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6. Win with a celebrity endorsement
Admittedly, there are pros and cons to this approach.
We’re all very familiar with the short-to-long term damage a brand may undergo for endorsing a celebrity who goes from star to villain at the click of a finger.
However, when executed correctly you may see yourself excel into new markets; particularly if you’re able to target the right individual at the right time. A prime example of a combination that has longevity is the deal struck between Nike and Michael Jordan, which has resulted in the world’s leading trainer line to date.
The additional benefits of adding a real life face to your brand are that it:
- makes what you’re offering more memorable
- allows potential buyers to be en vogue which in turn means acquiring VIP status
- gives the opportunity to shine for a significant moment, in a world forever preoccupied with new points of interest
Be aware that although you may be seeking a quick win, celebrity endorsements take time to nurture. Here, you’ll need to spend time planning, triggering and repeating events, in order to stimulate links with prospects.
Note: For anyone looking for a more educational stance on the matter, why not check out this piece from the European Journal of Business + Management?
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The endorsement process is an evolution. What you try to do is you endorse someone that you believe in and their ideas and their solutions align with yours.Herman Cain
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7. Always provide support
Support comes in many forms, but the underlying goal is to have consumers leave feeling more empowered than they were at the start of their journey.
When dealing with appliances, gadgets and other forms of technology, you’ll put your brand light-years ahead by making access to your product manuals available via your website. Remember to include legacy products too!
With the same degree of urgency, we’d also recommend integrating an FAQ engine into your site, for dealing with commonly raised issues to which answers are readily available.
For those owners of products in need of repairs, having a list of repair centres which can be called up via a postcode (or area) locator only stands to enrich the client care you provide. This works two-fold with approved repair shops happy for the boost in enquiries too.
Another tool which pays off greatly is the provision of a live chat facility and strong customer care via social channels. If you’re able to resource this, it will pay off in the long run and give greater insight around who your consumers are.
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8. Issue product callbacks and notifications (when necessary)
Appliances do fail from time to time, and on the odd occasion, it may be the fault of the manufacturer. Whenever faced with the dilemma, be entirely honest with the increasingly savvy markets you reach. Give reassurances to consumers by highlighting the issues at hand and the potential repercussions as well as routes to remedy.
You should make every move possible to contact known purchasers, offering either a solution or recall options.
Make sure the message reaches far and wide. Use your site’s homepage or a dedicated page as a hub to communicate steps to resolve the shared issue. I find it’s of extra assistance when you’re able to use precedence in your design so that typography, colours and imagery stand out in a similar way to a well-designed call-to-action.
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10. Build retail links with cashback + group buying websites
Jumping on to the process of affiliate marketing can truly help with the exposure of your products. Also, the idea of rewarding consumers with a slight discount actually opens up the opportunity for an increased lifetime value of customer.
When you’re able to expand product reach into a broader community of intelligent buyers, they’ll often share their advice and become advocates via forums, social networks, messenger services and directly by word-of-mouth.
As with all things, there are potential downsides, so, testing the market before rolling out schemes on a larger scale is essential. You’ll need to have a clear understanding of your margins and setting realistic goals from the offset will mean a happy brand and happy consumers.
How to stay durable in the consumer goods space (2)
Posted by Simeon Stanford on 16 Sep 2016 reading time
Posted by Simeon Stanford
Simeon heads up New Business + Accounts at Debunc. His sales experience across business intelligence, data and digital make him a force to be reckoned with. Away from managing accounts, he's a both a globetrotter and a gooner!
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How to stay durable in the consumer goods space (1)
If you work in the consumer goods space, reaching the right users at the right time is hard. Learn the tips and tricks to help you here!
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