Marketing and Merchandising: Target the right audience this holiday season

Holiday wrapping and peanutsAround the holidays, there is so much noise that retailers must break through to engage with shoppers. According to research from Valassis, the key to engaging with customers is with strategic targeting – knowing your audience and offering them the right deals.

Here are some steps that will help retailers engage with their customers this season:

1. Consider both past purchases and current intent: Customers who have purchased peanuts or peanut butter in the past are your key targets. Create messaging content for them, offering unique ways to use peanuts and peanut butter this holiday season, as well as suggestions for recipes for their holiday gatherings.

2. Understand your audience: Reach new and existing consumers through social media, digital newsletters, and in-store loyalty programs. Creatively and strategically produce value offers such as one-day sales and coupons.

3. Embrace the power of proximity: Leverage your location to reach consumers within the vicinity of your stores, tapping into loyal shoppers and last-minute purchases. This could be in the form of community flyers or signs for shoppers in the neighbourhood.

4. Tap geo-location data: Use geo-location targeting to reach known, qualified consumers who live, work or travel near your location or that of competitors, which can help when promoting deals.

 

BONUS: Retailers who have the in-store space would benefit from building effective displays which are ideally positioned for shoppers. Specific to peanut butter for holiday baking, a wing or end display will entice shoppers to purchase the product. For in-shell peanuts and snack nuts, it’s about displaying them in a unique way: adding them to the Holiday Nut section in produce and the Holiday Season potato chip displays, or strategically place the product at front-ends for impulse sales, moving displays up to eyesight.