Traditional community promotional activities have become a common daily practice for manufacturers and distributors, but the uniformity of promotional methods is increasingly losing appeal to consumers, who have also lost interest.
In June, Li Shengli, a salesperson for a beverage company in Guangdong, organized a series of large-scale community promotional events under the theme "Happy Summer, Tianniu's Sincere Rewards" as required by the company. He chose an ordinary community as the target for the promotion. However, due to insufficient preparation, the event was blocked by property management from the start. After negotiations, two hours had already passed. Finally, they managed to set up the promotional tents and products, only to discover that some giveaways and promotional materials were missing. By the time everything was sorted out, it was already lunchtime. The staff and promoters took turns eating, and it was already 3 PM when the promotion finally kicked off. The staff had lost their initial enthusiasm and were not in the right state of mind, responding half-heartedly to consumers' greetings and inquiries. Moreover, since the product promotion offered no price or discount advantage over similar products in the community's supermarkets, and the product's price point was far from the community's spending power, the result was that more people looked than asked, and the scene was lukewarm...
Looking at current community promotional activities, the situation is quite bleak. Many business personnel feel confused but cannot break away from traditional methods. How should community promotional activities be conducted to maximize promotional effectiveness, sales volume, and publicity goals?
1. Understand the Purpose and Characteristics of Community Promotions As part of promotional activities, community promotions aim not only to solve inventory issues and curb sales decline but also to quickly build brand awareness and reputation in the community, strengthen communication between the company and consumers, and let community consumers better understand the product. Compared to commercial district promotions, community promotions have distinct characteristics.
| Difference | Community Promotion | Commercial District Promotion |
|---|---|---|
| Target | Fixed population | Mobile population |
| Scope of publicity | Small | Large |
| Impact effect | Small but long-lasting and profound | Large but short-lived |
| Timing | Irregular | Concentrated on holidays |
| Scale | Small | Large |
2. Make a Detailed Plan for Community Promotions To ensure the smooth and successful execution of promotional activities, it is necessary to develop a promotional plan tailored to the characteristics of community promotions. The plan should generally include: activity background, objectives, theme, content and format (such as giving gifts to attract target consumers, special discounts, flash sales, etc.), timing, duration, location, participants, responsible persons, steps, budget, materials, etc. This provides a basis for action during the process.
3. Prepare Thoroughly Before the Promotion Being well-prepared is the foundation for success. Generally, the following preparations should be made before a community promotion:
(1) Community Selection Choose communities that match the product's characteristics and price point, focusing on target consumers.
(2) Community Environment Survey Gain a comprehensive understanding of the community, such as the number of residential buildings, geographic location, number of target consumers, and how competitive products are selling in local retail stores. In short, all information related to consumer purchasing behavior and the community should be included in the survey. Key aspects include:
A. Number of households and population in the community. B. Consumption level (high, middle, or low), age composition, income status; for work-unit communities, also understand the unit's benefits and salary payment schedule. C. Activity patterns of residents: activity times, places, commuting times, peak hours, gathering areas, main traffic routes, etc. D. Surrounding environment: whether there are large supermarkets, markets, etc., and the sales and prices of your products there. E. Property management fees and any requirements during and after the activity.
Generally, points A, B, C, and D can be learned from the property management head. For fee issues, you can communicate in advance with small favors or gifts, which may reduce costs and possibly help with site selection or assistance during the event. However, point E requires the community promotion leader to personally understand.
(3) Survey and Selection of Promotion Points Based on the community environment survey, determine the number and locations of promotion points. The best locations are the most popular squares or main thoroughfares. Consider the location, size, and orientation (e.g., lighting for summer afternoon promotions) to plan the layout. The leader should personally visit and sketch the site for planning.
(4) Community Preheating Post posters, hang banners, and distribute notices. It is best to have the notices stamped by the neighborhood committee or property management to increase credibility. Posters should be placed in rows of 2-3 for visual impact. Each flyer distributor should briefly explain the purpose and content of the activity to inform as many consumers as possible and build momentum.
(5) Preparation of Promotional Materials and Products 1. Promotional materials: Include banners, streamers, display racks, promotional tents, trifold brochures (product and company introduction), promotional tables, and if possible, VCD/TV and audio equipment to expand influence.
2. Products: A. Product variety (determine main and auxiliary varieties based on community understanding). B. Product quantity.
3. Personnel: A. Number and division of labor (e.g., cashier, product introducer, site maintenance, bookkeeping). B. Training on product knowledge, unified promotional language, and sales techniques.
