Is Your Brand Past its Sell-By Date?

Featuring research from 1,000 British consumers, Southpaw’s Fading Brands report unveils some key findings and surprising truths about consumers' changing value perceptions among the UK's leading brands.

Raising eyebrows among grocery brand board members and industry experts, Fading Brands reveals some key customer truths, and what they mean for leading grocery labels including Cadbury’s, Heinz and Coca-Cola.

Through relevant case studies the report offers strategic insight and practical advice, arming readers with the tools they need to future-proof their brand.

Continuing the Fading Brands debate, Southpaw hosted an event chaired by The Grocer, where panellists provided practical guidance to marketing teams.

Speakers included:

Rob Brown – Features Editor, The Grocer
Phil Toms – ex Nestle & Charles Wells
Jacqui Burchell – Global Marketing & Product Development Director, PZ Cussons Beauty
Grainne Saunders – Marketing Manager, Britvic Soft Drinks
Niki Macartney – Strategy Director, Southpaw
Carol Savage – ex Conviviality Retail, Pizza Hit & Sara Lee

Key take outs;

1. The price is wrong - Britain’s brands need to fight harder than ever to justify a premium. Being expensive is often one of the top reasons people fall out of love with a brand. In the absence of a strong brand, it’s harder to justify a price premium, and therefore consumers begin to think in terms of expense.
2. Don’t forget future consumers - Many 16 to 24-year-old respondents feel some of the brands are not aimed at them. Across all of the labels listed this age group ranked the least engaged on a majority of occasions. Brands that fail to give a reason to buy at an early age are more likely to struggle to engage people as they grow older.
3. Branding breaks through for millennials - It’s important not to undervalue design, branding and packaging with younger consumers, especially for competitive grocery brands. Millennials rate this factor as more vital to their purchase decision than the influence of advertising.
4. Lessons in turning around a fading brand’s fortunes – Many comebacks fail because the expectation is that marketing alone can save the brand. Almost all good cases in the report highlight the need for more fundamental changes; manufacturing as well as marketing and service propositions.

View the event highlights film and download the Fading Brands Report here - southpawagency.com/fadingbrands/  

To find out more contact Claire Ashdown at Southpaw