Knut Zimmermann – REVO

Knut Zimmermann is the Co-Managing Director of the advertising agency REVO. He has over 25 years of experience in creating effective purchase incentives for customers. The agency, based in Cologne, focuses on helping brands and companies to sell more effectively and therefore added a strategic unit to enhance its sales-oriented approach.

BRAND BUILDING AND SALES PERFORMANCE ARE KEY FOR BRAND GROWTH

”As long as there are shoppers, there will be promotions.”

Zimmermann’s day-to-day work at the agency primarily REVOlves around product sales, pushing beyond mere branding to persuade customers with a compelling ’Choose me! ’ appeal. This is part of a larger, engaging conversation about Sales Activation, which includes strategies for Brand Growth and various examples of Brand Activation, like insights from the Parookaville festival and product placements in supermarkets.

One key aspect of Brand Growth theory, as put forward by Byron Sharp and Les Binet, is the balance between long-term brand-building campaigns and short-term, sales-driven initiatives for effective brand growth.

Zimmermann works closely with both marketing and sales teams to develop advertising strategies that serve dual purposes: Meeting immediate sales targets and supporting long-term brand development. This approach ensures that short-term sales tactics, like special offers or support during product launches, are in line with the broader goals of brand communication and evolution.

He reflects on successful campaigns like Henkel’s ’Beauty Weeks’ with Heidi Klum, securing retail spots and boosting sales for Henkel’s beauty brands. The aim is for brand and sales efforts to complement each other across channels for unified impact.

“Promotions = Shopper Marketing”

“Promotions are integral to Shopper Marketing, primarily aimed at capturing impulse buyers at the POS. Whether offers or value propositions entice shoppers, promotions should strategically align with the prospective purchase location. At physical POS locations, shoppers need rapid enticement through compelling mechanisms like price reductions, discounts, or complimentary trials, effectively minimising purchase barriers,” explains Knut.

Conversely, online ePOS platforms present unique challenges, as shoppers make more informed purchasing decisions, necessitating comprehensive customer experiences from initial engagement to final purchase confirmation.

BRAND ACTIVATION AS BRAND-SPECIFIC SALES PROMOTION

While price-centric promotions often yield immediate sales results, consumers can equally be motivated by substantive brand narratives. Amidst long-term brand communication strategies and short-term sales promotions, Brand Activation initiatives serve as hybrid solutions, bolstering brand relevance and enhancing brand salience.

Thus, REVO ingeniously crafted the ’Fa-radies’ for the Body Care brand Fa. To rekindle enthusiasm, especially among younger consumers, REVO orchestrated the TV-supported campaign ’Komm ins Fa-radies’ (Come into Fa-radise).

This initiative invited consumers through a contest to spend 100 days on a distant South Sea Island, sharing captivating diary entries of sailing adventures and more as Social Media content. The response to this campaign was overwhelming, and sales experienced a notable upturn as well.

”In this manner, REVO successfully revitalized Fa’s relevance among young individuals
who hadn’t previously considered the brand.”

With a similar objective, last year REVO created the ’Asbach Uraltersheim’ for Underberg and prominently showcased the Asbach brand at the Parookaville Festival in Weeze am Niederrhein for the first time.

This involvement was a cornerstone of an extensive repositioning and rejuvenation strategy for the brand. At the electronic music festival, Asbach humorously played on its name, providing over 200,000 attendees with a diverse entertainment program featuring an 80s retro club, wheelchair races, bingo, and photo sessions with ageing filters, giving subjects an ’aged’ appearance.

On a dedicated Asbach stage, there were live performances by DJs and comedians. Additionally, the brand was showcased across a vast activation area with tastings, promotional activities, and an extensive merchandise range. All Asbach products, from Asbach Cola ready-to-drinks to Asbach Coffee & Cream and traditional premium spirits, were available at a central counter.

The ethos of Asbach, encapsulated in its brand slogan ”Am liebsten zusammen” (preferably together), resonates perfectly with the concept of enjoying moments collectively. A social media campaign, garnering over 50 million engagements, coupled with strategic influencer activation, extended Asbach’s festival presence online.

”Asbach communicates its brand values in a way that the target audience wouldn’t have expected, but they positively appreciate it.” ”

Before, price promotions at the point of sale didn’t significantly grow the Asbach brand. However, after activation, an overall very positive outcome emerged. In the fiscal year 2022/23, the Asbach brand achieved a sales growth of 31%.

SECONDARY PLACEMENT: A RELEVANT COMPONENT OF BRAND GROWTH

In Knut Zimmermann’s perspective, in-store sales promotions as secondary placements play a pivotal role in successful campaigns and are fundamental to Brand Growth strategies. While primary placements prioritize retaining existing consumers through distinct visibility and brand recognition, secondary placements emphasize broader brand narratives, fostering relevant engagement and expanding consumer bases. In this context, the focus is less on visibility and more on brand value,

aiming to establish a compelling reason for consumers to engage — such as highlighting a specific usage occasion or category entry point.

”We focus not on the heavy user, but on converting the existing non-users and light users”

A premium brand typically retains its existing clientele. Thus, promotions outside of typical shelving arrangements are generally more noticeable to casual shoppers, presenting an optimal tool for reaching new customers and bolstering brand growth. Zimmermann aptly summarizes this approach:

”Effective Brand Activation resonates with a multitude of shoppers, imbuing a brand with resonant themes.”