CPG Brand Strategy: Three Essential Marketing Steps for a Successful Launch

In the increasingly saturated CPG landscape, new brands face an uphill battle to stand out from the competition. Especially in competitive categories like snacks and beverages, it is essential to plan and execute a successful product launch when your business is ready to hit the market.

Your brand launch is your first impression - it's how your target customers will get to know you, what you're about, and why your product is so great. They say you only get one chance at a first impression so it's important to make it count, which is why we're sharing some of our tried-and-true marketing tips on how to successfully launch a CPG brand brand launch that will make a lasting impression.

1. Conduct audience research 

Before launching any new CPG brand, it's essential to understand who your target audience is - who is the consumer that you aim to connect with? Who would benefit from your product? 

Perhaps your brand is a better-for-you protein snack looking to connect with fitness-loving Gen-Zers, or a specialty premium condiment looking to connect with home chefs. Think about where your target audience lives, what they shop for, and how your product will appeal to them?

It's also important to understand where and how your target audience finds their information - what magazines and newspapers do they read? What social media channels are they turning to for information about brands like yours? Who are the influential voices or personalities they trust for recommendations?

2. Develop clear brand positioning and messaging

Once you have identified your target audience, you need to understand how to tell your story in a way that will resonate with your target consumer. Ask yourself:

What makes your brand unique or special, especially from your close competitors? 

What elements of your brand or story would speak directly to your target audience and capture their attention? 

To do this, it's important to develop clear and compelling brand positioning and messaging so that anywhere you are speaking to your audience it's clear that these essential points come across. Your brand's positioning is how you will communicate where your brand falls in the competitive landscape - what are some of the key attributes, ingredients, or special details that help a consumer understand your product?

Your brand's key messaging is all of the essential talking points that help a consumer understand your product, what makes it special, and how it came to be. This should guide all materials developed for your brand, from photography to website copy.

Together, these materials will help you determine how to communicate about your brand compellingly to the right people.

3. Create a cohesive cross-channel marketing strategy

So you've identified your audience and where they get their news. You have solid brand messaging and understand your brand's unique positioning in the competitive landscape. 

Now it's time for you to develop your cross-channel marketing strategy - how will you put this information to work for you to reach your target audience with the right messaging points on the right channels (think: media, social media, website, newsletters, on shelf, etc.) at launch and beyond?

Start by creating a marketing calendar for the months and weeks leading up to launch and at least three months afterward. Determine what content - photos, video, copy- you'll need to support the relevant channels, and which channels will be your primary focus.

It's also important to identify your launch goals as they relate to an action - are you interested in newsletter signups? Direct sales? Repeat subscriptions? 

With these goals in mind, it will be a simple task to build out your marketing calendar and ensure that your planned content is cohesive, all working hand in hand to drive customers toward your desired action. 

With all of this careful pre-launch research and planning, all that's left is to put your plan into motion. 

Interested in expert help with creating a successful brand launch strategy for your CPG brand?

We'd love to chat! Say hello at hello@thejamescollective.com.