Click to read the original article for details. When it comes to the human wave tactic, many people immediately think of inefficiency and high costs. The deep distribution 1.0 model is a thing of the past, and the human wave tactic has been phased out. Now we should think about the market with internet thinking and find more superior and faster ways to capture the market. However, the reality is harsh: first, many SMEs lack the capital for new marketing models, and even companies with new marketing models are everywhere but struggling. In the past year or two, capital-driven internet-famous products have been fleeting, with an average lifespan of less than 3 years. A company planning for the long term must have blood, flesh, and soul; it cannot do without people. I haven't delved deeply into other industries, but the beverage FMCG industry I'm talking about today is labor-intensive, with low entry barriers and a workforce of varying levels. Consumers' purchases of non-planned products still rely on traditional channels, so the human wave tactic will persist for a long time. What's changing is the transition from manufacturer personnel to distributor personnel. Large trading companies are completing the integration of big fish eating small fish, and the rise of multi-category operations where manufacturers seek cooperation with trading companies. I remember a post by Teacher Fang Gang last year on WeChat Moments: Sometimes violence is more useful than art! The construction of channel barriers is a wall of flesh and blood; blood is scale, capital, resources, and money; flesh is the human wave tactic! I strongly agree. It is feasible for SMEs to build regional brands and channel barriers, balancing survival and development with relatively limited resources. Today, I'm revisiting the human wave tactic in beverage operations, focusing on how to use it for consumer promotions to build a regional brand. What is the human wave tactic and what is its role? The human wave tactic is a common promotional tactic in daily consumer promotions by FMCG personnel, where the number of promoters is the key to winning. It is used at optimal promotional time points, within a certain region or channel. Its purpose is to promote brand awareness and differentiate the product. The promotion cost is far lower than various media campaigns, and consumer education is precise and long-lasting. Taking special channels like supermarkets, gas stations, and cinemas as examples, experiential human wave tactics cost only a few yuan or one product per person, yet the results are very good. Executing the human wave tactic must use internal staff as the main promotional force, with external promoters participating and cooperating. The promotional site must be supplemented with advantageous special displays and visual merchandising. Promoters engage consumers through shouting, introduce product selling points, and divide labor to effectively intercept at multiple points, ultimately creating a crowd of consumers, thereby managing herd mentality, boosting sales, and driving brand communication. What are the best execution timings for the human wave tactic?

  1. Major holidays, such as May Day, National Day, Spring Festival, etc.

  2. Event marketing, with good reasons and opportunities, such as sports events, government activities, supermarket anniversaries, etc.

  3. Peak sales seasons, as a reward mechanism.

  4. When competitors launch new products, offer special prices, or launch targeted attacks. What can the human wave tactic bring us? Internally: Short-term local hotspots can multiply sales in certain regions or channels, and it's also the best time to train the team, improving collaboration and cohesion, and boosting morale. Externally: The human wave tactic can concentrate combat power, snipe at competitor offensives within a certain range, and suppress competitor morale. How to execute the human wave tactic, and what is the process? (1) Determine the theme and do thematic marketing. A. Determine the promotional method. Common methods include: 1. Tasting/free samples; 2. Buy-and-gift activities; 3. Lottery draws; 4. Coupons/vouchers; 5. Trade-in activities; 6. Spend-and-reduce or spend-and-gift; 7. Points redemption/rewards; 8. Joint promotions; 9. More quantity for the same price; 10. Accumulate and win/lottery; 11. Share on Moments to win; 12. Smash golden eggs; 13. Lucky wheel. The best promotional method is one that maximizes consumer satisfaction while achieving sales profit and brand reputation. B. The theme should be concise and clear. For example, Nongfu Spring's annual Spring Festival theme for its 1.8L orchard juice is: "Nongfu Orchard, Healthy Reunion," and Huiyuan Juice's theme is: "It's not New Year without Huiyuan." A clear theme can go straight to the point and resonate with consumers. C. Promotions should be targeted. For example, during Spring Festival, target people returning home to spend the holiday with parents; on Qixi Festival, target couples; on Children's Day, target the needs of children and teenagers. D. Highlight the promotional incentive. Any promotional activity must have a reason to be effective. For example, one human wave promotion might aim to reward new and old customers, while another might aim to care for children. (2) Pre-preparation for the human wave tactic. A. Determine the execution venue, such as supermarkets, cinemas, business districts, etc. What makes an ideal venue? First, there must be people (harmony), meaning consumers, and it should be a gathering place for the target audience. For young and fashionable products, go to business districts, cinemas, animation cities, etc.; for middle-aged and elderly products, go to senior activity centers; for children's products, go to kindergartens, after-school care centers, children's parks, etc. Target consumer identification must be precise. Second, there must be conditions (geographical advantage), including space for the activity, product displays, and cooperation from relevant personnel. Finally, there must be the best timing (heavenly timing), which is the peak traffic period. B. Communication and negotiation after selecting the venue. First, communicate with the store; determining the location is key. A good promotional or display position is half the battle. High-quality venues have the following aspects:

