How about if you get a paper cut? Adhesive bandages or Band-aids?
Brand recognition can catapult your food business to a new level. And even if you’re not quite at the household-name stage yet, increasing public awareness of your brand will help get you on the path to success.
By now you’ve probably heard of the Lay’s Potato Chips flavor contest. Since 2012, Frito-Lay has been running the “Do Us a Flavor” campaign that has resulted in unique new products like caesar salad potato chips and kettle-cooked wasabi ginger. But beyond outsourcing product development to the masses, this contest has helped to increase interest in a brand that’s been around since 1961.
With low barriers to enter, consumers have nothing to lose and a lot to gain by participating. So how can you make this work in your favor? Well, you might not be at the stage where you can quickly (and profitably) generate new products based on customer suggestions, but don’t fear, there is plenty you can do!
If your brand produces pantry staples, like flour or butter, encourage customers to send in their best recipes using your products. Or if you manufacture pre-packaged goods like cookies or candy, ask your audience to reinvent ways to enjoy them. Not only will people have a good time and want to participate, but you might also even get new product ideas!
Everyone likes free stuff. And running a giveaway has the potential to draw in huge amounts of new customers and drastically increase brand recognition for your business. Even small-scale giveaways (think more along the line of free products and less a 5 day trip to Disney World), can pay off long-term.
The easiest way to host a giveaway? Social media. With a massive number of potential future customers — Instagram currently has more than 1 billion monthly users while Facebook has more than 2 billion — social media giveaways cost nothing to run and generate significant buzz.
For more info on how to run a successful giveaway, check out this article here.
Joining forces with like-minded businesses can help bring some serious credibility (and traffic) to brands that are still trying to gain recognition. By partnering up with companies (both online and brick & mortar) that are in the same niche, you can tap into a whole new market.
How do you find similar businesses? First, Get into the heads of your audience to understand their lifestyle. Does your brand sell protein powder to athletes and fitness lovers? Then your target audience probably goes to the gym regularly. Maybe you make food geared towards toddlers. Then partnering up with parenthood bloggers could be the perfect fit.
Remember, partnering up is a two-way street. By supporting each other, these collaborations have the potential to benefit everyone involved.
Not at the stage to chase down nationwide recognition quite yet? Then starting locally might be perfect for you. Most towns have a wide array of events to choose from, whether they’re organized by the city or by local businesses. Health fairs, marathons, and entertainment events are a great place to meet new people and build up your awareness (plus hometown support is always a good thing!)
So how can you leverage local events to grow your brand? Try passing out free products to participants — like protein bars at races and sporting events. Or you might want to set up a booth at a fair or convention. Not only will people get the chance to try your products, but you can also be on hand to answer questions and drum up excitement.
And don’t forget farmers markets. Not only are they a great place to introduce your brand to the public, but they can also make you money as well! For more on how to make farmers markets work for your brand, check out our article here.
