Will coupons cost you customers on social?

The food shortages.

The energy bills.

The bloomin budget.

There’s really no hiding from the uphill battle that brands face when pitching consumers for a spot in their regular shopping basket. Many big supermarkets, brands, venues and retailers are heading straight for the discount function – offer a deal, a steal, a coupon, by all means – Google Consumer Insight suggests that 87% of consumers say it’s important to know they are getting a good deal before they eventually decide to buy.

But is it really only about the price?

For coffee drinkers, quality makes up a third of their decision around buying, while for tea fans, it’s even higher at nearly 40%. We’re also looking for more from our drinks; adaptogens, CBD, help me sleep, help me detox, help me focus. Shoppers are smarter about the benefits of well-made products, and good-quality ingredients, often from a sustainable ecosystem. Even when the price is important, everyone is looking for the best possible, affordable goods.

Retailer prices increased on 10,000 products to kick off 2023 (The Grocer)… over 40% of shoppers switched to lower-priced, private-label brands in 2022, and that trend is not letting up any time soon.

Cook up some great content!

Here are some suggestions for what to consider when you’re planning social content in a cost-of-living crisis:

  • Be aware – listen to customer concerns and do what you can to work on fixing them.
  • Stay relevant – listen to trends, determine the topics discussed most around your specific offering
  • Meet them where they are – stop simply broadcasting across all your owned profiles, and get a channel strategy in place to prioritise your resource.
  • Match up your values – no doubt you have business aims around ESG and CSR, work on messaging to share why this makes a difference to the product your audience can enjoy.
  • Cut out the complex – 59% of consumers want simple recipes to keep budgets in check, so be accessible and relatable. (GWI)
  • Go lo-fi – keep it real by dropping your volume of over-produced visual content.
  • Show some love – engage your brand advocates, champion them, and you’ll create a thriving community.
  • Adapt and adjust – measure results more frequently, adjust your expectations and tweak your plans until they get the results you need.

Our latest food & drink report provides not only the trends in the industry, but actionable suggestions for social – get it while it’s hot!

And if you’re hungry for more, we’ve got that secret sauce – engaging social campaigns which place brands front-of-mind, launching NPD for Mission Wraps, making social sweeter with heritage brand, Billington’s Sugar, and we’re finding fame with Chavroux.

Oh, and if you’re quick, you can meet Belle & Katy at Hotel, Restaurant & Catering on Wednesday 22nd March. Book the session here.

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