11 suggestions on how to carry out ground promotion in a refined manner

Since I started my business and entered the field of snacks, I have always believed that channels can no longer be divided using simple binary theory, and it is meaningless to simply discuss online or offline channels. As the pioneer of new retail, HEMA has provided the best paradigm for establishing business channels. Simply put, it is omni-channel.

Omni-channel is a word that seems a bit old-fashioned today. A more recent term is called borderless retail. Whether it is omni-channel or borderless retail, what is reflected more is the mentality of business practitioners. This means that companies can no longer expect or rely on using the same product or a single channel to complete the task of entering the market. The relationship between products, channels and users has become closer. It is worth noting that companies should also carefully choose the sub-sectors they need to enter based on their own circumstances.

In the past, people got product information from TV commercials and purchased products in supermarkets and hypermarkets. The advertising channel and purchasing channel were single, and the channels were aligned. Nowadays, advertising channels have become more abundant and purchasing channels have also increased, so it has become crucial to find one-to-one and related production channels.

So, how should we configure products around channels? Configuration price? What about configuring promotions? This problem can be very big, and I try to focus it on local marketing , this single channel. Through the brand case of Hedgehog Dad, we will discuss these three aspects: product, price and promotion.

1.

Definition of the concept of ground promotion. First, let’s define the ground promotion in this article. The ground promotion I mentioned here includes the ground promotion operation itself, the form of ground promotion and the personnel. The field promotion work itself can be divided into different categories based on the goals, with different focuses, such as sales, brand promotion, or seeking cooperation. The forms of local promotion include creative markets, theme exhibitions, store tastings, community promotion, etc. The personnel are of course the field sales staff, including full-time, part-time, long-term or short-term.

2.

Earlier, I discussed the current situation of the local creative market with my friends. The biggest concern was that canvas bags had become the main carrier of most creative peripherals. Would you be willing to spend a thousand dollars to buy ten canvas bags? This is both a joke and a reflection of the lack of carriers and categories for cultural and creative products. Fortunately, in recent years, the categories of products in the creative market have gradually expanded.

3.

A market is different from a shopping mall or department store, so consumers’ expectations of spending in a market are naturally different. There are not enough people in the local market to form a complete concept of the market. In short, the pricing method in which price is greater than value cannot be accurately conveyed and expressed to consumers through the creative market as a terminal form. In other words, if the price of your product is comparable to that of building goods, you will naturally be at a disadvantage when selling it in the market.

The first field promotion activity that Hedgehog Dad participated in in December 2017

4.

As far as theme exhibitions are concerned, brands are mainly faced with two things: brand promotion and sales growth. Domestic high-level industry exhibitions such as the Chengdu Spring Sugar and Wine Expo attract more brand owners, distributors, etc. from all over the country. Brands will devote more energy to recruiting franchisees and agents. Distributors use such exhibitions to learn about product trends, negotiate business cooperation, etc. Besides showcasing the brand’s image, the purpose of the exhibition in expanding the market is far greater than just a few days of sales.

5.

There is another type of exhibition that is entirely for the purpose of boosting sales, such as the annual festival exhibition. This type of exhibition attracts more local customers, and consumers come with a strong purpose in order to buy New Year gifts. Last year, I attended a local New Year’s Goods Festival as a customer. The scene was packed with people. The exhibition attracts investors from high-end small cans of tea to low-end bulk dry goods, gathering high, medium and low-end products to meet the needs of all kinds of people. When participating in this type of exhibition, merchants should not set prices higher than 20 yuan in order to increase sales. If combined with promotions, there is a chance to gain some popularity in the New Year goods market.

6.

It is common to conduct food tasting in stores. This type of marketing focuses more on conversion rate, and the core lies in the timing of the marketing, promotional activities and promotional personnel. There is no need to elaborate on the products that can enter the store, they are basically products with a score of 70 points. The timing for field promotion lies in two key points: the launch of new products and major terminal events. With the corresponding promotional activities, generally there can be better sales results. The salesperson is a variable; his or her familiarity with the product and whether or not he or she is proactive on site will affect sales. Therefore, it is very important to organize and train product recommendation language, as well as to have a continuous and stable full-time and part-time promotion team.

7.

There is another very important thing in door-to-door marketing, which is selling goods in piles. This is why in hypermarkets, display cabinets have become a popular merchandise display location for merchants. At a market last year, in the same block, one was a standard booth and the other was a creative booth in the trunk of a car. Judging from the sales data, the gap was quite large. Although the latter is closer to the main traffic channel, it is unable to fully display the company's products due to the small space in the trunk of the car, which is more suitable for the display of female accessories. Two days later, we coordinated with the organizer to change the location. What is piled up is momentum, and momentum is very important.

8.

Get some handbags with eye-catching copy. Think about the audience seats where fans gather. Once sales pick up on that day, this area will become your home court. Every customer who comes and goes is a walking radio station. People come and go, and it would be hard not to notice your product. Don’t overlook the role of tote bags in your field sales. Of course, all this is based on the premise of amazing sales.

9.

If conditions permit, you may want to conduct one or two interactive games on site. Adding fans and following is not recommended, but if you must do it, taking WeChat public accounts as an example, you must understand that if your main content is content, use content to attract users. If you are a shopping mall, use the mall’s products to impress users. Instead of giving out tissues, USB flash drives, selfie sticks, etc. that have nothing to do with the main body of the public account to attract attention just to gain followers. To add fans, the logic must be smooth and the products must be related. Otherwise, there is only one result, that is, the user turns around and unfollows.

10.

From the specific work of field promotion, we abstract people, goods and venues. In fact, what business needs to control and coordinate are nothing more than these three things. People, who are your most likely customers? Are they nearby users or experts who have come here specially? Can group characteristics be summarized? What human resources can you mobilize? Goods, have you prepared the right amount of goods? What are the selling prices of the neighboring shops? Have you thought about the promotion? Is the display good enough? Is the publicity in place?

11.

In fact, every market, exhibition, and even store promotion is full of uncertainty. But the only thing that is certain is that you strictly control the products and make sure that the products delivered to the terminal for sale are all good products.

Since starting our business, we have participated in nearly a hundred markets, temporary promotions, exhibitions, etc. This guide may be biased and immature. It doesn’t matter. Maybe if I participate in ground promotion for a period of time again next year, I will have new and deeper feelings. Although this is an imprecise and informal work manual, it also provides a solid ground promotion plan for the upcoming resumption of work in 2020.

Author: DaDou

Aunt: Big Bang