In a world in which everyone is fighting for their piece of the market, both offline and online, marketing has become an essential concept in business. Of course, if we went back in time to explore the topic, we would realize that marketing has always been an essential concept in any kind of business. It’s just that, the strategies used by companies to establish themselves on the market and to stand out from the competition have been changing. Some strategies have remained relevant for a long time, of course, but new ones are also constantly emerging, especially now that businesses are striving to succeed online as well.
Read about the general importance of marketing: https://www.business2community.com/marketing/the-importance-of-marketing-02186221
Now, a strategy that has been around for a while and that has proven to be extremely useful and beneficial is known as product category marketing. If you’ve heard of it already, you may be wondering if it may be right for your business. In order to find that out, though, you first need to get a clear understanding of what it is, as well as of what its benefits are, which are topics we will discuss further below.
What Is Product Category Marketing?
Let us begin with the basics. What exactly is product category marketing in the first place? You may not be familiar with the definition, but chances are that you’ve seen examples of the concept somewhere already, given that a lot of businesses are using this strategy to their advantage. And, once you learn the definition, you are likely to start seeing more and more examples of it everywhere.
Basically, product category marketing is a strategy that is focused on promoting a group of related products, that is, categories, instead of focusing on one single item at a time. You group certain products together based on their common functions, characteristics, and features, and then you market them all together. When items are grouped into categories like that, consumers have an easier time identifying and choosing those products that actually meet their needs. Furthermore, you can attract a broader audience by creating compelling marketing messages that will apply to the entire category.
Here is an example. Say you run a shoe shop that’s selling all kinds of different shoes. You can categorize them as shoes for the summer, for the winter, etc., thus creating clear guidelines for people to shop for the upcoming seasons. Or, you can create a category of “winter boots,” for example, thus narrowing things even further down, and helping people easily find the boots they want to buy.
What Are Its Benefits?
The above definition and example should have made this concept perfectly clear. But, while you understand how this is helpful for consumers, you may be a bit confused about what the benefits of product category marketing really are for your business. So, that is what we are going to discuss next. And, as you will see, this strategy certainly does come with a lot of benefits, which is why you should definitely more seriously consider using it to your advantage.
- Optimized Marketing Efforts
Here is the most obvious benefit of the strategy: Put simply, instead of creating separate campaigns and using separate techniques and strategies for each item individually, you group the items together and then use one and the same strategy to market them all. You develop a unified strategy that encompasses all the products in a category, thus saving resources and time, while also ensuring consistency in the messages you’re sending.
- Increased Sales
Clearly, when you optimize your marketing efforts, you’re highly likely to reach broader audiences, as well as to convert your visitors into paying customers. Meaning, therefore, that product categories marketing strategies can lead to increasing sales. And, increasing sales is undeniably an important task that you, as a business owner or manager, will always have.
- Enhanced Customer Experience
If people have a great experience cooperating with your brand, they are more likely to return. If they keep on returning, then they become loyal customers. As I’ve already explained, product category marketing enhances the customer experience by making it easier for them to find what they’re looking for and, thus, make informed purchasing decisions.
- Increased Brand Recognition
Before you can even think about boosting loyalty, you need to think about boosting your brand recognition. And, once again, this is a strategy that can help you do it. Seeing multiple products under one category is more likely to lead to visitors and customers remembering your brand, and such exposure is bound to lead to better recognition. Furthermore, when people remember your brand, they are also more likely to recommend it, which is another important benefit to consider.
How Can You Do It Right?
The above are just some of the benefits you can expect from this strategy. If you’ve already figured out how valuable it can be for your marketing efforts, then what you want to do next is learn how to actually do this the right way. And, as you may have guessed already, it all begins with researching the market thoroughly, aiming at identifying your target audience and their pain points, needs, and preferences.
After that’s done, you should proceed towards identifying the shared traits of certain products, so that you can define the categories. The most important thing to do here is ensure that every category is different and easily recognizable. Then, figure out how to make each category appealing to consumers, highlighting their values and benefits. Of course, you should focus on explaining how the items within the categories actually solve people’s problems and meet their needs.
From there, you should proceed towards developing integrated marketing campaigns for all the categories. Use different marketing channels to create a comprehensive and effective strategy, and definitely remember to rely on digital channels in the process, such as e-mail campaigns, social media and similar. Of course, what you have to keep in mind at all times is the fact that your campaigns should convey cohesive messages that will resonate with your audience and that will be in line with the brand identity you’re trying to build.
