One of the biggest keys to a successful on-premise beer/spirits promotions program is the Account Selection Process. This process, while recognized as critical to the success of the program early on, typically goes unnoticed when problems begin to arise or the deadline to fill events puts added weight on the shoulders of the individual who is responsible for managing the scheduling and logistics of the field ambassadors.
The Account Selection Process is often left up to the beverage company or wholesaler’s key representatives that have the best relationship with the account owner or manager. This relationship is usually built during the nine-to-five shift and stems from frequent sales calls during these times. While the representative has a great relationship with these accounts, they often don’t have a clue as to what kind of an atmosphere and client environment is present outside of the nine-to-five schedule.
Many bars, restaurants and clubs have multiple personalities throughout the week. The 40-something white collared lunch crowd at a trendy lunch hot spot might give way to the thirsty college co-ed softball leagues on multiple evenings or the family-style neighborhood hangout turns into American Idol Wannabes Karaoke Fridays with the bottomless pitcher specials. When the Brand Ambassadors are told they will be executing a sampling for a high-end single malt and they walk into beer pong, the event is a loss.
Not only is the event a loss but the statistics and feedback that measures the success of the program are skewed. If the events weren’t delivered to the target consumer over the life of the program, then the results of the program are inconclusive.
This problem can be remedied by adding a few simple procedures when building your next on-premise beverage promotion program:
First: Listen to your Field Ambassadors. Many times these individuals have worked these accounts in the past and know the crowd at different times of the day and the week. They also have a good feel for what types of events work well at certain locations.
Second: Ask if this type of promotion is a good fit for the anticipated crowd. Instead of handing out a promotion to an account by asking if it’s alright to do a promotion on Thursday night at 9 p.m., try asking when is the best time to reach a specific consumer? This question typically will give you options to choose from and informs you more of what is going on and what type of consumer is present at different times of the week.
Third: Ask the Staff. This doesn’t have to be done when the event is being sold in but during a routine sales call. Most sales reps can tell you everything about an account when it comes to POS placement, tap handles, back bar stock, and menu space but many of them can’t tell you about the client profile and how it changes throughout the week.
These are just a few of the questions that need to be asked when dealing with the Account Selection Process of Managing a Successful Beverage Promotional Program. For expert advice and management with your next beverage sampling promotion program, please call Pro Motion at 314-997-0101.