Beverage Marketing

Beverage marketing touches every aspect of the brand. It communicates key product attributes to consumers, executes promotional programs, manages incentive programs for distributors and retailers, develops co-operative marketing campaigns with strategic partners, conducts and interprets research, stays on top of competitive activity, and is responsive to changing market conditions. It must also administer financial resources with the goal of achieving maximum ROI for every marketing dollar spent. It is important to understand the distinction between two key functional areas of beverage marketing—consumer marketing and channel marketing. Consumer Marketing Activities undertaken by the company to reach the end consumer is the definition of classic consumer beverage marketing. This can include sampling programs, public relations efforts, advertising campaigns, consumer research, internet activation, promotions, and more. Consumer marketing strategies and tactics are an essential part of brand management, and many companies will usually allocate adequate funds in this area. Channel Marketing and Co-op Marketing efforts On the other side of the coin, beverage marketing to the retail trade, or channel marketing, is important as it can strengthen a beverage brand's relationship with key retail partners. An effective channel-marketing program will focus on merchandising activity, heighten in-store awareness, and reach consumers where it matters most—at the point of purchase. A co-op marketing program can be an effective way to partner with a retailer to optimize promotional efforts, such as discount pricing, in-store displays, contests, advertising, direct mail and more. New brand owners will often find themselves inundated with offers and opportunities from vendors looking for promotional dollars. A producer must be able to evaluate these opportunities and determine which ones will best help the brand's growth.