There's an the old story of the bank robber who was asked why he robbed banks
and responded, "Because that's where the money is."
It is no thundering new insight to suggest that "meal solutions" are where
the customer's mind is, although no "real" consumer ever uses that phrase
when they're out hunting for that convenient next meal. Produce and every
other grocery department manager are scrambling to remove the barriers
between their balkanized departments so the increasing time-pressed and
impulse-buying prone consumer will choose to step inside their market, rather
than in a regular or fast food restaurant. Because that's where the money
is. Even if consumers tell pollsters they are interested in nutrition and
good taste their actions show that finding something tasty and fast is what
most moves them.
Despite that obvious consumer buying motivation, most grocers have not
responded beyond increasing the size and sophistication of their deli and
salad bar sections. In the movie "The Graduate" a salesman emphatically
explains to the young man played by Duston Hoffman, "I see the future and
it's one word. Plastics." I see the future for increased produce sales and
it is one word. Cross-promotions. Meal solutions-based cross-promotions.
Celebrity author-related cross-promotions. Lifestyle-oriented cross
-promotions. In-store community-feeling and event cross-promotions.
Cause-related cross-promotions. Unlikely allies-aligned for media attracting
cross-promotions.
Why? Because the power of even two cross-promotional partners multiplies
their power to better serve and reach their mutual market of niche customers.
they can be more efficient, innovative, visible and valued added. But, oh
the transition to customer-centered cross-promotions will be as wrenching as
the phone and energy utilities halting entry into competition because of
deregulation. Most people in produce will eventually cross-promote more
because they will have no choice, after the competition does it and gets
closer to their customers.
Grocers were early pioneers of coop advertising and other forms of
cross-promotion. Other industries, from airlines to phone companies, have
overtaken their early lead however in offering obvious consumer value and
convenience through cross-promotions.
Here's some rules for creating successful cross-promotions:
- Have partners that your kind of customers already uses and/or admires.
- Offer an immediately obvious new reason to buy more produce
- Create a cross-promotional activity that dramatically increases consumers'
awareness of another reason to buy produce from you or provides a fun new
activity for them to share with others or gives them "bragging rights' for
doing.
- Create cross-promotions that reduce consumers' time and steps in and out
of the store when buying your produce.
The most successful cross-promotions help consumers buy more quickly,
pleasantly and frequently. They enable the consumer to do less planning (thus
more impulse buying) and less walking around, waiting in line or follow-up
action to take advantage of offers to them.
Like most retailers, from hardware to bookstores, grocers persist in selling
by product category -- how it comes to them -- rather than by customer usage
-- how the buyers envision they will use it. But change, while slow in
coming, will skyrocket once the first national produce merchandiser to
recruit other top notch cross-promoters makes a specific customer-centered
cross-promotional offer. Like the first four-minute miler, they'll inspire
an avalanche of copycats because they demonstrated that it could be done.
I know of two failed attempts by consultants to grocers to establish even
limited displays of the makings for a quick, simple meal, where customers
could pick up the parts for that meal in one spot in the store.
The early leaders in cross-promotions haven't usually been grocers but some
of the vendors who sell to them. With their ready-made salads with dressing
packets and other product bundling these vendors are pulling the grocers
closer to the customer's highest desire: convenience. Marc Seaman in
January's Commentary demonstrated what an Olympics-based cause
cross-promotion can achieve in reaching huge numbers of people fast and
inexpensively. Dole Foods has been cross-promoting training with foodservice
professionals to inspire more nutritious eating in schools -- and bettering
their image and sales in the process. Dean Frozen Foods will be
cross--promoting their mixed vegetables with Velveeta Cheese's spread
displaying discount coupons on their package and recipes inside to encourage
sales of both products to make "Cheesy Broccoli" and more.
Most grocers are losing an increasing number of silent consumers who don't
want to walk around the store to get their meal makings. Produce managers and
merchandisers might work together to look at the "big picture" of what a
consumer sees, when entering the store. What if a stand near the entering
doors displayed restaurant-style "menus" with three suggested meals (and even
photos) for the day, directing them to the store endcap or aisle sections
where they could pick up the combined makings for the meal? Or, as a
fall-back, a store might change their practices and adopt a motto such as
"Makings for meals that you can get with three or less in-store stops before
you're back at the check-out counter and out the door."
Like the old "Burma Shave" signage, what if all the grocery store's
departments coordinated teaser signs that led consumers around the store to
the various makings for their meal, sign - by sign, if they could not
co-locate all the makings in one place? If a magazine can plan twelve issues
of themes and stores plan promotions months in advance, why not plan more
detailed in-store "paths" for consumers, supported by cross-promoting food
vendors? Whoever takes the lead -- produce manager, distributor or related
vendor -- can propose cross-promotions that multiply the main message to lead
the customer to buy, buy more and buy more often.
