There is absolutely no doubt that 2020 has been the year of adaptability and reinvention for so many industries. It has been remarkable to see how creative people have become through adversity in this time of forced change. One of the most interesting developments in customer strategy comes from the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector. We have watched FCMG manufacturers break-away from the old B2B channels and marketing conventions. It is inspiring to see how new direct to customer engagement strategies have been executed. Traditional options for customers to touch and feel retail products have become unavailable. So firms who traditionally relied on traditional bricks and mortar retail channels have embraced selling through the barriers to connect with their customers directly. This has even extended sensory products relying on the taste to drive purchase. We recently introduced a sampling and communications campaign into a small emerging healthcare company specialising in supplements for changing nutritional needs during maternity.
30% of consumers don’t like swallowing pills
A major challenge for supplements is 30% of consumers are reticent to take pills because they find them uncomfortable to swallow. The healthcare company’s solution was to prepare their supplement formulation as a soluble powder. Different nutrient levels were combined to fit with pre-pregnancy, first, second or third trimester stages. Despite the advantage from avoiding pills to swallow, the manufacturer found consumers were not taking up the product. They believed greatest barrier to consumption was uncertainty around how the product tasted. At a price point of $40+, even consumers who liked the pill free concept were still not prepared to buy without trying out the taste first.
In a bricks and mortar environment manufacturers cannot sample this product because of legislation limiting how samples of pharmaceutical products can be shared. A further challenge with retail channels is how FMCG manufacturers are one step removed from their customers. Suppliers are often kept in the dark because retailers tend not to share consumer purchase data obtained from their point of sale and loyalty programs. Our healthcare client was not able to understand who was purchasing the products or what stage of their journey to motherhood they had reached when the purchase was through a retailer. Introducing a combined sampling and integrated social media program aimed at driving trial before purchase created a direct conversation with target consumers. This led to a tailored weekly email communication strategy for the 40 weeks of their pregnancy. It is important to see this connections as much more than just one click for online shopping or a single sale in a retail store.
Tailored communications over 40 weeks deepened connections
The real power of this strategy wasn’t in the conversion to purchase. Instead our healthcare client was able to gather real-time data about their consumers. They now have a better understanding of what motivates them, where do they look for their information, what influences their decision making, and what social media platform or forums they use to discuss pregnancy issues. All of this insight and analytics can continually be used to refine the communication. This creates deeper connectivity through consumer personalisation. Ultimately this engages more consumers for longer.
Our advice to brand owners is to carefully think about unique ways to engage and communicate with your consumers. Understanding where they are, how to reach them, how they are feeling and how you can engage with them helps build strong, trusting and enduring connections. Consumers who choose to be part of this journey ultimately become more engaged with the associated brand. Integrate owned digital content with assets with user-generated content and broadcast this frequently across a variety of social channels such as Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. Our client learned a single burst of activity or one event just doesn’t work for this product category. This may be because purchase involvement is so much higher than impulse based FMCG purchases. It could also be because the barrier to trial required multiple communications to break down. It may also be related to the communications channel.
New channels are emerging, such as ‘Reels’ on Instagram and methods such as ‘Moments’ on WeChat. The winners in accelerating the connection with consumers are those who can adapt. We are seeing a rise in collaborations between manufacturers and the more authentic and relatable ambassadors. These key opinion leaders are attractive because of they way they have shortened the distance between themselves, the brands they endorse and their followers.
One way push communications struggle to get traction
The traditional content agency is also being forced to adapt quickly to keep pace with this new organic creativity. FMCG marketers are looking for ways to talk to consumers from different angles, platforms and through more personalised methods. The one-way system of own-media being pushed outwards is struggling to get traction without intensive creativity and purpose. FMCG manufacturers need to be aware their communications are more successful when used in conjunction with a number of different media types. It’s all about keeping the relationship alive.
2020 has taught us we must all be much braver, work smarter and be more creative. Embrace the changes and building strong, long-lasting connections with consumers, this will ensure that your marketing is relevant and becomes prosperous in difficult times.
Simon Morriss heads up Raw Insights. He started the firm after more than 20 years within the FMCG and Healthcare industries. Simon’s clients leverage his extensive experience in portfolio, channel brand strategies. What makes Simon different is his ability to cut through all the data to get to the core of what drives profitability and growth for his clients.