Tag: marketing

Marketing for the Horeca Distributor: Effective Commercial Segmentation

How to Use Your Database for Targeted Campaigns That Drive Real Sales

Most Horeca distributors have a customer and prospect database, but very few use it strategically. The result: generic campaigns that don’t create impact, offers sent to the wrong people, and unnecessary commercial effort. The good news is that with basic segmentation and smart use of communication channels, you can multiply the effectiveness of your commercial actions.

1. Clean and organize your database

A messy list is impossible to take advantage of. Before thinking about campaigns, make sure your database is up to date:

  • Remove duplicates.
  • Complete essential details (venue name, type of business, contact person, email/phone).
  • Update inactive or closed customers.
    👉 A clean database is worth more than a huge one full of noise.

2. Define relevant segmentation criteria

Not all Horeca clients are the same. The most useful criteria include:

  • Type of venue: bar, restaurant, hotel, nightclub…
  • Purchase volume: large, medium, or small customers.
  • Seasonality: strong summer customers (terraces, beach bars) vs. winter customers (mountain hotels).
  • Key products: beer, soft drinks, spirits, wines…
    👉 Segmentation means adapting the message to each group.

3. The sales rep: the core of communication

In Horeca, the sales rep (commercial visit) is the main communication channel. Nobody questions its importance: they build trust, take orders, and detect daily needs. But the mistake is to depend solely on them. Today customers expect immediacy and multiple contact points. This is where segmentation becomes more valuable, because it allows the sales rep to rely on other channels to deliver sharper messages.

4. Complementary channels to the sales rep

WhatsApp / Direct Messaging

  • Ideal for confirming orders, sending urgent promotions, or keeping contact alive.
  • Very effective because bar and restaurant owners check it constantly.
  • Recommendation: don’t spam, personalize, and coordinate with the sales rep.

Segmented Email

  • Perfect for reinforcing campaigns: digital catalogs, seasonal updates, reminders.
  • Less intrusive than WhatsApp and works as supporting documentation.
  • Best used when linked to clear segments (e.g. “winter hotels”).

Occasional Phone Call

  • Useful for medium or small clients who don’t get frequent visits.
  • Activates purchases at key times (before a holiday, local events, or peak season).

Social Media

  • Not a direct sales channel, but effective for positioning.
  • Reinforces the distributor’s image, gives visibility to brands, and builds market trust.
    👉 The key is combining all channels: the sales rep at the core, WhatsApp and phone as agile support, email as reinforcement, and social media as the showcase.

5. Create campaigns tailored to each segment

Instead of sending the same offer to everyone, adjust your proposal:

  • To cocktail bars: promotions on spirits for weekends.
  • To restaurants: wine and beer packs designed to pair with menus.
  • To hotels: special conditions for events or peak season.
    👉 Real example: a summer beer promotion sent only to venues with terraces had 40% more orders than the mass mailing the previous year.

6. Use your CRM as an ally, not just a file

A CRM (or even a well-structured Excel) lets you:

  • Tag clients by segment.
  • Schedule reminders for follow-ups.
  • Measure the response to each campaign.
    👉 The point is not just to have data, but to use it to decide how and through which channel to communicate.

7. Measure results and improve each time

After every campaign:

  • Which segment responded best?
  • Which channel was most effective?
  • Which message generated more orders?
    👉 Only by measuring can you refine the next action and make it more profitable.

Conclusion

Commercial segmentation is not extra work: it’s the smartest way to sell more without spending more. The sales rep will remain the engine of your business, but if you support them with segmented digital channels, each visit and every contact will have much more impact.

A decision that impacts your image as a distributor

More and more bars, restaurants and hotels are valuing sustainability in the supply chain. For a HORECA wholesaler, choosing the right suppliers of water, beer and soft drinks not only affects the planet: it also strengthens the distributor’s image in front of clients. The key question is: what makes more sense, supporting the recycling of single-use packaging or betting on returnable containers? The answer depends on very specific factors that are worth knowing.

