With the sudden disappearance of industry trade shows around the world, specialty food makers are ramping up their social media promotions and community tie-ins, forming new partnerships with online sellers and finding new ways to get their products in front of potential buyers.
“We look forward to trade shows as an opportunity to meet with industry friends and share new products in person,” said Emily Stubler, director of marketing at Iconic, a maker of high-protein drinks and powders. “They are always a great way to share ideas, and connect with industry experts, so we, like most brands, are bummed about trade show cancellations.”
She said the series of major show cancellations, which began in March with Expo West, and has since continued with countless other national and local events, including most recently the Specialty Food Association’s Summer Fancy Food Show, has “encouraged the company to think creatively” about how to connect with industry partners.
Instead of face-to-face meetings and sampling at trade shows, Iconic has been shipping products to buyers and scheduling video calls.
“We refuse to let the lack of in-person meetings get in the way of our mission,” said Stubler.
Brian Durkee, president of Numi Organic Tea, said his company has been conducting online meetings and training sessions with customers for both new and existing products.
The cancelation of trade shows was a “disappointment for our business, but it was the right choice for the health and safety of the community. It does not change our innovation cycles or the product launches we have in motion for 2020 — we are continuing to run with those full steam ahead.”
Durkee said the company is now leaning more heavily on digital assets, online communications, and public relations to get its message out and drive interest in its products. Numi has seen an increase in product demand as consumers have been gravitating toward products that boost immunity and provide functional benefits, he said, citing Numi's Daily Super Shots as an example.
Focus on Local
Megan Ratkey, the Boston-based founder of Emmy Consulting, said startups should look to social media and community-based tie-ins, such as supporting local hospitals and first responders, in the near term, and start thinking about exhibiting at local venues such as farmers markets as states begin to loosen their stay-at-home restrictions.
One of the first things manufacturers who are experiencing a slowdown in sales should do, she said, is check their existing supply chains for product that is nearing expiration, and consider donating it. This can also help generate goodwill in the community if the news is shared appropriately on social media, she noted.
Small food companies that had been hoping to get their new products in front of buyers at trade shows this year should prepare to do a lot of cold-calling to buyers, and be ready to present their products virtually, Ratkey said.
“I think you need to be able to pivot,” she said. “That’s huge right now.”
She also suggested that small makers leverage their existing contacts — such as brokers, consultants, and others — for help in reaching out with new products and expanding their networks.
Rethinking Trade Shows
Durkee of Numi Organic Tea said his company is not planning on attending any trade shows or industry events in the near future, but its plans remain largely unchanged for 2021 and beyond.
“That said, we do anticipate industry-wide behavior changes in the wake of COVID-19, and will be watching closely as things unfold to make further decisions,” he said.
Stubler of Iconic said the cancelation of trade shows has given the company a chance to rethink its strategies.
“The current landscape of no trade shows has allowed us to take a step back and evaluate where they will fit in our company moving forward,” she said. “We have started to play out scenarios around what else we can do, even without COVID situations, to do out-of-the-box showcases of products outside of trade shows.”
Likewise, Clyde Hutchison, co-founder of Backyard Safari Co. — a former sofi Award winner for its Dinner Tonight seasonings — is marketing products in new ways.
Hutchison has begun selling his company’s products through a new venue, MasonJars.com, a commission-based online platform. At the same time, Backyard Safari has been struggling to keep up with retail demand for his products, which also include spice rubs and mini home gardening kits, after they were recently featured on the TV show The View.
“Things picked up after that, and have not slowed down,” he said.
The company also offers product through Amazon resellers, who have been selling through product as fast as he can get it to them, he said.
Backyard Safari is working with a staff of just two, instead of the usual 11, because of the coronavirus social distancing restrictions, and Hutchison said he has not had much time to consider future planning or new product development.
“We are just filling orders as fast as we can,” he said.
Related: Summer Fancy Food Show Is Canceled; IDDBA 2020 is Cancelled.
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