After months (or years) of designing and redesigning, you finally have the product you’ve been dreaming about which is a big reason to celebrate. Now comes the hard part. Convincing your dream store to carry and sell your brand’s product.
Ever wonder why some products have such prominent placement? You don’t necessarily need to be a big name to secure a spot. What you do need is to have the right team in place to make introductions and foster opportunities. Opening doors means connecting with the right people. That’s when a retail marketing agency comes into the picture.
Relationships are the key to any successful partnership. This rings true for getting your brand noticed and your product on store shelves. As intimidating as this may sound, industry experts play a vital role in assisting eager businesses to get the recognition they deserve. It’s all about building trust and helping retailers at the same time.
What a Retail Marketing Agency Can Do For Your Brand
At ChicExecs, our retail team knows the in’s and out’s of the competitive market and what it takes to build a strong relationship between the purchasing team and your brand.
This understanding sets ChicExecs apart as the only retail marketing agency that does it all. We put ourselves in the shoes of buyers and what they would need to fill their stores with the right products. Positioning your brand and finding the right fit takes time, patience, and a keen commitment to facilitating a relationship that grows over time.
Our Senior Director of Retail Strategy, Nichole Evans, says “Relationships and communication are the cornerstones of any solid foundation, and we keep that in mind when communicating with our buyers.”
To learn how you can secure the ideal shelf placement for your product, continue reading to see just some of the methods our retail team used to land the dream stores for our client Lunii.
Our Experience in the Industry
Many buyers are hesitant to take a chance on a new brand because they are uncertain if they can trust the company to bring in the profits they need. As a newly launched brand, Lunii faced the challenges that all new brands experience. They didn’t have contacts in the retail industry or an established history of consumer purchases.
With over 10 years of experience in navigating the retail industry, retailers and buyers know that ChicExecs is a name they can trust to be professional and helpful, opening doors for new brands as well as existing ones. Retailers and buyers need to trust that the agency or individuals they work with can fully understand what it is they need and are looking for with as little back and forth as possible. The quicker an agency can find the brand or product a store needs, the better.
Selective Store Placements
While it’s tempting to pitch your product to every store to see what sticks, that’s not the best way to entice buyers and retailers. It’s far better to pitch to a select amount of stores that actually fit with your brand’s image and values than to all of them.
As a brand that creates and sells children’s storytelling products, Lunii is a great fit with buybuyBaby and Barnes & Noble since their consumers include parents looking for that kind of product already. Lunii wouldn’t have had the same results and profits if they were being offered in Whole Foods or Forever 21.
Since our retail team has extensive knowledge in the retail industry, they could better assist Lunii in pitching to stores that are open and interested in carrying their products and avoid stores that wouldn’t have been a good overall fit.
Stay in Contact with Buyers
The work doesn’t stop now that a contract has been negotiated and signed. Keeping in contact with a buyer is key to maintaining the relationship you’ve been building. While you don’t want to bog down their day with constant phone calls or emails, checking in on how your products are doing and what you can do to help boost sales goes a long way in creating a strong partnership.
This also applies outside the meeting room. Our own retail team is friendly with their contacts outside of business, which further builds on the trust that’s been established already.
Whether you are a one-person marketing team or are utilizing a marketing agency, this is a practice that will have your brand stand out amongst your competitors. It’ll show buyers that you are serious about the partnership and are committed to using every tool you have to make it worth their time.
Comprehensive Awareness Campaign
There is more to a strong retail strategy than just placing your product in stores. Consistent efforts need to be made to drive consumers to find and purchase your products, not just walk right past them.
Your social media accounts should not only be highlighting your products but also announcing when a new store will be carrying them. In addition to this part of marketing, securing media attention and article features is also crucial to boosting retail success since a newer and wider audience is being reached.
This is what sets ChicExecs apart. Our in-house PR and social media teams work alongside retail to provide a robust awareness campaign. While Lunii worked to build their following and produce more stories, a comprehensive strategy was implemented that included partnerships with influencers and securing articles that featured their products. The efforts of the different teams are integral in promoting higher demands and sales for Lunii, which confirms a retailer’s and buyer’s confidence in carrying their products.
As industry leaders, the entire team at ChicExecs is ready to provide you with the support you need to achieve your brand dreams. Not only do we have the expertise and out-of-the-box marketing strategies, but also the passion to see you succeed. It’s a win-win for you and the retailer and we love to make that happen as your retail-focused marketing and PR agency.