Quick recommendation

Most sustainable: steel kegs for beer and tanks for soft drinks. They last for years, can be reused dozens or even hundreds of times, and at the end of their life they can be fully recycled.
Good option: returnable glass, as long as each bottle is reused at least 20–25 times and the return logistics are efficient (taking advantage of trucks on their way back).
Reasonable alternatives: aluminum cans with a high recycled content and PET plastic bottles with rPET (recycled plastic).
Last option: single-use glass, even if recycled, because it is heavy and requires a lot of energy to be manufactured again.

How packaging sustainability is measured

To compare packaging, it’s not enough to check whether it can be recycled or not. Experts use what’s called a life cycle analysis: this means studying the entire life of the container, from production, transport and use, to its reuse, recycling or disposal. With this complete view, we can see that: returnable glass wins in sustainability when reused many times and when it doesn’t create empty trips. Single-use glass, even if recycled, always starts at a disadvantage because of its weight and the heat required to remelt it. Aluminum cans are competitive because they are widely recycled and save a large amount of energy. PET plastic with rPET (recycled) is lighter and can be a better option than single-use glass.

What happens in Spain

Coca-Cola: its returnable glass bottles are designed to be reused up to 25 times.
Estrella Damm: states that its bottles can exceed 30 reuses and that around 65% of its containers in hospitality are returnable.
Mahou San Miguel: reports that more than 80% of what it sells in hospitality is reusable.
Vichy Catalan: offers returnable packaging, although it does not publish figures on reuse.
In addition, Spain has 13 glass treatment plants distributed across the territory, which brings the recycling of single-use bottles closer to wholesalers. As for collection, beverage cans exceed 70% and PET plastic bottles are still around 40%, with expectations of improvement in the coming years thanks to the deposit-return system.

Questions you should ask your suppliers

To make decisions with criteria and communicate them to your clients, ask manufacturers for clear information on: the actual number of times their bottles are reused. The percentage of bottles returned versus those that are lost or broken. Water and energy consumption in the washing processes. Percentage of recycled glass in single-use bottles. Percentage of recycled aluminum in cans. Percentage of recycled plastic (rPET) in PET bottles. How they organize return logistics to ensure there are no empty trips.

Conclusion

In the HORECA sector, the best bet is to prioritize reuse: kegs and tanks first, followed by returnable glass bottles with sufficient life cycles and efficient return logistics. When it is not possible to guarantee these requirements, choose aluminum cans with high recycled content or PET bottles with rPET, leaving single-use glass as the last option. Most importantly: don’t buy blindly. Demand clear data from your suppliers on reuse, recycling and resource consumption. That way you will make more sustainable decisions and show your clients that your distribution company is up to what the future requires.

Final question

And now that you’ve made it this far, here comes the tough part: your competitiveness in the market. So let me ask you:

Is it sustainable for your business to apply all this?

Because you know that if your prices aren’t competitive and all this sustainability ends up ruining you because you can’t sell, then none of it will be worth it.

Social media for distributors: a helpful presence for your clients

In the HORECA sector, a distributor doesn’t need to look like a consumer brand. It’s not about going viral or collecting likes, but about having a clear, helpful, and professional presence that builds trust and makes it easier for clients to reach out.

Here’s how you should approach social media—without wasting your time:

✅ 1. Choose the right platforms: less is more

You don’t need to be everywhere. These are the platforms that can actually bring value:

  • LinkedIn: Ideal for showcasing brand agreements, service improvements, achievements, or industry updates. Professional and noise-free.

  • WhatsApp Business: Essential. It’s not a typical social network, but it’s your best direct channel with bars, restaurants, and local shops.

  • Instagram or Facebook: Only useful if you sell to end customers or have products that are visually appealing (gourmet, wines, cocktails…).

👉 Don’t try to compete with Coca-Cola. Your clients aren’t looking for that.

✅ 2. Your goal isn’t to sell, but to build trust

Your clients already know you or can easily find you. What they want to see on social media is that you’re active, reliable, and worth doing business with.

Content that works:

  • 📦 Real cases: “This restaurant reduced costs by switching to this product.”

  • 📌 Practical updates: schedules, delivery changes, new products with clear value.

  • 📈 Professional insights: commentary on trends or relevant industry news.

