Building Strong Retail Relationships: Why Trade Marketing Alone Isn’t Enough

Growing your retail presence and driving sales isn’t just about flashy in-store promotions or discounts. For all brands, especially

challenger brands, success comes from building trust with retailers, aligning sales and marketing, and ensuring flawless execution at store level.

That’s why working with a fractional CMO who has guided brands through this process many times before can make all the difference. With experience across multiple categories and markets, they bring proven frameworks, insider know-how, and the ability to align your trade marketing strategy with both your business goals and the specific objectives of your retail partners..

Shop in Shop store concept

Trade Marketing: The Starting Point

Trade marketing focuses on activities that help retailers, wholesalers, and distributors sell your products. It includes incentives, POS materials, staff training, and joint promotions.

Done well, trade marketing strategy for small brands can:

• Increase in-store product visibility.

  
  

• Improve retailer engagement and loyalty.

  
  

• Drive incremental sales through targeted promotions.

  
  

• Provide valuable feedback for continuous improvement.

But trade marketing alone isn’t enough. Without clear strategic direction, sales and marketing alignment, and strong post-implementation measurement, even the best ideas risk being wasted.

Promotional display stand showcasing new product launch

Why a Fractional CMO Brings Extra Value

An experienced fractional CMO has been there before. They’ve rolled out trade campaigns for other challenger brands and know how to avoid costly mistakes. The benefits include:

Proven repeatability: Tried-and-tested playbooks for retail execution, tailored to your sector.

Sales and marketing alignment: Ensuring campaigns support retailer sell-through targets, not just brand awareness.

Retailer-specific insight: Understanding each retailer’s KPIs, compliance rules, and category structures.

Stakeholder engagement: Mapping and engaging buyers, merchandisers, operations teams, and store managers.

Post-implementation rigour: Measuring compliance at the store level, auditing POS execution, and tracking uplift against KPIs.

For SMEs, this expertise is available without the overhead of a full-time executive, making it both cost-effective and scalable.

Understanding Retailer Objectives

Retailers are more likely to support brands that understand their world. A one-size-fits-all trade strategy won’t cut it.

Key considerations include:

• Retailer scorecards: Sales per square foot, inventory turns, and promotional ROI.

  
  

• Category management: Planograms, shelf rules, and promotional slots.

  
  

• Stakeholder dynamics: From buyers to in-store staff, each needs tailored engagement.

Governance: Many retailers require structured proposals, business cases, and post-campaign reviews.

This is where a fractional CMO with retailer experience can help you craft campaigns that resonate and comply.

Retail manager setting up promotional materials in store

Key Elements of an Effective Trade Marketing Campaign

Here’s how to elevate your approach beyond the basics:

POS & Displays

Ensure materials are not only visually appealing but also compliant with retailer specs and easy to install.

Training & Support

Develop “brand champions” in-store by training retail staff to confidently sell your products.

Joint Marketing

Use co-funded campaigns, seasonal promotions, and digital tie-ins to increase ROI.

Data Sharing

Share sales data, category insights, and market research. Regular reviews strengthen trust and improve planning.

Post-Implementation Measurement

Trade campaigns don’t end at launch. Measuring retail execution compliance is critical.

In-store audits: Check displays, pricing, and compliance.

• Performance tracking: Monitor incremental sales, sell-through %, basket size impact.

  
  

• Retailer reviews: Present transparent results and agree next steps.

  
  

• Continuous optimisation: Apply learnings to improve future campaigns.

This cycle of measuring retail trade campaign performance ensures your efforts drive sustainable growth, not one-off spikes.

Long-Term Success Through Alignment

For emerging brands building retail relationships, trade marketing is the visible layer — but success depends on the underlying structure: clear brand strategy, aligned sales and marketing, deep retailer understanding, and robust post-implementation analysis.

A fractional CMO ensures every stage of this process works together, helping SMEs punch above their weight and build the kind of retail partnerships that last.