If the "menus" sufficiently distinctive in design and placement consumers
might get accustomed to looking for them in the store. The store, in effect"
is branding their meals solutions service in a way a customer comes to
recognize and look for, in everything from in-store demonstrations to
newspaper advertisements. If grocers helped spearhead the coordination and
suggested design and placement for in-store signage and food, the vendors
will be more willing to participate in "meal solution" products, promotions,
offers and co-packaging to support it.
Take cross-promotions further. Back to the bank robber's comments. "Where
the money is" in increased produce sales in cross-promotions with their most
fervent, and famous advocates. These are the celebrity doctor/authors of
books on health, nutrition and long life, most notably according to
their gigantic booksales and national media coverage: doctors Andrew Weil,
Dean Ornish and, most recently, Michael Eades and Mary Dan Eades, the
co-authors of the food-related book that is highest on the book charts,
Protein Power. align with them and you're in the tidal wave that sweeps you
into the arms of your most sophisticated, big spending, influential and often
female produce buyer. More than any other individual or non-profit nutrition
group, these doctor/authors attract the attention and credibility of an
influential buying public will buy even more produce to follow a plan
advocated in their books (supported by your in-store reminder signage) and
who can pull others into the store with them.
Why not join forces with the authors and publishers of books that advocate
more produce consumption and why not get in on the ground floor? Approach
the authors and their publishers before the books are released and propose
back-of the-book offers for in-store discounts, author's "bonus" extra
recipes or tips available in-store, author in-store demonstrations and
signage that prominently displays the book cover and related pages. Consider
actually selling the books in the produce department, surrounded with the
products recommended in the book and/or offering a premium miniature version
of the book to those who respond to one of your in-store offers. Make it
easier, in other words for tempted to do the right thing and follow the
authors' credible advice to eat more produce; reduce the number of steps the
consumer has to take to put the author's recommendations into daily
produce-eating advice. Go further. Many authors would welcome in-bookstore
cross-promotions where their talk was accompanied by a related produce
demonstration, sampling and two-week long offer for those who then visited
their grocer to buy the recommended ingredients. Bookstores might add the
produce offer to their promotion of the event.
An author like Andrew Weil might add your produce-related offer to his wildly
successful web site in exchange for in-store visibility, Weil's , already
cross-promoting with Amazon.com and nine other highly credible partners to
generate access to a huge, fervently loyal customer base.. Why not piggyback
on what's already successful?
Other credible potential cross-promoting partners include those who reach
your prime consumer through their lifestyle (from fitness gyms to bike
stores) to medical conditions (local hospitals and pharmacies) to times of
life (from city parks summer programs to operating room nurse associations).
Go outside the store to find a partner that is already serving the
prospective customer and make a joint offer that benefits all partners.
Usually the more unlikely the cross-promoting partner you select, the more
memorable the offer can be. A new mom may be more likely to notice her
hospital and a local produce manager's jointly designed menu of recommended
"first month of quick meals" in her "going home package", with related
in-store offers, than a similar menu, placed as an ad in her newspaper.
While such cross-promotions require all partners to stretch their thinking
and way of doing business, they also mean more credible, targeted,
cost-effective promotion in an advertising-saturated society.
You reach them in new places where your competition isn't even in sight. And
you reach them by making it easier for them to learn about how to eat right,
with less thinking and effort, through you. Consider other unlikely allies
that also reach your kind of produce consumer such as manufacturers and
retail outlets for related kitchenware such as blenders and microwaves. Why
not join forces with more joint offers for visibility on each others'
signage, packaging, on-site demonstrations. Increase the number of relevant
partners and, of course, your exposure increases while your promotion costs
drop. For a Five-a-Day Summer promotion why not cross-promote "Swift
Smoothie" contests with a long string of tables for contest participants in
the store parking lot, Hold one Saturday contest for, say third and fourth
graders, and one right after for adults. Encourage a sign-up of at least 50
participants to create crowd excitement and a strong visual for TV and
newspaper coverage.
Get partners to provide major prizes such a free blenders, "Summer long
Supply of Fruit" and a trip to a "Fruit Capitol" such as Orlando or L.A..
Contests could include rewards for smoothies in categories such as "Most
Beautiful Color" "Best Taste", "Most Nutritious" "Quickest to Make" and, of
course, for the kids "Ugliest Color." Drawing your judges from the ranks of
local cookbook authors, celebrity chefs and newspaper food editors reinforces
the chance for visibility and foot traffic. Offer "Smoothie Kits" from
cross-promoting partners. Sell discount coupons -- that day only -- for five
more "Swift Smoothie Making" kits.
If you'd like to learn more about how you can increase sales through
cross-promotions, see the methods, steps and success stories in articles in
the "Tips and Topics section of our web site http://www.sayitbetter.com. The
first cross-promoters who follow this path will gain the top position in the
consumers' minds. Those who follow will have to spend more money and other
resources to achieve the same influence on consumer buying. Act first so you
can recruit an "A team" of top notch cross-promoting partners inside and
outside the food industry, before competing vendors establish that
relationships first.
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