See the Shelf: Top Retail Planogram Sales Tools

A retail planogram (POG) exists to maximize sales. Retail food buyers are graded on how much sales volume is generated by the mix of products they set in the POG.

If you own a food brand and want in that retail planogram, you better come prepared to sell. Typically this involves a pitch deck, a good (but nice) argument outlining why you belong in the POG.

A key part of building that pitch deck is doing a store check and learning everything you can about the POG. However, a good argument can be made by showing what your product will look like in the POG.

Top Retail Planogram Sales Tools #2: POG Visualization

Visualization is key to the “seeing is believing” proverb.

There is no way to better share your product’s vision in a buyer’s POG than to show them what it looks like in their POG.

However, the visualization starts with your product: does your food brand:

1. Compete visually against the other products? Does it stand out? Does it have the right packaging components to win a sale? We know a little about packaging…
   • Food Packaging: 6 Rules to Get Shelf-Ready
   • CPG Packaging Innovation Boosts Food Brands
   • Visual Elements: Prioritizing your Package Design
   • Why Choose Renewable Food Packaging?
   • Innovative Food Packaging Promote CSR Awareness
2. Compete on price? If you want to get on the shelf, you’re going to have to fit into a price point that makes sense for your brand. It will be a hard sell to go in demanding the highest price point—unless you can deliver! There is danger going for the lowest price—you’ll have to sell more to make up the sales numbers of your competition—which can mean adding a lot more marketing which can be expensive.
3. Compete as a different product? There’s no reason for the buyer to add your product unless it is significantly different in some way than what they already have in the POG. In the industry, this is called a “Me Too” product (a pre-2018 reference!), and unless you are a market leader, try to avoid introducing one to a food buyer.

One last thought: Are you planning a new product introduction? Are you pitching a new, not yet created product? Create a real 3D product for the meeting and a 3D image visualization for the pitch deck.

The pitch meeting process will go smoother if you are prepared. One top retail planogram sales tool is leveraging POG visualization. Create a mock image showing what your brand looks like in the food buyer’s POG and work toward winning the sale.

If you have any questions or would like to learn more about how marketing can help your company or about NewPoint, please reach out to the NewPoint team — interested in food marketing topics? Please visit our “Intel” page or check out my book: Moving Your Brand Up the Food Chain.