Foodservice Product Launches: The 7 Most Common Marketing Mistakes
After working with foodservice manufacturers for over 25 years, it’s safe to say we’ve been part of quite a few product launches. Here are the 7 mistakes we’ve learned along the way (so you don’t have to).
1) Focusing too much on product attributes.
What need are you truly fulfilling for operators? While a product might check all of the boxes on paper, it will flop if you’re not actually solving an operator pain point. There is so much that goes into product selection for operators beyond taste. Some questions to consider: Can low-skill employees use with ease? Does it store well on their shelf? How many menu items can it be used for? Take time to conduct operator testing to get their feedback.
- Do your research with REAL operators and focus on solving their problem in your messaging.
2) Not bringing sales along on the journey.
The classic sales and marketing love/hate relationship. Your sales team, whether direct or brokers, are with operators every day. Understand what they need to be set up for success – whether that’s specific sales materials, a sampling program, competitive cutting guide, or contest. By aligning your sales goals from the start and giving them the tools they need, you’ll have a dedicated, reliable force to amplify your marketing communications efforts (not to mention, follow up with leads!).
- Work closely with your sales from the start to align your efforts with theirs.
3) Spending too much on marketing communications before you have distribution.
Don’t fall into the trap of a beautiful, well-executed marketing communications plan that reaches operators, and then when they go to purchase the product they realize it’s not available to them. With only a few key moments to drive purchase with operators, you must make it worthwhile. Ensure you’re gaining distribution as you begin to market to operators.
- Balance your efforts with an operator-pull, distributor-push approach.
4) Putting all your faith in sales and brokers.
We know. We just told you that you should lean in more to your sales team. But at the same time, there just simply aren’t enough sales members to reach every single operator. Start to grow your direct-to-operator relationships through email marketing and social media so when you have a new product launch, you already have an audience. Not to mention, you receive valuable data on who your customers are.
- Build up your direct-to-operator relationships to supplement sales efforts.
5) Getting too fancy with messaging.
Have you seen the stoplight video? It’s a classic tale of trying to make something flashy, different and exciting, when at the end of the day, it’s a simple stop sign. A new product launch is exciting in and of itself. Don’t complicate the message by trying to pack every single product attribute into your headline or ad. While these differentiators are important, you must communicate that you are launching a NEW product.
6) Moving onto a new campaign too quickly.
Some product launches may be in the works for 5 years before they go to market. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking everyone must know about this product, because you marketed it for a full quarter with a robust media plan and it was a main focus at a tradeshow (and it’s practically been your whole life the past 2 years). But don’t forget: most operators need to see a message at least 7 times before it sticks. With operators, they likely have to sample it and try it before they even consider purchasing. Build a communications plan that expands for at least a year. You may only have an exciting burst for a quarter or two, but then it’s time to weave into all aspects of your messaging. (Build awareness, drive purchase, encourage usage, and repeat!)
- Expect to communicate for at least a year – plan how your campaign comes to life beyond your initial launch outreach.
7) Setting it and forgetting it.
Following our same theme as above, with all the work that goes into a product launch before, you shouldn’t be ignoring it after. Don’t forget to track analytics: paid media, sales data, digital analytics, customer service inquiries, sample requests, rebate redemptions, the list goes on. Stick to your launch plan and own it, but give yourself enough grace to pivot as needed. Not to mention, you’ll be better prepared for your next product launch down the road.
- Track, track, track! The good, the bad, the ugly. Don’t be afraid to pivot halfway through.
Have a product launch coming up? We’d love to help. Reach out to Anita Nelson at anita@infoodmtkg.com or 612-353-3410 to chat!
Your Guide to Foodservice Trade Show Season 2020
Trade shows can be expensive and overwhelming, but they are also an excellent marketing opportunity. If you’re on the fence about participating, read on! We’re laying out the reasons trade shows can be advantageous for you, tips to make your show a success, and a list of upcoming shows where you can make your splash in the foodservice industry.
