Snack on This

Food brings people together. From preschool snack times to family dinners to weekly taco truck visits with colleagues, it serves as the centerpiece of most day-to-day activities—helping to create new memories, new favorites and plenty of Instagram pictures.

With food such an integral part of our lives, it seems like edible promotions should sell themselves. Sadly, that’s not the case.

Looking for ways to make edibles jump off the proverbial shelves? Turn to the guidance of four industry experts: Brandon Strong, business development manager of Chocolate Chocolate, Blaine, Wash.; Jeff DePalma, vice president of sales for Chocolate Inn/Taylor & Grant, Freeport, N.Y.; Tom Riordan, president of Maple Ridge Farms Inc., Mosinee, Wis.; and Trent Lowe, corporate sales manager for Mrs. Fields Gifts, Salt Lake City. Soon, your edibles will be selling like hotcakes.

1. Be proactive

As lucrative as edibles can be, many companies are missing opportunities to sell. Why? “Distributors are typecast. Clients think of them for promotional products, not food gifts,” Riordan said, noting end-buyers rarely reach for edibles on their own.

“[End-buyers] are inundated with emails and food gift catalogs from Labor Day through Thanksgiving, and they naturally think of those giant food gift companies first,” Riordan explained. It’s up to the distributor to be proactive—to let the end-buyer know they offer edibles, and explain why they are best for the job.

Once end-buyers know you offer edibles, win them over by appealing to convenience, DePalma said. Think of a party where someone must plan the details, including how to feed the attendees. “For the sake of convenience, I would have much rather purchased these items from the same source as my other products than be burdened by having to go and purchase these items in bulk to hand out,” said DePalma.