The Four Killer Components to Making Your Brand A Success
Good to be part of a sparky panel debate at IFE, the annual International Food and Drink Event, around the importance of listening, observing and taking the time to get things right for your brand and business. Stand out comes from an educated sense of what will work, and from finding a point of view that celebrates each brand’s uniqueness rather than just following existing category cues. It’s an increasingly competitive space, in which challengers can succeed, as long as speed of thinking and action doesn’t replace rigour and pause for thought. Planning. Storytelling. Strong design. Grounded audience realities. Four killer components to factor in every time.
One of the key outtakes I shared was about storytelling:
“The one unique thing challenger brands can own is their distinctive story, journey and perspective. Going above product and great taste into the personal to share the brand beginning, middle and the now/future ambitions. Authentic is an overused word, but people remember and buy into colour, honesty and humanity, and energised storytelling that flows across media and social channels and your website. If you find your story heart and attitude, you have something stand out to work with.”
Fellow panelists highlight thoughts included...
Brett Goldhawk, brand innovation consultant for the food and drink sector at Designhawk
“Standing out from the crowd matters, and investment in packaging design that flows from understanding shopper behaviour is essential. Being clear on who you are and what you do is what creates cut-through against the sector goliaths and the increasing dominance of Own Label. It’s not difference for difference’s sake but it is about avoiding copycat territory and fighting for scraps. Every trade show sees great products, enthusiastic founders, and some optimistic sales data. But the crown jewel of packaging design is way too often non-existent or poorly executed, and that is self-sabotage”
Gareth Turner, brand and marketing advisor at Big Black Door
“Marketing is not just advertising. It’s bigger than that. It’s a growth strategy. It’s a deep understanding of your business, your brand, your ambition, your target audience, and their needs. It’s a strategic approach to where to play and what to say. And it’s a set of channel agnostic tactics to making your brand easy to think of, find and buy. Ensuring that every penny of spend and every minute of effort is pulling your brand in the right direction is sharpening your chances of success with the right plan.”
Isabel Lydall, strategic insight and research consultant at Curious to Clear
“The most successful brands employ a laser focus on finding out what their target audience needs and values - and then gives it to them. It’s having a deep curiosity about people and behaviour, observing and exploring, and checking any pre-assumptions. Because when you see how people really use and shop a category - and how they respond to ideas – there is often surprise, but surprise that can be matched with actionable opportunities. It’s moving from doing what you think will work, to doing what you know will work.”