Why attend a trade show?
Participating in a trade show means multiple days in the same room as thousands of people who have the potential to grow your business: including operators, brokers, distributors, influencers, packaging experts and marketers. It also provides the unique and valuable opportunity to network with other food companies, see new trends in the biz, scope out the competition and build new friendships.
How to make your show a success?
Be as prepared as possible.
It’s important to plan ahead and make sure you have enough time to set yourself up for success. Just when you think you have everything on your list, there’s something else, right? Think through what you will need early on. Printing materials, shipping, and set-up can be more time consuming than you think.
Here’s a starting point for your packing list:
- Display materials (signage, tablecloth, banners, etc.)
- Business cards (and a pouch to collect the ones you get)
- We recommend writing a few notes about the conversation you had on the back of the card, so it’s easy to recall who you spoke with when looking through your stack of cards after the show.
- Samples and small giveaway items
- Sales sheets
- Company information
- If you’re shipping a pallet, be sure to throw an extra roll of shrink wrap in for its return.
- Comfortable shoes. Trade shows mean lots of standing at the booth or walking around the show. Plus, if you’re traveling, you might want to do some celebratory sight-seeing after the show!
Staffing
This is a balancing act. You need enough people to allow breaks and help with set-up, but you don’t want your booth to feel overcrowded. Depending on how large your booth is, three people manning the booth at a time is usually a good number. It’s also a great idea to have other hands on deck to walk the show to check out trends and competition.
Messaging
Think of your trade show display as a virtual ad where you have about three seconds to attract the attention of a potential customer. What is the most important thing you want them to know? If you build your display around that one message, you’re guaranteed to be focused and memorable. Remember, less is more!
Stand out
With hundreds of other vendors, this can be a tall order, but above all remember that it’s important to create an experience and remain true to your company. Pro-tip: Samples, freebies, and demonstrations attract an audience. Also, a lot of people get full (can you imagine?) from all the samples, so hand-outs and on-the-go samples are important to consider.
Know your talking points
What is the main message you want to promote? How does it align with your business goals for the year? Have this prepared ahead of time to keep your conversations on track.
Smile!
Be approachable. Trade shows can be exhausting but keep a smile on your face and be ready to talk to anyone. You never know how far a good impression can go.
Convinced you want to exhibit?
Check out these upcoming shows!
Foodservice
Retail
Introducing our 2019 Food For All Partner (Plus, a Bonus Pro-Bono Project We Couldn’t Pass Up)
We are thrilled to announce our 2019 Food For All partner: The Open Door. This Eagan-based food pantry stood out among many applications because of their innovative approach to combatting hunger, which includes an on-site pantry, 20 mobile pantry sites, a Mobile Lunch Box program and a Garden to Table program—all with a focus on access to fresh, healthy foods. As our 2019 Food For All partner, The Open Door will receive half of the proceeds* from the agency’s generous 5% Give Back Campaign and $10,000 worth of pro-bono marketing services.
BUT, that’s not all…
Considering the large volume of entries for the Food For All program, selecting just one organization was really tough for our team of creatives interested in making the biggest possible impact!
To that end, we’ve chosen to ALSO support Pillsbury United Communities (PUC) in the branding of a trail-blazing bicycle CSA program they will be launching this year. This program combines an initiative that provides homeless people with bicycle maintenance skills with produce from community-run gardens in the Phillips neighborhood of Minneapolis to create the first bicycle-delivered CSA program in the Twin Cities.
Scenes from the PUC gardens and food shelves.
Get in on the movement
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn to see what’s going on in our Food For All program this year, and consider donating to or volunteering at one of these incredible organizations yourself this year! Together, we can combat food insecurity in our community.
*Up to $10,000
IN Food Marketing & Design brings awareness to childhood hunger with Click for LUNCH campaign
In June 2018, we were featured in WCCO for Click for LUNCH, our agency’s yearly campaign to build awareness & raise funds of child hunger in our community.
