So, the festivities are over, we’ve brought in the New Year and 2023 is officially underway…what next?
As brands start the new year, those who sell their products in essential retail in particular, need to ensure that the January execution hangover doesn’t impact on sales. What do we mean by that?
As we’ve said before, it’s well known that one of the biggest challenges in FMCG retail following the festive period is delivering great execution through January.
The January execution hangover occurs when execution standards slip as retailers recover from the biggest selling season of the year. So, where most brands have great intentions of a fast start in January, the opposite often occurs in reality, resulting in a slow start to the new year – unless prompt corrective action is prioritised.
It’s more than just maintaining execution standards, it’s about brands setting themselves up right for the whole year. As the saying goes ‘start the year as you mean to go on’ and we couldn’t agree more.
2022 certainly came with its challenges and some of those will linger throughout the next 12 months. The cost-of-living crisis is still in full swing with everyone feeling the pinch, meaning that every decision a brand makes must add value – both for themselves and the consumer.
So, how can brands sell more in January and keep sales high during the rest of the year? This month we’ll focus on everything you need to know to achieve this. Our helpful hints and tips will ensure your budget works harder and help you take valuable action in 2023.
Here are the 4 key areas brands need to consider…
1. New Year, New Execution
Need to clean up your execution before and after seasonal peaks? As mentioned this can be a headache, so why not tap into dedicated execution services designed to ease the pain! Tactical Strike provides bursts of planned activity to ensure a brand’s execution delivers results, in all the right places. Activity can be planned & executed in a matter of days. Or why not try Availability Boost, helping brands fix any unexpected barrier to sales with data directed teams.
2. Set your team strategy and build flexibility into your call file
Looking for the right mix of teams to help you sell more? Whether it’s for short- or long-term activity, there are solutions to fit your desired execution needs. From permanent teams to an agile approach – choose when and where to deliver and ensure you get the best talent on board for your brand each time. Seize those all important selling opportunities by unlocking your Sales Surge team where and when you need it most. Make the most of seasonal peaks in specific regions or locations, improve your distribution and visibility where and when it matters most, grow share for your brand or launch a new product with ease and efficiency.
3. Level up your existing strategy with data
Unlock value through the power of EPOS analytics for key retail sectors with our Thumbprint agency. If the booming Convenience channel is part of your 2023 strategy, then use Pinpoint to support you. Be the first to leverage market leading transaction level EPOS from over 10,000 UK Convenience stores with our groundbreaking new solution and transform your ROI. In Grocery, discover where, when, and what actions to take to generate the biggest sales growth & ROI. DART leverages daily retailer EPOS data and turns it into simple direction which saves you time and money on wasted or low value store visits.
4. Find your perfect agency match
Getting your field strategy right is the first step to selling more. To guarantee maximum success, you should pick the best agency partner to help you with this. The right partner will help you unlock new opportunities in any sector, at any level, at any time – so it’s crucial to choose one with the right industry expertise, knowledge, local relationships and access to skilled talent on tap!
Follow us on LinkedIn throughout January as we give an insight into each of these topics to get your brand off to a fast start and prepare for the new year ahead.
If 2023 is your brand’s year, then let us support you to meet your goals. No matter your budget or brand objectives, we can help you.
Talk to us about adding value, making your budget work harder and taking action in 2023…
