Fluids provide over 80% of our daily water intake, and can be a source of calories and nutrients. However, with many thousands of beverage options on the market, the average drink manufacturer can find it challenging to make customers reach for their product over other available options in store chillers.
If you’re exploring a new beverage type but are unsure how to make it stand out from the crowd, you might like to take some of the following actions:
Create a Point of Difference
Make sure that the drink you’re planning to manufacture will evoke feelings of curiosity in customers. For example, some alcoholic beverage manufacturers started the canned cocktail trend. They took a traditional bartender-made cocktail and transformed it into a canned drink with classic flavors like Mojito, Cosmopolitan, and Pina Colada. Since no one had ever seen them before when they first hit liquor store shelves, many consumers were eager to try them to see how they compared to the real thing.
You don’t have to create something that has never been made before, but avoid reinventing the wheel. Try new flavors, packaging, technology, or marketing, and you might be surprised by how well-received your new beverage is.
Identify Your Target Market
A target market is the people you’re trying to appeal to with your new beverage. Failure to identify your target market might mean you struggle to experience your anticipated sales numbers. Consider who you’re trying to appeal to during the initial manufacturing and marketing planning phase. For example, you might look at different marketing techniques to attract athletes for vitamin water or busy professionals if you have a new canned coffee product.
Focus on Packaging
A new customer might become a loyal one after trying your beverage for the first time, but you first have to encourage them to purchase it. Exciting and innovative packaging can often be the most effective way to obtain that first sale.
Think about the type of customer you’re trying to appeal to, and design your packaging and labeling accordingly. For example, you might use bright and fun colors to appeal to children, sleek and elegant fonts to grab the eye of busy professionals, and clean designs for refreshing and healthy drinks that active people want to enjoy. Many beverage manufacturers also look at what their competition is doing to see what works, what doesn’t, and how they could do even better.
Create Demand On Social Media
Social media can be a powerful marketing tool if you use it properly. Some of the best beverage producers experienced success with new beverages simply by creating hype online before a new drink even made it in-store.
Develop teaser content to get followers thinking about possible flavor combinations you might be releasing, and even consider holding competitions for people to obtain early-release products. If marketing efforts begin before a product hits the shelves, consumers might be more likely to look out for it and purchase it when it finally arrives.
Sell Your Unique Points
Very rarely do products enter the market that other businesses aren’t already manufacturing. Your product might be one of the dozens already for sale, but that doesn’t mean it won’t stand out. Find your unique point and sell it.
For example, you might offer a sugar-free version of a beverage traditionally filled with sugar or something that offers far more vitamins and minerals than other related products. Hone in on these points in your marketing strategy, and you might stand out from your competition for all the right reasons.
Promote It At Events
Social media and email marketing are often effective ways to share the news of a new product. However, you can sometimes attract a wider audience by advertising it at events.
If trade shows, music festivals, and other events are coming up near you, see if you can host a PR event with competitions, giveaways, and drinks for sale. People from all walks of life attend such events, and if they see your product for the first time there, they might be more inclined to buy it in a store at a later date. Don’t forget to advertise that you’ll be at these events on your social media platforms so that interested buyers can look out for you.
Many manufacturers find it challenging to grab the general public’s attention with a new beverage, snack, or another product they’ve created. While generating excitement can take some time, you might experience more success than anticipated by taking the steps above.