Do you ever feel like your snack brand is shouting into the void of the snack aisle, hoping someone will notice its deliciousness?
You're not alone. In a world where every chip, pretzel, and popcorn is vying for attention, standing out can feel like a monumental challenge.
But don’t worry! We're here to sprinkle some marketing magic on your crunchy creations.
From tantalizing discovery packs to mouthwatering partnerships, we've got the strategies to make your snack the talk of the town.
We’ve rounded up top insights from leading snack food brands who are crushing it with their paid ads. Here’s a sneak peek.
- Leverage the power of UGC videos
- Promote discovery packs and new flavor options
- Tell your brand story
- Appeal to health-conscious customers through athlete endorsements
- Invite your audience to buy at a store near them
Leverage the power of UGC videos
With authenticity as the key to connecting with your audience, it's no surprise that user-generated content (UGC) makes for powerful ads.
Consumers want to see the products in the hands of real people before deciding to purchase. The beauty of UGC is that the content is created by a loyal customer rather than your brand so it carries more weight in the eyes of your potential customers.
Sharing customer content also works to establish and deepen relationships with your existing customers, driving brand loyalty.
UGC ads like product reviews & testimonials, unboxing videos, and other formats are also beneficial to a brand. They reduce legwork as these videos are organic and mostly unpolished.
No one can bring your product to life better than real people in real-world settings.
Here are real-life examples from Surreal.
In this video, they spark curiosity using a hook that targets health-conscious people.
They effectively highlight the variety of flavors by using a different voice when mentioning “peanut butter, cinnamon, frosted, cocoa”. This adds playfulness and emphasis on the presented details (in this case, the available favors) compared to using the same voice throughout the video.
The statement “I already know it’s good” also suggests customer satisfaction which is a good addition to the content. It supports the idea that the product must be good for her to consume it repeatedly.
Let’s find out how Surreal uses UGC in this next example.
In this quick video ad, they’re able to put together different important elements like:
- The actual consumption of the product that shows proof of its flavorful taste
- Emphasis on the solution it provides for people who have been struggling with unhealthy eating, focusing on nutritional facts found on the product packaging
- Comparison of price and taste against other products with similar benefits like protein bars
- Debunking personal disbelief with the statement “I CAN’T believe I can now include cereal in my diet”
We are seeing more brands run UGC-style ads. Ever wonder if your competitors are doing the same type of ads?
Did you know that you can peek at your competitors’ paid ads on TikTok, Facebook, and other social channels?
Promote discovery packs and new flavor options
Flavor development has been seen constantly in the food industry. Customers want something new and to move out of their comfort zone to explore new food.
For the snacks market, this trend is supported by an ongoing interest in natural and healthier options. To keep up, snack companies are developing new product ranges.
For new customers, it can sometimes be hard to choose from a new product range since they haven’t tried it before. Discovery trial packs are an ideal way to present your whole range as they allow the consumers to discover several flavors at the same time in small test packs.
To apply this technique to your brand, Chomps and Muddy Bites are some of the best brands you can take inspiration from.
In these ads from Chomps, they’re encouraging consumers to try out new flavors with a trial pack while the model describes in detail how it tastes.
Muddy Bites responds to a comment with this ad.
Answering comments and feedback from your audience can be a great avenue to introduce your solution.
This shows that your company is actively listening to feedback. Therefore, it’s more likely you’ll get more comments and different suggestions from other customers.
Tell your brand story
Sharing your brand story humanizes your brand and builds loyal customers.
It helps your customers understand who you are and why your business exists, therefore building a deeper connection. It means that they won’t buy your products only for the features and benefits they provide. They’ll also buy because they like your brand. After all, it has a purpose that resonates with them.
A brand story is more than a narrative or content. It’s the art of connecting with your target audience through your message, personality, and values.
A brand story is proven to move customers to take action when important elements are used such as:
- The story is tailored to the right audience
- Brand values are highlighted clearly
- The story conveys consistent and authentic messaging
Another known technique to communicate your brand message is by using an emotional hook.
Check out these examples from Muddy Bites.
This ad immediately sets the tone by hooking the audience with nostalgia, a relatable feeling.
We also like how Muddy Bites keeps the message authentic using fun but honest revelations about how they started creating their snack cones.
Appeal to health-conscious customers through athlete endorsements
Modern consumers are moving towards conscious indulgence when it comes to snacking.
It can be challenging to promote your snack products to picky eaters of all ages as have to consider both nutrition and taste.
Most people prefer a combination of nice flavors and natural ingredients in their snacks. Others are looking to snack less often, which can indicate that they view snacking as unhealthy.
How do you ensure that your marketing moves are geared toward these types of audiences?
Snow Days does well in appealing to this huge segment of the market by making ads with athletes as the main endorsers.
Athletes like other celebrities have a natural pedestal. Since athletes are known to be healthy individuals, these types of ads are effective in selling the products to mindful snackers.
Invite your audience to buy at a store near them
Your products being available in well-known supermarkets is something a brand should announce and promote from time to time.
This ensures that customers won’t miss the chance to add your products to their real-life carts.
As in online shopping, when your products are added to push carts, they are a few steps away from a purchase. As soon as they get to the counter and pay for the products, you’ve officially gained a conversion!
Outstanding Foods is a perfect example of a brand that informs the audience that their products are available in local stores.
Without effective ideas to implement, some businesses are getting further and further behind. Don't be one of them by taking note of the practices above and integrating them into your marketing strategy!
That’s it for snack brand advertising. Until our next industry review!
P.S.
Let us know if you have other industries you want us to tackle in our next posts. Or better yet, get easily accessible inspiration from the ultimate e-commerce marketing and benchmarking tool.
