As Shawn Parr, CEO of Bulldog Drummond, a branding and innovation consultancy in San Diego, sees it, many companies within the natural product industry could use a branding facelift.
“If you look at the natural space, everyone is doing, saying and behaving in pretty much the same way,” Parr told NewHope360. Once brands in this industry reach a certain size, they tend to start to behaving rationally and forget the emotional piece.”
Any company can redefine its branding and advertising approach, says Parr, whose company has worked with such brands as Starbucks, CLIF Bar, Cleanwell, Nestle and Pinkberry.
Parr offers these brand-building tips for natural, organic and healthy products companies:
1) Define your purpose: A company’s reason for being drives its point of differentiation and should be infused within its branding and marketing. "This has to be the first step in defining the foundation for your brand," Parr says.
2) Get to know your customers: “Really understand what makes them tick,” Parr says. “Don’t just assume they are LOHAS moms with kids.” Once you know your customers, you can build connections with them.
3) Analyze the “enemy”: “Understand what you are pushing up against,” Parr says. “It could be a societal trend like obesity or an institute like fast food. Identifying the enemy is a great tool for discovering how to be different.”
4) Focus on your origins: Think about your origin story—not only about how your company was started, but also where your ingredients come from and the relationships you have with your suppliers.
5) Tell your story: Once you’ve crafted your brand story, figure out how to tell it in the most compelling way possible. “Often times companies want to jam everything on their packaging, but that often doesn’t work,” Parr says. “Figure out how to judiciously use the tools available to you to effectively engage consumers.”
6) Be passionate and authentic: “The world doesn’t need another food brand, another drink or bag of chips,” Parr says. “What consumers totally relate to is passion and authentic companies that are bringing something of value to the world.”