Check out our president, Anita Nelson, on WCCO as she helps raise awareness of childhood hunger and provide meals to kids in need this summer.
We’re growing – say hello to our five new hires!
This post was featured in The Minneapolis Egotist on April 25, 2018.
Quick! Grab five extra plates and scoot over to make room, we’re growing and we’ve added five new faces to the IN Food crew over the past several months.
Graphic Designer, Maddy Baker (second from left), joined the team in August, bringing previous experience with mouthwatering food and foodservice imagery as a designer for HyVee Corporate. (She’s a perfect fit for an agency that specializes in heating up sales for food companies!)
Content Strategist, Caroline Carlson (far right), followed closely behind Maddy in September. Caroline adds her own food industry expertise gained as a writer for organic food cooperative Organic Valley, as well as a meticulous red pen, to the IN Food arsenal.
October welcomed Account Coordinator, Nina Bernardi (second from right), to IN Food’s office. The team benefitted immediately from Nina’s keen attention to detail, unparalleled organizational skills and previous experience doing account coordination for an agency in Des Moines, IA.
In February, Account Executive, Maggie Alt (center), pulled up a chair at the IN Food table. Coming from an Account Executive role at cloud-based retail software company SPS Commerce, Maggie has been a natural—and invaluable—addition to the team.
Not long after Maggie, Social Media & Marketing Intern, Ciara Metzger (far left), jumped on board. Ciara graduated from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities with a B.A. in Strategic Communications and brought to IN previous food industry marketing experience working for local muesli company Seven Sundays. Ciara keeps all things social media running smoothly here at IN…so smoothly in fact, that she has already been promoted to a full time role and will soon be our new Digital Marketing Coordinator!
Last week all five new team members received our signature IN Food welcome: a food fight featuring each new hire’s favorite food. We love how these images capture each person’s personality, and prove that as an agency we can handle just about anything that’s thrown at us.
IN Food Marketing & Design Wins Communicator Award of Distinction
The Communicator Awards is an annual competition honoring the best in advertising, corporate communications, public relations and identity work for print, video, and interactive. The Agency won for the redesign of the Marzetti Foodservice website. “We are thrilled to receive this award,” says Lori Gerdts, Vice President and Creative Director at IN Food Marketing & Design. “The most rewarding aspect of designing is hearing from our clients that they are receiving positive feedback and seeing desired, measured results. The Marzetti Foodservice site update is aesthetically inviting, with efficient and more intuitive functionality.”
Cool Offices: IN Food ad agency’s produce-painted space
This post was featured in Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal on March 2, 2016.
Our take on Lay’s Do Us a Flavor Contest
In celebration of it’s 75th anniversary next year, Lay’s potato chips is holding the Lay’s Do Us a Flavor contest where fans can submit their idea for the next great chip flavor. The person who submits the winning idea will win $1,000,000.
They have really gone all out to promote this contest on Facebook and it’s gained a lot of attention through social media. We think this on-trend campaign is genius. It draws upon the old adage ‘the customer is always right’ while incorporating a high level of engagement. We love the idea of letting chip-lovers decide what flavor should commemorate this company milestone, since it’s their fans that they really want to celebrate with.
We submitted a few of our own flavor ideas:
Banh Mi – This Vietnamese sandwich is hugely popular this year. It could be an unexpected favorite.
Sweet & Salty Caramel – This trendy flavor has quickly become a classic. A sweet/salty combination chip could be a welcome addition to the snack family.
Buffalo Wild Wings Asian Zing – What could better than combining the Asian Zing flavor from Buffalo Wild Wings, with the mighty crunch of Lay’s potato chips? Partnering with this popular brand and incorporating one of their signature flavors would certainly boost buzz, sales and fit the target demographic of both brands.
Which of our chip flavors would you like to try? Do you have a better idea?
