Marketing

The Hybrid Direct Response Retail Support Campaign is the best approach for any brand GelStat has interest in bringing to retail. This concept works very well on any scale, but the key is to be patient and grow the campaigns methodically.

The principal is simple; there have not been any brands successful marketed at the retail level that have first failed in DR, however there have been several hugely successful HBA retail brands that were cultivated from DR campaigns. With the new consolidated retail landscape, outside of the major Fortune 100 product companies with their $30-60 million advertising launch budgets, there is no other sensible course of action for consumer product companies to take.

The Direct Response (DR) approaches will vary slightly depending on the whether it's an in-house developed brand or brand acquisition/joint venture.

Brand Acquisition/Joint Venture Opportunities:

For an existing brand we're looking to acquire (that meets key DR requirements), we execute a DR test campaign as a focus group to see what type of response, if any, the product generates. Ideally, if we are looking at a DR relevant brand that is fully produced, the owner will grant access to the product and any sales collateral material to run a quick non-television DR test, and then we can actually take the temperature of the potential consumer base before making any major financial commitment.

New Brand Incubation Strategy

All new brand ideas cannot be treated the same due to several reasons, to name just a few; how evident the void in the marketplace is, the degree of “new ingredient” education that's necessary (will the average consumer understand it) or even internal uncertainty about a brand name and marketing message.

  • In certain cases we can dry test (no product exists) a product concept idea or potential brands names utilizing Facebook ads driving respondents to an information micro site with an incentive to fill out a focus group survey.
  • We have more than one viable logo/package design, or spelling of the name, or color schemes etc., we'll utilize a survey with visual elements that can be sent out via email focus group companies.
  • After above market research testing or if there is an evident marketplace void and/or a unique proprietary ingredient/design, we'll get slightly more aggressive. Before any major product inventory investments are made we purchase only the minimum amounts required by the vendor and then conduct a full multi-faceted DR test campaign to find our best creative approaches, brand messaging, along with trying various offer structures to establish the consumers accepted retail selling price.
  • The initial two-week DR testing phase will be conducted online and in either print or radio. In very rare occasions when a products visual demonstration is the key selling point, then an initial television test will be done.