industries / Food & Beverage
Food & Beverage
marketing for food & beverage brands, from first taste to repeat order
A new food or drink brand has to win a first taste, a second purchase and a retailer’s attention, usually on a small team. We plan brand and performance together, direct and make the creative, and build the subscription and lifecycle that turn a first order into a habit.
why is food and beverage hard to grow online?
taste before trust
People don’t believe a new food or drink is good, or good for them, until they’ve tried it. The path to the first taste matters more than the ad.
low order values
A few cans or packs per order leaves little room to pay for acquisition unless customers come back.
DTC and retail at once
Online sales prove demand to retailers, and retail ranging changes what online is for. The plan has to serve both.
claims are regulated
Health and nutrition claims on food are tightly controlled, so creative has to earn belief through taste, people and proof.
what we do for food & beverage brands
Strategy, creator briefs, video editing and design are done by our own team. We bring in production partners only for TV-scale shoots.
brand strategy & positioning
A clear reason to choose you in a category dominated by a few big players, with the budget split between building the brand and selling now.
creator briefs & casting
Creators chosen for the occasions your product fits, briefed around one message they can say in their own words.
in-house video & statics
Commercial cut-downs, feed creative, creator edits and retail promotion statics produced by our team.
media across screens
Meta for sales, BVOD and OTT for reach before peak season, retail DOOH and posters at the moments that trigger the category.
first-taste pathways
Sampling, single-serve retail and marketplace cartons that shorten the path from ad to first sip.
subscription & lifecycle
Subscription as the default purchase, with email, SMS and chat automated by lifecycle stage for a small team.
food & beverage creative we’ve made
Creative we briefed, directed or made for these brands.
The 15-second spot cut for BVOD, OTT and YouTube before summer.
Retail push, mixed-pack offer and creator content side by side.
Always-on creator content for niche segments.
results for food & beverage brands
A prebiotic soft drink up against a couple of dominant players. As fractional CMO, Harry led brand strategy, the DTC channel, media and measurement while the brand raised A$750k through equity crowdfunding and won ranging in Coles and IGA.
frequently asked questions
Should a new food or drink brand spend on brand awareness?
Earlier than most do. Sorted moved from all-performance to a 40/60 awareness and performance split, measured on 18-month customer value and a brand tracker. With hindsight, we’d push it closer to 70/30.
How do you get more people to try a new product?
Shorten the path to the first taste: sampling, single-serve retail, marketplace cartons with fast delivery, and creators who show the product in the moments it fits.
Does subscription work for food and beverage?
When it’s the easy option. Making subscription the default purchase, with no delivery fee and a lower price, lifted Sorted’s retention from 20% to 35% over six months.
Can you support a retail launch?
Yes. Online demand, retail promotion creative and DOOH near stores all help a ranging stick.
services for food & beverage brands
Brand & Creative Strategy
Positioning, buyers and creative territories built from what your customers say.
Email & SMS Marketing
Lifecycle flows and SMS that turn a first order into a repeat customer.
Integrated Campaigns
TV, streaming, radio and out-of-home for when paid social runs short of new buyers.
Other industries: apparel & activewear · skincare & personal care · home, kitchen & garden · appliances
We'll 3X your investment in us
That's our pinky promise to you! You'll see measurable improvement in results within the first 90 days with better ads and higher conversions.
Keen to have us as your performance marketing partner? Please click the "partner with us" button to see if we're a good fit.