Let’s Talk Strategy (2/2)

Part 2: how to apply it to a brand?

I keep coming back to this principle that every brand has an “essence”.

A quality that is unique to it, that draws people to it. It doesn’t always have to be tangible. Sometimes it’s their story, an emotion or an aesthetic. Brand essence is almost always born from a market gap.

Something people are missing in their lives or don’t know is missing and this product magically fills a void, makes their lives easier or changes it in a way that is irreversible. Think liquid detergent, body wash, smartphones, OTT streaming or quick commerce— you wonder how you lived, before these things came into your life.

How do brands decide what their “essence” is going to be?

How do you package this market gap in a way that your target group would immediately want to engage, buy into it and make it a part of their lives?

Unilever has a beautiful framework called Brand Key Model. Look it up, the framework is freely available to search and study on the Internet. It’s essentially a 9-step tool that helps you arrive at your USP, positioning and brand essence. Unilever has launched beautiful brands like Dove, Lux, Lifebuoy, Knorr etc. that you & I use in our everyday, they should know a thing or two about creating the perfect hook for their brand.

Let’s pick one of Unilever’s brands and see if we can triangulate its positioning & essence using their Brand Key Model. I wanted to do Dove, but I think you’ll find several case studies about it on the Internet. I’m going to pick Hellmann’s Mayonnaise.

I think this is a more interesting choice because mayo as a condiment is relatively new to India. I’d trace its popularity to the introduction of American fast food here. I can tell you for sure that growing up, I didn’t know what mayo was or have access to it. Only after I was introduced to American culture through songs & TV shows did I learn about it. But today, kids grow up with it being a staple at home, right alongside ketchup. And there are several options to choose from: different price points to varied ingredients (eggless mayo, anyone?)

So it makes sense to want to position your mayo just right, so that your audience would choose it.

Let’s get into it:

Brand: Hellmann’s Mayo

Objective: arriving at a USP (unique selling proposition) that would differentiate it from its competitors

1. Root Strength

What category does the brand operate in?

Food & beverage. More specifically fast food. Even more specifically condiments.

What are the category norms? (common expectations, behaviours, visual styles, messaging, and positioning)

- Taste

- Variants (eggless, flavors etc.)

- Plastic jars, squeezy pouches

- Competitive pricing, offers

- Clean, safe options (vegan, low-fat, healthy etc.)

2. Competitive Environment

Who are the key competitors?

Dr Oetker Fun Foods, Veeba, Del Monte, Cremica, Wingreens Farms

3. What makes Hellmann’s competitive in the market?

- Hellmann’s mayo is so tasty, it makes everything better

- Adding taste to drab food

- The perfect sidekick to your mains

- Priced perfectly to always have it in your kitchen

- Makes every kitchen experiment a success

- Thick & creamy texture

- Easy access bottles/pouches

4. Target Audience

Who is the brand speaking to? (my take)

Urban upper-middle-class population, kids (8–14), moms of school-going kids, foodies, home chefs

5. Going beyond demographics: values, behaviours, aspirations

The audience is exposed to global food trends, open to experimenting with food & taste. Have buying potential to purchase & repurchase a condiment like mayo, it’s probably a staple in their households.

Sample persona: Nina (35)

- Lives in Mumbai in a gated apartment with her husband and 5yo daughter

- She’s a Marketing Manager. Her husband is a Director of Finance. Both work for renowned MNCs

- She drives to work and has a good support system to care for her child — a nanny, cook, house help etc.

- Nina and her husband plan vacations, sometimes international, twice a year

- They order takeout 2–3 times a week and go out with friends 1–2 times a month

- She shops from H&M, Zara and Myntra

- The couple together earn enough to take care of their parents too

- They plan to buy a home in Mumbai in the next couple of years

6. Insight

What is the human truth or tension this audience feels?

- A busy career and full life leave little room for cooking and successful experimentation in the kitchen

What problem, desire, or unspoken need does your brand address?

- On days they cannot plan their meals or have help, they need an easy-to-use kitchen staple that will help them whip up a decent, tasty meal quickly

- Hellmann’s is a quick, multi-use solution to help whip up snacks or easy meals in no time

5. Benefits

Functional: What does the brand do for them?

Makes kitchen experiments and last-minute meals, super easy

Emotional: How does it make them feel?

Boring food? No problem. This tasty option is always there for me, in my pantry, whenever I need

6. Reason to Believe

Why should your audience believe your benefit claims?

Because Hellmann’s mayo is super tasty and perfectly priced at INR 40. It has been a household name in the UK and America for years and is now here to be a part of your kitchen.

<Use proof points like ingredients, design, process, testimonials, or data here.

World renowned mayo brand with superior taste and creamy texture that is perfectly priced>

7. Values & Personality

What values guide the brand?

- Hellmann’s is passionate about taste

- But conscientious about the planet

How does it speak? Act? Feel?

(Think tone of voice, ethics, brand archetypes)

Friendly, fun, helpful (I’m sure there was a more definitive voice decided for Hellmann’s, but this is what I got from scrolling their social media and website)

I’ll cover brand archetypes in more detail, separately. Until then, you can look up this link.

While we’ve broadly covered what Hellmann’s is, here’s what it’s not:

- it is not a health product i.e. it doesn’t promise better health or wellness upon consumption

8. Discriminator (aka USP)

What makes this brand uniquely different?

Superior taste, creamy texture and perfectly priced

Why choose this one over others?

Great taste, great taste, great taste (and price)

By the time you get here, you may have already stumbled over your USP in the Insights segment or while listing the brand’s competitive differentiator. When you get to this point, you will also ideally have proof points to back up the differentiators. Which is why this 9-step tool is airtight.

9. Brand Essence

A single line or phrase that captures the emotional heart of the brand.

E.g., Nike = “Authentic athletic performance”

For the Indian market:

Hellmann’s = your kitchen bestie who never lets you down — in taste or value.

I hurried through some of these segments, so pardon me if some of these sections aren’t thorough, it is an incredibly detailed exercise and I just wanted to give you an idea about how elaborate (and hard) it is without further delaying this article.

Happy branding!

I’ll see you in the next one.