ing and immediately following a live demo, less apparent is
its actual return on investment. Live demos are usually very
costly, and if the immediate ROI from a single event were to
be calculated, it is not likely to be very high. This, however,
doesn’t take into consideration the long-term effects on
each consumer’s buying pattern.
Second most effective is the company’s website, the hub
of all its online activities. If there is a surprise, it is that 37
percent of respondents did not include it as one of their
used tactics. Also of interest is that large companies feel that
their websites are not as effective as their smaller and
medium-size counterparts believe they are. Websites are
most effective as a way to drive sales inquiries and increase
brand awareness. They are also a great resource for information, which explains why those products that require a
higher degree of engagement (personal care and supplements) find them more useful than the more impulse-dri-ven categories like foods and beverages.
Five of the top 10 tactics used are online, including:
• Website (63 percent)
• Facebook (63 percent)
• Email newsletter ( 51 percent)
• Twitter ( 42 percent)
• Online advertising ( 40 percent)
The other five are the more traditional forms of marketing that have worked for them in the past:
• Sales collateral ( 52 percent)
• Live demos ( 48 percent)
• Coupons ( 43 percent)
• PR ( 40 percent)
• Event marketing ( 40 percent)
Most Effective
In terms of effectiveness, the split between online and
offline was similar, with five online (website, Facebook,
email newsletter, email, buzz marketing) and five offline
(live demo, television advertising, coupons, print advertising
and event marketing)(Figure 6).
Out of all of these, the live demo is ranked as most effec-
tive by those selling organic food. Some things haven’t
changed since the early days, and organic and natural prod-
ucts companies see the live demo as highly effective at driv-
ing sales and increasing brand awareness and retailer loyalty.
However, while the results are proven in terms of sales dur-
Third most effective is television advertising. What needs
to be said about this tactic is that very few actually use it (sec-
ond to last in usage), but those that do find it very effective
in increasing brand awareness and driving sales. One reason
for this is that there are not that many natural or organic
brands to compete against on TV, so the products stand out.
