Big Brand Displays Means Big Bill-backs for Beverage Distributors

A couple of months ago the Atlanta Business News (ABN) published an article describing the elaborate brand displays that beverage distributors place in stores just prior to big events such as the Super Bowl. The often tall and intricate displays of cases of beverages aren’t just for show, as they’re designed to stimulate that impulse/in-store buying decision. But these displays also bring about huge bill-back requirements for the distributors that place them there — meaning, they must submit expenses to suppliers to be reimbursed for the cost of display materials.

The sometimes massive displays can contain costly custom materials that the distributors use to make the presentation stand out as they flank the entrances to stores or line the walls near the check-out area. The ABN article quoted an industry expert as saying, “It's an opportunity to bolster beverage sales as well as snacks. A lot of beverage purchases are impulse and displays, particularly those next to the register, spur sales."

It’s big bucks, and suppliers are happy to help distributors recoup the cost. But how can distributors be sure they’re getting every dollar that suppliers are willing to provide through bill-backs? The answer is that their current internal systems for tracking bill-backs are outdated and could even lead to missing thousands of possible bill-back dollars. After all, one distributor can service hundreds if not thousands of retail customers. With the cost of POS marketing materials and production going through the roof, bill-backs are now more important than ever for beverage distributors.

How OnTrak Works

OnTrak Software’s Point-of-Sale (POS) Marketing Management Tools can guarantee nearly 100 percent of bill-back recovery.  OnTrak provides the only Web-based software solutions trusted by alcohol beverage distributors to effectively manage POS marketing campaigns. These innovative systems provide powerful analysis and reporting tools that can help get more from your custom POS marketing efforts by applying a standardized methodology to the entire POS lifecycle that increases efficiency, transparency, and profitability. From initial order, to production and final display, OnTrak solutions log vital information and provides a single point of control for everything associated with the POS process.

OnTrak's Benefits

Many of our customers have experienced both quantifiable and qualitative results from the use of our products. Here are a few examples in three key areas:

Increased Product Sales

• Increase the success of POS marketing materials by getting them to market faster and as a result increasing sales
• Customers are now getting POS to market up to 3 days ahead of competition
• "What use to take 3 weeks now takes 3 days"

Reduced POS Costs with Higher Profits

• Elimination of over 95% of the POS errors and reworks, resulting in saving of both time and materials. Often tens of thousands of dollars saved per year
• Decrease print shop setup and administrative time, reducing production time from days to hours and resulting in the production of up to 20% more marketing materials with existing resources
• Recoup 100% of the available supplier bill-back recovery dollars

Improved POS Productivity

• Improve communications between sales and the print shop or warehouse, giving sales representatives more time selling to their customers rather than on the phone with the print shop, graphics department or warehouse.
• Increase productivity in supplier bill-back recovery by reducing the time spent on tracking and reporting from weeks to hours
• Track with 100% accountability every print job and POS inventory item
• Provide quick analysis and return-on investment with business intelligence and reporting tools - Now done in minutes vs. days

By using OnTrak, distributors can not only improve the impact and profitability of POS Marketing initiatives, but also increase the amount of supplier bill-back recovery — something every beverage distributor will especially cherish when their POS marketing costs increase.

To learn more about the value, benefits and results achieved by beverage companies that use OnTrak, click here: