Valued at approximately $2 trillion, the consumer packaged goods industry (CPG) is one of the largest in North America. While this figure is almost unfathomably large, it makes sense when you think about it: CPGs generally have a short lifespan, and are by nature designed to be consumed every day by the average consumer. As a result, sales are continuous.
However, any industry of this size will obviously face a lot of competition, and the CPG industry is no different. In this market, brands are fighting for recognition, shelf placement, advertising space and consumer mindshare. As a result, being a consumer favorite can be the difference between owning the space and fading into obscurity.
So, what can you do to stand out from the crowd?
Viral Marketing
A successful viral marketing campaign may typically require a hearty dose of luck, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t shoot for the moon. Be quirky, be interactive and be shareable in order to increase your chances of going viral. Unilever used this tactic with The Marmite Gene Project, a tongue-in-cheek campaign designed to tell customers whether liking the food product Marmite was “in their DNA”. Marmite also created the viral “TasteFace” app and website, which used facial recognition technology to determine whether people liked their product or not, and allowed consumers to share their results online.
A .SUCKS domain can offer a similarly cheeky slant to your own promotion. Since the most shareable faces will be those who disliked the taste of the product, Marmite could have added a TasteTesting.Sucks or Marmite.Sucks domain to their strategy to collect the best customer submissions and offer prizes to the most shared or liked photos. Marmite hasn’t shied away from sucking so far, and it’s producing huge dividends.
On-Demand and Subscription
Waiting.Sucks, so if you can leverage your online presence to offer customers on-demand or subscription services, you should do it. This is a great way to encourage customer loyalty through automatic repeat sales. Many companies on Amazon allow users to subscribe to products they need regularly, like toilet paper or dish soap, to guarantee future sales that could otherwise go to a competitor.
Use a [being without your product].Sucks slant to grab people’s attention and lock them down as long term customers. For example, a soap company could use BeingDirty.Sucks for a body wash subscription, and offer a sign-up discount or bonus to entice sales.
Know Your Online Consumers
Customers shopping online are generally looking for a different experience than what they expect when shopping in store. In a brick-and-mortar shop, customers might prioritize tactile relationships with products (like trying on clothes) and customer service interactions (like working with the makeup specialists at MAC). People who shop online generally have different needs, and brands have to be in tune with what those shoppers actually want out of the relationship.
For many, it’s convenience. Take, for example, Dollar Shave Club: an e-commerce company providing consumers with a cheaper alternative to notoriously expensive shaving products like razors and spare blades. Customers who are short on time can simply sign up on the website to have a new razor sent to them every month, negating the tedious need to head to a store every time you need to replace your blade. The brand could get their point across even more succinctly with a domain like AnOverpricedRazor.Sucks or ShoppingForRazors.Sucks, which would really help consumers relate to their mission statement.
The Takeaway
It can be challenging to stand out as a CPG company一but don’t despair. A .SUCKS domain can help you get noticed by making a statement that customers just can’t ignore. Be sure to check out How Restaurants Can Benefit From a .SUCKS Domain and the Brands That Missed Their Chance to Suck to get more digital marketing advice and inspiration.
AMissedOpportunity.Sucks, so register with .SUCKS today to ensure your brand doesn’t miss out.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock / JKstock
