Closing the Gap Between Digital Marketing & Real World Interaction
If you watch my regular videos on LinkedIn, you’ll know that often I talk about ‘closing the gap between digital and real-world interactions’ but what do I actually mean by that?
Closing the gap is using your well-established audience and online advertising platforms to create excitement that assists and promotes your real-world in-store promotions to boost sales and avoid the dreaded issue of obsolete stock.
After many years of selling products into retailers, I understand some of the potential implications that inevitably come with that, but I’m going to share with you how you can ‘close the gap’.
The not so successful retail launch...
Let me start by saying, we’ve all been there. You set up a product launch, an FSDU (Free Standing Display Unit) or a shop end to go in with many products, the launch goes live and it didn’t go quite as we planned or hoped.
Now of course, sometimes that does happen, we all get things wrong, we are all humans after all!
The big question is, what happens to the stock in those situations? This has the potential to be a huge stress for both the retailer and for the brand.
One of the solutions for this is that you could close the gap between digital and real-world interactions, and combine the two.
Let’s take a look at this as a ‘Problem vs Solution’ scenario
Say you’ve just launched a range that’s gone into 400 stores in a major supermarket, the product sales are WAY off from what you expected and all of a sudden you’re thinking:
‘OH MY GOODNESS, there’s going to be so much obsolete stock at the end of this promotion’
If you work with retailers you’ll know that there is rarely any chance to push that stock into store space because the merchandising has been set for a certain period of time. You’ll also know that there’s no way of changing that.
What happens with the stock? Quite often that becomes a rather uncomfortable situation between the brand and the retailer trying to work out who can support and with what money to get that stock marked down and cleared through.
How can you use digital marketing to help you make more sales in the real world?
One example of how I feel brands can close the gap between digital and real-world interactions would be to ask that retailer to push that stock into their online DC. Here, you would set up a listing for that product on their website and then the brand would run some amazing targeted digital advertising to that promotion themselves on their own marketing channels or email marketing.
Doing it this way would use the brand’s well-established audience and existing customers that they’ve built through their advertising platforms over the years and show that audience the amazing offer that's on their products. This would enable them to sell through that obsolete stock online with a limited markdown.
These marketing efforts can build brand awareness through online marketing and reach potential customers on social media or other digital channels. This could also enhance the customer's journey if your ads are targeted based on their current interests or activity on your website. Not only would this promote your products or services but it would also enhance user experience if they are being shown relevant material across digital media.
Effectively, what you’re doing is taking that problem instore in the real world and solving it in the digital world.
Let’s connect…
Are you wondering how you can utilise closing the gap between digital marketing and real-world interaction in your business and avoid obsolete stock? Drop me an email on Mary-anne@firebellymedia.co.uk and I can send you some more information on how to achieve this.
Remember, using digital marketing and talking to your audience in the correct place where they are listening can benefit you massively!
BIG love,
Mary-Anne. x
p.s if you would like to check out some of my marketing tips & tricks that I’ve been sharing on TikTok, you can view ALL of my videos here.
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