“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas”, whether we like it or not. The festivities have begun and brands are ironing out their final decisions on what their Christmas in-store demonstrations will be. In-store demos are often overlooked as part of the marketing mix, but it is a simple and effective way to increase sales and brand awareness during one of the busiest shopping times of the year. There are some fundamental rules to ensure your in-store product demonstration will come off without a hitch Helen Braybrook a director from an experiential agency provides the following advice.
AUDIENCE
Before holding an in-store demonstration it is critical to understand the needs and wants of your target audience. Knowing your audiences buying habits and motivators will allow you to tailor your demonstration towards them and engage with them in a highly targeted way.
PRODUCT
Over Christmas your competition will be out in full force, so it is imperative that your team understand your product inside and out. Having detailed product knowledge will allow staff to demonstrate the item correctly and deliver a perfect sales pitch to potential buyers. This becomes increasingly important for higher priced products where consumers will have questions that your team need to be answer with confidence and in detail, they must be able to provide the right information and in a timely manner as consumers won’t hang around all day.
DATA
By doing your research and using intelligent data, brands can determine the best time and most relevant locations to set-up their demonstration. Before thinking about the details of the campaign and demonstration it is important you are located in the right areas to reach new audiences, re-target and find the selling hot spots.
COMPETITORS
By gathering more research you can understand challenges faced by your competitors (i.e other brands). This will help you determine your unique selling proposition (USP), that may have previously been forgotten or not pushed in your marketing strategy. By communicating your unique benefits and services you will successfully differentiate your brand from the competition.
TALENT
It is vital to choose the right staff for your in-store demonstrations, they need to be able to connect with customers, engage, knowledgeable and professional. They become the human face of your brand, so need to understand your brand, the values, company culture and of course the product being used in the demonstration. Training and incentive programs ensure results are achieved. They also need to have confidence to approach and speak with potential customers, all the while engaging them in the activity, and not just standing still watching.
