EXECUTIONAL./ EST. 20070113 479 0075Contact usGet a quote

Guide · Field marketing

What is field marketing? How it works in retail and beyond.

The activities field marketing covers, how a programme runs from store list to report, and what it takes to staff a team that retailers are glad to see.

7 min read7 steps5 checks
Field team member in a branded jacket handing a shopper a leaflet outside a Specsavers store
Field marketing is how a plan agreed at head office becomes reality on the shop floor.The one thing to remember

Start here

People in stores, store by store.

What field marketing covers, how a programme runs and how to staff and measure it. Follow the line; tap any point to read it.

Space NK store promotion team with two walking bag characters
01Step 1 of 7
Staff member beside a gift display in the Space NK store in Canterbury

What field marketing means

What is field marketing? It is the work brands do through people out "in the field": in stores, venues and public places, at the point where customers see, choose and buy products.

  • Stores
  • Venues
  • Public places
Key pointField marketing is how a plan agreed at head office becomes reality on the shop floor.
02Step 2 of 7
Demonstrators at a Breville blender stand in a shopping centre

The main types of field activity

Many programmes combine several, such as a merchandiser who also completes an audit and reports stock issues on each visit.

  • Merchandising
  • Retail audits
  • Field sales
  • Sampling
  • Demonstrations
  • Mystery shopping
  • Brand ambassadors
03Step 3 of 7
Two staff beside a seasonal chocolate display in a large store

Why brands use field marketing

The first reason is execution.

  • Execution
  • Insight
  • Flexibility
04Step 4 of 7
Two staff in matching black outside a Space NK store

How a field programme runs

A programme starts with a store list and a call cycle: which stores are visited, how often and for how long.

  • Store list
  • Call cycle
  • Visit standard
  • Reporting app
  • Escalation
  • Summaries
05Step 5 of 7
Staff with the store team at a Corona in-store event in a Co-op

Getting retail access right

Stores are workplaces with their own rules.

Key pointApproval from head office opens the door; a good relationship with each store keeps it open.
06Step 6 of 7
Large team in matching black at the UNIQLO store launch in Birmingham

Staffing a field team

Match roles to the work: merchandisers and auditors for standards and compliance, demonstrators and samplers for trial, brand ambassadors for advice-led categories, and a field manager or team leader who plans journeys, checks quality and handles escalations.

  • Merchandisers
  • Auditors
  • Demonstrators
  • Samplers
  • Brand ambassadors
  • Field manager
07Step 7 of 7
Staff member beside a prize wheel in the Space NK store in Canterbury

Measuring field marketing

Choose measures that match the activity.

  • Compliance
  • Out-of-stocks fixed
  • Promotions on time
  • New listings
  • Sales in visited stores

Checklist

Before the first visit.

Ready for the field.

Sampling staff member with House of Dorchester chocolates in a Booths store

At a glance

A field programme, stage by stage.

What each stage of a field programme aims for, with one tip for each.

StageAimTip
Store listThe right stores at the right frequencyPrioritise by sales and new listings
StandardOne definition of "done"Photos on every visit
AccessApproved and bookedLetter of authority for every visit
TeamLocal, consistent peopleSame person, same stores
MeasureCompliance and salesTrends across call cycles

Common questions

Field marketing questions.

What is the difference between field marketing and experiential marketing?

Field marketing is mostly about execution at the point of sale: availability, display, trial and sales in stores. Experiential marketing creates a designed brand experience, often at events or in public spaces. Sampling and demonstrations sit in both.

Is field marketing the same as field sales?

Field sales is one part of it: visiting stores to win listings, space or promotions. Field marketing also covers merchandising, audits, sampling, demonstrations and mystery shopping.

What drives the cost of a field marketing programme?

The number of stores, how often each is visited and for how long, journeys between stores, the roles involved, training time, and how detailed the reporting needs to be. Short, one-off launch programmes are planned differently from ongoing call cycles.

How often should stores be visited?

It depends on how quickly standards slip and how fast the product sells. Fast-moving or newly listed lines may need weekly visits; steady lines in well-run stores may need far fewer. Visit reports will show you where to adjust.

Do you build the stand or produce the materials?

No. We supply and manage the field team. Point-of-sale material, displays and stock come from the brand or its suppliers, and our staff install and maintain them to your standard.

Staff member behind the Levi's Tailor Shop counter in a London store

Further reading

What is merchandising? A guide for brands

How retail merchandising works: planograms, displays, point-of-sale and the visit standards behind them.

Read the guide →

Where we fit

People in your stores.

We supply and manage the people who carry out field work for brands and agencies: merchandisers, demonstrators, samplers, auditors, product trainers and in-store brand ambassadors, recruited near your stores from 40 UK staffing hubs, with geo-tagged check-ins and a 24/7 support line answered day and night. See our field marketing staff for the roles we cover.

Ask for a quote →