The secret to Nestle's long-term worldwide success! What was the marketing tool that helped them reach all parts of the globe?
Friday: Collaborate and Innovate
Some of the most successful businesses that we know of have already existed for over 100 years.
If you think about it, the business and marketing landscape is very much different back then compared to how it is today.
We all know the world is changing, and with that comes the fall of companies who cannot keep up with changes over time.
However, there are still some that are able to withstand the test of time. Among these companies are Nikon Corporation, Coca-Cola, The J.M. Smucker Company, and Whirlpool.
As an independent professional, adaptability and flexibility are important keys for you to stand out and succeed in a world that’s constantly changing.
Today, allow me to share with you how this company effectively marketed its products throughout its years of existence and attained a global reach as the largest food and beverage company in the world.
Keep reading to learn how press releases can help you achieve your marketing goals.
I hope you find this week’s topic insightful as you work to gain more exposure for your brand.
Miles Everson
CEO, MBO Partners
Chairman of the Advisory Board, The I Institute
Collaborate and Innovate
More than 150 years of Good Food, Good Life!
What started as an Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company in 1866 is now the world’s largest food and beverage company:
Nestlé.
All thanks to Henri Nestlé’s breakthrough infant food in 1867, and merging with Anglo-Swiss in 1905, the Nestlé Group was born.
More than a century later, almost all of us still have many of their products in our homes.
Nestlé’s purpose is to enhance the quality of lives all around the globe.
They aim to inspire people to live healthier lives to improve society. This ensures them long-term success that comes with earning their consumers’ trust and maintaining market leadership.
Currently, they have more than 2,000 brands (from global icons to local favorites) and are in 190 countries around the world.
What was the effective marketing tool that Nestlé used to attain global reach, making them the largest food and beverage company in the world?
PRESS RELEASES.
Since the 1990s, Nestlé has published press releases to make their brand known, as well as to announce their goals and ambitions for a better future.
They have used press releases to announce almost everything, including just letting the public know what was currently happening within the company and its external efforts.
After all, any brand or company should play well to its strengths.
In Nestlé’s case, this means releasing an average of one press release a month since 1998.
The secret of how this marketing tool became so effective is the frequency.
Press releases are actually more important today than ever.
It’s one of the key tools in effective online marketing.
Press releases have evolved over the years and have gone hand in hand with online marketing.
In the past, press releases were only sent directly to journalists, the only ones who had a say on whether or not the pieces should be published.
Now, these can be released online for millions to see all over the world.
You can write about any newsworthy topic about your brand or company:
- Big conferences and other speaking events
- Big promotions and staff hiring
- Company launches
- Major sponsorships and tie-ups
- New products
- New study or statistics
- Participation in a charity event
- Product endorsed by well-known people
- Winning awards
…and a lot more!
Based on Nestlé’s 2018 annual report, their organic sales growth was 3.0%.
Their total reported sales increased by 2.1% to CHF 91.4 billion.
Their underlying trading operating profit margin reached 17.0%, an increase of 50 basis points.
This shows that all their efforts (including their marketing and promotional efforts) for their company’s growth really paid off.
They took advantage of press releases to gain exposure and grow their brand even more.
By releasing at least one press release a month, they were able to sustain the momentum they gained from simply announcing what their company was up to.
The more the public heard or read about Nestlé, the higher the chances were for brand recall to improve.
But it’s not just about making announcements for the rest of the world to see.
For a press release to be effective, it has to have good and relevant content.
Once you have a well-written press release, you’ll be able to help your brand or business increase sales, expose itself to more consumers or prospective clients, and further promote its products and services.
Online visibility and reach can possibly be unlimited too!
Like Nestlé, are you ready to take your business or brand to the next level and utilize the power of PRESS RELEASES?
Creating and publishing press releases are some of the many tactics of FYO, Find You Optimization. Nestlé provides us a great example of how we need to think beyond SEO and into FYO.
Hope you’ve found this week’s insights interesting and helpful.
Stay tuned for next Friday’s Collaborate and Innovate!
