Suppliers of advertising materials, on-packs, and point-of-sales solutions, external and internal advertising and brand-oriented catering/restaurant supplies as well as promotional ideas and services are just at the right place at drinktec, and this also applies to those interested in these product segments. Marketing and sales promotion are focal topics of drinktec 2017, the World’s Leading Trade Fair for the Beverage and Liquid Food Industry, which will take place in Munich from September 11 to 15, 2017.
There are certainly a handful of breweries and beverage companies, even very successful ones, that consciously do entirely without traditional advertising and still are very successful. Important names such as Augustine, Rothaus and Reissdorf Kölsch, but also Oettinger come to mind here spontaneously. However, they are the big exceptions. The great majority of the companies in the beverage industry cannot do without intensive advertising in this fiercely competitive market. In Germany alone, gross advertising expenditures of breweries were approx. 370 million euros in 2012 according to Nielsen. In addition, sales promotion, marketing at point-of-sales, catering supplies and mobile gastronomy facilities are areas that are relevant for every beverage company. Promoting sales is always the focus for all market players. Sales success is the decisive factor at a POS, whether in traditional gastronomy, mobile outdoor and event catering or trade.
High level of marketing expertise
How can the beverage and liquid food industry best make a product attractive to customers in order to sell it? Decision-makers and those responsible, especially in the fields of PR and marketing, distribution and sales, product and brand managers, all consider such issues and can also obtain information about them at the drinktec technology market, including on marketing topics. drinktec already demonstrated its marketing expertise in 2013. A total of 12,000 visitors came from sales and marketing to drinktec in 2013, of whom more than 3,300 visitors were pure marketing experts. Eighty-seven percent of the visitors assessed the marketing and promotion area as “excellent to good”.
Special comprehensive exhibition areas at drinktec 2017 for marketing, sales promotion and catering supplies as well as packaging solutions (cf. press release of February 19, 2016), including the “World of Labels”, are targeted to the needs of marketing professionals. In the “Special Area New Beverage Concepts”, product and brand managers as well as marketing executives can also see and test innovative ingredients and beverage concepts or search for new ideas at the flavor houses. “The entire Coca-Cola world comes together at drinktec every four years,” Dr. Klaus Stadler, Director Environment & Water Resources Group Europe, Germany, summed up the situation after drinktec 2013. “The technical managers look for new machines at drinktec, and the marketing people look for new ideas from the flavor companies. This meeting of the Coca-Cola family is unique in this form worldwide.”
Innovation Flow Lounge: unique conversation and discussion forum
Sound business decisions are more important today than ever for SMEs. Marketing plays a pivotal role here. How do you deal with the four traditional marketing tools: product and assortment policy, the structure of prices and conditions, the distribution issue and the communication structure? What does your presence on the Internet look like? And what role do social media play? What possibilities are created for marketing and communications, sales, distribution channels and customer loyalty?
The drinktec Innovation Flow Lounge, a conversation and discussion platform unique in this form, provides answers to questions dealing with all issues of marketing and branding beverages and liquid food. How can you influence the buying behavior of customers, and what happens at the point of sale? What marketing opportunities are created by new packaging concepts and ideas? How do you position innovative products in new markets? Visitors to drinktec can discuss these topics and lots more with high-level speakers and discussion partners in the Innovation Flow Lounge. There are various action modules from the “Talking Table” to “Speakers Corner” for sharing ideas and networking.
“Of course, there are many other fairs, repeatedly and at various schedule intervals, but what is happening at drinktec in Munich at larger intervals is truly unique. drinktec provides a unique overview of a truly international industry event,” Günther Nessel stated, Managing Director of “taste! Food & Beverage Communication”, Offenbach. “You should absolutely take a look at it if you are marketing professional who is involved in these sectors; you can consolidate your expertise and obtain inspiration there. Whoever looks for specific topics can find interesting forums with lectures and discussions, including with renowned industry representatives, from which you can learn a thing or two.”
11,000 square meters for catering supplies and sales promotion
drinktec 2017 has reserved an entire hall with 11,000 square meters for the topics of catering supplies/restaurant equipment and sales promotion. The exhibitors offer a wide range of advertising materials and solutions for sales incentives at the POS. The large glass manufacturers also show their latest creations. Visitors can also find commercial dispensing systems, home beverage dispensing systems, cellar tank systems and the required accessories. drinktec 2017 provides a comprehensive overview of market activities in this area and comes up with innovative technical solutions for catering companies and equipment suppliers as well as restaurants. A large exhibition area covers mobile dispensing equipment, sales facilities and vehicles as well as tent systems and sunshades. Catering specialists can obtain extensive information there, because outdoor restaurant seating is usually a strong revenue generator for the brewing and beverage industry when temperatures rise in the summer. “We were particularly expressed by the fact that many international decision-makers were at the trade fair,” Michael Mäusl emphasized, Managing Director at Hümmer Advertising GmbH, Germany, after the last drinktec. Many new customers approached us with inquiries. drinktec is the optimum platform for our goal to generate new customer contacts and cultivate existing ones, and consequently it is extremely significant for us.
Optimizing marketing
Successful sales, effective marketing and the brand image of beverages and liquid foods are essential factors for success in an industry that is faced with high price sensitivity, a large variety of products and limited shelf space in concentrated retail trade. Consequently, promotional items, POS solutions, effective external and internal advertising, brand-oriented catering supplies and forward-looking marketing strategies are important issues for those who are responsible for marketing, product and brand management or sales via distributive trade and the catering industry. At drinktec 2017, you can obtain support for issues such as optimizing marketing, positioning issues, advertising and sales promotion. This is because drinktec 2017 focuses on the areas of marketing and sales promotion and consequently specifically targets managers and staff from market communication, marketing, distribution/sales, management and customer relationship management.