Dear Ejin:
I’m assuming you mean “supermarket” rather than “hypermarket,”
yes? Shampoo is a personal care item, and like most personal care items,
buyers tend to buy one brand and stick with it.
What makes them switch? Here are a few tactics:
Sales, coupons, advertisements they’ve seen promoting a product that
makes it seem better than the one they have been buying.
When displayed along side a competitor, a coupon dispenser near a product
with a cents-off coupon may attract new buyers. And to get buyers to buy more
than one, consider a “buy three, get one free” or “$1 off with the
purchase of two,” etc.
Traditionally, attractive labeling with bright colors, bold lettering “10
percent more free,” etc. has worked well. It really depends on the type of
positioning (and by that, I mean how the manufacturer identifies their
product, not where it’s located on the shelf). Is it a luxury shampoo or a
budget one? The positioning should dictate the type of marketing. If it’s a
budget shampoo that competes directly with a luxury shampoo, making their
labeling appear similar and positioning (this time I do mean where it’s at
on the shelf) near their competitor product can work well. If it’s a luxury
shampoo, cents-off coupons may entice new buyers to try it, particularly if
other forms of advertising (TV, radio, print ads) have already piqued their
interest.
I hope this helps. Let us know.
Yvonne Buchanan
has
been a public relations writer, editor and freelancer for more than 20 years.
She is an instructor at The PR Academy