In part 1 of this blog series, we covered tips on edutainment, value propositions and analysis. We continue our six expert advertising tips with three more to help you drive your revenue with advice from PFSbrands Retail Advertising Specialist, Beth Outz.
4. Signage-Signage-Signage!
We can’t emphasize this enough! How do people know your deli even exists without the signage to let them know you are there? One of the easiest pitfalls of retailers is the assumption that every customer knows you exist and knows where everything is.
I hate to tell this to you, but they don’t.
It is critical to make sure that each of the signs in your store serve a purpose. These purposes can vary. Signage could guide customers to the deli, educate them about specials, educate them about price, and even educate them about the items they might purchase.
For our retailers, we take pride in the efforts we make for all of our graphic images to be bold, enticing and speak to the customer. We just need your help in placement!
Four Tips for Sign Placement:
- Place large bold exterior signs on the outside of your building so that anyone visiting your location or driving by your location is aware that you have a deli.
- You should also place signs highlighting your deli and specials at the very front of the store so that each customer sees there is something for them.
- Where is your deli? Direct your customers to the deli by having eye-appealing floor decals or arrows/instructions (i.e. located in the back of the store), pointing them in the right direction.
- Don’t just showcase your deli in the deli.
Give your customers reminders that the deli is a great place to grab a quick meal on the run for themselves or for the entire family. Place signage all throughout your store in places like the beverage cooler, cart corral, food aisles, etc.
Takeaway: There should never be these 2 questions asked by a customer: 1. Do you have a deli? and 2. Where is the deli located?
5. Social Media
Getting your store on a customer’s digital radar is essential! Your customers are constantly on the go, and in case you haven’t noticed, they are constantly on their phone as well.
As society changes, customers are receiving their information through more various resources — the primary one being social media networks including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. Social media gives you the ability to instantly notify your customers of specials, promotions, product information, as well as engage in conversation to develop a stronger loyalty to your brand. Customers want to be in the know, so providing consistent and informative updates on what’s going on at your store will help them deepen that connection.
Social media also provides analytics that may not be obtainable from traditional types of advertising. These analytics can help you make more effective decisions more quickly.
The ability to zone in on a target market and demographics (location, age, gender, job type, etc.) makes social media an ideal advertising method. Boosted and sponsored posts (paid advertising) will ensure that you only pay for the customers you want to reach.
6. Coupons
Also known as the timeless customer magnet. No matter how “old school” you might think coupons are, they are still very much a legitimate advertising tool to bring in a strong customer base. The key thing to remember with coupons is that the value of the coupon has to be worth the customer’s time.
Would you be motivated to drive to a location for $.50 off an item? Most likely not. Attract your customers with deals that they can’t refuse, such as a BOGO (buy one get one) deal on value meals or family meals. These provide value to the customer as they have the opportunity to get an entire sampling of products rather than one small item.
You should also not be afraid to run aggressive deals that will drive volume out the door. Offering items such as chicken tenders, in larger, cheaper quantities is a way to appeal to families and larger groups.
For example, a tender special such as 5 for $5, 10 for $10, or 20 for $20 coupon has seen great success in a large portion of our retailers. Not only are they moving protein out the door, but our delicious signature side items were an automatic choice to accompany the meal.
Wrap-Up
It’s crucial to take these foodservice marketing strategies and advertising tips from both parts of this blog series into consideration before beginning any campaign.
From having the proper amount of signage to the ability to track the campaign with analytics, a lot goes into a successful program. Take heed of these advertising tips today as you work towards increasing your foodservice revenue with these steadfast marketing tools.
Editor's Note: This blog has been updated for accuracy and content. It was originally published on January 23, 2017.
