Guest Blog: Why ongoing engagement works- Dan Mayer, Prime Field Marketing
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We all believe that in Field Marketing, the frequency of communicating a message to get buy in, is from the 3rd time it is communicated. Though some dispute this, especially in the marketing world, where the “Rule of 7” usually applies.
But what is the true number and how does this impact on an effective promotion, product launch or ongoing sales of your product or service?
One off promotions, done right, get the desired response on the day. Consumers absorb your message, take away your literature or sample with 58% of consumers saying they would buy a product after trying it.
Based on a recent In-store product demonstration we completed for Asda’s George cosmetic brand, key product sales increased by 94.4% when a product demonstration took place. Alongside a secondary uplift of 19% for none demonstrated products within that category.
That’s great, but what about where you aren’t in a position to promote and communicate directly with your consumers? Well that’s where you are reliant on retail staff to pass on the message for you, be that verbally, visually or ensuring your product is actually there to purchase?
Ensuring that your product/service is conveyed in the way your brand desires is key to your ongoing success.
Well that’s where combining effective merchandising, sales and educational teams come in to play. You are no doubt using these daily, but are they the right ones and are they delivering your message effectively?
We recently completed a trial for a GSK in the Alphega independent pharmacy chain, to combine POS siting, in store product training and ongoing telephone engagement. The intention was to drive pharmacy engagement with consumers, regarding a medical condition and subsequent product recommendation.
After the initial visit, combining POS placement and a detailed product and condition training, recorded customer interactions (by the pharmacy themselves) was an average of 0.08 per pharmacy. After the third pharmacy engagement call, customer interactions had increased to an average of 2.42 per pharmacy.
Over the course of the remaining 6 weeks of the 9 week trial, customer interactions reached a peak of 4.76 average per pharmacy.
But, more importantly, along with customer interactions and product recommendations increasing, sales of the recommended products grew 92% during the 9 weeks of the trial, versus the previous 18 weeks.
So, by combining consistent messaging with regular store contact, your message not only gets a foothold, but delivers growth once it has been accepted.
