3 Ways Pepper Ensures Manufacturers Get Noticed at Checkout—With Real-Time Data to Prove It

The traditional methods of marketing a manufacturer’s products to foodservice buyers can be overwhelming and uncertain. Whether it’s relying on distributor sales reps, hosting demonstrations, or hoping that flyers, field sales, and trade shows hit the mark—it often feels like a leap of faith.

But marketing your products doesn’t have to be a shot in the dark. With Pepper’s Ads Network, we bring the power of targeted, measurable advertising directly to food manufacturers, showing real activity, real results, and real-time data.

By tapping into our network of 230+ distributors and their Pepper-powered digital ordering platforms, manufacturers gain unprecedented access to foodservice buyers at the point of purchase. With a 7.8x average ROAS (return on ad spend), you can confidently invest in your marketing efforts, knowing exactly how they’re performing.

In this article, we’ll explore the three types of campaigns manufacturers can leverage within Pepper to reach buyers at the critical moment of purchase and revolutionize your B2B marketing strategy.

Display Ads and Landing Pages: Spark New Demand

With Pepper's display ads and native Digital Experiences, you can now showcase your products and brand story directly within the ordering experience of your target audience.

These beautiful placements ensure your message reaches operators without disrupting their shopping experience. Whether it's a new product launch or a promotion on a classic offering, your ads appear as a natural part of the browsing and buying process.

When an operator clicks on your ad, they're taken to a dedicated “digital storefront” for your brand within the app. Here, you can:

• Tell your brand story
• Showcase product details
• Display high-quality images or video content
• Highlight customer testimonials or chef endorsements

These spaces give you the ability to differentiate your products and build brand affinity, all within the context of the operator's regular ordering routine.

And we’re obsessive about clean data and reliable attribution, so we make it simple to track impressions, click-through rates, and most importantly, conversions.

Prioritized Search: Reach Customers As They Buy

Pepper's prioritized search ad placements allow you to put your products front and center when operators are actively looking to buy, creating a powerful opportunity to influence purchasing decisions at a critical moment.

When an operator searches for a product category—for example,"chicken breasts" or "tomato sauce"—your relevant products can appear at the top of the results. This adds value to the operator by surfacing new products and brands they might not have discovered otherwise, while offering you maximum visibility in the midst of that operator’s workflow. 

Our platform allows for nuanced targeting based on:

• Search terms and product categories
• Operator purchase history and preferences
• Cuisine type and menu focus
• Seasonal trends and local events

By showcasing relevant, high-quality products when operators are actively searching, you're helping them discover options that best meet their needs while meeting your own marketing and sales goals—a win-win for everyone.

Request A Sample: Generate New Leads

Pepper's "Request A Sample" campaign type bridges the gap between digital marketing and physical product trials, allowing you to get your products directly into the hands of operators who raise their hands to signal their interest in your product.

The "Request A Sample" button appears strategically throughout the Pepper platform—on product pages, search results, and even within ads. Gone are the days of manually collecting business cards at trade shows or relying on distributor sales reps to identify interested operators. With Pepper's platform:

• Operators can request samples with a single click
• You receive qualified leads directly, complete with contact information and relevant details about the operator's business
• The entire process is digital, trackable, and scalable

Our data shows that 12% of operators who request a sample go on to become long-term customers of that product. 

The Future of Foodservice Marketing Is Here

Pepper's retail media network is revolutionizing how food manufacturers connect with foodservice buyers. Through display ads and landing pages, prioritized search, and streamlined sample requests, you now have the tools to reach operators directly at the point of purchase.

The value of trade shows and DSR engagement campaigns isn’t going away, but retail media advertising is always available, easy to turn on and off, and gives you access to end buyers via dozens or hundreds of independent distributors.

Most importantly, our approach creates a win-win-win scenario:

• Manufacturers gain direct access to buyers and clear ROI on marketing spend
• Distributors unlock new revenue streams via campaigns in their apps
• Operators enjoy a more informative and efficient ordering experience

The industry is changing fast, and the manufacturers who adapt now will be the ones leading the pack tomorrow. We’d love to show you exactly how Pepper can transform your approach to foodservice marketing—schedule a demo of our manufacturer marketing capabilities.