What is it?
A sell story combines sales data, market trends, shopper insights, and competitive analysis into a concise, persuasive presentation to support meetings with buyers or category managers. It is a blend of qualitative and quantitative information.
Why is it important?
A sell story, also called a pitch deck or sell-in story, is essential to any serious CPG brand. Often created in PowerPoint or Google Slides, these presentations are delivered to retail buyers or category managers in order to get a brand’s product on the shelf or expand their portfolio if pitching innovative new items. These presentations are a blend of qualitative data (the brand’s mission, the marketing plan, the team, etc.) and quantitative data (sales data, velocity metrics, consumer panel insights).
What are some examples?
- New or emerging brands use sell stories to justify why they should be put onto a retailer’s shelf. A brand in this segment might highlight past sales performance, eCommerce sales, an assortment opportunity, or show that they are filling an unmet need at the retailer.
- Mature brands that are already on a retailer’s shelf will use sell stories to justify their continued presence on the shelf or argue for the inclusion of more or new products, often at the expense of the competition.