According to Repsly, Field Marketing is a branch of marketing in which brands get their products in front of consumers “out in the field” at retail locations, events, college campuses, or in public locations. Field marketing initiatives include promotions, demos, and direct sales.
The objectives of field marketing vary by company and campaign, but some common goals include brand awareness, increased sales at targeted locations, and increased engagement with local buying communities.
Field Marketing Types:
There are 5 major field marketing activities that Paperflite outlines here that can apply directly to CPG brands.
1). Sales:
Highly trained sales staff find, understand, and hold dialogue with the target audience intending to sell. This typically takes place in a face to face engagement during in-person events.
2). Merchandising
Merchandising is the positioning of marketing material (such as posters, shelf barkers) in a retail environment.
Merchandising in field marketing also encompasses:
3). Guerilla Marketing
CPG Brands use the term “guerrilla marketing” to refer to creative campaigns that target consumers in ways and locations they might not expect. Guerrilla marketing campaigns are typically low on spend but high on energy and imagination, and brands often rely heavily on their “feet on the street” to pull them off.
4). Sampling and Demonstrating
A field marketer demonstrates the working of a product to the customer or allows the customer to try/taste a product. CPG brands can benefit greatly by allowing customers to try their product “risk-free” as the stats show 81% of consumers will purchase a product after receiving a sample.
5). Experiential Marketing, Events, and Roadshows
ANA says that Experiential Marketing includes events and sponsorships, but it also understands an experience can be more personal. Its importance lies in its ability to create a relevant bond with the consumer.
Today, experiential marketing includes events and more individual experiences, such as a demonstration of a CPG product's performance, extra care/personal connection, and grassroots/affinity events. The key is creating an experience that stimulates an emotional connection and reinforces the essence of the brand.
Experiential Marketing may also have an entertainment, cause, or celebrity aspect to it.
Use field marketers to gather customer insights.
Engagement in the field is a great way for a CPG brand to learn how well they are perceived in the eyes of the shopper.. Do they have any suggestions on ways to improve the product? Do they think it’s priced fairly? Are they loyal to the brand and, if so, why? Sometimes these questions can be asked in person.
Utilize data collection tools in the field like Sampoll that can equip your field marketers with a mobile app and automatically help you compile reporting on each field event! Other times a survey might be more convenient. The point is to use field marketing to gather intelligence about your customers so that you can better serve them, and, thus, increase sales.
Want to better equip your field marketing team with the right data collection tools? Contact a Sampoll rep today!