The role of shopper marketing strategy at the point of sale
For entrepreneurs, the possibility to effectively increase profits from the sale of their products and services is very important. That is why they decide to implement professionally prepared shopper marketing strategies.
They allow to influence purchasing decisions of the customers and at the same time, thanks to their proper implementation, they bring other benefits for the brand. The actions should be prepared and implemented by professionals, thanks to which they will ensure optimal results tailored to a specific point of sale.
What is shopper marketing?
Over the years, a number of disciplines have developed to contribute to the optimal management of relationships between sellers and customers. They allow entrepreneurs offering products and services to increase their sales revenue. One commonly used field is shopper marketing, which aims to influence customers at the point of sale to purchase a specific product. The activities in this area include a detailed analysis of many aspects related to consumer behavior. In this field of marketing a lot of importance is attributed, among others, to the emotions of customers. There is a high rate of impulse buying decisions which are made directly in the stores. However, the field itself is much more complicated and involves optimizing activities based on the needs and habits of customers on a local and global scale, depending on the nature of the industry in which the retailer operates. Before implementing solutions of this type, it is therefore necessary to develop a detailed strategy that will take into account numerous information including variables specific to a particular store or service establishment.
Developing a shopper marketing strategy
Preparing an action plan within this domain is a demanding task. That is why nowadays entrepreneurs can use the services of companies such as IQFM, which offer professional and comprehensive services in this area. Only knowledge and experience will make the strategy of shopper marketing of a given brand successful. The most important element each time is to collect and analyze the required information. For this purpose, digital databases are used, as well as surveys or observations of consumer behavior.
On their basis, it is possible to develop, among other things, a profile of shoppers who use a given point of sale. For one location, there may be many such profiles. Some of them are given higher priority because of their contribution to the overall profit. For the most important groups of customers, appropriate strategies are then determined, taking into account factors such as preferred prices, needs, product quality and brand loyalty. For goods manufacturers, shopper marketing also applies to the product design stages. This includes packaging, logos and slogans.
A distinction is made between the consumer and the shopper – that is, the person making the decision and making the purchase. This makes it possible to develop a strategy, taking into account the stages that occur on the way to purchase. This includes steps such as planning the purchase, the route to the point of sale, and the selection itself from among competing goods. It is therefore necessary to seek professional help for the planned activities due to the complexity of the whole process. A professional shopper manager and his expert group collect and analyze data. Based on this, they can decide on the most beneficial actions that can be taken to turn the consumer into a shopper.
Results of implementing a shopper marketing strategy
With the proper implementation of shopper marketing activities, many benefits can be achieved, including, most importantly, a positive impact on the sales of a specific product. At the same time, brand awareness is built by introducing solutions that will evoke positive associations in shoppers. All due to the fact that shopper experience is becoming an increasingly important element in the design of marketing activities. Industry professionals are also perfectly positioned to address seasonal consumer needs, boosting sales during the holiday season, for example. When combined with other strategies used at the point of sale, this allows for an increase in profits.