Ideas for Candy Marketing
The candy business will turn sweets for your customer into a treat for your bank account. It doesn't matter whether you make divine fudge, decadent chocolate or delicious caramels, you can increase your sales by whipping up your marketing efforts. In her book, "Social Media Marketing," Jennifer Abernethy suggests using Twitter, Google+, Facebook and LinkedIn to boost your business and snap up a share of the $7 billion annual candy market.
Just about every holiday has a candy associated with it. Christmas has candy canes, Valentine's has chocolate hearts and Easter, jelly beans. Broaden that idea and market your candy for the less obvious holidays, as well. For example, layer red, white and blue candies in clear glass jars for Fourth of July, Memorial Day and Labor Day. Green candies are perfect for St. Patrick's Day. Package them in green tinted cellophane bags tied with gold ribbon and silk shamrocks. May Day, or the first day of spring, calls for candy flowers in pastel colors.
You might not think that weddings and candy go together, but lots of brides are offering a candy table. Guests fill small boxes with an assortment of candy as a remembrance or just an extra gift. Contact wedding planners, bridal salons, florists and caterers, and offer your customized candies for the bride and groom. One idea is to put the bride and groom's name, or their initials, on chocolate truffles. Package each truffle in a gold box.
Other celebrations include graduations, anniversary dinners, job promotions or going-away parties. Don't leave out children's parties. Assemble edible necklaces from hard candies and spell out the birthday girl's name in the center of the necklace.
Businesses who exhibit at tradeshows need to draw attendees over to their booth. A big bowl of candy often does the trick. Take that idea one step further and offer to wrap the candy with the business's logo. Use a play on the common name of the candy to attract attention. Fill a bowl with foil wrapped tear-drop shaped chocolates with a sign that says "Have a Kiss." Wrap small chocolate bars in play money for a customer who is in the financial services business. Create a chocolate covered jewelry box and fill it with jewel-colored hard candy in the shape of gemstones for a jewelry business.
Everyone has birthdays, graduations, birth of a baby or some happy occasion they celebrate. Offer delivery services of candy gifts to customers to help the recipient celebrate. For example, freshmen college students would get a kick out of a box of favorite childhood candies. A bouquet of pink candies on wood skewers for "stems" arranged in a bouquet celebrates the birth of a baby girl.