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“Our shelf space is limited.
For us to take on another item, your product must be different. It must give our shoppers a reason to buy.”
– Whole Foods Market buyer
(at recent producer seminar) |
Reason to Buy
Today's
consumers are demanding unique brands with premium quality at
affordable prices. That can be a tall order for many companies trying to break-in and generate profitable sales, but that's reality. Brands must do more,
especially in this tough business cycle. In short, your brand must give consumers a reason to buy.
To simply show up you must have a quality product. But to compete successfully, you must have a viable brand. A brand is more than just the product itself. It's the connection and promise you make with your customer. Most importantly, your brand must provide a meaningful benefit and fulfill a need. Here's an example of what we're talking about; a product that became a brand.
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| | Before: A good product, but not yet a strong brand |
Colorado's Front Range Natural Foods makes jams and relishes under the "Baby Jakes" label. As a product, its creations are unique and delicious. As a brand, it needed a clear, meaningful identity with gourmet imagery that reflected the vision and personality of Elaine Opdahl, its owner.
The Brand Starts with You
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That's your strengths, capabilities, and vision. Some of this should be personal - after all, it is your company. For
Elaine, this meant personal expression: artistic, warm colors,
Mediterranean heritage, and a balance
of sun and earth, or solterra, a new brand name and visual identity.
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Next, Focus on the Benefit
Your brand must deliver a benefit. Start with your important features and convert them to benefits.
For Solterra, the creative food art of blending spicy, adult-like ingredients such as
peppers and Sauternes wine (features) can definitely stimulate, or energize (benefit) one's taste buds and prepared meals. This "path" from features to benefits is your brand story, or in branding lingo, your positioning statement.
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Like the warming sun and nurturing earth, our gourmet creations will energize you and your culinary expressions. Enjoy the vibrant, youthful sensations of fresh ingredients, flavors and aromas, and discover the creative food art of Solterra Foods.
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Then, Energize Your Image
With the average grocery purchase decision made in about 10 seconds, your brand must appeal immediately to consumers. That means standing on the shelf versus and cutting through all the clutter and competing imagery. To generate trial...and sales volume, strive for a clean, simple look with strong branding.
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| After: Now a Brand...with clear identity and premium imagery
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That's a start. In the next issue of The BrandWerker™ we'll offer some ideas about how to differentiate your brand, no matter how much competition is out there!
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