From the beginning, the holy-grail of marketing tactics for consumable products has been customer sampling and awareness. Being able to provide in-person experiences creates memorable moments for any potential customer and allows the customer the comfort of trying the product before committing to it. Additionally, companies find this type of marketing provides instantaneous feedback and direct interactions. Because of these unique factors, field marketing has played an important role in helping companies find success.
So let’s break this down by starting with defining terms. For those who don’t know, Field marketing is a form of direct marketing. It entails interacting with potential customers out in the world.. The term “field” can be used to refer to offering product samples at your brick-and-mortar shop floor, road shows, or even the distribution of leaflets. Some field marketing goals include brand/product awareness, product education, or increased sales.
In light of recent world events, many stores must either limit the number of customers in store or have to close its doors entirely. Even if they make it into stores, I wouldn’t feel comfortable getting handed a sample at the end of an aisle and then putting it in my mouth. Would you?
We have been re-imagining field marketing with influencers for several years. Why not double down on sampling by working with brand ambassadors that have social followers and content creation abilities as well? Influencers would not only be able to attract in-person crowds, but they’d also be able to digitally amplify brand messages and communicate with the customers on their level. They would be able to connect with potential customers both in person and online.
However, as the lockdowns continue, influencers can ideally fill the gaps left by the lack of in-person marketing. Since sampling in stores is now akin to a COVID nightmare, sampling via social media influencers is the next best thing. Influencers can bring their own insights and expertise to help guide consumers towards the right product matches, without ever needing to be in the same place.
Could it be that influencers have effectively become the reliable digital version of field marketing? We think yes, but let’s explain why.
How Can Influencers Fill-in For Field Marketing?
Although the influencer craze has settled into a more established form of marketing, the impact that influencers have certainly hasn’t diminished. Influencer marketing campaigns can be tailored to meet many of the same goals as field marketing campaigns.
Apps like Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and even newcomer Shoploop have noticed the increased reliance on online marketing, especially influencer marketing, for connecting with potential customers. Shoploop especially focuses on trialing and testing new products for users to view in under 90 seconds. This is coupled with integrated ecommerce tools, making it easy to convert casual viewers into customers.
Technology will only continue to facilitate these kinds of digital interactions, allowing for a similar atmosphere of testing and reviewing products before purchase. Not only does it allow for field marketing at scale, it also allows authentic relationships to take the center stage rather than a salesperson.
The flexibility of these campaigns make it convenient for marketers to partner with multiple influencers at once to reach the same goals.
Product Sampling Campaign
As of this moment, consumers are less likely to be out and about sampling products directly, lowering the chances for customer interactions. That’s where influencers can come in and act as a conduit for thousands of potential consumers. Many influencers have developed the skills to accurately communicate to their audience about the feeling, taste, smell, and other descriptives when it comes to a product. Utilizing influencers allows you to create a similar atmosphere as providing in-store samples; and it’s safer and much easier to scale up for larger audiences.
Additionally, many influencers are regarded as thought-leaders and experts in their affinity categories. They interact, review, and test plenty of products/services that are related to their niche. This also lends validation and security to any recommendations they may give their audience, because they have an existing rapport with their followers for trustworthy insights. Trust in the influencer creates customer loyalty for your brand and product. Consumers want to know that their preferred influencer is delivering honest opinions, whether they agree with it or not. A trustworthy figure-head is vital to generating intrigue for your products, especially when customers cannot interact with it personally.
One notable instance of this product sampling marketing strategy was the partnership between Fuze Tea and selectedTwitch streamers. Fuze Tea, a popular beverage brand, partnered up with several streamers to sponsor a “Fuze Tea Pause.” Influencers agreed to try the product during their streams and talk through the experience with the live audience. Half of the streamers saw their highest viewership during the scheduled pause. About 13,000 viewers watched the pause segments across many channels. To maintain trustworthiness and build loyalty, streamers had ad breaks during multiple stream sessions. This led to a long-term partnership with Fuze Tea and a curious audience.
Brand Awareness Campaign
Partnering with influencers can also help you achieve widespread product and brand awareness. Influencers can leverage their following and introduce your brand to thousands of people. If you work with an influencer for an extended period, or with multiple influencers at once, the potential audience size continues to increase over time. Even if you start with micro-influencers instead of macro-influencers, influencer campaigns of any size can lead successful and intriguing marketing campaigns.
Many influencers are familiar with brand awareness campaigns and will be comfortable executing them. Here at LMS we’ve worked on many brand awareness campaigns. Most notably, we worked with Rao’s Homemade, an Italian sauce brand, to build brand awareness and help grow their social media presence via influencer relationships. We reached out to influencers and got the products into their hands. The influencers utilized Rao’s sauces for recipe tutorials, taste tests, and general brand awareness, while communicating their experiences with the product along the way. Through this initiative, we were able to generate over 9 million impressions to increase the awareness of the brand and the products they offer.
Product Education Campaigns
While it’s common for marketers to educate customers out in the field, there’s a new way to consider consumer product education. Influencers can also reach out and communicate with potential customers in a way that their audience will resonate with. They offer buyers insight and knowledge on a personal level, based on their own experiences. Many influencers have tried numerous products within their affinity and can recognize quality quickly. Influencers can also make relevant recommendations, identify potential pitfalls, and make honest product comparisons. Product education is also a useful tactic for gaining product feedback, allowing you to constantly improve and focus on the areas that are most appealing to your customers.
But, product education can be especially important when a product is getting ready to launch. Kite Hill, a plant-based food company, partnered with various influencers to reach their target market for valuable feedback. Together with the influencers, Kite Hill was able to gather feedback from 350,000 people before the launch day. Through these partnerships, influencers were able to provide customers insight on the product, where to buy it, and answer any questions their followers might have had. Kite Hill was able to successfully launch their product on strong footing.
Geotargeting Campaigns
Another great marketing campaign strategy to consider is geotargeting. Geotargeting, or directly delivering content to a person via their location, is a scalable and effective tactic to execute with influencers. Partnering with influencers that have large audiences in the location you’re targeting simplifies some marketing efforts on your end. It’s a local way to connect with consumers without interacting in-person.
Influencers can also direct potential customers to local stores in their area, which can help successfully raise in-store sales. Sabra, a food company primarily known for their hummus and other dips, partnered with influencers to drive awareness and sales for their new Sabra Snackers product. The company focused on New York and New Jersey as their target market to help drive traffic to drugstores as the main point of sales. The influencers created images and stories on social media, with an emphasis on easy snacking. They’d include Sabra’s new products in their content which led to a successful campaign. The food company saw an increase in engagements that were 113% higher than their original benchmarks and were able to create a digital media value 1.4x higher than traditional marketing strategies. Using influencers to target hyper-locally allowed Sabra to focus on one specific market for conversion and sales.
Influencers Can Still Make a Big Impact
As digital spaces continue to impact the daily lives of many, digital marketing should be thought of in a new light. Especially in times where physical interactions can be limited, influencer marketing can bridge the gap between a brand’s product and a consumer, allowing the buyer to gain insight into the product before purchasing. When done well, influencer marketing can actually empower the consumer to make informed choices. This increases their own connection to the brand through positive interactions and trustworthy recommendations. With the impact of influencers still going strong, it’s time to reimagine sampling and awareness techniques beyond the traditional route.