The monthly food box trend began in 2012 with pioneers such as HelloFresh in Europe and Blue Apron in the US. Inspired by the success of 'Gig Economy' companies such as Uber, which was experiencing growing enthusiasm at the time, the culinary box sector has seen strong growth in recent years with big names in the genre looking to gain a larger market share.
While each food box model is subtly unique, they all have one thing in common: companies use direct marketing methods to get new customers. Why is face-to-face marketing so effective for this type of product?
A low-cost acquisition method
Low-cost marketing activity is the way to go, especially when you are launching a product on the market or when you are a start-up trying to establish yourself. Jumping too quickly or too early into expensive marketing such as Google ads or other paid social media campaigns is a huge risk if you don't have in-house expertise.
Face-to-face marketing is a method that does not require heavy financial investment and gives excellent returns on investment. There are no campaign costs here, the client only pays for each subscriber acquired. This allows brands to launch their campaign easily by taking advantage of multiple accessible channels such as direct marketing, social networks, but also word of mouth.
More often than not, getting new business requires a special offer to give potential customers a reason to buy, making it all the more important for brands to protect their marketing budget to maximise their potential.
Presenting a box face-to-face
Although monthly boxes, particularly kitchen boxes, are now more common, not everyone is entirely familiar with the concept and the product. Direct marketing allows for a more personalised and human approach as it is not only about making a sale, but also about explaining the product and the concept in order to convince the customer and build long term loyalty.
Brands can choose the context in which their boxes will be presented to potential customers: it can be at home, but also during events dedicated to cooking and gastronomy, or in a pop-up store.
Standing out in a competitive market
In France, there are more than sixty boxes related to gastronomy: recipes and cooking kits, delicatessen, cheeses, coffees... With a wide choice and prices varying from one box to another, it is important for brands to stand out and offer a real experience each month.
Organising your marketing strategy around social media, a website and other paid campaigns is of course essential for brands to grow, and it is important not to invest in just one channel to maximise the impact of your marketing.
Face to face can be a real asset for culinary and gastronomic boxes: the product can be presented in detail, the customer can spend more time discovering the concept and have all their questions answered. The product can be introduced to potential customers in a unique way and help the brand to differentiate itself from its competitors.
In addition, these campaigns can take place on a large scale. For example, tawkr ambassadors have almost 50,000 conversations a day with potential customers of the brands we work with. This is a significant advantage for increasing presence in a competitive market.
As we have seen, direct and face-to-face marketing is a great addition to your marketing strategy, especially for food boxes that have a lot to gain in a competitive market where it is important to differentiate.