Creating Great Grocery Branding – Part 1
At HRA Global, we have a wealth of experience in brand and packaging development, and of course there are a variety of different ways new and existing brands can be developed. Here, we’ve put together a relatively simple yet effective plan that we often rely on when building brands from scratch.
1.) Start From A Value Proposition
The most important piece of work in branding is the value proposition. This considers a range of factors, and culminates in what it is that the brand is ultimately going to promise the consumer. The proposition will lay out the features of the products, and then the benefits these give. It will look at product types, features, sizes, pricing, potential promotions, and from this gage the target customers and channels.
From this, it is simpler to establish brand positioning. Brand positioning looks at what the product is, what it does, and why it is different. From this it becomes easier to gage Brand Personality. This is how the brand should come across in the eyes of the consumer, particularly how it compares with others. Tying these factors together results in a brand proposition – a short statement of what the brand will promise the shopper.
This will be a point of reference for food and drink marketing communications, and the development of brand awareness. At HRA, we set out this entire process on a Value Proposition Canvas – a single document tying all of the elements together, and a straightforward point of reference to use throughout the branding journey. We find that the best examples of branding are developed with the value proposition closely integrated.
2.) Practical Solutions
Less of a stage in itself and more of a ‘bear in mind’, this is particularly important when it comes to food and drink products. This involves looking at the format of the product – particularly important in FMCG, and how it will be sold – essentially the type of packaging. Will it be in a bottle? A plastic container? Some particularly clever examples of branding integrate the packaging type into the brand identity – for example products being sold in vintage-style wooden boxes or glass bottles. It is also important to bear in mind how it will be sold, although much of this will have been covered in the Value proposition. Is it a business-to-business bulk product, a wholesale product, will it be sold in shops directly to consumers, or purchased online through grocery channels?
3.) Concept Development…
Keep your eyes peeled for part 2, out next month via our monthly newsletter! Are you looking for help in FMCG branding? Or are you simply looking for information? HRA are an experienced commercial and business FMCG consultancy with extensive experience covering the branding journey from start to finish. Email roseanna@hra-global.com, or call us on +44 (0) 1803 203387 for more information.
The second part of this article – Creating Great Grocery Branding – Part 2 is now on our site. Continue reading about this topic by following the link!