4. Tools: A. Pens or markers. B. Packaging bags or plastic bags. C. Tape. D. Giveaways. E. Relevant documents: copies of quality inspection reports, health permits, business licenses, production permits, etc. F. Promotional forms (e.g., material lists, product lists, feedback forms). J. Change for cash transactions. For free tasting items, prepare tasting cups and any additional items as needed.
4. Control the Process During the Promotion (1) Arrival time: To ensure orderly development and site setup, personnel and goods should arrive 30 minutes early for pre-event preparation.
(2) Product display: Establish standards for same-product concentration, neat arrangement, and consistent direction to attract consumers' attention.
(3) Promotion point layout: Utilize X-stands, umbrellas, promotional tables, and tents as much as possible to create a grand and attractive scene.
**(4) Giveaways, promotional explanations, posters, and price tags should be clear and prominently displayed to avoid disputes. If possible, play VCDs.
(5) Personnel requirements during the event: A. Uniform, neat, clean clothing; no fancy dress. B. Proper appearance, upright posture, civilized language. C. Friendly attitude, civilized behavior, clearly state amounts when collecting and giving change. D. Shout slogans loudly; do not remain silent. E. Obey management; do not argue with staff or customers. F. Introduce products clearly; do not slander other brands or exaggerate.
(6) Be flexible and adaptable: For community promotions, adjusting flexibly to meet consumer needs is key. For example, in one community, the promotion initially had poor results. Analysis showed that the main buyers were women and elderly, but due to the large community and heavy products, they were unwilling to walk far and carry goods. So, they temporarily adjusted personnel and added home delivery service, clearly announced during the promotion, resulting in a significant increase in purchases. In another community, the promotion offered "Buy A, Get B," but consumers preferred "Buy A, Get C." The salesperson quickly adjusted after price calculation, changing the quantity of giveaways while keeping the price unchanged, thus maintaining the promotion's principles and achieving the desired effect.
(7) Create a lively atmosphere: The site layout should be well-organized, with X-stands, posters, banners, etc., clearly visible. Staff should wear uniform company clothing and activity badges to create a warm atmosphere. Pay attention to details: if a consumer buys a product, try to keep them at the site a bit longer, speak louder so others can see and hear, as neighbors may influence each other. Capitalize on the psychology of liking "liveliness"; onlookers often have a high purchase rate. Research shows that only 40% of participants buy, while 60% of random buyers do. Use appropriate language to stimulate consumers, such as "Only one hour left," to create a hot-selling scene.
(8) Control details: Every detail must be under control. Do not cater to consumers who complain, but also do not offend them, as they live in the same community and could spread negative word-of-mouth. Staff must be patient and careful in explanations to prevent unpleasant incidents.
5. Wrap-Up After the Promotion As the saying goes, "A journey of a hundred miles is ninety percent complete." After the event, three issues remain:
(1) Inventory and cash reconciliation: For joint promotions with supermarkets, settle profits; with delivery personnel, clear accounts and sign confirmations, and fill out promotional forms.
(2) Clean up the site: Some staff leave the site messy after the event, which negatively impacts the promotion's later effects. Business personnel should include site cleanliness requirements in the promotion plan.
(3) Say goodbye to the store owner or property manager: Do not just leave after getting what you need. Say goodbye or give a small gift; this will likely lead to greater help in future activities.
6. Summarize and Evaluate After the community activity, hold a summary meeting to analyze the promotion: highlights, shortcomings, successes, failures, and how to improve. Reward outstanding staff. Also compare total costs, sales before and after the activity, and year-on-year growth. Write a summary report and organize customer files for future activities.
Tip: To achieve greater breakthroughs in community promotions, continuous innovation is essential. Only then can you create sales miracles.
-END-
China's best FMCG distributor learning platform Focusing on providing professional, practical, and actionable tutorials for enterprises and distributors Committed to helping Chinese FMCG distributors grow rapidly The most professional and practical knowledge base in the FMCG industry Reply with the red number below to get corresponding content Reply with number 1 to view the complete knowledge base | 001 Excellent Article Selection | 002 Distributor Market Operations | 003 Terminal Visit Management | 004 Sales Supervisor Skills | 005 Sales Improvement Techniques | 006 Channel Expansion | 007 Managing Distributors | 008 Distributor Development | 009 Distributor Internal Operations Management | 010 Team Management | 011 Efficient Distribution Techniques | 012 Sales Manager's 18 Skills | 013 KA Operation Methods and Strategies | 014 First Lesson for New Salespeople | 015 Internet, Brand | 016 Distributor B2B Transformation | [Long press QR code to follow]