How to sell more produce without investing in marketing
"You know", he says, "my products are excellent. Though, when I try to sell them to retailers, most of them answer they're not interested in them"
This is a very common situation. Many produce companies simply try to sell what they have.
They approach their market with a sales orientation – first they grow the fruit or veg, and then they try to sell it.
Instead, they should have a trade marketing orientation – first try to understand what their potential customers ask, and then organizing production consequently.
How do trade marketing oriented companies behave, in other categories?
They first define what their potential distribution channels are, and then study them in depth using qualitative and quantitative research.
That done, they develop specific offers for each of the channels they aim to serve – in terms of products, packaging, brands. They have, in other words, different value propositions for their different distribution channels.
Take Coca-Cola as an example.
Coca-Cola approaches each of its channel with the same product (Coke), in different packaging (bottles, cans, bag in box, etc), different sizes, with promotional support and materials that are unique for each channel.
In other words, each channel is treated in a different way, specifically according to the channel needs.
This is the huge difference that makes companies using a trade marketing approach more successful in the market: they do not simply try to sell their production, but do build different offers tailored to the channels served.
Sure, this approach is dramatically more complicated than simply selling what one has produced – in terms of organization, production, sales organization, competence needed as far as marketing research is concerned.
But normally delivers much better sales results.
If you are interested in fresh produce marketing, download the free e-book "Introduction to marketing for fresh produce"
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Pisani Produce Marketing is a training & consulting agency for the produce world. It has been founded by Maurizio Pisani, former Chiquita and Fresh Del Monte executive.
For more info:
Maurizio Pisani
maurizio@pisaniproducemarketing.com
www.pisaniproducemarketing.com