Publicity for a packaged goods brand runs on two tracks. Consumer coverage builds the demand that makes a product sell through. Trade coverage, in the publications retail buyers and category managers read, builds the credibility that gets a product listed and keeps it there. Most brands invest in the first and neglect the second.
Trade media reaches the people who decide distribution
Category managers, buyers and distributors read trade titles and attend industry events, and a brand that appears there as a credible operator has an easier conversation at the next review. This is unglamorous coverage with a direct commercial effect, and it is usually cheaper to earn than consumer attention.
In pet PR as in any CPG launch, consumer coverage has to arrive with availability
Publicity that creates demand where the product is not stocked is wasted, and worse, it sends buyers to competitors. Time consumer campaigns to distribution rather than to a launch date decided internally, and concentrate effort in the regions where the product is actually on shelf.
Claims travel from the release to the pack
Food labelling rules, nutrient content claims and certification claims apply to what is said in publicity as well as on packaging, and environmental claims carry their own guidance advising against unqualified general statements. A press release is promotional material and is read as such.
Samples, creators and disclosure
Product seeding to editors and creators is standard and it creates material connections that have to be disclosed clearly. The advertiser is expected to monitor compliance rather than rely on a contract clause, and in food and drink the audiences are quick to notice an undisclosed paid post.
Questions people ask about cpg pr
Which matters more, trade or consumer coverage?
Trade coverage protects the listing, consumer coverage drives sell-through. A brand losing distribution needs the first; one with distribution and slow velocity needs the second.
When should publicity start for a launch?
Long lead consumer publications work months ahead and trade press works to industry calendars, so both start well before the product reaches shelf. Align the consumer push with actual availability.
Are awards worth entering?
Industry awards are read by trade buyers and can support a listing conversation, which makes them more useful in this category than in most. Judge each by whether your buyers know it.