Keeping your Brand Relevant in a World of Increasing Product Accessibility

How can you help customers “take the easy route”?

In today’s world, consumers are constantly on the go. They’re hustling about their busy workday, limiting the amount of time they have for daily tasks such as making dinner and getting groceries. This is why the convenience of new delivery services such as UberEats and DoorDash is becoming increasingly appealing. Customers want to avoid the hassle of wandering throughout the grocery store to find all their ingredients and prepare a meal. The higher the product accessibility, the better. Now more than ever, it’s critical to prepare, package and market your products in a way that promotes simplicity and convenience.

It may seem difficult to compete with services like Blue Apron, who deliver fresh ingredients and recipe instructions right to your doorstep. However, retailers are fighting to keep up by increasing the selection of pre-made dinner options or salad kits. These freshly prepared foods filling the supermarket shelves imitate a fresh home- cooked meal without the time needed to prepare it.

According to market research firm Supermarket Guru, they now generate $25 billion in sales annually.

But with freshly prepared foods becoming more and more popular in retail stores, how will you make your brand stand out?

1. Analyze your product.

How is it similar and different from those around it? What makes your product better than its competitors? How is it or can it be adapted to keep up with evolving technology and increasingly involved consumers?

2. Carefully choose your primary target audience.

Do you want your product to catch the eye of independent millennials? Moms of teenagers, or newborns? Analyze the demographics, the behaviors, and the motivation behind the consumers to find your product’s best fit. Understanding your audience is key to developing an effective marketing plan.

3. Develop your marketing strategy.

After doing extensive research on your target demographic, you have a better understanding of their motivation and what tactics best capture them. For example, if they’re an independent individual in their 20’s, you’ll want to highlight your product’s simplicity and low price for a high-quality result. If parents are your target, consider their daily routine. More often than not, it’s bustling to keep up with their kids’ busy schedules. They’re likely looking for convenient snacks and meals that have numerous nutritional benefits. It’s important to analyze which demographics will have an increased need for product accessibility.

This understanding of your audience affects all aspects of your marketing strategy. It influences your packaging, wording of advertisements, what social media platforms you use, etc. Let’s take packaging for example. This is the first impression your audience has of the product. It’s what makes it jump off the shelf. The color, visual texture, word choice, and overall design all influence sales. It’s critical to take advantage of every asset you can to promote what makes your brand stand out.

4. Expanding your customer base.

Traditional techniques for product exposure such as newspaper and radio ads are expensive and fail to target your specific market. As shoppers become increasingly consumed by technology and social media, it’s crucial to get the ball rolling with social media marketing. Word of mouth and user-generated content (UGC) are two essential forms of advertising. They are a strong asset not only for driving trial but boosting trust and customer loyalty. Both of these are aided by creating an accessible social media profile that connects you with your customers.

In today’s society, product accessibility is skyrocketing. This means you need to work harder than ever to market your brand as high-quality products that appeal to the consumer’s ongoing search for convenience.

If you have any questions or would like to learn more about this topic, please reach out to the NewPoint team. If you are interested in more food marketing topics, please visit our Food for Thought page or check out NewPoint’s Patrick Nycz’s book: Moving Your Brand Up the Food Chain.