.
Out of Home Advertising
Another way to market your CPG product is through Out of Home (OOH) advertising – a form of marketing that utilizes large, eye-catching advertisements in public spaces, including billboards, buses and trains.
OOH advertising can be effective because it’s highly visible to a wide audience, which makes it perfect for marketing to an audience that may not be as targeted with online ads.
That said, OOH advertising is often too expensive for mid-sized and emerging brands. So, you might want to consider using digital billboards instead of traditional ones if you want to try this channel out.