COVID-19 affects everyone, all industries. If for some organizations the current situation is a real test of survival, for others, it is the birth of many opportunities. When the decrease in demand calls into question the existence of certain markets, others experience exponential demand. For some companies, the time has come to get out of the school league locker room and go for the first lap of the ice in “the show”. This is also the case for many of our clients who we advise in agri-food marketing.
While the situation may seem like a golden opportunity, it does have its share of pitfalls. For some, this will be the opportunity of a lifetime to make its way into consumers’ baskets – but it still has to be done. So how do you take advantage of the opportunity?
Let us remember that when times are tough, those who help and support us become allies that we keep by our side for a long time to come. This is also true for brands.
The double challenge of agri-food marketing
As mentioned, this opportunity is seen among others in the agri-food market. Containment measures and the loss of household income are forcing people to eat more and more at home.
When you think about it, agribusiness is one of the few industries that touch virtually the entire population. As a result, she has a heavy burden of effectively speaking to a myriad of clients.
The problem grows when we understand that in the majority of cases, agrifood products still have two very distinct target audiences.
- On the one hand, we must attract the attention of the consumer who will put our product in his basket. Sometimes he wants to eat well, other times not to pay a lot. Some customers are looking for healthy products and others want to look good. It is all these very different realities that force brands to identify very clear target customers. To be relevant, it is imperative to offer a product whose benefits for the consumer are easy to understand.
- On the other hand, you also need to talk to grocery shoppers. They experience completely different issues. They want to optimize their shelves and limit their losses while being able to offer a range of products that will tip the scales in their favor when the time comes for customers to choose where to shop for groceries.
In the end, you have to know how to listen to those to whom you speak and be there to meet their needs and expectations. You have to be coherent, clear, and be very careful with compromise because brands that address “everyone” too often address no one. You have to know how to be precise, work with our strong markets, and focus on doing fewer things but doing them well.
Agri-food marketing: trench warfare => row war
Once its product in the grocery store, the fight is not over. It is not because we are assured of a place at the end of the season playoffs that we have already won the cup. Standing out among the dozens of similar products is sometimes more complex than you might think.
Once again, the target audience that has been determined is of great importance. When you think about it, people who shop for groceries fall into two groups: those who make a list ahead of time and know what they’re going to buy when they get in the grocery store, and those who get inspired by what is. available on site. Generally speaking, the average consumer will do a bit of both. But in the majority of cases, one of the two tendencies will be much stronger than the other. It is therefore imperative to question the behavior of our target customer.
In all cases, you have to know how to play “the basic game”. In groceries, the basic game is to be easy to find and therefore recognizable. Whether you are talking to a customer who improvises his purchases or another more organized, nothing is more dangerous than a product that goes unnoticed. Whoever is looking for you will have a hard time finding you and you will not attract the attention of the improviser. At this time, the only element that determines the value of the product is its price. And it’s not the most interesting fight for profit margins.
The ability of a product to stand out in the grocery store obviously goes through its packaging. Unlike hockey, in the grocery store, the player with the most attractive uniform goes one step ahead. The packaging is certainly a great image work but also writing. If our brand and our products uphold an open, creative, and tasty image, these elements must be reflected in the container and the content.
For their part, the grocery store buyer will be looking for solutions to ensure that they do not get stuck with unsold items in inventory. The best thing to do is to work with him and to have the tools to present the product well. The situation becomes a winner at all levels when employees are familiar with the product and recommend it.
Finally, you have to know how to contextualize your offer to the season and the grocery store calendar. Knowing when to add energy to your grocery schedule and culinary trends is key. That’s the way grocers and consumers are going to think about it anyway. When the hockey season returns in October, it’s time to offer our product on a nachos.
Agri-food marketing: time to make you hungry
Today, brands have full responsibility for creating the material that will have the potential to interest customers in their products. The consumer will want to educate himself and contextualize the use of a product, and the grocer will welcome all actions aimed at inviting people to buy the products he holds on his shelves.
There is nothing more valuable to a buyer or grocery store manager than a customer who demands a product – especially if they don’t have it and the competition has it. They are passionate, customer-oriented people who hate being unable to deliver on their promises.
In this sense, the ability of a brand to create demand for a product by itself will create demand from all of its customers. However, such a demand is not created by magic; it is not enough to build an arena for a team to settle there (talk to the City of Quebec). Without making a bad joke, a brand must provide its customer with tools. Whether it’s sharing a recipe capsule or sponsoring a segment of a cooking show, you need to show consumers the world of possibilities. When the path has already been taken, it is much easier to imagine yourself taking it.
This brand proactivity will also have value in itself. Even the most classic products today face the challenge of innovating.
Consumption methods are changing and brands must know how to adapt. The online grocery store is a prime example. With the rise of online grocery shopping, the ability of food producers to shift to sales is greater than ever. Companies that know how to take advantage of these situations will come out on top.