Job One in CPG Promotion

In the consumer packaged goods business, promotion means getting your product into the hands, on the skin, or around the tastebuds of your customer. But even more important is to getting it in their home so your brand gets in their mind.

This truth was underscored today as I and my family attended Seattle's annual Folklife Festival. For those who have not been able to join in said festivities, imagine a quadrangle 10 to 20 acres in size (Seattle Center) in the shadow of the Space Needle, interspersed by indoor and outdoor musical performances (scheduled and impromptu) of every tempo and genre. Add lots of people and lots of booths to serve their thirst and hunger. Such as is pictured but this is actually not from today's fest as this blog occurred after we'd gotten home and it hadn't occurred to me to snap a photo!

But back to consumer products... Two distinctly different booths today promoting two very different kind of products with two very different budgets. Both are natural-foods, health food store, type products but scored very differently...

• Burt's Bees had at least a 20x20 walled tent area with 10-12 people working. They did a little bit of retail sales at the end but most people were guided through an educational, hands-on walkthrough of their product line which includes everything from lip balm and lip stick to skin lotions to soaps and shampoos. They had at least 4 sinks set up and one large flat-screen TV station. One walked away recognizing that Burt's does good (an angle with which I'm familiar and do support). It was more "trade-showy" than most people expect with Folklife.
• Tofurky on the other hand had a standard 10x10 booth with 5-7 people serving up food. If you aren't familiar with their products, you're who they were trying to reach. Their high-protein, low-fat vegetarian "meats" are great but most people don't think to try them. So they sold hot veggie sandwiches with names like "Philly Cheezsteak" and "Texas BBQ". With each purchase they included a complimentary, shelf-stable package of their Tofurky Jerky.

Here's my 60-Second-Analysis. [Full Disclosure: I used to be in the restaurant business and ran booths like this. I don't believe there is any inherent bias in my observations due to an industry preference or a hungry tummy!]

• Burt's folks spent a pretty penny and created a high-quality experience but my sense of the products was broad and skin-deep. Very few people left with product in their hands to continue using.
• The Tofurky people spent far less outright (booth and staffing) and recouped costs or even turned a profit with food and beverage sales. Everyone took home product to try again, which had a coupon for another purchase.

One might claim unfair comparison -- "Burt couldn't make a sandwich and show off the product" which would be off-point. What we're looking for here is how could Burt keep his brand in our mind? (As my wife and no doubt target customer remarked, "how do I know what their shampoos are like day after day?")

With a very simple, incremental cost: give away product at the end. If too expensive, then choose just the 3 products with the highest gross margin. JOB ONE: Get in the customer's home, where these products live, and their mind, where your brand lives.