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Marketing Programs

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Now that your store and your department has determined its competitive positioning strategy, you should be taking actions that will allow you to fulfill your promise to be best in price, best in service, or best in selection.

Now how will you let your customers and potential customers know about the value that you offer? Everything you do to communicate your value proposition to your customers is part of your marketing program.

Choosing a competitive positioning strategy will help focus your marketing efforts on the activities that will build your store and your department’s image as best in price, best in service, or best in selection.

Marketing Plan

A marketing plan puts in writing the department’s positioning strategy, goals, strategies, tactics, and budget. It is the roadmap to be followed for the period of time covered by the plan. It helps focus the department’s resources to ensure goals are achieved, and it keeps the entire team focused on those goals.

A marketing plan should include:

  • Positioning strategy
  • Financial goals for the department
  • Product assortment review
  • Detailed goals by product
  • Advertising campaigns
  • Other marketing tactics
  • Budget
  • Dates to review progress

Writing a marketing plan takes time but is a good opportunity to focus on your goals and generate new ideas.

Marketing – More Than Just Advertising

Your advertising procedures are an important part of your marketing program. Flyers, radio and newspaper ads are all effective means to let the public know the reasons they should shop in your department.

But advertising alone is not enough. Once the customers are in the department, your marketing program must follow through to ensure that the customer experience is consistent with your value proposition (best prices, best service, or best selection).

Some factors to consider:

  • Are your displays consistent with your positioning strategy? (see Merchandising Solutions for more information.)
  • Is your staff informed about your positioning strategy, and have they received training and direction to enable them to perform in accordance with the strategy?
  • Are your products on offer consistent with your positioning strategy in price, quality, and assortment?
  • Do cross-merchandising efforts support your positioning strategy and product goals?
  • Do you provide in-store information that supports both your positioning strategy and product goals?

The Beef Information Centre has available a wide variety of recipe booklets, nutrition and cooking instruction labels, and other point of sale promotional material to help support your marketing campaigns. Order here or for more information contact a member of the Beef Information Centre Retail Team.