Testimonials are the Most Effective Form of Advertising
GETTING THE WORD OUT!
You can say what you want about how great your product is, but your customer wants to know what others think about it. Third parties give the appearance of independent opinion that adds significant credibility to their endorsements. Testimonial examples that successful CPG brand builders use...
Don’t Let Price Anchoring Sink Your Ship
COMPARED TO WHAT?
The first price your customers hear or see is the price from which they will reference all future pricing messages. In other words, the first price is the anchor that they will keep coming back to in their minds when considering higher or lower prices for...
5 Ways to Keep your CPG Product on the Retail Shelf
THEY CAN’T BUY IT IF IT AIN’T THERE!
Too often we hear CPG brand builders bragging about how they have finally achieved shelf placement at some big box or chain store. But, broadly distributed CPG brands are only as good as their ability to maintain and expand their retail shelf presence. With our experience...
How to Get Paid for Your New Product Idea
I’VE GOT A GREAT IDEA, SO PAY ME!
We often hear, “I’ve got a great new product idea, so pay me!” It’s as if the person with the new product idea thinks that the idea itself is worthy of compensation. For the most part, it’s not. It’s usually a very long and arduous journey...5 Ways Brand Architecture Can Wreck Brands
THE BRAND BONE YARD
Ever notice how some CPG brands just disappear from the marketplace? One day they are in the store like they have been for years and the next, Poof! They’re history! This phenomenon is usually caused by structural flaws in the Brand Architecture of the acquiring company....
5 Factors Affect CPG Brand Positioning
YOUR MESSAGE VS THEIR PERCEPTION
Shelf Brand Positioning CPG brand builders are constantly jockeying for position. They know that their brand will live or die based on its position on the shelf. Too high, too hard to reach. Too low, won’t get noticed. Eye level is where they strive to be....
5 Positioning Tools to Target Your Brand
BULL’S EYE!
A recent survey we conducted polling 14 international accelerators concluded that one of the top three reasons for business failure was a poor product-market fit. The owners of these accelerators make it their business to recognize and know when this problem emerges among their clients. They...
7 Responsibilities That Distinguish a Brand From a Product
YOU ARE YOUR PRODUCT!
The terms “brand” and “product” are often used interchangeably. This is especially true in the supply and distribution chain where branded products are moved along until they finally get to the consumers, usually on a retail store shelf. You will often hear consumer brand builders say...
7 Rebranding Tips
NOT SO FAST!
Are you having trouble with sales? Has your distribution run into a wall? There’s a boatload of rebranding experts telling you, “It’s time to rebrand!” They have a vested interest in your decision to do so. They get paid whether or not their rebranding strategy plans...
How to use Ethos, Pathos, and Logos to Build Your CPG Brand
I WANT IT!
Since before the time of Aristotle, humans have been trying to convince other humans to take action. But it was Aristotle who really defined the three major ways those arguments could be characterized. Were they arguments of “Ethos,” appealing to the advocate’s credentials and authority? Were...
Accelerate Online Brand Building with Physical Distribution
I’VE SEEN THAT BRAND BEFORE!
We spend a lot of time and money these days on online brand building. There are thousands of online marketers who promise to transform your sales. They’ll build you funnels, buy you Facebook ads, and even write compelling copy. But who does it go to? A...
Perceived Value is a Personal Choice
IN RELATION TO WHAT?
It’s really hard to give folks a good deal! This is especially true when your price matches a point that is not known for high quality. We ran into this perceived value challenge when we started Barefoot Wine. Our concept was to produce a product that...
A Goldmine for Brand Builders is Hidden in The Calendar
IT’S ALL TIMING!
The calendar is a gold mine for brand builders in the consumer package goods (CPG) space. At Barefoot Wines, we used the calendar to lay out our brand building strategy two years in advance. We didn’t just look at it, we studied it! We wanted to...
Startup Brand Builders Need to Take the Retail Sales Process Seriously
“WILL BE SOLD AT RETAIL”
Too many business plans over simplify the sales process. We have seen some that state under the sales section, “Will be sold at retail.” Good luck with that! As a society, we constantly underestimate the sales process. This popular “shopper’s” view of sales has no place...
5 Essentials to a Successful Brand Ad
“WHAT ARE THEY SELLING?”
Advertising is expensive. So, why not do it right? Even when done to perfection, you’ve only got a split second to grab the attention of your potential customer. You must get noticed and understood, and communicate a clear call to action – all in a blink...
Fear Can Blind You from Seeing Solutions
CONFIDENCE BREEDS CREATIVITY
One of the most common questions we get from folks who are new entrepreneurs or brand builders is, “What keeps you going when you run into a wall?” Another is, “How do you handle the unknown?” Both questions are interrelated. If you don’t know how to...
Successful Product Producers Must Be Service Providers
SERVICE WHAT YOU SELL!
We meet a lot of inventors, innovators, makers and consumer brand builders. They all say they are product producers. But is that all that is required? When does your product require servicing? Right after you sell it! It is then that your customers begin to experience...
Grow Your Brand Faster with Velocity Pricing
SELL MORE - FASTER!
Everything has a price at which the greatest volume is sold. Whether it’s a crib or a car, a book or a bike, a refrigerator or a television, each has a popular price point. If we say camera, you think $200. If we say computer, you...