By Greg McFarlane, co-founder of the WRKSHP Like it or hate it, it’s not for everyone! It is becoming more and more apparent that the ever changing landscape of consumer behaviour necessitates a constant bob and weave from agencies entrusted with the important task of not only keeping brands alive, but growing them. Gone are the days when on-shelf competition was limited to three or four brands, each with their specific niche in the market firmly established. The challenge nowadays is to not only find the untapped market, but to define and quantify why a brand is better than the bottle next to it. Brands need to become more honest. Marmite, a brand that has been in existence since the late 19th century and bought by Unilever in 2000, has never felt the need to pretend to be something it is not. It has cannily adapted itself to market trends with speed and alacrity. They have changed from earthenware pots (from where it gets its name – French), brought in special limited edition packaging, and it was even used in medical trial to help cure anaemia - all the while sticking to the original recipe. The British love it or hate it Marmite campaign was devised 15 years ago when one part of a creative team thought it was delicious and the other could not bear the taste. Instead of skimming over the fact that a percentage of the market could not stand the strong taste, they highlighted this, evoking strong emotions and healthy debate. It allowed the haters an opportunity to interact with the brand and in doing so grew to love it. Not the taste, but the brand. Some brands have followed suit with ‘honesty is the best policy’, and as Miracle Whip claims, Were not for everyone. It is a risky strategy that sometime falls flat (as Miracle Whip is finding out) but with more choice on the shelves and various other factors at play, such as the cost of fuel driving higher price points, brands are going to have to become more honest in order to survive the oh-so-clever consumer. Can you identify any other brands which have followed a similar strategy?
Posted on: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 10:19:42 +0000
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