Photo Credit: Flickr user: langalex
I’m not sure if I chose to write about this because I skipped breakfast and I’m hungry or if it’s because it’s almost time for the Summer Fancy Food Show. Either way, I’m going to be heading to lunch early today after reviewing some of my favorite food sites to seek out anything other than the lame sandwich I packed for lunch.
If you’re in the food industry, you’ve heard of the Summer Fancy Food Show that attracts established and aspiring specialty food companies. And the word ‘companies’ is used loosely because the show is known for attracting food entrepreneurs who make or bake in their own kitchens and are looking to become the next rags to riches story. Yes, the dreams of many will come true this year at the show. Hundreds of never-heard-of-them-before brands will be represented.
Do these small brands, who are big on passion but short on cash, have any chance of making it big against long-time food giants like Nabisco, Kellogg’s, Kraft and Heinz? Yes, some of them do thanks to the internet, social media and consumers growing appetite for the niche brands they discover and share.
What can these small start-up specialty food brands do to find success online?
Based on what’s worked for some of the specialty food brands we’ve worked with such as Robert Rothschild Farm, Just Pop In, Adelphia Seafood, and others, here are the five things you need to be successful online.
Excellence.
You’ve got to look successful – even if you aren’t (yet). You have to act like a real company – even if it’s still just you baking in your jammies at home. This is food we are talking about. This is one of those categories that absolutely require consumer trust. If your website looks unprofessional, if it doesn’t fully function the way it should, or if (gasp) you don’t have an online presence, you will not be taken seriously outside a small network of your family and friends.
Experience.
Not yours – theirs. What do you offer in terms of a customer service experience? Do you have contact information posted so customers can get in touch with you if they have questions? Do you answer them in a timely fashion? Do you offer convenient links to information on how to order, where to find, or what’s in your products? It’s funny, we all know how important first impressions are but sometimes start-ups feel they don’t need to offer a certain level of service because customers will be more forgiving of a new brand. It’s actually not true – customers will be more forgiving of a brand they have a long-term relationship with – not one that missed the mark on the first few encounters.
Engagement.
Food is sensory and emotional for everybody yet many new brands start out with a sterile product-focused, informational website or introduction. Whether you are communicating online, via email or social media, make sure that your headlines, photos and key messages speak to us as humans. As an example, I love hot sauce. I own a lot of hot sauces already and definitely have several favorites. If you come out with a new hot sauce, don’t just tell me what’s in it (although that’s important) but tell me (through images and messaging) why I’ll love it. You can’t just tell me it’s hot. I’ve got to feel the heat and taste the bite as I look at your images and read your materials. Just a picture of the hot sauce bottle may not do it for me. I want to visualize what I would use the hot sauce on and how it would taste. Don’t forget sensory words (such as ‘sizzle’, etc.) can be just as powerful as imagery and the combination can be euphoric. Ok, I’m ready for lunch now.
Exposure.
Unlike some of the industry giants that can afford to do expensive test marketing, you likely don’t have the budgets to do national advertising through traditional channels. And local cable and radio advertising might not target a broad enough audience. Digital channels are not only affordable but also much more measurable than traditional counterparts – so if something isn’t working you can tweak strategies right away and avoid throwing money down the drain.
Elbow Grease.
I can’t remember which small appliance infomercial’s slogan was “set it and forget it” but it definitely shouldn’t be the slogan of your digital marketing efforts. Even though your passion is in the pudding so to say, it is important to spend some time building and ‘feeding’ (no pun intended) your customer and prospective customer networks with consistent and regular social media updates, email offers and announcements, and shareable web content such as videos or recipes. You should also set aside some time to strategize campaigns to capitalize on seasonal cycles or to directly address specific goals you may have for your business. Speaking of goals, you should also regularly take a look at your website analytics (often accessible for free with most reputable web hosting providers) to see where things are working well and where you can make improvements.
There is no ‘right’ recipe for successful gourmet and specialty foods marketing, but there are a few staple ingredients that your brand should keep within reach. If you’re looking for the right digital spice, contact us –or- share your favorite recipe card in the comments.
| Share This | 
|
Tags: digital marketing, Erin Presseau, Fancy Foods, Robert Rothschild Farm
