3 ways to differentiate in an increasingly competitive landscape
Tell your story
Customers who buy health food and supplements, particularly those who buy organic, are interested in knowing who is making their products. If you are a small company, chances are you have a much more authentic story to tell than large retailers who buy from many different sources. Are you based on a family farm? Did you start on a shoestring budget with one mission in mind? Is your product named after your Grandmother? When you tell your story, you connect with your customers. And that’s something big box brands just can’t do.
Be transparent about the source of your product
Sourcing says a lot about the quality of a product. Customers want to know how far products have traveled and how they are being produced. A recent study showed that 52% of consumers say it’s more important to buy local than organic. If you are a small health and nutrition brand, you are probably manufacturing your own product rather than outsourcing to an anonymous farm or far-away mill. But even if your main ingredient comes from Africa, be prepared to answer questions about why you get it there and how you can do it in a sustainable way. Maybe large corporations can afford to have dirty little secrets, but you can win by being better than that.
Keep Innovating
Of course you have to concentrate on building up a customer base and making sales. However, once you have a steady flow of income, it’s time to go back to the drawing board. How can you push yourself? Whether it be new products, new certifications, like non-GMO, or new ways to reach customers and build relationships, you have to stay one step ahead of the competition. When your competition employs a huge R&D department that can be a tall order. Think of it as an ongoing challenge, and make it fun. When you love what you do, your customer will love it, too.
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photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/spisharam/2742433355/”>spisharam</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/”>cc</a>
Jessica is a competitive athlete and the President of Energize HNM, a health and nutrition marketing agency. Jessica is committed to supporting health brands of every size by helping them define their missions and connect with their customers on a deeper, more meaningful level.