Category: Coronavirus

In-store food sampling and product demos are coming back. Here’s how we think they will change – and how CPG brands can prepare now.

“Every dark cloud has a silver lining.” Remember that saying? For Brand Ambassadors and for brands banking on demos as a means for driving trial of your products, it’s certainly easy to see the COVID-19 pandemic as a dark cloud. So where is the silver lining?

Dr. Bronner’s is an icon in the natural products industry. Founded in 1948 by Dr. Emanuel Bronner (after nearly 100 years of family soapmaking), they have been a pioneer in products, organic certification and fair trade practices, social and business integration and fair business practices, and GMO labeling. And of course, they are a certified B Corporation.

In the last 2-3 weeks, in-store demonstrations have become a virtually non-existent activity as grocery and food retailers across the country scramble to serve shoppers preparing for extended periods of quarantine due to the COVID-19 crisis.

In our previous post, we discussed how both perception and reality are important factors to consider in formulating a strategy for how best to proceed in today’s uncertain environment. 

The Coronavirus COVID-19 epidemic is currently posing unique challenges for businesses in virtually every industry. While it’s naturally human to fear the unknown, all the facts are indicating that this is not a virus that poses an existential threat. Nevertheless, it’s sparking panic and decisions like the postponement of Expo West 2020 – a huge hit to our industry. For an emerging consumer goods brand looking to grow their business in stores, what to do? It’s an interesting question, and one for which we have a pretty clear answer.