How are you marketing your company’s beverages this summer?
The summer season has arrived yet again, and this year the heat means that your target consumers will be looking for beverages to quench their thirst. It’s the perfect opportunity to market your product and end the season on a high note.
Getting your beverage selected over competitive offerings is where the real challenge lies. You need to focus on building the demand for your beverage in a way that creates awareness and sparks product loyalty.
So how are you doing to achieve these goals and persuade consumers to spend on your beverage? Here are some creative PR & marketing tips to help you out.
1. Use social media for storytelling
There’s a reason why Coca-Cola is the leader in the beverage industry; it’s not because of the taste, it’s because of the experiences created by the brand through storytelling. Every commercial they create, every tagline they use and every social media update they post targets consumer emotions.
You, as a retailer, can also use social media for storytelling. For example, you could relate the new sugar-free/low-calorie flavor of your drink to keeping that waistline down during the summer season. A video could be made and posted on Facebook, Twitter and other social media channels. The content may include individuals who opt for sugar-free beverages to keep their physical appeal while those opting for normal beverages pack on a few pounds.
2. Be creative inside the store
Even brands like Coca-Cola won’t sell inside a store if they’re placed in the far-off shelves with other food items. Beverages should be placed with items that sell, faced as near the counter as possible. Corrugated displays can be used to market your beverage with eye-catching graphics and structural creativity. The custom floor display can also be branded exclusively for the beverage to give it an identity of its own. There are companies that are able to assist with graphic design and floor display management.
Hosting activities inside the retail store is another way to create a buzz about your product. For example, you can assign a staff member to organize a game where the beverage can be given away as a free prize. Or you could organize a photo contest where customers are asked to pose at their funniest with the beverage; this form of collateral can be saved and reused on your digital properties, creating a viral effect for your product.
3. Use social proof
Social proof captivates audiences to follow actions of others with the opinion that those actions reflect the right behavior. In other words, if a specific group of people are consuming an item, then that item must be of high-quality. The validation can serve as a powerful motivator and drive sales for your beverage. Take a hint from McDonald’s; the fast food chain promptly displays signs such as ‘Billions and Billions served.’ They also have adverts showing the happiness of a family after eating at McDonald’s.
You could do something similar. If you don’t have the budget to add social proofs on such a massive scale, you could add some wisdom of words, or perhaps even hire a local celebrity to promote your beverage. Getting your beverage mentioned on the Internet as the best drink for the summer season can also serve as social proof.
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Three Girls Media, Inc. is a public relations and social media management agency founded in the heart of California’s Silicon Valley with a team in the Seattle area. We love working with small and emerging companies across the nation to raise their brand awareness and name recognition. We offer a complimentary 30-minute phone consultation with our CEO and can answer your questions and discuss your specific marketing needs.
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