Know-How Exchange : Advertising/PR

If you're centrally located and if you have an over in your store, bake bread. Ask one of your local brands to give you uncooked dough, and in your oven all day long, you continue to bake dough (until its done, then you repeat). What you want to do is spread the wonderful smell of baking bread throughout your central location, so that if people are hungry, it'll remind them that your business is close by.

How about a loyalty program of some kind to encourage customers to buy more items/more frequently? Give loyal customers a complimentary treat on their birthday and/or major holiday. Then ask them if you can use their pictures and a testimonial of some kind in your brochures. That way you'll always have fresh, relevant content for your brochures.

You don't really want the brochures to be static product catalogs. Also consider featuring profiles of the people who bring you the home-made goodies. People are always interested in the people behind the products they love.

I think it’s great you offer a wide variety of baked goods – in the U.S. we call that a “category killer” store concept and it’s been quite successful across a multitude of different product categories. The fact that you carry everything from well-known brands to homemade goods probably sets you apart from both local bakeries and traditional grocery stores: Leverage that as a selling point to create awareness and demand. You need to build your brand and can use consumer’s affinity for the brands, and the variety you’re selling, as a major differentiation point that makes your shop THE destination for all baked goods!

As for the advertising medium(s) to use – much of that depends upon your coverage of both the market and the media reach areas. For example, if there is a very localized radio station, it would make sense, but if radio is regional (and goes well beyond your trade area), it’s not likely to pay back a good return. This applies to newspapers/print mediums as well.

It might be worthwhile to create initial traffic/demand by offering a promotional discount off some in-demand brands/products. Once they’re in the store, offer free samples of lesser-known brands and products to get people to buy more. Next, generate longer-term behavior through a frequent buyer club (buy 10, get one free, or buy $XX and get a coupon good for $X off your next purchase), and source additional customers via a referral program (refer a friend and get a free loaf of bread…).

Best of luck!
-Steve Udell