Background and challenge
A well-known local food company develops and sells drinks and snacks, with many classic flavours and new products each season. It regularly uses offline and digital advertising, but standing out among the many products on store shelves takes more marketing effort than competitors make. CloudAD recommended completing the marketing plan with influencer and word-of-mouth marketing.
Successful influencer and word-of-mouth campaigns must leave a strong impression, but people take in huge amounts of information online every day. Getting the full combined effect was the challenge.
Starting from data, not gut feel
To win customers, you have to start from their point of view and be highly relevant to their needs. CloudAD used a social listening system to uncover consumer interests and find the right angle, then ran a combined influencer and word-of-mouth campaign.
- Finding the angle: after defining the new product’s audience, positioning and features, CloudAD used social listening to explore demand for drinks and snacks. It confirmed that offers matter most in drink purchases and identified the product’s niche: cheaper than hand-shaken drinks and easy to get. This helped the product gain acceptance quickly. CloudAD built this into the influencer and word-of-mouth plan to move potential customers from learning about the product to buying it.
- Influencer and word-of-mouth execution: even with the right angle, people check several sources before trusting a product. Influencers create broad exposure for a launch and set the conversation; word of mouth then brings people to the product themselves and builds loyal customers, and earlier positive reviews keep encouraging purchases when people search later.
Influencer marketing
Influencer selection used to rely on gut feel. CloudAD used an influencer data platform to match the advertiser with influencers by audience profile, engagement and reach, creating maximum buzz at launch. Later in the sales period, to keep interest up, CloudAD recommended adding a range of micro-influencers, whose high engagement and approachability earn trust and build purchase intent.
Word-of-mouth marketing
Who a word-of-mouth campaign reaches depends on the forums and boards chosen. CloudAD used social listening to find where people discuss new convenience store products. Many advertisers think word of mouth can only start after launch, but CloudAD recommended encouraging drink discussions before launch so the product arrives at the peak of interest, then using unboxings by everyday users to extend the conversation and encourage people to buy soon.
Results
Competition keeps growing and building buzz the moment a product launches now matters more than ever, so if you want your sales off to a strong start, get in touch.
