Food Brands Shift to Digital Shopper Marketing

The Shift to Digital Shopper Marketing

Ah, the good old days. The year is 1980, when marketers only had to worry about traditional media forms. Your consumer sat around the tv or listened to the radio, heard or saw an ad about cereal, their kids convinced them to buy it, and boom, they just purchased your cereal from aisle 19 at Kroger.

Several other mediums have emerged over the years, including the internet, mobile devices, social media, etc. proving that digital shopper marketing is here to stay. Online grocery shopping is now a preferred method for many. Digital shopper marketing allows you to get in front of shoppers who no longer want to browse the physical aisles.

Growing eGrocery

According to a new study by Mercatus/Incisiv’s new “eGrocery’s New Reality” study, online grocery sales will grow to an estimated 21.5% of the total U.S. grocery market by 2025, up from 10.2% in 2020. In addition, a recent study from Catalina also indicated that two-thirds of shoppers have tried a new kind of shopping (delivery, pick-up, direct) and plan to continue.

New product launches, or relaunches, are a great time to take advantage of the digital ads that stores offer IF you have the budget (these aren’t cheap!). Retailers often offer various packages and are more than willing to walk you through what might work best. For example, a retailer meeting recently showcased a new item launch package that included placement on their website, landing page, and emails as part of the digital components. Additional packages included coupon offerings on their digital platform.

I recently signed into my Kroger Supermarket app and found tons of examples of digital shopper marketing. For instance, take a look at the Mother’s Day Celebration ad below.

The ad highlights different recipes. Upon clicking, you will be taken directly to the product, and oftentimes, a coupon of some sort.

More shoppers are opting for convenient, online shopping experiences, which shows that digital ads can be a very effective marketing tactic.

If you have any questions about implementing digital ads into your shopper marketing budget, please reach out to the NewPoint team. Also, if you are interested in more food brand 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.