Sell Your Specialty Food

Market, Distribute, and Profit from Your Kitchen Creation

By Stephen F. Hall
Published by Kaplan Publishing
Copyright 2009
320 Pages, $19.77
ISBN 1427798265
Available at Amazon.com here!

Editor's note: We looked this book over and found it to be both accurate and well-written. This is an excellent resource for anyone who wants to learn the strategies—and avoid the pitfalls—of starting a specialty food business.

Promoting Your Product

One of the most important elements of niche marketing is product promotion. Product promotion often means the difference between success or failure. Getting your product before the consumer and having it recognized is the first step to making a sale. The most used means of promotion our trade are show exhibitions, in-store demonstrations, giveaways, mailings, tie-ins, testimonials, show awards, and the Internet.

Trade Shows

Trade shows rate high on the list of important commercial vehicles. The benefits of food show participation include the following:

• Meet customers.
• Learn about the competition.
• Experiment with product ingredients.
• Evaluate product packaging.
• Test product pricing.
• Rate various promotion techniques.
• Identify important trends.
• Solicit customer reaction.
• Make sales.

Food show participation offers a cost-effective means of introducing a new product, gathering market research, learning about the competition, and making sales. There are numerous food shows, but few offer real value to most specialty food producers. See appendix C for a listing of the prominent food shows. (not included in this excerpt)

The major shows held in the United States attract buyers from most specialty food markets.  The level of exposure at these shows can be met or improved on only by undertaking the time and cost of traveling to many of the leading specialty food markets.

Certain trade shows require exhibitors to be members of the sponsoring association, and some associations require you to be in business for at least two years to be accepted as a member. If a member distributor or broker takes on your product and thereby develops a client business relationship with you, your products can then be exhibited in that distributor’s or broker’s booth.

Before attending a trade show, you will have to consider the appropriateness of your sales literature for the target market, including the illustration and currency of information.  You will have to consider both design, layout, signs, demo equipment requirements (you may have to order display risers, electricity, and floodlighting). A standard booth order generally includes table, chairs, and booth carpeting.

The estimated cost for a 100-square-foot booth, with minimum spot lighting, drayage, table covers, freight in and out, travel, and accommodations and meals for one person is at least $6,000.

As promotional tools, trade shows should be a part of a fully integrated and well-managed campaign.

Trade shows should be incorporated into other promotional efforts for full effect. Aside from the all-important trade shows, specialty food promotion can take many forms; some of the most common are described in the next sections.

Giveaways

One of the least expensive forms of advertising and promotion is a product giveaway. A carefully managed program of free merchandise can place your product in front of the consumer, while attracting the attention of the retailer.

Usually, free merchandise is offered with in-store demonstrations, introductory deals, and sampling allowances. Free merchandise can also include specially packed sample containers for distribution at the point of purchase and during trade shows.

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