For fresh produce marketers, standing out in the produce aisle can be a challenge. The solution starts with brand recognition and develops into brand awareness. For the fresh produce industry, brand recognition means that consumers can identify your brand by its tangible assets. It means consumers are familiar with your logo and packaging, and that they can recognize the brand when they see it in stores. Brand awareness goes a step further- it means that shoppers are able to recall information or specific experiences about your brand when they see your product in stores.
So how can fresh produce marketers establish brand recognition and nurture consumers into the brand awareness stage? When your produce looks, smells, and tastes just like the competition, how can you make your brand stand out? Take these steps to nurture your consumers into brand awareness and ensure that your brand is positively recalled in the future.
Remember that customer service happens before, during, and after a purchase
In the journey to brand awareness, customer service is step number one. It’s also step number two, and step number three, and so on. When making a purchase decision, consumers are constantly evaluating and re-evaluating. Shoppers take the time to research a purchase before making it, evaluate their experience while in-store, and think about the value they received once their purchase is complete. For fresh produce companies, evaluation often occurs right in the produce aisle, but you also have the power to shape it with communication outside of the grocery store. Shoppers may look to your website as a source of information about your product and your brand. Ensure your website is up-to-date with information that helps support consumers when they are considering your products. Social media is a powerful customer service tool that enables companies to respond to consumer inquiries in real time. Being active and engaged on social media shows consumers that you care about their feedback and that you’re invested in ensuring they’ve had a good experience even after their purchase is complete. Good customer service at every touchpoint creates a positive experience that will shape the way consumers recall your brand in-store.
Tell your unique story
Transparency is growing in importance to consumers. Today’s shoppers want to know where their food is coming from. Do you know what makes your brand different from the rest? Are you telling your grower story on your website and on social media? Find out what makes your brand unique (think sustainability practices, company history, etc.) and share it! Your story is what humanizes your brand and connects you to consumers on an emotional level. People do care, and they will remember what makes you different when they see your brand in their grocery store.
Stay relevant and be consistent in your messaging
Repetition, repetition, repetition. Like any habit you’ve ever formed, brand awareness happens after repeat experiences. You can’t expect a consumer to recall anything about you unless they’ve had multiple positive experiences with you. For fresh produce marketers, this means ensuring communication is frequent and consistent. Don’t go silent during off seasons. Keep your brand top-of-mind with blog posts, emails, and social media to provide opportunities for people to experience your brand. In doing so, you’ll nurture your audiences and encourage them to remember more than just your logo the next time they visit the produce aisle.
Understand your audience and give them more of what interests them
Brand awareness happens when someone is able to recall information and experiences about a brand. You can encourage brand awareness by providing information that is interesting and relevant to your audiences. To do so, establish a strategy for learning more about their interests and preferences, and then attract them through the information you know they care about. You can use Facebook Pixels to track the pages people visit on your website, and then target visitors with ads for coupons or promotions related to the content they viewed. You can also use segmentation to send emails to consumers based on their interests, dietary preferences, or other identifiers. By providing relevant information to consumers, you can shape the experiences people have with your brand and foster brand awareness. Your brand will benefit from your efforts when people are able to remember the helpful email they received or interesting offer they saw on social media.
Are you looking to build brand awareness, but not sure where to start? DMA offers a number of services to equip you with the assets needed to nurture consumers and help you build brand awareness! Click here to request a free consultation.
