While the latest “model” of the virus still feeds passionate debates about masks and vaccines, many brands are starting to promote their products at retail stores again. The companies, interested in re-starting their demo of product campaigns, find that the brand ambassadors they used to depend upon are no longer available. The lock downs and public health directives decimated the market infrastructure as people were forced into relocating and taking on a different career path. Of course the brand ambassadors' scarcity is only a small part of the overall labor shortage experienced by most retailers across the country, but my exposure is primarily to in-store demo management. There are multiple approaches to managing labor scarcity:
Most high quality brand ambassadors are self-employed, and while $25 per hour for 40 hours a week sounds like a reasonable income, 5 - 7 store sampling events per week at 4 (paid) hours per demo, with 1.5 hours per demo of unpaid overhead, is all they can expect most of the time. That is the difference of $1,600 per month, or the "real" rate of $18 per hour part-time with no benefits. The point is you don’t need to bust your marketing budget to attract brand ambassadors capable of producing a healthy E2P (Experience to Purchase) conversion ratio. Playing it smart generates above average returns on your marketing investment. Let's discuss how to revive your store experience and brand activation strategies in the wake of a pandemic.