✅ 3. You don’t need a content calendar

Posting once or twice a week is enough. On social media, less and better is key. What matters is that your content:

  • Feels real

  • Is useful

  • Shows your company is active and constantly improving

✅ 4. Not everything has to be public

Often, the most effective strategy is to use WhatsApp groups or personalized messages to send your clients:

  • Product news

  • Exclusive deals

  • Updates that directly affect them

👉 Don’t obsess over visibility. Usefulness is your best marketing.

✅ 5. Avoid common mistakes

❌ Posting only photos of pallets or boxes without context
❌ Repeating generic messages like “we work with passion”
❌ Using social media as a catalog, without explaining benefits or use cases

🔚 In short:

If you want social media to help your business, make it helpful for your clients—not just for you. And if you’re not sure how to do it… it’s better to be present in a small way, but do it well.

Your Database Is Your Greatest Asset: How to Attract Hospitality Clients and Sell Without Relying on Social Media (With a Little Help From AI)

In a saturated market like horeca distribution, many businesses still bet everything on social media, thinking that’s enough to “do marketing.” But the truth is, it’s becoming harder and harder to get your message seen. Why? Because you don’t control the channel. Algorithms decide what gets shown—if anything at all—and often, not even paid ads guarantee visibility.

That’s why, now more than ever, building and leveraging your own database is your most powerful sales tool.

Why You Need Your Own Database

Because it belongs to you.
Because no one can limit your access.
And because it allows you to speak directly to the person making the buying decisions.

With a strong database of emails (and to some extent, WhatsApp or phone numbers), you can communicate without filters to bars, restaurants, and hotels. You can send updates, promotions, useful tips—or simply remind your clients you’re there.

And beyond that:

  • Email marketing still sees open rates above 30% when done right.

  • You can automate without sounding robotic.

  • And every response, click, or lack of interaction gives you valuable insight.

How to Collect Data Without Being Pushy

It’s not about asking for an email “just because.” It’s about offering something of value in return:

  • An exclusive discount.

  • A quick guide with menu ideas.

  • Entry into a giveaway.

  • A personalized product sample.

  • Or simply the promise to send up-to-date pricing and new offers.

During in-person visits, a tablet or mobile form feels much more professional than a paper sheet.

How to Structure Your Database to Make It Work

A messy Excel sheet isn’t a database.
A list of untagged emails isn’t either.

Organize your contacts by:

  • Type of establishment (bar, restaurant, hotel, catering…).

  • Geographic area.

  • Profile (modern, classic, premium, budget…).

  • Interests or product categories.

And of course, make sure you’ve obtained clear consent in compliance with data regulations (GDPR). It forces you to communicate clearly from the start—and that’s a good thing.

AI Takes Your Results Further

When it comes to artificial intelligence, we rely on the expert support of GRAU.AD, who help us apply these technologies in a practical, agile, and secure way.

Thanks to this collaboration, we can help you:

  • Automatically generate tailored messages for each type of client.

  • Identify behavioral patterns: who opens your emails, what catches interest, who’s gone cold.

  • Create personalized campaigns in seconds, including targeted offers.

  • Summarize meetings or calls automatically for better follow-up.

  • Automate workflows for onboarding, reactivation, and more—without losing your personal touch.

AI doesn’t replace your sales team. It amplifies it.

What Kind of Campaigns Work Best Today?

  • Time-sensitive offers (“Only this week!”).

  • Short emails with one clear message or product.

  • Suggestions based on past purchases.

  • Reactivation messages for inactive clients.

  • Launches or contests where your clients get exposure too.

And if email doesn’t get through, try WhatsApp—only if there’s already a relationship, and never spam.

Use Social Media to Feed Your Database, Not the Other Way Around

Instagram and Facebook are good for visibility, not for closing sales.

  • Post content that educates or adds value.

  • Include strong CTAs like “Download our free guide” or “Sign up for special updates.”

  • Move followers from public platforms to your private communication channel—as fast as possible.

Final Thoughts

A well-built database isn’t just a marketing tool.
It’s your lifeline in an overcrowded, algorithm-driven digital world.

And with the right technology, you can build, manage, and activate it faster and more effectively than ever.

👉 At Red Paralela, we help you build and structure that database—and get real results from it. And to take things even further, we trust GRAU.AD to help us integrate smart, efficient AI systems that actually work.