  1. High-traffic aisles (main aisles in the beverage section)
  2. End caps on main beverage aisles
  3. Next to major competitors' displays, doing category displays, fighting close to competitors, and highlighting your differentiation
  4. The checkout counter, though not the first choice, can be an effective supplement
  5. Near complementary products, e.g., for maternal and infant water, be close to the milk powder section; for tea-brewing water, be close to the tea section. Next, clarify the activity schedule, preferably with an agreement to ensure normal operation at the time point. Then, details like promotional pricing and profit distribution. Finally, consider special situations that may arise during the activity, requiring venue personnel support and service. C. Product stocking, display, visual merchandising, and promotional item preparation. Stock products as close to the consumer-visible area as possible to increase exposure. Use visual merchandising materials to package the product; irregular-shaped displays are most eye-catching. Never do bare stacking. Price information, promotional information, and promotional item information should be clear at a glance. D. Mobilization meeting for internal staff and training for temporary promoters. The ultimate goal of the human wave tactic is to use a large number of people for professional consumer education, making them understand the product, buy it, and then like it, driving repeat purchase habits. Therefore, training for participants is crucial. Unified scripts and standard answers to consumer questions are very important. First, all personnel must know the product knowledge thoroughly, summarizing the product's features (inherent physical characteristics, explaining what the product is), advantages (refining the product's strengths, amplifying them compared to competitors, while avoiding shortcomings), and benefits (meeting customer needs and purchase motives). Second, fully empathize with consumers, standing in their shoes to understand: What is this product? What use do I have for it? What benefits can it bring me? In short, prepare a series of sales pitches and think about potential problems and solutions. (3) On-site execution of the human wave tactic. A. Choose golden time slots based on the venue. Invest limited energy into the golden time periods, avoid attrition warfare, and improve promoter morale for better results. For supermarket human wave tactics, the golden time slots are:

. On Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, peak traffic occurs at: 10:00-11:00, 14:30-15:30, 18:30-19:30; 2. On weekdays, peak traffic occurs at: 10:00-11:00, 14:30-16:30, 19:30-20:30. Pay attention to these time slots, balance work and rest, and adjust the best mental state to the golden time. B. On-site execution: division of labor is key; do organized human wave tactics. The team should have clear division of responsibilities, with each person accountable. There should be team leaders and members, each performing their duties. Who is responsible for shouting? Who for intercepting consumers? Who for maintaining displays? Who for safety stock? Who for giving away promotional items? Who handles cash register if outside? Among these, intercepting traffic and creating a crowd is the key to success, so personnel interception is the focus. C. The promotional process of the human wave tactic: Step 1: Attract and intercept. The key is to take the initiative and attract with enthusiasm. Use concise scripts to express consumer benefit points, such as "Buy X product and get a washing machine free," or "X product originally 10 yuan, now at a shocking price of 3 yuan." The core of attraction and interception is proactivity: find the target audience, introduce product selling points, pay attention to children or other easily interested groups, and intercept consumers buying competitor products. Step 2: Recommend the product. The key is to quickly grasp consumer psychology as a professional, highlighting product differentiation concisely. For example, Qingdao Kelan Mineral Water's high-calcium product has natural calcium content more than ten times that of other products on the market, making it the king of calcium supplementation in water. Be direct and also judge the consumer: Are they just browsing or have a purpose? Differences between young and old? Single or family? Male or female? Decision-maker or not? Step 3: Promote purchase. The key is to add momentum, touch hearts, and have the ability to close the deal. Seize the consumer's psychology and facilitate the purchase. When the time is right, you can directly place the product in the shopper's cart. Step 4: See off the customer. The key is politeness and leaving a good impression, which facilitates repeat purchases. Polite language is essential. D. Common tricky issues in the human wave tactic. 1. Not allowed to have many people enter the venue; 2. Not allowed to wear uniform promotional clothing, use promotional tables, or shout loudly; 3. Poor display location with few consumers; 4. Insufficient materials; 5. Stockouts due to high sales; 6. Competitors have bigger scenes and stronger promotions. These issues must be fully prepared for, with timely feedback and adjustment plans. (4) Activity summary of the human wave tactic. A. Statistics on our sales and competitor sales during the activity. After each day's activity, collect sales data for our products and competitors' products promptly, track continuously, and make comparative analysis before and after the activity to summarize gains and losses. For competitor promotions, on one hand, take photos to record their promotional content; on the other hand, collect their sales data before and after our activity. Compare with competitor promotional data and execution content to analyze gaps and summarize experience. B. Team evaluation and incentives. Create a competitive atmosphere, assess execution, and boost morale. The quality of human wave organization depends on internal competition and incentives. Before execution, formulate evaluation and reward plans. Conduct daily team sales assessments, evaluate outstanding teams, and reward them. In summary, it must be emphasized: the human wave tactic should not be a fatigue battle. On one hand, fully mobilize all staff to participate actively; on the other hand, plan reasonably and coordinate arrangements to balance work and rest. The human wave tactic must have clear goals and not be done just to make up numbers. Final thoughts: The purpose of this article is not to prove how superior the human wave tactic is, but to guide regional beverage managers on how to do consumer promotions (consumer communication and education) efficiently and at low cost within their regions, to boost regional brand power. I also want to emphasize that FMCG professionals living under the internet should not be impetuous; they should do market work steadily, follow up step by step, and remember that haste makes waste. A few years ago, a mid-to-high-end water product with strong financial backing taught us a lesson: To make your product long-lived, the introduction, growth, and maturity stages are all indispensable. Consumers need accumulation, and FMCG professionals are always on the road. If you wish to communicate with the author, please click to read the original article for details.