Five key takeaways for wholesalers and suppliers from the “What’s Next in Trade Marketing?” panel at WSWA Access LIVE.
As the beverage industry has gotten more complex—more categories, more products, more sales channels—marketing to the beverage industry has gotten more complex as well. It’s not just about traditional strategies like in-person visits and print advertising; today’s trade landscape requires wholesalers and suppliers to take an omnichannel approach, blending traditional and digital strategies with limited resources.
How, exactly, can this be accomplished—and what’s next in the landscape of beverage trade marketing? On February 4, 2025, beverage industry experts convened for a panel on this topic at WSWA’s Access LIVE, offering their insights on the best ways to effectively reach and engage with retailers.
Moderated by Courtney Schiessl Magrini, the editor in chief of SevenFifty Daily and Beverage Media Group publications, the discussion welcomed panelists Courtney Armour, the chief legal counsel for DISCUS; Justin Shaw, a partner in M.S. Walker; and Christina Stella, the SVP of supplier partnerships for Provi. Here are five key takeaways from their discussion.
1. Digital Tools Amplify, Rather Than Diminish, In-Person Tactics
As digital marketing has become more prominent, it’s tempting to feel like wholesalers and suppliers have to choose between traditional or digital marketing channels. In reality, these in-person, print, and digital strategies can complement one another—which is where an omnichannel approach comes in.
“There's this real amplification of what [wholesalers are] able to do and how many retail buyers they can reach by incorporating digital tools into their in-person strategies,” says Stella.
Shaw acknowledges that change can be difficult, particularly among sales reps who don’t necessarily specialize in digital. “But digital tools are the best way to increase your effectiveness with these strategies as you approach your retailers,” he says, emphasizing the need to maintain in-person relationships, too. Shaw recommends creating internal ambassadors for digital tool sets who can educate their fellow team members that “these are meant to amplify and augment their capability and effectiveness in the marketplace, not to replace them.”
Many digital tools help reps stretch the resources they have available. “Leveraging a platform like Provi, they can have their sale sheets accessible when they walk into an establishment, just really allowing them to go deeper with limited resources,” says Stella. Internally, digital customer relationship management tools can also help reps map past experiences with retailers and log their purchasing behaviors, as well as maintain and quickly deploy digital assets for retail partners.
2. The Next Gen of Retail Buyers Is Looking for Digital
Our industry is currently undergoing a generational shift, and not just among consumer audiences. “What we've seen is the evolution of the types of buyers that are out there,” says Stella. Younger buyers have grown up with readily available digital tools in all aspects of their lives; ecommerce availability is a given to them. “If they're shopping [for everyday items] on Amazon or Instacart, how does that translate to how they buy alcohol for their establishments?” she adds “Having digital tools at their disposal has been a really powerful way for them to take ownership of what they're adding to their bar or liquor store.”
The next generation of buyers also expects to able to search, shop, and discover on their own time. “How can you allow your buyers to better peruse your portfolios on their terms, on their time schedules?” says Shaw. “How can you introduce ease? That symbiosis between the sales and marketing teams is really central at this time with these tools at our disposal.”
3. Compliance Is King Across All Marketing Channels
As wholesalers build out their omnichannel marketing strategies, Armour reminds professionals to stay compliant at every step. This might not be as straightforward for digital innovations, so be prepared. “When you get into the new bells and whistles … that can really help grow your business and get into this technological innovation space, you do need to think through your compliance,” says Armour. “You don’t want to build your business in quicksand.”
Take the time to vet any third-party partners and their regulatory compliance carefully. “Vetting third parties is really going to depend on how new that business model is, what assurances they've already gathered for regulators, and the legal analysis that they've gathered on their own,” she says. Ask the business for the names of their legal advisors, an outline of their business model, and how they fit into the three-tier system and comply with tied-house laws, for example. Though these regulations might seem obvious to beverage professionals, new, innovative businesses may not have thought through all of the details.
“[From the wholesaler perspective], we often encourage reps, managers, and sales teams to do anything for the sale,” says Shaw. “So it brings up a complex set of issues of, how do you do that from a compliance perspective?”
“Ultimately, you're all licensed and one of the big sticks that the regulators carry around is that … if you cross the line they can pull your license,” says Armour. “You want to make sure you're not building your entire business strategy on something that could be ripped out from under you, too.”
That doesn’t mean that wholesalers should shy away from new innovations just because regulations may not be as clear. “Don't be shy about asking your technology partners and your new advertising and marketing partners to understand our special, unique posture, and what we want and expect our partners to do when it comes to responsible advertising,” says Armour. Her team has been working with TikTok, for example, to ensure that user demographics are accurate and that alcohol advertisers have the ability to age-gate content.
4. Strategic Data Analysis Can Make Omnichannel Marketing More Effective
The immense amount of data at the industry’s disposal offers opportunities to bring together wholesaler and supplier initiatives for maximum impact. “I think a big focus in ’25 is asking how to take that data set that we get from both angles and leverage those to come up with complex strategies that move the needle and drive sales,” says Stella.
It’s not just about accessing data; it’s about applying it strategically, from figuring out which markets are best for your brand, to which distributors you should be working with. As Stella adds, “How do you focus your marketing dollars in the right place at the right time?”
Though data analysis and strategy naturally links to digital marketing, it can inform all marketing channels—even traditional ones. Shaw has noticed how data helps M.S. Walker better understand their markets and target strategies effectively. “Each market is wildly different,” he says, noting that some markets are dominated by younger, technologically savvy buyers and others are more driven by old-school retailers. “Understand your unique market needs and what's going to be best for you. We have limited dollars and resources, and determining which of these platforms to get the most aid in your quest to win the retailer is really important.”
5. Personalization and Targeted Messaging Are Competitive Advantages
“I don't think there's a blanket approach for everyone that works anymore,” says Stella. Each product, market, and retailer requires a different approach, which is why an adaptable, omnichannel strategy really pays off.
“Products matter, but in this day and age and going forward, they're just a small sliver of the equation,” adds Shaw. “Being able to add value to your retail partners I think is really what it's all about and that internal agility is going to prime you for success.”
Targeting your messaging for the trade ties into this as well, and education is key. Though the audiences can be difficult to separate, conflating trade messaging with consumer messaging would be a mistake. “It’s really important not to disregard that retail level and ensure that the messaging is aligning,” says Shaw.
Modern digital advertising tools allow wholesalers and suppliers to augment that messaging for each retailer. “We have a unique opportunity in the trade space where we can speak a little bit differently and get more tactical to help them understand the value that it can bring and set their menu apart,” says Stella. Timing is important, too—there’s a longer lead in for distribution, so make sure you have your trade messaging prepared before you roll out consumer-facing messaging.
“I notice a lot of times that the partners that we work with don't have set trade messaging when they're working with us on sponsored content or advertising,” adds Schiessl Magrini. “I always encourage partners to speak through their advertising in the way that you would speak in person to your trade accounts.”
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