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Soda, So Good: The Challenge of Marketing Beverages Today

– Contributed content –

Soft drink bottles

(MaxPixel.net)

15 Nov. 2018. With every single market currently being over saturated with many more businesses lining up at the start gate, we can feel that every single type of product has been done before. The drinks industry, for example, can feel that it’s overflowing to the point of spilling into other industries and online services, not to mention the fact that traditional stores and bars sell various types of drinks. So if you are looking to market a beverage, is it an uphill struggle, or have you got to think a little bit more about how you promote yourself?

Branding Is everything

The name of a drink can automatically conjure up something in your mind. Right now, Coca-Cola is linked with the famous “holidays are coming” commercials, but there have been brands that struggled with a change of direction- Southern Comfort’s SoCo campaign springs to mind! So when you’re starting out, with the abundance of competition out there now, it’s vital that we get an inherent understanding of our brand before we’ve even begun! And when we are braking on a budget this can be difficult, but with the right digital agencies, product labeling services, and a can-do attitude, we are able to manufacture a prototype ourselves, so what is next?

Market research

It is a fundamental tenet of marketing, to use market research to really drill down exactly what target market would buy the product; you have to invest time and money into market research. To acquire knowledge of your branding, you have to nail down exactly who this product is for. Sometimes it’s self-explanatory, when there are, for example, alcoholic drinks that are flavored like soda, you are immediately targeting the youth market, but for those drinks that can span generations, a little bit more detail is required. Market research is infinitely easier nowadays thanks to Google Analytics, but you can’t rely on tools like this and Facebook Insights to give you a comprehensive picture of the demographics.

Never underestimate word of mouth

Every business has to start somewhere, and with a soft drink or an alcoholic beverage, trying specific target markets with this product and encouraging feedback is going to put you in an advantageous position. The great thing about social media is that word of mouth can gather momentum so quickly. The power of online reviews, especially when done by a social media influencer, can do more for your product and brand then you would have ever thought possible. This is why so many small businesses can make a transcendental leap overnight.

And while social media is a boon for small businesses, it’s not something you can rely on solely. Unifying your brand across multiple platforms certainly works well when it comes to social media, but when you are marketing a drink, the proof is always in the drinking.

It’s incredibly competitive, especially with the major drinks multinationals, and for many companies out there, the dream may very well be to get bored out by one of these bigwigs, but if you’re looking to plot a course yourself, marketing a beverage in the sea of competition is achievable.

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