• by Monica Herschelman , April 14, 2022

The world of CPG marketing is both exciting and challenging. This category presents broad audiences that present major revenue opportunities for brands. But the competition is heavy, especially when you are competing with mega brands with mega budgets.

Establishing a marketing strategy that captures consumer attention in this crowded space can feel like an exhausting mountain to climb, especially for newer brands trying to make a name for themselves. But, with a focused approach that places the consumer at the center, CPG brands can break through the clutter and take market share.

Use social to create novelty or convince of utility. With creator-owned platforms like TikTok and Instagram driving viral trends and new fads every day, making a buzz might seem simple. But, in order for this tactic to work, CPG brands must select creators carefully and be able to clearly articulate what makes their product universally special and exciting.

This is obviously easier for certain types of CPG products. Let’s be honest, it’s going to be hard to make toilet paper feel exciting. In these instances, you must be able to easily explain what this product is going to do to make the consumer’s life better and give them a compelling reason to try it.

Follow your consumer’s lead. For more traditional CPG brands, in-store promotion and shelf placement is always going to be critical for driving transactions at the point of sale. However, what happens before this moment? What happens after? What should you do if you are a D2C brand or have a higher percentage of ecommerce sales?

These questions should drive you to examine a connected commerce experience, blending your online and offline channels to create an integrated consumer journey based on shopping preferences and other customer data signals.

The explosion of retail media networks provides a new opportunity for CPG brands to capture presale attention and/or enable easier transactions through retailers’ apps and loyalty data. You can also use your own first party data to re-engage consumers across various channels between shopping trips to keep your brand top of mind wherever they are spending time. Maintaining the consumer focus and following their lead will enable more efficient media spend.

Don’t ignore converted customers in pursuit of the next. The biggest mistake CPG brands can make to lose consumer attention is forget about their past customers. If you don’t build loyalty with your customer base, a competitor brand will come in and woo them.

To drive advocacy, make your customers feel special. Reward them with discounts for repeat purchases. Make them feel seen by curating a smart list of other products catered to their preferences. Listen to their feedback and apply it. By keeping the line of communication open, your brand will see significant returns. It’s always easier to drive repeat purchases than find a new customer.

CPG marketers must be customer-obsessed. Show them the value your brand offers, and make them feel that each business decision was made with their best interests in mind -- from product development to marketing. Make your customer the hero of your brand’s story.