In marketing, driving sales isn’t just about flashy promotions or deep discounts. For products with fixed consumption rates, such as detergents, dishwasher pods, or breakfast cereals, traditional tactics often fall short of delivering genuine, sustainable growth. For marketers launching everyday products, such as snacks or cleaning products, frequent and large discounts don’t guarantee long-term success. Here are some paths to unlocking real growth.
How to increase sales:
Promotions: a temporary shield
Multi-buy offers (“Buy 6 for $X”) can be effective, especially when a competitor is launching a new product. These promotions help protect your market share by encouraging customers to stock up, making it less likely they’ll try a rival brand soon. But for products consumed at a steady rate, this only delays the next purchase, rather than increasing overall sales.
Discounts: useful, but with limits
Discounts are excellent for clearing inventory, end-of-season sales, or products nearing expiry. However, frequent discounting can erode profits and train customers to wait for deals, undermining long-term brand value. Instead, sustainable sales growth strategies are required as discounts are only a short-term defense.
The real growth levers:
1. Encouraging increased consumption
Some manufacturers influence the amount of product used per occasion through packaging design. For example, increasing the size of the scoop in a box of washing powder subtly encourages higher product usage. While this can boost sales, it’s essential to strike a balance between business goals and consumer trust.
2. Expanding usage occasions
The most sustainable growth comes from helping customers discover new uses for your product. Think of baking soda: once used only for baking, it’s now a staple for cleaning, deodorizing, and more—thanks to creative marketing and user-generated content. Vinegar, too, has evolved from a salad dressing ingredient to a descaling agent for kettles and a surface cleaner. Social media, influencers, and user stories make it easier than ever to inspire new habits and expand your product’s role in daily life.
The takeaway
True marketing success isn’t just about how to increase sales—it’s about helping customers get more value, whether by making the product easier to use or by unlocking new ways to use it. It’s also essential to understand the unique preferences of the consumers in your market. For instance, Dutch consumers heavily consider eco-friendly packaging. The brands that win are those with sustainable sales growth strategies that educate, inspire, and build trust, not just those that push for higher consumption through expanding product usage.
