Trade marketing
Marketing aimed at retailers, wholesalers and distributors instead of end consumers: winning listings, shelf space, displays and promotions so the product is available and visible where people buy. In FMCG it often takes a large share of the budget, because a brand that is not on the shelf cannot be chosen. Its weak spot is heavy price promotion, which buys volume this quarter and mostly from people who would have bought anyway.
Where it's used
Used by FMCG, drinks, OTC and consumer electronics brands that sell through retail chains and distributors. Good when growth is limited by where and how the product sits in store, not by how many people know it.
Example
Twenty centimetres more shelf
Illustrative scenarioA juice brand sells well in the cities where it is listed but is missing from half of the national chain's stores. The trade marketing team builds a case for the buyer: sales per metre of shelf against the category average, a summer display plan and a joint promotion calendar. The chain lists it in all stores and adds a second facing. Sales grow mainly because more shoppers can now find it, not because anyone saw a new ad.