Laura Bolser: Marketing Tabletop vs. Selling Tabletop in A Hospitality World

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by Laura Bolser

Tired of the daily rat race trying to convince buyers that your products are better than the other guys?  You probably also often find yourself trying to motivate that dealer rep to get your products on the buyer’s radar, even though he’s probably pushing Saran Wrap because he makes better margins.  And throw in to the mix, you more often than not find yourself in the position of competing for the same dollars.  So how on earth in this incredibly competitive industry do we get ahead?

You guessed it…Marketing.

In so many companies, Marketing is the first to receive budget cuts when goals aren’t being met or the economy is going South.  In so many others, Marketing barely even exists.
However, when manufacturers opt to invest in Marketing and utilize effective Marketing, selling becomes a much easier job.  Goals are being reached; Sales Teams are more confident and running on that “sales high”. Their enthusiasm is contagious and next thing you know, everyone is buying in…the entire sales team, the rep force, the dealers, the dealer rep force and the end users.  Now the company is exceeding its goals!!

So the question becomes, why do so many companies rely on their salesperson’s witty, charming personality to differentiate their products when they could combine effective Marketing strategies to make selling easier and reach goals more consistently?  In most cases, it boils down to dollars. They just don’t want to cough up the cash or they simply don’t understand the value of Marketing. Those are the companies that are “selling” Tabletop.  Companies that invest the cash, are consistent in their message and identity, and understand the value of Marketing are “marketing” Tabletop and are buzzing in the industry, being perceived as being successful.

How do you view your company’s products?  How do your customers view your products? How do you want your customers to view your products and your company mission in the hospitality industry? Ask each member of your sales team individually and a few of your customers, to describe “who” your company is, and I bet you’ll be very surprised as to how their answers differ.  Marketing provides the golden opportunity to be seen consistently as to how you want to be seen, be known what you want to be known for and allows you to take control of your company’s growth.  Now just because you run a couple of ads and do a few shows, doesn’t mean those marketing efforts are enough, well done or are being implemented effectively.  It takes a full circle commitment of dynamic and consistent traditional and non-traditional marketing — of WOW pieces — to really turn marketing efforts in to effective Marketing.  I’m talking the entire scope of marketing from ads, catalogs, sell sheets, shows, pre-scheduled meeting events, digital marketing, internet marketing, social media, sponsorships and even a simple, often overlooked basic invitation.  Industry organizations and product ambassadors that you align yourself with are another key component to the big marketing puzzle. Every means of communication including graphics — whether printed or digital — is an opportunity to market your brand(s) and should be capitalized on.

So what exactly is effective Marketing?  How do you do effective Marketing?                                     Effective Marketing begins with…

·         Have a clear identity of who you are

·         Know what your mission in the hospitality world is

·         Carve out your niche in the market — make yourself different

·         Combine your identity with strong and consistent branding — know your brand and stick to it

·         When you add new product channels to your mix, sub brand them appropriately

·         Select effective marketing channels and venues that get you the biggest bang for your buck

·         Make certain that every promo, every gimmick, every printed and digital means of communication is aesthetically beautiful, a WOW piece. If you don’t love it, why should anyone else!!

As an example…how can a new website re-design not be in the budget?  More and more buyers are specifying products online and the internet is like the wild wild West — providing an equal playing field between companies large and small.  Mom and Pop shops can look like gigantic, well organized companies and big players in the real world can look like small fries if they’re not on top of their internet game.  Invest in an awesome website to effectively convey your brand, have easy search options for customers wanting specific items, glam shots of your products in use (I call those money shots!) and make sales almost effortlessly.

Marketing is magical, it’s our chance to be whatever we want to be seen as or be as big as we want to be seen as.  Be true blue to your brand, be beautiful in everything you produce, and be smart and savvy to make those Marketing dollars count!
TabletopJournal contributor Laura Bolser is a marketing and branding leader in the hospitality industry who has been serving up winning marketing initiatives for more than 20 years for companies like tabletop’s Front of The House and her current position as Marketing Director at, hospitality and events media giant Hotel Interactive.

Bolser is an expert in brand development, brand differentiation, brand “makeovers” and event creation/coordination/promotion. She has developed and implemented strategic grass roots, soup-to-nuts marketing campaigns — while providing winning art direction, event space/venue design, photo styling and food styling. A frequent consultant with many hospitality industry affiliates, Bolser also is a Board Member of Women Chefs & Restaurateurs and has been nominated/served on the advisory committee for several industry trade shows including NRA (National Restaurant Association), IHMRS (International Hotel, Motel & Restaurant Show), FLRS (Florida Lodging & Restaurant Show), HI Connect (Hotel Interactive) and is a member of NEWH – The Hospitality Network. She has worked with many popular Chefs, The Food Network and The James Beard Foundation.