cpg: food:

Leveraging Brand Drivers

The Consumer Package Goods – Food category continues to grow even more competitive in our current economic climate, with national brands no longer fending off only national competitors but also private-label brands. Private-label brands offer consumers economic savings and, in many cases, a quality alternative, making it even more important for national brands to better understand how to retain current users and attract new users.

How do national brands grow in this environment? It begins with understanding brand drivers and differentiating brand equities and brand affinities.

Brand equities are the qualities that consumers know about the brand (good or bad), regardless of liking or using the brand. For example, a quality frozen meal may be considered a healthy meal alternative. This knowledge, however, does not necessarily translate into new buyers or greater commitment by infrequent purchasers. Instead, it’s necessary to identify the affinity drivers that are most relevant to current purchasers and fully communicate these to potential buyers.

When it comes to growing a brand, determining primary drivers isn’t enough. It is also imperative to understand the differentiating drivers that distinguish one brand from another. For example, the desire for a quick, convenient in-home snack or meal may lead the consumer to consider Hot Pockets, Pizza Rolls, Frozen Pizza or a Frozen Dinner. All of these options own the primary drivers of providing a quick, convenient meal. Therefore, it is necessary to isolate the differentiating drivers – in this case portability, which might help determine why the consumer picked Hot Pockets.

It’s also important to acknowledge that these drivers are not only functional qualities, but also emotional benefits. These uncovered drivers must be accentuated in all communications to better differentiate the brand from alternative national and private-label brands and remove them from the competitive landscape, thus securing a unique position in the mind of the consumer.